NAPOLEON DINED HERE!
In 2000 on
our way to Washington, I and my colleague broke journey for a day for a rapid
tour of Paris, a city which neither of us had visited.
After
checking into the hotel, we took a quick shower and headed for the city, where
we boarded an open-to-sky bus for a group tour of four hours of the major
sights of the city. When the tour finished at a city square, it was time for
lunch.
We had eaten
a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel and weren’t particularly hungry, but noted
that the restaurants were filled with diners having a leisurely lunch over wine
or beer.
‘How about
lunch? Since we’d hang about the town till evening, why don’t we take a bite and
then resume our sight-seeing?’ I said. My colleague agreed. We looked for a
restaurant which was not too crowded and could serve us promptly. We didn’t
plan to spend hours at lunch.
Let’s go in there,
I said.
‘Why? What’s special about that one?’
‘Read the signage.’
The bill-board announced in big, bold letters, ‘NAPOLEON DINED HERE!’
We went in.
The interior was painted in bright red, possibly to proclaim its heritage, but
was forlorn, with only a few tables occupied. Even the few guests who were
dining didn’t seem thrilled about their meal. The high and mighty of France,
and even regular tourists, no longer seemed to favour the joint.
The server
led us to a table towards the back of the restaurant. Can we take this one,
please, I asked, pointing at a table near the entrance and with a view of the
busy road and the promenade? Sure, he said, though with some reluctance and visible
annoyance.
Menu, please?
There, on your table, was his curt reply.
He had guessed that the two gentlemen unaccompanied by ladies were unlikely to
spend much at lunch.
We picked up
the flyer, as thin as the paper napkins on the table and looking rather cheap,
and scanned the menu. Each item was prohibitively expensive, and even a modest
meal comprising an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, excluding drinks, would cost
at least €30 per head, which was way beyond our budget. Let’s have a
beer and a sandwich each, I suggested. That would cost €28 for both of us, still
rather expensive, yet cheaper than a larger meal.
We placed
the order, which took quite some time to arrive. Waiting to be served, I read
the little write up on the back of the flyer which told that Le Procope,
Brasserie is the ‘Oldest Café and Restaurant in Paris, fonde en (Founded
in) 1686, and Napoleon had dined at this restaurant. No history book might have
recorded if Napoleon had indeed dined at this restaurant, but which tourist had
time or inclination to do a fact check? Back at home, they’d have the bragging
rights to tell family and friends of having dined in an ancient heritage
restaurant at Paris!
The server
brought the beer and the sandwich together; the beer being tepid and the
sandwich rather soggy and slim, provoking my friend to observe that the
sandwich might even be from Napoleon’s era. We munched it willy-nilly and
guzzled our beer fast to end the frugal lunch and resume our sight-seeing.
When we
finished, I beckoned the server for the cheque, with which he was ready. We
were economy diners, and he wanted us out as fast as possible. I settled the
bill (joint expense, joint accounting), leaving behind a ten percent tip with
much disinclination owing to the below par food and the lousy ambience.
Before
leaving, I asked the server, ‘May I keep a copy of your menu card, please?’ He pretended
to be a bit startled, thought for a few seconds, and then bent down to whisper
in my ear, ‘It is our policy not to give this to our customers, but for you
I’ll make an exception,’ and he winked mischievously at me. I got he was much
amused, and the Indian tourists who ate little and paid less than the fifteen
percent tip he was expecting wanted a souvenir from the hallowed restaurant.
Since you plan to keep it as a souvenir, may I make a little correction, said my colleague, took out his pen and crossed from the banner headline one letter from a word, and putting a comma, scribbled a few words.
The promo now read
‘NAPOLEON DIED HERE, after eating a sandwich!
***
Note:
- Author's profile may be seen at http://amazon.com/author/pkdash
- Books by this author are available on Amazon.in, Kindle eBook, Flipkart, and Notion Press, Chennai.
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