One of the best parts of our Europe vacation was the afternoon when I went to tea with my sister-in-law (Ali) and my mother-in-law (Jan). It was a surprise from Ali for my birthday, which occurred during our trip. It was extra special because with my aunt having died last December, this was my first birthday without anyone from my family left, so it was really meaningful to create special moments with my new family. 

The Pineapple Palace is a tea room set in an small art colony. It's beyond cute.

We entered through a store that sells crafts from the artists, along with antiques and vintage clothing.

The tea room was located adjacent to the store and near a gallery/studio space. It's a beautiful old building with tons of natural light.

We happened to arrive and duck into the building just before it began to pour rain. I don't remember the last time that I saw rain pound that hard. It was so loud on the roof that it eclipsed our conversation!

It kind of goes without saying, but the cream tea was fabulous. Seriously, I can't imagine having a terrible cream tea. It's like chocolate. Even bad chocolate is still chocolate!

When we finished our tea and scones, it had finally stopped raining and we took a look at the patio and river outside. So pretty and green.

Ali took me into the shop and had me pick out a present for myself. I chose this glass lantern with a Christmas decoration. Even with the Christmasy design, I've had it out on my shelf since returning from Europe. It's too pretty to bring out once a year. Thank You Ali!

The Pineapple Palace is a little off the beaten-path and is definitely not filled with tourists, but if you find yourself in Thatcham, it's worth a visit to check out the locally made art and yummy scones. It's a local gem.