So today Kitty and I had little on our agenda aside from eventually making it to the famous Mount Nelson Hotel for their afternoon tea experience. I’m not really a tea drinker, but every once in a while I’ll find a flavor I can enjoy. I’m also not one for fancy events, but this was highly recommended as a must-experience in Cape Town. I had bought a summer dress a few days ago and Kitty had brought some nicer clothes, so we donned those and headed out for our afternoon tea extravaganza.

What makes this story so great is that on our way there we pass none other than McDonald’s. Don’t think for one second that we didn’t stop there! I enjoyed the most delicious double-cheeseburger and fries I’ve ever eaten in my life! I don’t even eat much fast food at home, rarely ever do I eat at McDonald’s, but after not having anything like that from home in over 3 months, it was divine! And I just think that it’s especially great that we stopped in there on our way to high tea. :)

We bought some scarves from a street vendor we passed along the way and soon found ourselves in a gorgeous section of town with trees covering the walkway and public botanical gardens. While taking pictures in front of the Parliament Building we were approached by a very curious and hungry squirrel. Yes, I said squirrel. (We were also approached today by many individuals asking for money and/or food. One man, Hank, we gave some money and also prayed for him and his son. That God would provide a job for him so that he could find a permanent place to live instead of living in the shelter.) But back to the squirrel. It stopped a few feet away from us and just waited. Unfortunately we didn’t have any food on us or I would have fed him. He came right up to my hand as I bent down, so he probably would have eaten right from my fingers. He then followed Kitty around for a while and finally realized we had nothing for him so he wandered off. I asked Kitty if I could bring him home as a pet. She said no.

As we were nearing the Mount Nelson Hotel, I saw one of the most magnificent sights I have ever seen. From almost anywhere in Cape Town, you have an incredible view of the mountains. Table Mountain was in front of us, and rolling off the peak were luxurious clouds of cotton. The clouds tumbled over the mountain rapidly--like a waterfall. It was breathtaking. The photos I took don’t even begin to do it justice. My video camera might have had a better chance.

We made it to the hotel and took our seats in the main tea room. It was a beautiful building with a matching interior. Again, my personality doesn’t really fit with fancy things, but it truly was a neat and special experience. To prove I wasn’t born to be part of an elite society, Kitty and I passed up the bathroom because we didn’t realize that “Ladies’ Cloak Room” also meant “toilets found here”.

The two main components of afternoon tea at Mount Nelson: 1) Your choice of your own personal brew-it-yourself glass teapot, complete with a timer specific to the variety of tea chosen. I had Orange and Spices and it was superb. 2) A never-ending buffet of hors-d’oeuvres and desserts… mostly desserts. Extremely delicious desserts. Oh, and there was a beautiful grande piano serenading us in the background. “Que Sera, Sera” was my favorite selection.

For the record, I had never heard of the term “high tea”. I found it interesting to read that although the term is used by some here, Wikipedia calls it an American term “disfavored by etiquette advisers”--that only makes me want to use it even more! ;)

You can check out the official website here.