Tea potty



I was a little disappointed when we found out there was a beautiful tea plantation not far from where we were staying in India's Fort Cochi, as we knew didn't have enough time to visit. It would have taken us three days round trip which involved two day time trains of several hours. We only had 5 days to spend in the area and we had travelled pretty intensely in North India so wanted a bit of a break. The tea farm further east in Munnar, sounded like a wonderful place. Green lush fields and warm temperatures. I could imagine spending the day leisurely picking tea leaves and tasting a variety of fresh infusions before hiking the rolling hills... http://www.munnar.com/

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I would definitely head up there if we were to visit again, but this time it was not to be and I was both relieved and disappointed that we did not make the journey. However, we did find Kerala's Fort Cochi, a haven for tea and cake lovers. There were cute little cafes and galleries in amongst gift shops and book exchanges throughout the town. The British, Portuguese and Dutch buildings lining the streets and coastline, made for a colonial setting and you could almost smell the tea leaves as you walked through the Jew Town area on the east of the island.

We were out walking when I saw this poster. Although it was very random and I am unsure what the poster actually intended, it instilled a feeling of urgent tea requirement...



We found a gorgeous little tea shop called 'TPOT'. The rundown barn had rustic washed walls which were overhung by a very rickety upstairs area. The staff were incredibly leisurely with their service and the sunlight streaming through two tiny skylights helped you relax into your surroundings. There were teapots of every imaginable design and a list of cakes to match!




I settled for a banana bread slice which materialized as a slab and Tom ordered the death by chocolate which was a major plate of cocoa. I had a Jasmine pot and Tom an ordinary black tea.

I really appreciated not only the tea and cake, but the quirky décor, especially the old merchant tea transport boxes which had been recycled as tables. We ended up coming back here for breakfast two days in a row. Clearly it was adorable and if you are ever in Kerala, this place is a must!!!







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