Adventure, like beauty, is clearly in the eye of the beholder.
On Saturday night, I arrived in Munich, Germany after 10 days of what I would call "adventure" -- that is, hiking the meadows, mountain tops, cliffs and chasms of the Dolomites and sleeping in rustic inns accessible only by foot.
But when I checked into the Sofitel Bayerpost Hotel, I discovered a new definition of "adventure" -- a "restaurant" suspended by cranes and cables 15 stories high over the hotel's elegant driveway. Operated by the MyDays company, the dangling eatery splashed the words "adventure" and "once-in-a-lifetime experience" and "magical moments" on banners lining the sidewalk and parking lot next to Munich's Hauptbahnhof (train station).
The allure of being strapped into a seat, hoisted 150 feet over a big-city parking lot, and fed fancy food and wine totally eludes me. But the gig drew a large and enthusiastic crowd on Saturday night, when 22 "adventuresome" diners (a full house) were bolted into place while servers poured wine into large crystal glasses.
Dubbed "Dinner in the Sky," the "experience" costs upwards of 99 Euros per person (about $140 ) with alcoholic beverages extra. The actual supper in the stratosphere lasts about one hour; guests are told to plan on 1 1/2 hour for the whole event (the buckling into place takes at least 20 minutes). The Web site MyDays.de goes on at length about the "excitement" of the dinner but, curiously, never mentions the actual food. (Since I had had my share of heights in the Dolomites, I can't tell you anything about the menu either.)
"Dinner in the Sky" is just one of the "more than 800" adventures that MyDays suggests. The company claims that its offerings are unique, outrageous and one-of-a-kind. The flying foie gras falls under the "Fantasy" category. The "Gourmet" category includes cheese seminars, market tours with hot-shot chefs, and a five-hour cooking class on "Erotic Food." Bungy-jumping from the Europabrücke (at 630 feet, it was Europe's highest bridge until 2004); "Body Flying" in a wind canal; and a sled tour with Huskies are some other ways to spend your time and money.
MyDays is available in several European countries; its Web site is in several languages, but not English.