Out & About in London (Part 2): Afternoon Tea & More
The last few days of a trip always feel like a whirlwind. For my second short stay in London, I’d scheduled several meetups with friends. And a last bit of shopping for gifts to bring home.
The weather was mostly cold and damp, so spent most of the time indoors. But when I saw sunshine outside my window early Sunday morning, I hot-footed it over to Hyde Park to enjoy while it lasted and take a few more photos…
But mostly, it was “indoor weather” for the rest of my stay. Still, I managed to get together with some friends while I was there. (Always the best part of any trip!)
Meetups!
One afternoon, Alyson of That’s Not My Age and “Mr. TNMA” came over to Mayfair where I was staying. They’d suggested an “art gallery crawl” in the area to see some new exhibitions (many featuring women artists), which I really enjoyed.
I especially loved the Shizuko Yoshikawa exhibition at the Marlborough. If you’ll be in London between now and May 18, go see this one.
Afterward we went out for drinks and an early dinner. And then walked back through the Soho area and Carnaby Street (which I’d somehow missed on my prior London visits).
Next time I’m in London, I’ve made a note to do more exploring around Soho!
Afternoon tea in London
Another thing I’d never managed to do on my prior UK visits was a “proper” afternoon tea. My friend Tarra Rosenbaum was game, and graciously came all the way across town after having just arrived on a red-eye flight earlier that day.
The Beaumont, where I was staying*, does a lovely tea, and we were not disappointed. We both opted for a fennel/ginger herbal infusion, and loved it. I think we may have gone through three pots of it. 🫖 The scones were served with clotted cream and jam, as one does. It was quite filling, and I couldn’t even finish the last couple of pastries.
You can read more about Tarra and her lovely jewelry creations HERE.
*I’ll be writing more about where I stayed in future posts.
And, my friends at Red Leopard were holding a Color and Style training session, so I volunteered to be a color model.
Manina and I will be doing another Red Leopard Color Event in Los Angeles in May! We’re offering personal color analysis sessions, and makeup artist extraordinaire Brian Haugen will be on hand to do makeup. It’s booking up fast but there are still a few spots left. So don’t miss out, details HERE.
I’m now home and unpacked. I’m sorting through stacks of mail and messages, but will be back with my Travel Wardrobe Recap early next week. 🧳
Where’s your favorite spot for afternoon tea?
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Oh wow thank you so much for sharing your travel photos! Nothing like a “proper English tea” and seeing Hyde Park budding in spring was an extra bonus. We’re heading to Munich and Vienna this fall and already planning travel wardrobe. Like you, if it won’t fit in a carry on too bad! I’m too old to schlep a heavy suitcase!
My favorite spot for afternoon tea is the Cadogan Hotel. Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. The color analysis is very helpful.
Wow, you did cram a lot into those last few days. Afternoon tea is one of my favourite things to do. No need for dinner after that spread, eh? Lovely that you had a meet-up with Alyson Walsh. I’ve been reading her blog for years. What a great trip you’ve had overall. You and Frances inspire me to try solo travel. 🙂
Ritz Carlton’s used to do wonderful afternoon teas, even in their warm weather locations. Haven’t done one in years. Have recently found a bakery in Safety Harbor, FL, that makes real scones, though. Other bakeries’ scones are more like turnovers with frosting and sugar–tasty, but nothing like a real scone. joeybiscotti.com is the bakery in the Tampa Bay Area