Cruising Down the River

Here we all are at the Westin Hotel in Paris, France.  We are waiting for the bus to come to take us to the Seine where we will board a dinner boat with live music.

The bus was a Mercedes-Benz and accommodated about 50 of us comfortably.  Once at the dock, we boarded the boat to discover that many of the invitees were former colleagues of my husbands' in various parts of the world.  For such a small gathering, he felt like it was "Old Home Week" for him.  He greeted people from California, New Jersey, Malaysia, Germany, and the U.K., to name a few.  I finally had to go and drag him to a seat when the dinner began.  The photo below shows hubby making the rounds. Seated directly in front of my husband was one of the company's top CEO's who would eventually be seated to my husband's right-hand side.  How did I know when I picked the seats that he would be rubbing elbows with the top boss?  As it turned out, our table had us entertained the whole evening.  No shop talk, and lots of fun stories were shared.

The weather was remarkably warm Friday evening in Paris and the sky was perfectly clear.  You could see a nearly full moon that evening and with the lights sparkling on the Eiffel Tower and the uplights reflecting on the Seine, it was a romantic Parisian evening.  


Dinner began promptly after setting out with champagne and white wine.  Assorted breads and rolls plated beautifully dotted the table.  The first course, a cream of lobster soup, was served next.  A frothy cream was added to our soup that had been served to our individual seats. The soup was delicate and full of flavor.


 Following the soup, we were presented with a tender filet mignon, fluffy garlic mashed potatoes, and a zucchini and tomato vegetable dish. It was delicious.


 Next, the red wine began to flow (all too easily, I might add).  It was followed up by a cheese and fruit plate, and exquisite European chocolates.  It was while we were all finishing this last course that the waiters brought out the desert wines.  


Meanwhile, there was entertainment and we were treated to a singer, a violinist, and a piano player.  Perfectly timed, the music, the wine, and the dinner came to a close as we returned from our meandering cruise back at the docks.  


Happy to have returned, we were sated and ready to return to the Westin de La Concorde.  Tomorrow promised to be a big day!