Champagne Celebrations
Twice in my life I have had the opportunity to stand at the top of a champagne fountain. The tall tower is stacked pyramid style, with 650 precisely balanced glasses. This Italian celebration is usually done at weddings. Alan and I have been fortunate to have had calm seas, for the Princess Cruise line tradition to take place in the middle of the atrium. Mostly this event is another formal night, photo opportunity for the cruise lines, but I enjoy the excitement of pouring the bubbly. Besides, this is a free drink event, so of course we will always attend!
The first time I did this, the Matre ‘d, wouldn’t even let me touch the bottle, instead I had to hang onto his wrist while he staged the shot for the photographer. On our Alaskan cruise, it was obvious the Matre ‘d loved his job and enjoyed people. He was dancing between the elegantly dressed ladies who were patiently waiting their turn to pour the bubbly. This heightened the fear that the tower might get knocked over, turning this mostly passive event into a real nail biter! I was possibly the only passenger that felt this way, but as I stepped up to take my turn, I was sure I would sneeze and fall head first into the glasses. Unlike a traditional fountain, food coloring had been added to these glasses. As more champagne began flowing, the bubbly spilled from glass to glass in a riot of colors. At a rate of six small glasses of champagne per bottle, I estimate it will take over 100 bottles of champagne to finally fill this tower! I wonder if they secretly use carbonated water!