Mystery!

Here's one of the oldest theme songs, or whatever you call this, maybe intro? in my memory. There is a newer version of this, and now I think the show is called Masterpiece Mystery, but nothing beats the shows hosted by Vincent Price.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAmGsM4Dids

I obviously found it on YouTube.

-Can anyone tell me what that woman was moaning about? Even in the newer version she's still carrying on. Ohh! Ohhhhh! Ooooohhhh!

Looking Back, Just a Little Bit

I can't believe this particular picture was taken 5 years ago today...I still have those shoes! This also means that that camera is 5 years old... it's a Canon Rebel 2000, but not a digital. I haven't used it since I got my digital, but I'm not ready to part from it yet. It's got a massive zoom-in lens that my digital doesn't have. Too bad we didn't use it for this picture. Actually, this was the day I woke up and realized I didn't have my camera with me, and I had to run all over Charing Cross Station and the Strand looking for it. Turns out it spent the night in an Internet cafe in Covent Garden. Thankfully the employees were honest, and a really relieved Catherine got on with her day.

Boston Tea Party!

Do you want a Boba or a Freddo? I heard all kinds of different words for tea drinks in Boston that were new to me.

Though there aren't too many places mentioned in the online tea directories, Boston does have a good amount of places to go for a decent cup of tea, hot or iced, pure or sweetened. Perhaps being in the university area lent itself to the need for many types of refreshments. This applies to the nose, too, as we turned a corner and were graced with the all-too-fabulous Lush scent at one point.

Tealuxe was my choice for a tea stop - I'd heard of this place years back, when they opened a branch in Midtown Manhattan. Why didn't it last? Maybe the timing was off, though it wasn't that long ago. We could sure use a place like that in Astoria (though it's nice to have Panera Bread anyway.) Though there wasn't quite as much seating as I'd like to see (okay, we found a cozy little table in the back), it was the perfect tea answer to Starbucks. You could get your tea in a takeaway mug, or even get a pot for your table. I couldn't decide what to choose, so the barristo (is that what they're called?) suggested a caramel creme brulee flavored black tea. It was really sweet, not the kind of thing I normally order, but certainly good and refreshing. However, I preferred Bonnie's Aloha blend. That one almost threw me off my chair. Also, I had a piece of banana bread that was the perfect accompaniment to my tea. Tealuxe also sells loose teas and all types of paraphernalia. I'd stop there again if I were in the neighborhood.

The location was also ideal because it was right near the Curious George bookstore. Besides all kinds of Curious George thingys ranging from washcloths to tea sets to car scent fresheners, there were all kinds of items that kids and nostalgic adults would love. If we'd had more time, I would have been there even longer. It reminded me of the Peter Rabbit store in Covent Garden.

(As a side point, doesn't the Tealuxe sign resemble the Lush logo? Yeah, great minds think alike.)

What the...

No, I haven't been to London recently. It seems Boston used double decker buses for their tours, too. NY does, but these look more authentic. I guess that's what they mean by New England (pauses to let the groans fade out.)

Doesn't Bonnie look happy with her Boba? (That's bubble tea to me.) More on tea in my next post.

Wagamama

Two visits to Wagamama within the space of two weeks, and I'm not even in London! Not a bad deal. This time I was in the Cambridge Branch. I am proud to say I lasted longer than I ever had with chopsticks. I think the thick noodles helped. Here I look like I've been sponsored by Staples. Nope. I just love to give out free publicity. I'm a giving kind of girl. For my lovely meal, I had a ginger-heavy concoction to combat the possible motion sickness on my return bus trip. It seems to have helped. Though I didn't finish the whole thing, it certainly fueled me for a good portion of the day.

Boston, Part One

This is the first in a series of posts about my two day trips to Boston. It turned out to be a city I'd put in my top ten for certain. It's big enough to have variety, but not as crazy as NY, so I did actually feel like I went away.

Here we see my joy at finding a Whittard in the US. (I'm a little miffed at finding out it's pronounced Whit-tard instead of my way of saying it which sounded more like whittle.) They also have a blend-your-own-tea section, though it's kind of pricey.

We also see Daphne joyfully awaiting her healthy meal at Wagamama. What a fantastic place for comfort food! They're also quite accommodating for those with food allergies or dietary requirements. All of this happened at Faneuil Hall, a nice if touristy section full of shops and restaurants (they have their own Cheers).