The651.com

Whether your drink of choice is wine or tea, St. Paul has you covered this Saturday afternoon.

The serious tea drinker best put on her white gloves and head to the venerable St. Paul Hotel, whose high tea – served most Saturdays throughout the year – is the most authentic in the Twin Cities. Served in its elegant lobby, the five-course afternoon tea includes a wide array of loose-leaf teas, scones and pastries. For the connoisseur, the hotel also offers etiquette classes so you can learn how it’s done. (3-5 p.m. $27 per person. 350 Market St. RSVP required to 651-228-3860.)

Other St. Paul establishments that serve high tea:

· Lady Elegant’s Tea: Classical music and vintage china in a Victorian-English styled dining room. (2230 Carter Av., 651-645-6676.)
· Cedarhurst Mansion: 9 and 11-course afternoon teas served Tuesday through Thursday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (6940 Keats Av. S., 651-769-8918.)
· Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park: Periodic afternoon themed teas. (1225 Estabrook Dr., 651-487-8240.)
· Café Latté: Afternoon tea served daily noon to 5 p.m. (850 Grand Av., 651-224-5687.)

Wine more up your alley? Then check out the Rosé Tent Tasting event today at W.A. Frost put on by St. Paul independent wine shop Solo Vino. The shop, which was named the Best Wine Store in the Twin Cities by City Pages this year, will be offering tastings of more than 100 wines from 10 different countries with a focus on what’s new and tried-and-true for summer, paired with food from W.A. Frost – known for its great patio. (2-5 p.m. $20. 374 Selby Av. RSVP to 651-602-9515.)

If you can’t make it to the event, we highly recommend you hit up the shop when you get a chance. The shop’s selection of wines, focused on Spanish and Portuguese varietals, is all handpicked by its knowledgeable staff of seven. Best of all, they’re always happy to help you pick out the perfect wine, whether you’re a novice or a connoisseur.

When I was once looking for a time and place to escape my daily routine and sort through my thoughts, a friend told me about a labyrinth on the campus of Concordia University. For some unknown reason I did not visit the labyrinth then, but I finally sought out the labyrinth on a recent sunny Saturday.

Tucked between buildings on campus, this gem of a labyrinth would be easy to miss. There isn’t an updated Web site for the labyrinth and it’s not on the campus map, so finding it took a bit of detective work. (See below for info on how to get there.) When I finally found it, I was the only person around and the row of buildings behind me blocked traffic noise from Hamline Avenue, creating what felt like my own private sanctuary.

The entrance of the labyrinth at Concordia University.

The labyrinth didn’t look like much at first and needed a bit of upkeep. I expected a large, dramatic-looking maze and instead found something about the size of my house’s small guest room. Still, I appreciated its simplicity and discovered its beauty during my walk. At the entrance was a sign explaining the labyrinth’s purpose and history:

“Labyrinth: An age-old ceremonial path of relaxation, inspiration and wisdom. It is a meditative walk of peace that is both simple and complex. The design of this 7-pathed Minoan labyrinth is based upon 3,000-year-old paintings from the Mediterranean island of Crete. The path leads to the center and returns here.”

As I began walking the path, which changed back and forth between dirt, straw, and stone, providing a variety of visual texture, I noticed the various grasses and flowers planted to shape the labyrinth. Chives sprouted bright green with lavender flower balls on top. Surprisingly, such a modest labyrinth still took me about 20 minutes to navigate. (It can take as short or as long as you want, depending on how quickly or slowly you want to walk—and think.) My usually fast walking pace slowed with my breath as I realized that all I needed to do was be right here, right now.

Afterward, I headed to the Tea Garden (1692 Grand Ave.) for a glass of jasmine bubble tea and time with a good book – a relaxing and restorative afternoon in the heart of St. Paul.

Getting there: Coming from 94, exit Snelling and go south. Turn left (east) on Marshall Ave., then left again on Syndicate St. N, one block past Hamline Ave. The parking on Syndicate is free, but there isn’t a lot of it, so go when class is typically out of session, like on a weekend. Facing Luther Hall, walk slightly to the south until you see an opening in the grass before the Student Union building. Make your way through campus, walking west, until you start getting close to another set of buildings lining Hamline Ave. Look to your right as you approach the music center and tucked between buildings, look closely and you’ll see the labyrinth.