Tea Time in Bermuda

I’m not a big tea drinker but I do LOVE the idea of making a meal of it with the age-old ritual of afternoon tea. Gathering a girlfriend or two to share a sumptuous snack in elegant surroundings is definitely something I can get behind. In the formerly British Caribbean islands the afternoon tradition is still going strong, and you can take tea at resorts all over the region.

One of my favorite spots is the Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda, a historic hotel that's been around since 1885 and welcomed Mark Twain as a frequent guest. Get gussied up in your best smart-casual outfit (this is Bermuda, after all) and join well-heeled locals in the Heritage Court of the "Pink Palace" for a bountiful break: towers of finger sandwiches, fresh-baked scones with jam and clotted cream and decadent desserts, accompanied by two dozen varieties of loose-leaf tea.

By the time you’ve finished chatting and chewing you’ll realize that the hours have imperceptibly slipped away. And that you don’t have any room for dinner. Which is exactly how you’ll know that you’ve done tea right.