President Clinton and French President Jacques Chirac enjoyed a night out on the town with their wives Saturday, dining at one of Paris' top restaurants.
The two couples seemed to be enjoying themselves as they discussed the weather and the Atlanta Olympics at the restaurant, following a quick tour by Chirac of the presidential Elysee Palace.The two first ladies greeted each other with kisses, Hillary Rodham Clinton dressed smartly in a black trouser suit with wide-cut pants, a gold collar and matching gold purse; Bernadette Chirac in a conservative navy blue suit. They posed for pictures with their husbands between the marble columns of the palace.
The Clintons' visit to Paris was to have included a full day of sightseeing Sunday, visiting haunts they saw 20 years ago as a young married couple.
However, that was scrapped so the president could attend memorial services in Florida for the U.S. military personnel killed in Saudi Arabia.
Clinton's whirlwind visit to Paris came after a three-day economic summit in Lyon, attended by Clinton, Chirac and leaders of five other major industrial countries.
Clinton and Chirac have met seven times since Chirac became president a year ago, cultivating a relationship that White House spokesman Mike McCurry described as very close.
Before dining at L'Ambroisie, a three-star restaurant on the Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo once lived, Clinton and Chirac both waded into a crowd of onlookers who lined the street outside the famous establishment.
During the drive from the palace to the Marais district restaurant, Chirac had his motorcade speed up alongside a van carrying American reporters.
He rolled down his window and, smiling broadly, waved at the press. At one moment, the two vehicles nearly collided.
President Clinton and Bernadette Chirac dined on grilled chicken a la diable with potato souffle; Hillary Clinton opted for a fricassee of sole and chanterelle mushrooms with thyme; and Chirac had Sisteron lamb with basil.
They washed down their meals with equally sumptuous selection of wines: a 1985 Dom Perignon, a 1990 Corton and a 1985 Chateau Latour.
"They looked like two happy couples having a very romantic meal in Paris," said McCurry.
After dinner, Clinton boarded Air Force One for his flight to Florida.
Hillary Clinton was leaving Monday for an 11-day visit to Eastern Europe, beginning with a stop in Poland. She will also stop in Bosnia.