High tea?

The last place I ever expected to be invited to tea was in the United States. After all, didn't they dump a boat load of tea into the Boston Harbor in 1773?

Well, they always say that to assume means to make and ass of you and me, and that is obviously correct, for by assuming that the historical act of defiance by the Americans against the British colonial power would mean they wrote off tea forever, really proved me to be an ass as far as my ability to interpret history goes!

Anyway, I was educated recently when my daughter invited me to accompany her, my granddaughter  and a friend to the prestigious Brown Palace Hotel in  Denver for tea.

Now, having been born during the period when Britain was still the colonial power in the tiny island of Jamaica, I grew up having to get all dressed up for tea at 4 pm daily and absolutely hated it.

 Of course not all Jamaicans hated that ritual as I actually have cousins who often told me how they loved to spend vacation at my house as they so enjoyed dressing up for tea every day and getting all the fancy cookies my mom used to bake.

 For me though it was total torture and I could not wait to leave home and leave that British tradition behind.

Here I was many decades later however, in the last place I expected, having tea.

It was quite pleasant though, for not only is the Brown Palace an exquisite place to hang out, but also, the tea room was extra attractive as they had not yet taken down the Christmas decorations although it was almost the middle of January.

Brown Palace is a landmark in Downtown Denver Colorado. It is located on 17th street beside the very attractive and old Methodist church.

 I am very familiar with the hotel as it was that establishment which recruited my daughter from the hotel management school in Switzerland and got her a work permit to train there, thus causing her to fall in love with the beautiful state of Colorado which ultimately became her adopted home.

 The hotel has an interesting history, as in 1911 a murder involving lovers and infidelity, took place there and several books have been written about it. More interesting, is the legend that sprung from that incident that the hotel is haunted.

In fact, while my daughter worked there, a famous musician from England, visited with his young baby and wife and in the middle of the night, scared out of their wits,  they contacted the front desk to demand a new room, as something strange was interfering with their baby.

Now, I don't really believe in ghosts, but the only time I was ever kidnapped by an elevator, was at the Brown Palace hotel.

It was quite a terrifying experience for my young grandson and I. We were taking the lift down from the roof to the lobby, along with a flight attendant who entered halfway down.

After she entered, the elevator refused to open when it got to lobby but instead took off upwards. Quickly, we punched all the buttons but it wouldn't stop, instead, it carried us all on a very scary ride, bypassing the floors as it careened wildly up and down several times for what felt like hours, but probably it only lasted for a few minutes. 

Finally, without warning, it returned to the lobby floor, stopped and the door opened as if it was the most normal thing to do. 

Shaken, we all rushed out the minute it stopped and I don't think I ever went back to that hotel until we went for tea n 2019.

My granddaughter stayed close to the pianist, John

So while I may still have qualms about taking the elevators in that hotel ever again, I do recommend their high tea. 

The sandwiches and pastry were good, the service fine and pianist extraordinaire John and his three fellow band members provided soothing and entertaining music which was particularly thrilling for my granddaughter, a budding pianist herself.

And of course having the once-despised tea with my daughter, granddaughter, and friend Cheryl,  was a wonderful and entertaining experience,