As you finally received your Visa (and when I say finally I mean after various complications arising for weeks on end, then suddenly picking up in double time so you could potentially be leaving the country by the end of the month), we went for afternoon tea with our mammy as a nice little pre-emigration treat. I mean, you both kept calling it afternoon tea which I presumed was just a posho way of saying lunch. But then I also thought the Westin was called the West Inn, so I really can't be trusted on these things.
I did think it was probably a stretch for me, as fancy food from fancy places doesn't really suit my style. New, adventurous flavours, miniature portions? I'm really more of an eating the same thing and lots of it kinda gal. And afternoon tea, it seems, is even more abstract than plain old lunch.
So I saw the menu, and what was in store for my poor, plain, unadulterated taste buds:
- Sandwiches: I guessed I could handle. Egg is grand, though I wouldn't eat it by any preference. Cucumber and cream cheese; well I didn't know exactly what cream cheese was, but only slightly disapproved when I found out. Then there was the beef and horseradish ... Well, I didn't mind trying it out.
- Scones: I think I've had smoked salmon like once ever. I've never had anything against it, really, and I probably do like it, I just wouldn't ever want to eat it. And butter and jam, well I don't eat jam, so just had to pray they let us serve ourselves on that one.
- Cakes: Fruitcake; no. Red velvet cupcake; ah, sure I could always give it a go. Irish whiskey cream, chocolate and praline cup; absolutely not. Pistachio macaroon; what even? Lemon and poppy seed sponge loaf; um, only if I'm feeling daring. Apple and cinnamon crunch pot ... no. Just. No.
So this was going to be interesting.
We got tea first. It was afternoon tea after all, so technically the tea was the most important part and all this other junk just weaning us away from the point. You had Earl Grey, I had green, and Grainne actually had a coffee, RUINING THE ENTIRE THING. My tea was actually in leaves, which I don't think I've ever tried before, but it tasted like regular Java City green tea. And that's not a good thing. Like, maybe not as bad as Starbucks green tea, but still not so fantastic.
I suddenly feel like I'm writing a restaurant review, which isn't the point at all. The food was fine in the end. I almost spat out the fruit and lemon cakes after one bite each, and I ate white bread by accident, and the macaroon scared me too much to even consider, and the whiskey thing actually turned out to be delish, but OH GOD the horseradish ... But even still, I wasn't paying for the food so I didn't really care (like, sheesh, 25 euro for that? I don't think I'll be pushed to develop expensive taste anytime soon ...)
I guess I'm talking about food to distract myself from the point. I could be talking about anything, really; like the atrium lounge which was crazy beautiful, or the little personal towels in the toilets, or the awesome new coat I managed to get Grainne to buy me afterwards. But the point of this blog wasn't supposed to be the food or the fanciness or the expenses. We were having tea for you, as you would be leaving us for fifteen months to do your Masters in South Africa. Somehow, I just can't seem to make myself realise that this is actually happening. I mean, I was just having some good food, chatting about college and Frank and Trinity Ball and all this regular, everyday stuff I can't seem to NOT talk about, while you were probably there thinking: Shopping. Packing. Goodbyes. Moving.
Grainne said about the afternoon tea that it was one of things we always have big ideas about but never end up doing, so I'm glad we got to do it before you leave, even if the food wasn't for me. So, Aoife, I hoped you enjoyed your tea. I never ate my pistachio macaroon at the Westin, but they have a Macaron Cafe in Durban, and if you're ever missing your mammy and baby sister I think you should find this place and look at all the pretty things and think of us. And cheesy as it sounds, we'll think of you every day!
Grainne said about the afternoon tea that it was one of things we always have big ideas about but never end up doing, so I'm glad we got to do it before you leave, even if the food wasn't for me. So, Aoife, I hoped you enjoyed your tea. I never ate my pistachio macaroon at the Westin, but they have a Macaron Cafe in Durban, and if you're ever missing your mammy and baby sister I think you should find this place and look at all the pretty things and think of us. And cheesy as it sounds, we'll think of you every day!
