Cuppa and a View

There's nothing like an adventure and there's nothing like a hot cup of tea. I like to drink unusual tea in surprising places. Sometimes I even bring a biscuit.

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Archive 🫖🌄

This was originally a Twitter micro-blog. I'm very slowly transferring my old posts over to WordPress, they can be found here: cuppaandaview.wordpress.com

[pattyrabbit]

[oracle-fae]

fairy wedding under a mushroom

[eau--de--rose]

[eau--de--rose]

[alenagerashchenko]

FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, JAPAN

[nolaplantdaddy]

a few flowers i found on my walk today: lantana & elderflower.

the lantana flowers are so mesmerizing, it's so easy to get lost in their beautiful design.

elderflower is one of my favorite floral teas for building immunity & fighting sickness that actually has a pleasant fruity taste. it also makes a great syrup, wine or mead!

[kylebonallo]

by Kyle Bonallo (ig: @kylebonallo)

[geopsych]

The path home from the woods through the park. The air was pleasant at last and there was a bit of wind. A bluebird was singing.

[classicalcanvas]

Lane in the Poppy Fields, Ile Saint-Martin by Claude Monet

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Cuppa: hot apple juice

View: the eastern Campsie Fells from Station Road, Lennoxtown.

This is part of a walk known locally as "Roon the Moon", where you walk up a steep track on one side of the hill, and down the steep road on the other side (or vice versa, but the views are better this way round).

I'm not ready for autumn this year, but the brambles are.

The coos are keeping their opinions to themselves.

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Cuppa: Thai milk tea (from a sachet).

View: looking north from Blairskaith Muir across the Highland Boundary Fault towards Aberfoyle. Standing in the Lowlands, looking at the Highlands.

If I turn 90° to the left, the city lights of Glasgow spread out across the horizon.

From Edinburgh, England feels pretty close, and the Highlands feel very northerly and far away. But from Glasgow, less than 50 miles away, England is a long drive south across the high slopes of the Leadhills, while the Highlands... well, you're looking right at them (Ben Lomond is in the Highlands).

It's just geometry: both the border and the Highland Boundary Fault slant steeply north-east. But the difference in how it feels is really interesting to me.

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Pu-erh tea and delicious sweet buns (salted egg yolk and black sesame) from Dim Sum (yes, that's just what it's called - does what it says on the tin!) on West Nile Street in Glasgow.

I've never fancied the idea of salted egg yolk buns, but it turns out they are not merely salted but also VERY sweet. They are deliciously rich, sweet and salty. If you planted a Creme Egg in the early days of Narnia, this would be the fruit of the resulting tree. Ahmazing.

These came after a whole lot of other dim sum. I do so love dim sum! And I'm getting very into pu-erh tea.

[cuppa-and-a-view]

A very nice masala chai from The Hungry Point on Balmore Road in Possil. They also did me a really excellent chicken burger. The snack vans around Glasgow are top notch. McDonald's wish they were this good.

Along similar lines, a pink Kashmiri chai and delicious potato paratha from Paratha Box on Aikenhead Road in Polmadie. This is not a van, but a kind of hut thing outside a car wash.

Deliciousness is all around you, in some fairly uninspiring-looking places!

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Cuppa: Eteaket Yellow-Gold Oolong

View: Sizergh Castle gardens

Here I met Charlie, the castle cat.

He likes roast chicken, ice cream, and charming the visitors.

The kitchen garden here is absolutely gorgeous.

(the castle's not bad either).

[geopsych]

Ginkgo!

Okay all of you who feel compelled to tell us how awful ginkgo berries smell when they’re ripe, go off I guess

[cuppa-and-a-view]

Cuppa: Farrer's apple and lemon tisane

View: Coniston water, with the beautiful steam yacht Gondola. She does indeed look like a gigantic gondola!