On A Lovely Saturday Afternoon

Today was a very relaxing and very typically British Saturday.  After sleeping in this morning, my roommate Catherine and I decided to book a table for afternoon tea.  Researching our options on afternoontea.co.uk, we selected the City Cafe in Westminster because of the pictures of delicious looking treats on the site.

At 1:00 we headed to the Pimlico stop on the Victoria Tube Line to do some exploring before sitting down to tea.  Surprisingly, as we began to walk towards Westminster Abbey the cloudy sky cleared up to reveal bright blue skies.  As it was the first time either of us had been in this area of town with the sun out, we snapped a bunch of photos of the monuments. 

Houses of Parliament

Big Ben

Because we had time to kill before our reservation we headed across the Westminster bridge to the area of South Bank. 

A quick snapshot while crossing the Westminster Bridge

It was amazing to have the chance to see the Houses of Parliament from the southern river bank.  It truly is a magnificent sight to behold.  We both agreed that the side that faces the river is a lot more picturesque than the northern side which is cluttered with street lights, fences, and hundreds of tourists.  Viewing it from across the river allowed us to take in all of the beautiful architectural features. 

View of Parliament from South of the Thames

As the time neared our reservation, we headed to the restaurant which was located in the London Mint Hotel.  Because the cafe was nearly empty, we were seated quickly and ordered our traditional English Breakfast Tea.  Our server brought over our tea and we each poured a cup.  It had a nice full-bodied taste and was perfect with one lump of sugar and milk.

Loving every sip

The afternoon tea service was a great deal.  Here, it cost us fifteen pounds and included a selection of four kinds of finger sandwiches, two scones with clotted cream and jam, three pastry desserts, and a small pot of tea each.  All in all, a wonderful bargain!  Soon our server brought over a cake stand for each of us filled with all the traditional tea time delights.

My selection of tea time treats

My favorite items on the tray had to be the scones.  With the cream and strawberry jam, there was just no beating them. The sandwiches were good and the other desserts were so delectable.  By the end of the meal Catherine and I were both so full.  Satisfied with a sugar-coma, there was no way that either of us could have had another bite to eat. 

On our way home on the Tube we decided to stop off at Knightsbridge to see the famous Harrods.  This high-end department store has over 1 million square feet of selling space and 330 departments. It's motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique—All Things for All People, Everywhere and it truly is achieved within this magnificent store. 

We began our journey in the world famous Food Hall.  They have everything that you can ever imagine wanting to eat or drink.  Dim sum, pizza, cheese, tea, pasta, candy, Krispie Kremes, seafood, and so, so much more.  Continuing on past the outstanding jewelry and watch department shimmering with chandeliers and huge diamonds, we found ourselves at the Egyptian Escalator.  All five floors were decked out from floor to ceiling with sumptuous Egyptian inspired decor. There was a stained glass ceiling, golden balconies, and hieroglyphs adorning the walls and columns.  At the top there was a gilded Sphinx and an opera singer serenading all of the shoppers.

We began our explorations of the various floors with the sporting goods featuring tennis, football, and equestrian equipment.  One floor down, we immensely enjoyed the Pet Kingdom which had everything you could ever need for your pet.  They even had puppies for sale! Next, we played around in the toy department.  Nostalgically we relived our childhood through all of the stuffed animals and dolls.  Our favorite toys were the Harrods bears dressed as guards, beefeaters, and scots.  On the next floor, we found furniture, fabulous vintage prints, and a bookstore.  We loved flipping through the book all about Kate and William dedicated to the upcoming wedding.  In the end, I have decided that Harrods is positively brilliant.  It was the most luxurious department store I have and most likely ever will see.

It is days like this that truly remind me why I love London oh so much.