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North African Pastries

Last night was the second-to-last night of the chocolate tour, and we spent it on Mort’s boat, which is anchored in the Seine, just off the place de la Concorde.

Like so many things, the evening began with the best of intentions.

On the next boat over, la mère and le père went away for the holiday weekend, leaving the teenage son alone to have a party. In an odd twist, the (French) neighbor’s dining table was stocked with jugs of Coke, bags of le chips, pre-fabricated chicken wings (sold in foil pouches), and their host was grilling off some hot dogs. He also knocked over the grill of burning-hot coals—twice—on the deck, forcing a mad dash to hose it down.

We Americans started with cold Sancerre, bowls of Lucques olives, crisp Iranian pistachios, jambon de Bayonne, before peeling cold shrimp, with a big platter of cheese before we ended with dessert: fresh mint ice cream and chocolates. In between there was also pâté and terrine Gascogne and wild asparagus.

As I type these words—ouch!—I now accept that it’s probably not a good idea to drink white wine, red wine, rosé, Champagne, absinthe, and water with all that. (Ok, I was just kidding about the water…) but I did get an invited to join the party next door, when the music started and I passed the bottle of absinthe in their direction. Hey, after all the damage done to int’l relations over the past few years, someone’s gotta repair the damage, right?

I don’t recall too much, and most of my photos are fuzzy, for some bizarre reason. I do recall that the evening began by me losing my skivvies but I did find them before heading out. (That’s the kind of week it’s been.) Apart from Mort dropping his cell phone into the surging waters of the Seine and me making a new group of friends, we were fortunate to have Michael Recchiuti crash the party, ensuring that there was plenty of chocolate.

I’d hope to post some better shots of yesterday, but had to rely on one of North African pastries from earlier in the week. And this morning I’m nursing a tepid café au lait, slipping on a fresh pair of unmentionables along with a neatly-pressed shirt, and heading to a chocolate-tasting with the experts at La Maison du Chocolat.

And if that’s not worthy of a spanking-clean, fresh pair of undershorts, I don’t know what is.

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19 comments

    • Kitt

    Wow. That’s an entire movie script right there. Or at least a comic short. Or should I say shorts.

    • Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy

    There’s marketing for you right there. New slogan: So much MORE than a Chocolate Tour. ;)

    • Veronica

    Wow, I have had the longest day and living vicariously through your long boat trip and then some has really helped. I hope you’re day is wonderful, and thanks for your writing. I always eagerly await the next entry.

    • Dana Mccauley

    You’re too funny! And, since you asked, that is just the right amount of information.

    • Carrie

    Hilarious! :)

    • Ann

    LOL, I think you just gained a few readers, dear! Hysterical. Love it.

    • Julie Getzlaff

    Sounds like my kind of soirée. Now why wasn’t I invited?

    • Jeremy

    David,
    You lush, well diplomacy is important ;)

    • Janet

    I’m sure there’s another story in there. Not sure how the hot coals, teenagers, great food and drowned cell phone lead to lost underwear.

    Say Hi to Mort and Jeannette

    • David

    Janet: To tell you the truth, I’m not so sure how either. All I know is when I got home and found out I’d worn out a hole in the seat of my linen trousers, I was glad I’d found ’em!

    • EB

    At least you can ‘recall’ losing them!

    • Abra

    Yeah, please tell more about the underwear. I know I wish I’d been there for the chocolate part, but I need more underwear details before knowing whether to sign up for the next chocolate tour or not!

    • Kristina

    Lol. That fuzzy lady (who looks like she could be a relative of mine) is giving you a strange look! Oh, how much I would have paid to know the answer to the missing skivvies. Maybe you were using them for a white flag to show your surrender! Assuming they were white of course.

    • Michael Recchiuti

    What a night, this brings a whole new meaning to mobile phone technology. Great group of passionate chocoholics on a mission in Paris.
    Cheers,
    Michael

    • Christine

    Absinthe and undies are like oil and water, they just don’t mix. One of ’em always has to go…

    • Chez US

    Love this story – wish we would had been there for this chocolate tour. We are suspect on the lost “underwear”! ;)

    • dhanggit

    where do i sign up for the next choco tour???? :-) these choco tour posts definitely are the sweetest…hope there will be more !!

    • Garrett

    Yar… I haven’t been shopping so last night after getting frustrated over a kumquat jam I tried to make (I left it alone and it boiled over onto the stove, go me) I broke out the emergency stack of frozen hot dogs I keep in my freezer. A few minutes in the microwave and dinner’s ready.

    The shame of it all.

    • face on cum bell cute her

    face cum her on guys cute

A

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