70

It’s been a busy end of the year; travel, travel, some more travel and then boom! Christmas! So let me wrap it up with a bit of tea.

The word ‘serendipity’ always rubs me the wrong way – possibly because of the sheer, undiluted horrors of that Cusack/Beckinsale romcom (2001?! I can’t believe it’s been that long.) But this past year – or, to be fair, these past two years, even – have been all about one thing – and that is the right people making the appearance in my life at exactly the right time. Over and over and over again. And my gratitude knows no bounds.

I have two quiet days (again, boundless gratitude) ahead of me – there are few things I loathe more than a New Year’s party. If I dare leave the house, it all turns into Peter’s Friends – no exceptions. I think I’m probably spoiled, raised at the one address in my home city from where all the most lavish fireworks could be seen – now it gets really old after the first three explosions, plus it scares everyone’s poor pets; what’s the point, really? I used to watch all the tipsy-to-smashed people crowd in my street and then my special new year’s treat was to bundle up with my window open – it was right above this little piazza with benches, and there was always some couple drunkenly, tearfully breaking up.

For over a decade, I started my new year off listening to people breaking up in sub-zero temperatures, dressed to the teeth.

Back to the other people, though – my people. My favourite person bought this tea for me in Tel Aviv, and we tried it late at night, sitting together in the dark. It was a peaceful, needful, well-timed trip. I would be a much lesser Anna without this love and this patience and this kindness and this loyalty – without this person traveling the world with me, drinking tea with me, sitting in the dark with me.

This I know.

(Please note that I steered clear of the serendipi-tea pun throughout this tasting note. Award points accordingly. Thank you.)

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 30 sec
Fjellrev

Nice to see you around, god jul!

I totally understand the word association. Miss Congeniality totally ruined that word for me.

But otherwise, your tea/travel experience sounds wonderful.

Anna

Hey you – looking mighty foxy there, hurr hurr.

I feel a little bad, because there’s been so much teaness (not EPIC teaness, though) and I simply haven’t had the time to write about any of it. But I will catch up – it’s a good end-of-the-year activity. It’s been a very teaful 2013, after all.

I also look forward to catching up with all these posts I’ve missed. Prepare to be spammed.

Also the Miss Congeniality thing cracks me up, but I will admit to forgiving Sandra Bullock absolutely anything. It’s a sometimes-toxic relationship, but in the end I find it worth it.

keychange

I like you and I like the way you write. I’m glad you’re back.

Anna

Thank you! Hope to be fully back to regular tea note posting and tea swapping now. <3

sundaysipping

This note is beautiful. I hope you have a lovely, teaful New Year. :-)

TheTeaFairy

Aww, I so enjoyed reading this note…and you do get the extra points from me :-)

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Comments

Fjellrev

Nice to see you around, god jul!

I totally understand the word association. Miss Congeniality totally ruined that word for me.

But otherwise, your tea/travel experience sounds wonderful.

Anna

Hey you – looking mighty foxy there, hurr hurr.

I feel a little bad, because there’s been so much teaness (not EPIC teaness, though) and I simply haven’t had the time to write about any of it. But I will catch up – it’s a good end-of-the-year activity. It’s been a very teaful 2013, after all.

I also look forward to catching up with all these posts I’ve missed. Prepare to be spammed.

Also the Miss Congeniality thing cracks me up, but I will admit to forgiving Sandra Bullock absolutely anything. It’s a sometimes-toxic relationship, but in the end I find it worth it.

keychange

I like you and I like the way you write. I’m glad you’re back.

Anna

Thank you! Hope to be fully back to regular tea note posting and tea swapping now. <3

sundaysipping

This note is beautiful. I hope you have a lovely, teaful New Year. :-)

TheTeaFairy

Aww, I so enjoyed reading this note…and you do get the extra points from me :-)

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Profile

Bio

I’m going to try all the teas.

Then I will choose a lucky few perfect specimens, and we will live happily together in my tea cupboard.

Forever.

* *

2015

This will be a year of in-betweenness and logistics. Where to put the teas. How to arrange the teas. Which teas to replenish – which ones to say goodbye to.

Still doing Project Green.
Still doing Project Jasmine.
Still doing Project Peach.

Dr. Tea is the name, I’m ahead of my game
still, steeping my leafs, still f*ck with the temps
still not loving Assam (uh-huh)
still rock my Bosch kettle with its high-pitched shriek
still got love for the greens, repping Lupicia
still the cup steams, still doing my thang
since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

(With apologies to Mr. Young.)

2014

This year, all bets are off. I am going to drink both peppermint and chamomile and possibly suffer a little. But it’s okay – it’s for science.

I’m doing Project Jasmine, Project Peach and Project Unflavoured Green.

In terms of flavoured teas, Lupicia and Mariage Frères have become my massive favourites, and I have learned that Dammann Frères/Fauchon/Hédiard and Butiki aren’t really for me.

The O Dor, Adagio and Comptoir des thés et des épices are all on this year’s I’d like to get to know you better list.

2013

Getting back into tea drinking last fall, I was all about rooibos. This past spring has been all green tea, all the time, with some white additions over the summer. Currently attempting a slow, autumnal graduation to black teas. Oolongs are always appropriate.

The constant for me, flavour wise, is the strong presence of fruity and floral notes. Vanilla is lush, as long as it’s not artificial. Peach, berries, mango. Cornflower, rose, lavender.

No peppermint.

No chamomile.

No cinnamon.

Ever.

* *

My ratings don’t reflect the ‘What does this tea do for me?’ standard, but rather my own ‘What would I do for this tea?’ scale.

100-90
My absolute favourites. Teas I would travel for – or, in any case, pay exuberant postage for, because they simply have to be in my cupboard. Generally multi-faceted teas with complex scents and flavours. Teas with personality. Tricky teas.

89-80
Teas I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again if and when I came across them. Tea purchases I would surreptitiously weave into a travel itinerary (Oh! A Lupicia store! Here?! My word!).

79-70
Teas I enjoyed, but don’t necessarily need to make any kind of effort to buy again.

69-0
Varying degrees of disinterest and contempt.

Location

Rome, Italy

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