Thanks to a friend who was related to Queen Elizabeth's cousin, I spent a weekend at one of the grand stately homes of England. It was a glimpse into a vanished age as I discovered rooms that had not been used in decades.

We wanted to experience life as it existed in colonial days, so we chose to stay in a bungalow that used to be a British tea manager's house.

Teatime is still a tradition that the Brits fight to keep safe and sound. This little tradition has its merits, especially when the tea is as delicate and interesting as the teas I tasted in my mini tea tasting at the Dorchester.

This week not only marks the 58th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's first ascent of Everest, but the 50th anniversary of the Khumjung School, the first of many educational institutions Hillary built for the Sherpa people.