Just as any proper British tea party, for this was indeed my model, the setting was perfect: surrounded by books; seated on comfortable sofas; a stone's throw away from a lovely kitchen; and, of all places, in the heart of Bucharest, at a wonderful bookstore called Diverta Acasa. My company was superlative, some of the best English students in the country, fully prepared to dive into a tea party (fara limba romana). We began by learning about the origins of tea in a wayward leaf that fell one cold winter day into the hot water cup of the emperor of China several thousand years ago and went on to learn about the importance of tea around the world, from Britain to Argentina.


The tea was delicious, we all sat down and told stories of our winter holidays and the upcoming vacation (Boy, would I like to go skiing in Austria for vacation, or spot the rare Great Bustard in the Romanian mountains!) and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the cookies really hit the spot.

It was a new experience for all of us and I am sure we all had a great time. I can only hope that the next time I host or attend a tea party it will be as marvelous an experience as this one was!
Adam Cernea Clark