What a fun day! Etain and I traveled down to the Catskill NY area today for aDr. Appointment and decided to make a day of it. We found a tea room in Hudson NY and went to check it out then headed up toward Albany to shop for a gift for her friend and also for some Indian food. All of our stops were locally owned establishments and so yeay for small businesses!
Verdigris was our first stop. It is a very inviting place right in the heart of the city of Hudson on Warren St. A couple tables outside it had a very bright and clean sir about it. They had a couple teas to taste sample and all of their available teas to smell. It took us a while to decide what to order, but Etain decided on a cup of Provence and I had a cup of caramelized pear. There was little ceremony to the teas. We were given a mug with a hand filled tea bag and a timer to let us know how long to steep our tea, but no real instruction was given to us. We also decided to share a slice of their strawberry cream cake. It was tasty. The cake itself was dense but the cream was real whipped cream and real strawberries. On our way out we had to get some chocolates to try. Afterall, it does say tea and chocolates. We each got two. We both agreed that they were very good, but definitely not worth the price. ($2.50 per piece). Overall, if we had to rate this place on a scale of 1 to 10, we'd give it a solid 7. I would certainly recommend stopping by or meeting friend for a cup of tea and good conversation.
This was our second stop. We found this little gem on Delaware Ave in Albany. It's a small space with one side dedicated to crystals and the other to mostly oils. Dorris was quite nice and very helpful. We found more than just a gift for Etain's friend. each of us also got a little something for ourselves. It's always hard for me to go into crystal shops and not get overwhelmed by the energies, but it was difficult here because everything was so close together and the energies mingled with each other. Etain and I both ended with a headache, but we still had a bunch of fun going through everything. We give this place 71/2 witches hats. Another must visit!
Our last stop. This has been one of my favorite places in Albany since I worked in the area 20 years ago. I talk about it all the time and Etain finally got a chance to try it AND indian food in general for the first time. There is nothing I can fault for their food. it is all delicious and quick and reasonably priced. They are pleasant and polite and have always made dining there such a delight. Etain had curried goat and I had vegetable korma. Let me tell you, they do simple veggies right. and Etain enjoyed thers as well even though it was way too hot for her. she still ate almost all of it. The mango juice and naan helps to cut the spicy level. We give Shalimar a 9.5! I must insist that you try them if you're in the area!
How could I almost forget????!! We stopped here, in Athens, NY, so Etain could start her succulent garden. She is very excited! They have a greenhouse and gourmet market. The produce was so tempting but it would have set in the car all day while we were exploring other places and by the time we got home it would have been slow cooked. They were making something though and it smelled delicious! It was rustic and gorgeous inside. They had a wide range of succulents and they were in great shape (minus the aloe). Everything was very reasonable and they were so nice too! We give them an 8.5 and if you're in town, stop by and check out their amazing hanging baskets!
We don't often do day out shopping trips often. This was fun. We didn't even spent tons of money, but we did have a great time and picked up exactly what we wanted and had some yummy morsels. OK, Just a side note here, We do try to keep it healthy, but it's hard to do that eating out. Indian food has the benefit of wonderful balancing herbs and generally is better than american fare.
Well, it's back to the daily grind. Tuesday we head to the NYS Fair for the Hunter Jumpers show. Looking forward to it. Maybe we'll check out a couple stores in Syracuse if we have the energy.
Love and light!