FRANCE-DINNER Thousands gather for "dinner in white" outside Paris' Louvre museum

Record ID: 151267

  • Title: FRANCE-DINNER Thousands gather for "dinner in white" outside Paris' Louvre museum
  • Date: 11th June 2015
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 11, 2015) (REUTERS) GUESTS DRESSED IN WHITE ARRIVING CARRYING TABLES AND CHAIRS GUESTS SETTING UP TABLE GUESTS OUTSIDE LOUVRE MUSEUM GUESTS WAVING WHITE TABLE CLOTHS SIGNALLING START OF DINNER VARIOUS OF GUESTS HAVING DINNER CROWD DURING DINNER WOMAN WEARING SUNGLASSES BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE GUESTS DURING DINNER (SOUNDBITE) (French) DINNER GUEST, THIERRY M
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA35SXE2I5OXFVSYAIF0T2JNPKZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Thousands of people dressed in white gathered in front of the Louvre museum for an "impromptu picnic" on Thursday (June 11) evening.
    Guests arrived from Parisian streets carrying tables, chairs and baskets full of fine food and wine.
    The exclusive, invite-only "Diner en Blanc" - or "Dinner in White" in English - is organised every year with the location remaining a closely guarded secret until the last minute to keep diners and the authorities in the dark.
    Organisers say whilst they are not officially allowed to organise a dinner, they are allowed to hold an improvised picnic -- hence the all-important secrecy.
    But the event does not look like a makeshift affair, with thousands dressed to impress sitting at tables covered in crisp white tablecloths and crowned with candelabras.
    Once everyone is ready, guests traditionally swing their white cloth napkins as a sign indicating the start of the dinner. Other codes ask that guests leave the place as clean as they find it.
    "This is pure pleasure, we are in an incredible and exceptional place and to have this chance to have dinner here, it is an improvised picnic, it's quite unbelievable. It's half improvised really, there's quite a bit of preparation really, but its great pleasure," said Parisian Thierry Millet.
    The event is held annually at a different Parisian monument. But this year, last minute confusion pushed guests from the Cour Carrée in the centre of the Louvre to the Tuileries gardens.
    Still, with the famous Louvre pyramid and the Eiffel Tower in the distance as backdrops, guests were not disappointed.
    "Tonight is the incarnation of French excellence, despite France being well or not, this moment allows us to take our breath, it's a safe haven," said Parisian Titus.
    Previous locations have seen guests eating in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Place de la Concorde at the foot of the Champs Elysees.
    For Italian national Stefania Brunaletti, this was quite a scene.
    "I had heard about this, it's the first time that I see this event and I find it fantastic. I see people laughing, eating, and eating is something quite convivial, and in this beautiful city I just think it's fantastic," Brunaletti said.
    The idea has also proved popular abroad with organisers saying close to 70 other events are schedules for 2015 mostly in North America and Europe. After Paris, the biggest gathering is Montreal in Canada.
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