I want to remark how nice tea at the national gallery was. Afternoon tea is such an iconic British cultural norm and something that, even if you were to come to London several times, as a tourist you are probably unlikely to take part in. Despite a few mix ups (few people making it on time, a misunderstanding with staff, etc.), it was definitely a lovely time sitting down as a group and taking time to slow things down for a bit. With such a hectic schedule all week, this was a much needed break. I know it helped introduce me to a few new flavors of tea and was just genuinely fun.
It was nice to dress up somewhat and sit down with everyone someplace other than a pub. I thought the snacks that were provided were very good and like you said, it was great to be able to experience an iconic part of British culture. I’ve never been a fan of hot tea but this was good.
The tea was one of my favourite parts of the trip. Being a rather avid tea drinker, it was great to experience a true British tea. I really enjoyed trying the ginger and assam teas. I also really like the cream and strawberry jam pastry, I do not know what it was called, but I really want to find some in the U.S. I vote that we should all start a formal tea place on High Street since we don’t have anything like it (that I can think of). I too liked that it was a way to relax amidst a very busy week. For a moment I felt like I lived in Victorian England, just for a moment.