The 12 of us gathered for a sumptuous four-course gourmet dinner, each dish seasoned, served, and savored with elan. The artistically folded napkins were rivaled only by the several glasses at each setting aligned to designer specification. The conversation flowed as freely as the wine, laughter bubbling up and over the table like a fine bottle of champagne.
It was hard to believe we had met for the first time just a few hours earlier when we boarded our luxury barge for a weeklong cruise along the waterways of France. This is not a “cruise” as most of the world defines it. The boat is small; the body of water is a canal; there are no swimming pools or discos on deck; shipboard activities range from reading on the sundeck to reading in the parlor area. Yet according to every passenger aboard, the trip not only lived up to but exceeded expectations.
