Friday, October 13th, 2023: Many customers slept in before venturing out into the lovely medieval town centre for shopping and taking in the picturesque views. From the hotel you can see Switzerland and Austria on the other side of the lake. This was the last night the entire group was together, because a few would stay in Frankfurt on Saturday to catch early flights back home. During dinner, I recognized my “wing babes” for all their much-appreciated help during the drives. I also had a lesson on “Dining is Different in Europe” to teach the customers the proper etiquette. My lovely dinner date, Ellyn, and I had a speedy dinner set up for a four-course meal in front of us. The staff mimicked serving us. We began with a cheers with white wine and appetizer served from the right side following the curvature of the body. I explained to the customers that in Europe, you signal the wait staff with the positioning of the utensils. Placing our fork and knife in the 4:20 position on the plate. Our next course was soup. In Europe it is perfectly acceptable to use both hands to pick up your bowl and sip the soup. With the anticipation of the meat course, red wine is poured, and the covered dish is presented to the table. I demonstrated the proper way to hold utensils, the fork remaining in your left hand and the knife in the right to cut. Many Americans will cut their food, place the knife down and switch their fork to the right hand to eat. The table was cleared and dessert was served.
