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Showing posts with label honeymoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label honeymoon. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Delightful sights (as seen in Paris).

Because I'd already crossed off seeing many of the major sights in Paris during previous visits, I chose to spend this trip exploring the many arrondissements and seeing places new to me. Sure, I revisited the Louvre and Notre Dame, but did not ascend the Eiffel Tower. Instead, my friend and I went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe at dusk. Quite frankly, I liked it better than the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower—mostly because it's possible to see the Tower from it! Here are a few of the places we loved and would highly recommend:

Rue Cler
7th
There are many street markets in Paris, but Rue Cler is Rick Steves' favorite, so we went to see for ourselves. Stretching for several blocks, Rue Cler is a darling traffic-free area with two fromageries, several fruit and vegetable vendors, a handful of chocolatiers and stores specializing in honey and olive oil. All in all, a great place to grab picnic goodies or gifts to take back home.




Arc de Triomphe
8th
As I already mentioned, the view from the top of the Arc is magical. We were fortunate enough to witness what turned out to be a goosebump moment—the Eiffel Tower as it sparkled after dark. All I could think was: what a perfect place to get engaged!




Jardin du Luxembourg
5th
On our first day in Paris, we visited the Jardin du Luxembourg. The entire population of Paris seemed to be there, and while they aren't allowed to sit on the grass (in most parts of the park), Parisians were lined up neatly in chairs around the grass to admire it. They were sitting under perfectly trimmed trees, playing with little sailboats in the pond, playing chess, and so on. It was all just so perfectly French.





Monet's House & Garden
Giverny, France
Monet's home and inspirational gardens are located in the countryside an hour outside of Paris. While I'm not a huge fan of his paintings, his home was most impressive. The gardens were beautifully planted and unbelievably colorful.





Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen
Saint-Ouen, France
Wandering the flea markets at Saint-Ouen is like walking through the pages of an Anthropologie or Pottery Barn catalog. Many stalls were thrown together in that perfectly messy way I tend to covet. We saw vintage prints and postcards, antique furniture, books, keys, clothing, architectural elements (think doors and windows), chandeliers, mirrors, knick-knacks and even carousel horses. We barely made a dent in what all the markets had to offer, but managed to leave completely impressed anyway.


Friday, April 2, 2010

Positively dreamy.

I'm super excited to be leaving for a much needed vaca in a few weeks. Guess where I'm going? Anyone have leads on memorable meals or must-sees for me?

These dreamy images were taken by photographer Irene Suchocki, and can be found in her Etsy shop. Aren't they incredible?



Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Great honeymoon views.

Whenever I travel, I start dreaming about my next trip before the current one is even over. I'm most often trying to figure out how I can get back to Europe. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Italy, returned for our first anniversary, and went back again last year. Each time, I've planned the trip from start to finish and have successfully booked us into affordable hotels with priceless views. It's easy to do if you're willing to do a bit of the leg work yourself. On that note, I wanted to share a few of my favorite budget hotels in Italy that have undeniably romantic views:

Albergo California Positano (Amalfi Coast)
from €150/night


Hotel American (Venice)
from €100/night


Il Giglio (Montalcino, Tuscany)
from €135/night


If you are thinking about planning a trip abroad and have a question, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll get back to you asap. =)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The basics of honeymoon planning.



If you don't have a lot of experience planning your own travels, don't give up on the idea that you can put together a honeymoon on your own. After determining where it is you want to go, follow these basic steps to working out all of the details:
  1. Buy your plane tickets.
    Once you have tickets purchased, your dates and starting/ending points are set in stone. If you are planning a trip that involves moving around from point to point, think about buying an “open jaw” ticket. This will allow you to arrive in one city, but leave from another. These type of tickets don’t cost much more, but can save you time and other costs further down the line.

  2. Develop a potential itinerary.
    Base your itinerary on the number of "nights" you want to spend in each place. Use a map to figure out a logical route for your journey. Be sure to include one night for any overnight flights. Most importantly, don’t forget to consider travel time between destinations. Rework your itinerary until it feels just right. If you don't plan on moving around during your honeymoon, skip ahead to the next step.

  3. Book hotels.
    Now that you have your itinerary finalized, start researching and reserving hotels for each stop. Using email or a hotel’s website, you might contact a few hotels for each destination to see if there is availability during your stay. If you want to be sure that you're getting a hotel that will cater to your needs, check each hotel’s rating on TripAdvisor.com. If every hotel you contact is booked, revisit your itinerary. Look at a map and see if it’s logical to change your route. If that’s not possible, research smaller towns close to your desired destination to see if there are more options for lodging. Doing so can often lead to big savings.

  4. Decide how you’ll get from point to point.
    Get a train pass and/or reserve a car. Again, if you don't plan on moving around during your honeymoon, skip ahead to the next step.

  5. Finally, plan all the fun bits!
    Make any necessary sightseeing reservations. If you're a foodie, figure out where you might want to eat. Whatever you decide, make sure it's a nice mix of relaxation and fun.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Planning a European honeymoon online.



Planning a honeymoon abroad can be a daunting task—especially when you're already planning a wedding. With some online research, it's possible to find destinations that will make your trip special (and affordable). The following links are useful for general planning tips, as well as hotel and restaurant recommendations:

Maps & Guidebooks (for offline planning):

Tomorrow, we'll post a how-to detailing the steps to take when planning your honeymoon.