In January, my husband and I stayed with a dear friend of ours during a long layover flight in Amsterdam. It was so wonderful to see a family friend and for her to host us in Haarlem, Holland.
During our short stay, we were able to see part of Haarlem as we drove by, but most importantly were able to catch up with our friend who we hadn’t seen in about 3 years. She knew that I love tea and had many options available for us to choose from. We were able to stay up late to sip tea and talk. It was the perfect way for us to end a 2 week vacation.
It was also sweet of her to pick up a few local goodies for us to enjoy, since she knew we would only have time to grab breakfast in Haarlem. Along with some chocolates and a nougat, she gave us a bag of loose leaf tea from “The Art of…Tea, Herbs & Spices”.
This morning I am enjoying the “Haarlemse Zwarte Melange” from “The Art of Tea”. According to the company website, this black tea is blended with juniper, citrus peel, and sunflower petals. It was a popular taste of the tea-salon culture in the 1920s. Surprisingly, the citrus pairs very nicely with the juniper and sunflower petals (as long as you don’t seep it too long). My favorite part of this tea is that it takes me back to the memories made during our 15 hour stay in Haarlem.
Rory, Tea & Me 
Dear Erica, so sweet of you to write about your visit with me. I was very happy to see you both. Love to both of you.
Anneke, your Dutch friend.
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