9:22 a.m. They're about to name a new Pope. I was watching Today on TV, when they switched to the Vatican where grey-white smoke was fluttering forth from the chimney, but was straight away dismissed as black. No Pope. So I went and took a nice, long shower. When I emerged, I heard bells ringing on the television and the sounds of people cheering, and it was official: a new Pope had in fact been elected.

I'm not even catholic, yet I'm caught up in the excitement of the moment, just as I was caught up in the mourning when Pope John Paul II passed away. I can't explain it, it just is.

So, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Monterey, CA while my friend Jewel tends to some business here. We came up yesterday after meeting up in SLO for coffee and Rummy. She invited me to come along after I told her I'd been laid off. She figured I had the time, and besides we'd have fun. She said I need to have a little fun now. She understands. She's been there, as have many of my readers, who have e-mailed me with encouraging words and cyber hugs. It's been nice, it really has.

And, now, on to San Juan Capistrano Vacation Part Two: The Tea.

The Tea is getting its own entry because it was so incredibly fantastic! Jewel and I had our Tea at the Tea House on Del Rio, in the historic part of San Juan Capistrano. It is a lovely old house surrounded by beautiful flowers and had this fabulous "shower" fountain.

The Tea House had a variety of teas we could enjoy, but in the end we went with the Victorian Tea, which not only had the usual scones and cucumber sandwiches, but also salad and soup, and a glass of champagne to start with. We each had a glass of Wycliff Brut Extra Dry, which was fantastic! It was slightly sweet, and filled with gentle bubbles, unlike the harsh, burning alcohol and violent fizziness most champagnes have. It is by far the best I've ever had. Better than Veuve Clicquot, better than Dom Perignon, better than Perrier-Jouet. (We loved it so much we recommended it to a pair of women who came in later, but unfortunately they were snooty little bitches, and were unimpressed. They went on to be catty and bitchy and generally amusing to us the rest of the afternoon.)

10:20 a.m. Here we go. It's official: we have a new Pope - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been named Pope Benedict XVI. There he is now. On the balcony. Smiling and waving to the crowd. He looks like a nice man. I pray he's a good man; a good leader for the Catholic Church.

Okay, back to the Tea. After the champagne, we got our tea. I went with the usual Earl Grey, which is my all-time favourite, and Jewel chose the Queen Katherine's, which she deemed wonderful. We enjoyed our first cup of perfectly seeped tea with delicious, straight-from-the-oven currant scones with berry jam and cream. Mmm. They were melt-in-your-mouth good!

Next came the soup - cream of tomato. Carefully and wonderfully homemade, and our delightful waitress (who's name escapes me), made a brave attempt at creating a heart out of cream on top. Bless her heart! (No pun intended. Seriously, she was a delightful woman!) This was by far the best soup I've ever had! Beats Campbell's by a long, long shot!

After the soup was the salad. It was made with pesticide-free, garden-fresh lettuce and vegetables, and was garnished with a lovely flower also from their pesticide-free garden. Our waitress told us the name of the flower - as well as all the flowers that garnished our dishes, but I didn't write them down, and have now forgotten what they were.

Finally came the sandwiches: cucumber and cream cheese, smoked ham, and egg salad, along with fresh fruit, banana bread and cute (and yummy) little tort thingies. Yeah, I forgot what they were, too. It's been too long and too much has happened. My mind is just . . . gah. Anyway, the sandwiches and fruit and everything was delicious!

For our dessert, Jewel and I chose a Lemon Tart, which was sweet and tart and simply delightful . . .

. . . and our waitress stopped by to give us the story of the Tea House, which was interesting and nice. Seems that the owners of all the businesses along the historic stretch of town have to also live there, so the owners of the Tea House on Los Rios moved their Victorian-style home to a lot just behind the Tea House. How often do you get a history lesson with your afternoon tea?

After our delightful, delicious, and relaxing tea, Jewel and I boarded the train back to Santa Ana. It was a wonderful day - San Juan Capistrano is a lovely little town, and I hope to return to go on the walking tour, visit some of the other little shops in the old part of town, and tour the other historical buildings. It's not too far away, so I imagine I'll be making a return trip soon.

Cheers!