The second annual Row Boat Regatta hosted by Prête-Moi Paris almost didn’t happen.

Originally scheduled for June 18th, I began scrutinizing the weather forecasts a week and a half before that date. None of them looked positive. Thundershowers. Not good weather to paddle around on the lake under! The day before, the weather forecast was so disheartening that I canceled the regatta and rescheduled. When I woke the next morning and looked out the window I saw bright sun streaming through the clouds. I shook my fist and cursed the sky to pour down rain. It did eventually that afternoon, in violent bursts with strong gusts of wind, so I felt quite validated in canceling the regatta.

The rain date came around and the same anxiety over the weather came over my head like a little pooh-bear rain cloud the week before. And some weather reports predicted rain, others did not. I said to hell with it, I’ll be there rain or shine! And if no one else shows up, I’ll have a bottle of rosé champagne to pop and I will serve myself glass after glass of champagne in a rain filled row boat if I have to! (Very dramatic, I know… It’s all part of the rough life I live as an expat blogger in Paris). 😉

Well the day came and the contestants showed. A small crowd of ten, we  claimed our picnic spot on the island, and the rowers set about figuring out how to man the oars. Sab, from the meet up group Paris if You Please who helped me organize the event, came with his lovely wife and adorably squish-able son. Other contestants, Satyam and Linda tried the strategy of let the others drink a few glasses of wine first in order to gain advantage over what they hoped would be some pretty swerving rowing… Steve’s strategy was to have a past career as a professional rower, that helps a lot. Estela and Sly played it cool and cute, pretending they were there only for the romantic aspect (being the newly weds that they are). In the end Steve’s boat won and they shared their champagne all around!

And not a drop of rain fell the entire time!!!

Cheers to all who joined in the fun and see you next year!