I'm the husband who took his wife to Paris for Valentine's Day. For the weekend. Yes, I'm that guy. In my defense, Valentine's Day is a momentous occasion in our life together and 2014 was a particularly special Valentine's weekend, so settle in for another flashback.
I'm a romantic, in case you haven't been reading between the lines (and within the parentheticals). When Mari and I re-met during that college summer in 1988, I knew after our long drive to Fort Wayne for our NTE exams that I had met the woman I would marry. Unfortunately, Mari was not in on my little secret. I told my friends when they returned to school in August for our final year and they were fairly shocked since they had not yet met Mari, but I think they believed my sincerity. Even after I gave Mari a very un-subtle heart-shaped gold locket (with tiny little inscription I still can't believe the artisan at Things Remembered at University Park Mall was able to script on the back!) for Christmas, she was still lovingly clueless.
"... thy heart lies open unto me."
from a Tennyson sonnet, if you must know
My fault. I didn't wear my heart on my sleeve in the 80s, just my Izod collars turned up. So when Valentine's Day 1989 rolled around and we had dinner at the one and only table for two in front of the fireplace at a romantic Italian restaurant, and we watched my favorite romantic movie (Somewhere in Time--don't even get me started), and I got on ever-romantic bended knee and proposed marriage, I think I jolted that temporary discombobulation out of Mari for good.
When the 25th anniversary of this most special occasion approached, I began trip planning and list making in deepest romantic earnest. My initial plan was to surprise Mari with a weekend at Notre Dame and a repeat fireside dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in Mishawaka, Indiana. Unfortunately, our romantic restaurant had closed and that Midwest winter of 2013-2014 was proving to be ridiculously cold with daily high temperatures in the region barely above 5 degrees. Undaunted, I refused to deprive my wife of an over-the-top decadent romantic surprise. Several days of exhaustive internet searches and transactions later confirmed that I was ridiculous (Mari's word), that I was more in love than ever, and that I would have almost as good a surprise for Mari as I had 25 years prior.
It's tough to beat a
surprise proposal.
I was able to keep my surprise until a few days before our scheduled departure. I have trouble keeping secrets from Mari (I guess that's a good thing?) and when it started getting to the point that I was bending the truth about details of our trip to her and her parents, I had to come clean.
I also didn't want Mari to pack for 5 degree weather when the weather at our actual location was about 50 degrees. So I confessed one evening after dinner with her parents (during which I had promised to buy something for them at the campus bookstore) that I was taking her to Notre Dame for the anniversary of our proposal, but not the Notre Dame she was expecting.
I also didn't want Mari to pack for 5 degree weather when the weather at our actual location was about 50 degrees. So I confessed one evening after dinner with her parents (during which I had promised to buy something for them at the campus bookstore) that I was taking her to Notre Dame for the anniversary of our proposal, but not the Notre Dame she was expecting.
A few days later we were on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge after (finally!) an in-depth tour inside Notre Dame. At top, we are attaching our inscribed souvenir "love lock" to the railing like a couple of silly teenagers in love. Gotta do it. It's so amazing to be connected for so long to someone who shares my love and passion for so many things, especially travel.
Our 25th engagement anniversary included another walking tour, albeit shorter and less meandering than our initial visit to Paris together. Above are a few more photos of our Valentine's Friday.
At The Louvre, lots of red heart-shaped balloons were passed out to visitors waiting in line on that drizzly Friday. Mari and I decided to forgo another abbreviated two-hour tour and instead ventured out to have some tea and treats at a beautiful Ladurée location in the Madeleine shopping district just north of the Place de la Concorde. We had discovered the artfully sweet confections of Ladurée, a colorfully charming pastry shop, during our previous Paris weekend visit near our hotel, and had planned on warming (and sweetening) up at the Madeleine location before continuing on our way. Not pictured are the mini tarte tatin, pistachio eclair, and multicolored macarons that temporarily graced our tea table.
If you visit the exquisitely beautiful site
you may just be tempted to make a weekend visit yourself.
More romantic treats (including another surprise proposal) next time.
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