Afternoon Tea at the Chateau Laurier

Earlier this week, on a rainy afternoon, we took ourselves off for an afternoon tea at the Chateau Laurier, that lovely "belle of the ball" of a hotel just down from Parliament Hill.

Afternoon tea is served in the elegantly feminine Zoe's, a quiet restaurant with large windows overlooking the hustle and bustle going on outside. We settled in to enjoy our tea from this cozy vantage point, tucked behind large potted plants in a windowed alcove. And what did you have to eat, you ask?

We started with a selection of fresh fruit, while we pondered the tea menu.

Among the many choices, we ended up selecting the same tea: Orange Spice, a mix of black tea, orange and cinnamon.  The perfect choice to add warmth to the rainy afternoon.

The tea was made at our table from an elegant wooden "old world" tea cart, with the water poured from a gleaming silver pot, kept to the boiling point over an open flame.

As we took our first sips of tea, our three-tiered dessert plate arrived, with Victorian and cranberry scones...

accompanied by a generous amount of strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream.

On the middle tier were dainty finger sandwiches, and to top off the experience, a slice of almond lemon afternoon tea cake and a custard fruit tartlet.

Treasures from the Vintage Sale

After talking yesterday about this year's Chateau Laurier Vintage Sale, I thought I would share my finds with you.

I have picked up and looked at this Christmas ornament from the '20s or '30s for at least three years now. The vendor keeps bringing it along every year and I keep wondering whether I should buy it. I am always attracted to it because it reminds me of a similar ornament that had been on my father's family tree and he was born in 1918. It had similar coiled wire but the ornament was a copper colour and had a slightly different shape. At some point it was dropped and broken and I still feel a pang when I think of it.

So this year I decided that perhaps instead of gazing at it and thinking about purchasing it, I should actually do so. Because I knew that the vendor has been lugging it to these sales for years, I asked if this was her best price and was rewarded with a $3 reduction. While $17 dollars may seem like a lot of money to spend, I realised that I could easily spend almost that on some mass-manufactured ornament for sale in a chain store, and after all, this particular ornament is a survivor. Likely most of the others like this one suffered the same sad fate that our family's copper ornament did.

I am so glad that I brought it home with me this year.


After deciding to splurge on my vintage ornament, I came across a vendor who had a bowl of old fountain pens for sale. I rooted around and came up with this one which I think is quite handsome. I don't know if I will find cartridges for it but I can always just dip the nib into an ink bottle if need be. It has a beautiful fine nib and was a lovely find for $10.


And last but not least, I chose these four hankerchiefs from a basket marked $2 each.

Chateau Laurier Vintage Sale

Yesterday, once again, lovers of vintage clothes, accessories and fabric made their annual pilgrimage to the Chateau Laurier for the Ottawa Vintage Sale. Held in three spectacular ballrooms, these beautifully appointed rooms add their ambiance to make visitors feel like they have taken a step back in time to an age of splendor and elegance.

Arriving for the 10:00 a.m. opening, I eagerly stepped into the first ballroom where I was greeted by this lovely lady who looked as though she was about to share a special secret with me.


Later on as I traveled among the vendors whose booths were buried at the back of the ballroom, I came across this mannequin whose disembodied head looked so realistic it was a little disturbing!


Time to move on to have a look at this lovely collection of ladies hats ...


and this line-up of sophisticated hats for men.


If hats are not your thing, there are plenty of other accessories to tempt you. Jewellery, footwear, belts, scarves ...


and of course, handbags and delicate purses of all descriptions.


Once you have bought all these irresistible items, there are no better places to keep them but in appropriately retro containers such as these charming hatboxes and mini trunk.


I didn't take photos of the clothes but there are racks and racks of them, from Victorian times to the '80s or '90s. If you missed this year's sale, mark your calendar for next November. It truly is an event for anyone who enjoys taking a trip back in time.

Vintage Venue

I mentioned going to the Vintage Clothing Sale yesterday but didn't show you the beautiful ballrooms in the Chateau Laurier Hotel where the sale is held.

The hotel opened on June 12, 1912. Commissioned by Charles Melville Hays, it was the first hotel to be built as part of the Canadian Pacific hotel chain. Unfortunately, Hays did not live to participate in the event. He had traveled to Europe to choose furniture for the hotel's dining room and was on his way home aboard the Titanic when it sank on April 14, 1912. The hotel, with its interesting history and lavish decor, makes an appropriate venue for a vintage event.