The weather was the best we have yet seen this springtime season, and frankly it has been the shining moment of the barometer's calendar thus far. Nearly 80 degree weather, sparkling sunbeams, and a light breezing whispering through the air. First thing on our agenda was a jaunt over to Versailles where we picnicked for lunch and an afternoon snooze. The best part about Versailles is that you don't have to go through the touristy and overcrowded front gates to enjoy the stunning grounds and landscape. We weren't quite sure where to enter the park sans ticket at first, but eventually found our way down the side of the grand palace and set up camp beside a lovely boating pond. This part of the day was agreed on before hand, though I did my best to put together a scrumptious array of tasty treats to feast upon.
Next on the menu was the first surprise for my gallant beau. I had tried to make it seem as if we would be staying at my apartment that evening, perhaps after some sort of dinner in the neighborhood. In reality, I booked an adorable little hotel I had found in the center of Paris. It is known for having a music theme, fully equipped with sound portals on the walls of the lobby and musically decorated toiletries in the bathrooms. When we arrived, the concierge informed us that we had been given an upgrade, including a larger room and breakfast in the morning. Our room was crisp, clean, and had that wonderful modern aged invention that most French ignore: air conditioning.
We only had a few minutes to investigate our evening dwellings, however, before we had to run along to the second surprise I had in store. As we got closer and closer to the river Seine, it became obvious to my gentleman caller that we were going to be taking a cruise along the river. It took him a little bit longer, however, to realize that we would also be enjoying a champagne tasting as well. After three different glasses and a heavenly view of the Parisian banks, we finally descended from our nautical voyage and enjoyed the life of landlubbers once again.
We completed the evening with dinner at an authentic Chinese restaurant, per His recommendation, and coincidentally had a night cap at a music-themed café a mere stone's throw from our hotel. Happily, my day of surprises rolled along into a second day of sunlit intoxication. We woke up to another beautiful morning, enjoyed our complimentary breakfast and decided to head back down to the Seine for another afternoon picnic. With some more rosé, some more lounging by the water, and an hour or two of watching sports (I had to give the guy just a moment of control!), we ended our romantical weekend in utter contentment.
