An Affair to Remember

Sam's a garrulous guy much traveled during his 76 years and Judy's his quieter, ten years younger and nonetheless interesting partner. We had dinner at their place last night.

They live down a long drive on a bumpy road (as doesn't everyone here?) that leads to their splendid house over looking as much of the world as anyone needs to see at one time. It's a top ten Boquete vista. Desafortunadamente, (my longest Spanish word) little of that view was available last night as rain clouds wrapped the house in a soft gray shroud. Not to worry, the antipasto (sp?) spread on the dining room table was such that once seen the eyes found no need to wander in search of further beauty. Sam, we were to learn, as a boy had once worked at an upscale restaurant where he had been taught the art of food presentation. These were lessons he had clearly not forgotten. The table was magnificent. For those of you who know me well and know that I mostly use my eyes to avoid bumping into things and finding the correct letters on my keyboard, let me add that both Woowoo Chuck and RTGFKAR second that appraisal. The moment the Chianti was opened and poured and the toasts completed, we dove into the spread with appetite aforethought. I am not, again as most of you know,a gourmet or even a gourmand, (RTGFKAR just explained the difference) what with buttered bread being my favorite food, but on this occasion I got an inkling of what the world of great eating was all about. As we gobbled, yup that's the right word, Sam gave us a rundown of each item slipping by our taste buds and landing happily in our estomagos, I can't list them all, but olives stuffed with almonds was a favorite of mine. Judy warned, perhaps because we were eating like machines, that there were more goodies to come. Next to good bread and butter in my top five foods ,right after chocolate chip cookies (yeah I know I've got the taste buds of a ten year old) lies spaghetti and because of same I was first in line to fill my pasta bowl with Sam's noodles, sauce and a big fat HOMEMADE Italian sausage. I've never had better. Even the legendary Mrs, De Franzo from my youth could not match Sam's sausage.

While we ate, the conversation ran the gamut of many things from the personal to the political to the philosophical and it was a further treat to share thoughts with people whose opinions were similar to ours but had been arrived at from very different paths. I find the history of other's thoughts, that is, the road to their opinions, a topic of much interest and our talk included lots of that.

Dessert, I can't forget dessert, was a Judy prepared I'm thinking pudding, but that word doesn't do nearly enough to describe the dish that tasted like a liquid cheese cake...sort of. It was, and here I cannot find an adjective to surpass the praise of a fourteen year old surfer, so I'll just go with that...Awesome Dude.

After the feast we all pitched in with the clean up and following that it was hugs and byes and headed home.

All in all and alrighty then, an affair to remember.

Hey! Remember that flick? Cary Grant,right?