Dinner and a Cruise

Bateau Mouche — a three-hour cruise and a six-course dinner with cocktails and wine on the Saint Lawrence River.  A window seat guaranteed.  When I total it all up, I almost say NO, but now I am glad I held my breath and took the plunge. Instructions on the website say to dress appropriately for this special cruise, and the pictures are of thin young couples, casually elegant in sports coats and bare-shouldered black sundresses. So, I pack the most glamorous summer clothes I own to match the price of this three-hour indulgence.

But since we now have a cold, wet weather forecast for this evening, I must rethink my choice. Foregoing elegance for comfort, I dive into the suitcase containing the warm clothes I knew I would need in September — never dreaming I would need them in July — I come up with an old standby from my Italian trip.

Cocktail Time

Dark clouds loom overhead as Michael and I make our way up the gangway, stepping onto the deck of the Bateau Mouche.  We are shown to our seat, plied with liquor, and told we can drink on the open deck till our first course is ready — if we choose.  We grab our drinks and go, joining a few others who ignore the darkening sky.  Within ten minutes we have serious rain and we all make a beeline for cover, settling in at our assigned tables.

Michael and I are closest to the door, and when the rain abates we sneak outside once again, finding two chairs next to the bulkhead and under the shelter of a small awning.  We have the deck to ourselves.  We pretend we are rich and enjoy the brief sensation.