Late April, Suzi and I set out on a weekend trip to nearby Lincoln, Davis, and Dixon, California. Any excuse to drive through the lush green countryside of northern California in the springtime is good so we set out to visit an antique destination in Lincoln, a monthly event called Gypsy Weekend at Gypsy Vintage Market. We had happened upon it years ago and had tried to get back on the right weekend with no success. This spring, we made a point to put it on the calendar. We added a reservation for Sunday afternoon tea at a tearoom Suzi had seen in Davis, Tea List Davis. It is off the street, down a leafy path in a little shop behind other cute little shops. The majority of the seating is on two patios, one with umbrellas and one more enclosed, a bit more protected from the summer heat and winter chill. We were so lucky to sit in this patio, with the wisteria in full bloom. Astute readers of Cakes & Tea know that I am obsessed with wisteria and can imagine my delight. For your viewing enjoyment, I am adding some of my wisteria, lilac, and rose photographs from my garden, this spring.

There are several options for afternoon tea, The Queen’s Tea, above, suitable for lunch or hearty appetites, High Tea Service, the familiar tea with scones, sandwiches, and desserts, and Afternoon Tea Service, usually called a cream tea, which consists of a pot of tea, scones, clotted cream, and berry preserves.

Our special guest star at tea was Suzi’s younger son, Brett, who will graduate from the University of California, Davis this spring. He was a good sport and listened to us ramble on about the history and etiquette of afternoon while enjoying different black and green teas and sampling the abundant sandwiches, desserts, cheese tray, and scones with clotted cream and preserves that made up the Queen’s tea.

Suzi’s big score from our Gypsy Weekend, this gorgeous French enamel coffee pot.