Oct 16 2008
Oh the Bubbly
Sometimes when telling about a drink it is important to consider the context in which it became an indelible part of your repertoire.
As I’ve mentioned previously, the Martini is a favorite drink of ours. One of the primary reasons for our fondness stems from a vacation we took a few springs back.
We booked passage on Amtrak’s Empire Builder. As in many things, our purpose was the journey rather then the destination. We intended to take passage out to Portland, Oregon, catch a connecting train to Seattle, Washington, spend the night in Seattle and return home on the Empire Builder the following day.
Our passage was in the sleeper train. Not the fancy compartments that included a private bathroom, but the compartment that would provide us each a bunk, albeit a separate one, by night and two chairs and a table by day.
In my opinion, there is no better way to travel. We had all our meals included and were treated like royalty by the staff.
When we arrived on board at the Amtrak station in St. Paul, a treat awaited us in our room. Laid out on the table, amidst a beautiful presentation, was a half bottle of sparkling wine.
A bottle of JFJ California Champagne, it wasn’t exactly the most expensive of drinks but that night, it sure made us feel like a million dollars.
