Tuesday, September 30, 2008

A second honeymoon in Paris; a Groom’s guide.

If you are considering a honeymoon, anniversary or romantic holiday in Europe, the quintessential location would have to be Paris.
My wife and I decided that we would spend a second Honeymoon in Paris, soaking up the sights and sounds of the city of love. I utilized the website viator.com to find some romantic activities to make the event special. This website will provide a list of activities to suit any taste or budget. I chose a package that included a Seine river cruise, Dinner at a classy restaurant and a private tour of Paris at night.
At around 6pm the Chauffer arrived at our hotel to take us to the boat which moors about 100 meters from the Eiffel tower. The river cruise provides a good opportunity for those new to Paris to acquaint themselves with the more famous sights such as Notre dame, Alexander 3rd bridge and of course the Eiffel Tower. The cruise also has an audio guide which comes free with the ticket and lasts about 45 minutes.
Once the cruise is concluded, the chauffer took us to a French brasserie for dinner and drinks. The food and wine was exquisite. The dress code is stricter than you would find in Sydney or London, but that only adds to the elegance of your surroundings. A professional jazz Pianist plays in the corner and the waiters are prompt and friendly. At the end of the meal the chauffer approached us and presented my wife with a single rose (organized beforehand to look as if I had arranged it) and whisked us off for a private tour of Paris by night. Paris is a beautiful city, but once the sun goes down the place looks like it has come straight out of a fairytale. I can’t recommend highly enough the need to see Paris by night. It will not disappoint.
To get around I recommend the metro as it is always close by and is a lot cleaner than many other metros in other cities. If you want a nice quiet meal away from the tourists I recommend the suburb of Sant Germain Des Pres. This is where you will find small winding streets with secluded restaurants in a beautiful setting.
If you just fancy a drink, head to La Deau Magots (the two maggots) in Sant Germain. Inside they have the hat that Napoleon Bonaparte left as a deposit one night when he was a student at the Military school nearby when he couldn’t pay for his drinks.

My son-in-law, Chris...that's them, with my husband and me, in a gondola in Venice. And a wedding picture. Aren't they a handsome couple? I was supposed to have pics of Paris for this that Chris took, but they didn't turn out.

Melissa

posted by Melissa James @ 12:00 AM