Cruise Panoramas
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Tea Time
Monday, June 20, 2016
By Brenton White, Cruising Enthusiast
Today, while sailing aboard the beautiful Crystal Symphony, not exactly thinking about panoramas, I take you with me to tea…
| We begin by walking up to the Palm Court on deck 11 at the front of the ship. In the hallway, outside the Palm Court, we are met by Julia and Ashel who invite us in to have tea. |
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On the way, we see a tray of the tempting treats that await our selection. |
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| We are offered a seat by the window and graciously accept. Our view today is of a brewing ocean, preparing to show its displeasure with a couple of tropical storms to the south. But for now, the view is only a bit gray with whitecaps and little swells. |
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Upon sitting we request our tea (today it is Green Tea Passion, just like every day), and we are greeted by a white-gloved gentleman offering us an assortment of crust-free sandwiches. |
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| I, of course, ask for peanut butter and jelly and am politely informed that my choice is not available (but it sure can be tomorrow!). I respectfully decline the offer with a smile and a wink. Next, a plate of pastries is presented with delightfully decadent choices. |
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At that time the tea arrives, and we are told the recommended time to let the tea brew is 3 minutes. We acknowledge the instruction and begin to wait the suggested time. |
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| Just as we think we have nothing to do for three minutes, our white-gloved gentleman appears with a plate of cookies, and he tells us that they are “home baked.” We guess that a ship can be a home and, for many of the folks working to make life wonderful for us passengers, it is—many months at a time. |
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And then, right out of the blue, a tray of scones is proffered, accessorized with fresh strawberries and clotted cream. Oh my, so many choices; so many calories. But, apparently, since we are past the equator the calories don’t count—something to do with being upside down. |
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| We finally decide on a few delicacies, prepare our tea, settle in, and it is tea time. |
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And as we sip our tea, gaze out the window, dream of distant ports, and relax in a beautiful setting, we are serenaded by the Crystal Trio with classical music, all of which creates an elegant mix of tastes, aromas, and sounds. A perfect time on a perfect day. |
Enjoy, we’ll do it again tomorrow.
Brenton White
