New York, June 22, 2004.
Dear Bill, Gareth, Emma and Sarah
Life without you is a bit of a shock. There is no one explaining the two scrumptious cheeses and red and white wines at lunch. In
fact today's lunch consists of tuna fish, leftover tossed salad and Cheese Head string cheese, the latter a product you'd ban from
the barge. But it's allowed on the South Beach Diet, which I'm on because of Sarah's fabulous cooking and my excessive wine
drinking.
What else do I miss? The French-pressed coffee, delectable croissants, jaw-dropping scenery, your delightful British accents, immaculate
accommodations, Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries, the gentle breeze up on deck, reading under the umbrella and fascinating
side trips with Gareth. I miss Emma saying, "Would you care for an aperitif?" and bringing out amazing hors d'oeuvres. I miss
the creative napkin folding and gorgeous flower arrangements - each time I walked into the dining room I sighed with happiness. I
even looked forward to the way the butter was decorated each day.
My body is in withdrawal from being deprived of Sarah's out-of-this-world kitchen productions. Poached eggs in wine sauce for
lunch now that I'm home? In my dreams. I kid Walt that if he wanted to leave me for Sarah I wouldn't blame him.
Walt, who is not known to exaggerate, recently described the barge trip to friends as "stupendous". It was stupendous, and I want
to thank each of you for the many ways you made our stay luxurious and joyful. I can't imagine a crew more pleasant, kind and
thoroughly competent at what they do. Whether Gareth was trying to find us a newspaper in English or arrangements were being
made for a French singer to accompany us through the tunnel, you made your guests feel special. Bill, what a master choreographer
you are to make it all look so effortless. I can only imagine the hard work and sweat going on behind the scenes. And while
you had the difficult job of maneuvering Le Papillon through countless locks and a tricky tunnel, you remained unruffled and always
had time for our questions/requests. I can see why there's no suggestion box or post-trip survey; how could life get any better than
this? You have given us a family vacation that eclipses all other family vacations, and we've had some exceptional adventures.
We're grateful to all of you, and we miss you.
I've enclosed a barge trip photo CD for each of you. I hope it brings back some pleasant memories. Feel free to use the photos on
your website and to use me as a reference if a prospective guest wants to talk to someone who has been fortunate enough to barge
through Burgundy with you.
Fondly,
Wendy B.
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