5/23/12 1st time X/cruise, med. engagement, Paris; oh my! Solstice Med. Trip Report

Paris Day 1 Continued (Part 1 of 3)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Recap: I last left off viewing the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero.

I guess I should add here that Tyler and I have been dating for 10 years; we were high school sweethearts. With that being said everyone was expecting Tyler to propose on this trip. The whole trip my parents were on the edge of their seats waiting for it to happen. We all figured it would probably happen in Paris since it is a well known fact it is my favorite place in the world. So we went to the Eiffel Tower and no proposal yet, the suspense was killing my parents.

Moving on…

After the shock of seeing the tower and admiring her from afar at Trocadero we were all hungry. Ah Ha! I see a perfect chance to knock something off my “must eat” lost here at Trocadero! There is a stand selling croque monsieur! WooHoo! I walked right up fully prepared to order in French for my family butttt the teen behind asked me what I wanted in English, boo. However I replied in French… I didn’t come all the way to Paris to speak English!

With my warm croque monsieur in hand we found a curb to sit on and sink our teeth into it and… yuck! Ewww! This was terrible. It tasted like a grilled cheese made at 7am then re-heated in the microwave 10 times. I bet that’s what it was! Lesson learned, do not buy food from vendors at tourist spots! Oh well, at least I can cross it off the list and try it again some other time.

I know Tyler’s eyes are closed but here’s proof of the yucky croque monsieur

Now that our adrenaline was wearing off we were starting to notice just how cold it was. Glad I packed my boots, it was freezing! Being from Florida we can’t handle anything less than 70 degrees, haha! Next we took the metro from Trocadero line 6 to the Arc de Triomphe stop.

Oui oui! This is one of my favorite landmarks in Paris. Mom and dad did not feel up for climbing the spiral staircase so they waited on the bottom, and they froze the entire time. We used our Paris Museum Pass to skip the line and start climbing right away! There are around 280 steps here. Looks like a sea shell!

When you get to the top you are inside the roof of the arc. There is a cool tv screen that is hooked up to a camera so you can see who is walking around the bottom. You then climb a few more steps to get to the outside portion, on top of the arc.

Tyler made it! He said it was not as bad as the “Donkey trail” in Kotor, sheesh guys let it go! I LOVED the donkey trail!

Looks like he is saying in a valley-girl voice “oh mah gawd”

Paris Day 1 Continued (Part 2 of 3)

The views from up here our amazing. Some people skip the Arc, I think it is totally worth it! You are right in the middle of 8 (I think) streets that all lead to the crazy round about surrounding the Arc. The traffic is so bad here they built a pedestrian tunnel so you can safely access the Arc.

Here are some views from up top:

Montmartre:

Our hotel being on Avenue des Champs Elysees was very close to the Arc. We enjoyed a nice leisure stroll back to our hotel, changed and set out for dinner. This is a great place to window shop.

The next item on our daily schedule was dinner. I was REALLY, REALLY looking forward to this place! See, before our trip I did numerous searches on trip advisor trying to find the best places for my family to eat at in Paris. My family is not the gourmet type so I wanted to find a place that had classics I know my family would enjoy but still be Parisian at the same time. BINGO, I found it! Relais de l'entrecote!

The restaurant is located just a few blocks from our hotel. We enjoyed the walk to the restaurant and the streets of Paris glowing from the sun setting. One of my favorite sites in Paris is suddenly seeing the Eiffel Tower poking up over buildings.

Paris Day 1 Continued (Part 3 of 3)

Aha!, I see the red banner that identifies relais de l'entrecote! And there already is a line out the door! They do not take reservations, you have to wait in line. Since most Parisians eat late it was recommend to go early. I think we headed over there at 7ish. Trust me, the line is worth the wait!!! I was once told if a restaurant has a line in Paris than it must be good!

Relais de l'entrecote only serves one entrée: steak-frites! The menu has a set price of 25 Euros and all you tell them is the temperature you want the steak cooked. First you get salad with this amazing dressing and bread, followed by your FIRST portion of steak-frites. Once you have finished round 1 you get the second portion! The entire plate is covered in this mysterious green sauce that might turn one off at sight but give it a shot, trust me. Even my picky brother couldn’t get enough of the green sauce. They provide a dessert list after but we were so full we passed it up, crazy, I know- given my dessert addiction. Personally I believe this is the best dinner deal in Paris. I wrote in my journal “for traditional steak-frites, tres bien!”

The restaurant in Paris fashion is crowded with tables close together, I do not mind; I want the total French feel! I know this sounds dorky but I just love to pretend for a minute I live in Paris. As I walk down the streets leading my family (acting as though I know where I am going because I mesmerized the maps ahead of time) my imagination pretends that I am now living in Paris and my family is visiting me so I am showing them around “my” city. As we walk past the grand doors that open up to courtyards or apartment stairwells I pretend I am walking to them with my bag of groceries and a fresh baguette in hand. My paris-dream state was suddenly interrupted when my dad asked for ketchup. Really dad? We have this awesome green sauce and you want Heinz? Luckily our waitress was really nice and friendly and laughed. A lot of tourists come here so I am sure they get that once a month, maybe, haha.

I am realizing now that I am sharing with you my inner, deepest dreams. My family may know how deep these dreams run, or act like they don’t so I can keep living in this fantasy world haha. I really, seriously, dream of living in Europe (would be Paris but that’s a little out of budget). I will get more to this topic at the end of the report, my wish may, just may, come true. I just type as things come to me (for the most part).

Side story: When we got home we were determined to recreate the famous green sauce so I did some google searches. Apparently this sauce is a huge secret. Even famous chefs have tried to figure it out. Nobody has been able to recreate it exactly. We have tried a couple times and came close but not close enough.

Ok enough of the rants and tangents. Lets get back to the schedule.

We were all a little exhausted now and decided to head back to the hotel. We have an early morning tomorrow. The plan will be to get up early and go straight to the Eiffel Tower followed by Versialles. Not sure if you heard, but 3 of the 4 lifts in the tower were down for several months this year. We happened to be there during this time. We were told if you want to get to the top via lift you have to get there right when it opens. Of course I already knew this because I had done my research. I was planning on us climbing to the top via stairs, but do you think my family was up for this? No! Of course not, not after Kotor haha. They will never let me hear the end of that “donkey trail.”

So will we make it to the top of the tower? Will Tyler propose on top of the tower if we make it?

Oh Ashley, this review of Paris is wonderful! It will be so helpful when we go to Paris for 3 days pre-cruise next May. Thank you.

Also, thank you to the person that gave directions to the bar in Dubrovnik. I have printed them out for our return trip there in may. ;)

BCN Airport: I am writing this entry from the airport waiting for our flight to Paris. The sadness is going away now, now that Paris is at my fingertips. We are flying Air France to Paris, they were awesome at the check-in counter. They did not care about weight or that we had an extra bag (we planned on all flights after cruise having 1 extra bag). We also all got upgraded to first class! WOOHOO! Too bad we got the upgrade on our shortest flight, but hey, I will take it! The airport is very hot and none of the ATM’s are working, NONE. Security was a nightmare and gave my dad a hard time about his medications, but we made it through eventually. The fight was pretty smooth and we got a meal since we were in first class.

Ashley:

How in the heck did you get upgraded to 1st class? What's your secret??? I know, it's probably that fantastic smile of yours!!!!

Mo:):)

Wow what a wonderful and fun review! Very detailed. You should be a Celebrity marketing person.

Congrats on your trip and of course your engagement. Here's to many future cruises as husband and wife!

Great family!

 

Relais de l'entrecote only serves one entrée: steak-frites! The menu has a set price of 25 Euros and all you tell them is the temperature you want the steak cooked. First you get salad with this amazing dressing and bread, followed by your FIRST portion of steak-frites. Once you have finished round 1 you get the second portion! The entire plate is covered in this mysterious green sauce that might turn one off at sight but give it a shot, trust me. Even my picky brother couldn’t get enough of the green sauce. They provide a dessert list after but we were so full we passed it up, crazy, I know- given my dessert addiction. Personally I believe this is the best dinner deal in Paris. I wrote in my journal “for traditional steak-frites, tres bien!”

 

 

Looks yummy. Interesting discussion on what the sauce may (or may not) be.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/500786

More great stories! I love the photos - you are making me pine for the three years we lived in Europe and I would pop up to Paris for the day, or with girlfriends for the weekend, or with my husband to meet up with friends and explore. I really loved Paris, second only to my beloved Brussels. I have the same photo of you and Tyler (but of my husband and I!) taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe as the sun was setting!

We are leaving for a Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Summit on Friday morning, can't wait to explore another new part of the world for us! Will have to catch up on more of your posts after I get home!

This is one of the best reviews I have ever read. You two are just adorable and your kids will be precious. If the teaching profession does not work out you could definitely be a travel writer. I am, like all of your loyal followers, waiting patiently for the BIG QUESTION!!! I am reading this, skeptically at first, with all of the Gator references, as I am a die-hard Seminole fan! Ha Ha!

BCN Airport: I am writing this entry from the airport waiting for our flight to Paris. The sadness is going away now, now that Paris is at my fingertips. We are flying Air France to Paris, they were awesome at the check-in counter. They did not care about weight or that we had an extra bag (we planned on all flights after cruise having 1 extra bag). We also all got upgraded to first class! WOOHOO! Too bad we got the upgrade on our shortest flight, but hey, I will take it! The airport is very hot and none of the ATM’s are working, NONE. Security was a nightmare and gave my dad a hard time about his medications, but we made it through eventually. The fight was pretty smooth and we got a meal since we were in first class.

 

Ashley:

 

How in the heck did you get upgraded to 1st class? What's your secret??? I know, it's probably that fantastic smile of yours!!!!

 

Mo:):)

I have no idea! We were just very nice to the guy and he was nice too and chatting with us. However, my dad is high on the point system with Delta (whatever there program is called) so maybe that helped :confused: But hey, however it happened I was glad :D

Wow what a wonderful and fun review! Very detailed. You should be a Celebrity marketing person.

 

Congrats on your trip and of course your engagement. Here's to many future cruises as husband and wife!

 

Great family!

Thank you so much! I am just so excited Tyler loved the cruise as this was his first cruise. We are hoping to go on another for our honeymoon :o Ha, I would love to be a celebrity marketing person! Maybe I should write them up a proposal ;)

Looks yummy. Interesting discussion on what the sauce may (or may not) be.

 

 

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/500786

Wow! Thanks for the link :D I guess I am not alone in obsessing over that green sauce ;)

More great stories! I love the photos - you are making me pine for the three years we lived in Europe and I would pop up to Paris for the day, or with girlfriends for the weekend, or with my husband to meet up with friends and explore. I really loved Paris, second only to my beloved Brussels. I have the same photo of you and Tyler (but of my husband and I!) taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe as the sun was setting!

 

We are leaving for a Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Summit on Friday morning, can't wait to explore another new part of the world for us! Will have to catch up on more of your posts after I get home!

Ahhh le sigh, you lived in Europe!!! Lucky!! That is my dream, just what you said... I'll just "hop" over to Paris for the weekend or any other place! I dream of just going to Paris for macaroons or dinner. Hopefully one day :o

Have a great trip!

This is one of the best reviews I have ever read. You two are just adorable and your kids will be precious. If the teaching profession does not work out you could definitely be a travel writer. I am, like all of your loyal followers, waiting patiently for the BIG QUESTION!!! I am reading this, skeptically at first, with all of the Gator references, as I am a die-hard Seminole fan! Ha Ha!

Aww, wow, thank you :o Well my dream is to teach for another 5ish years and start writing books (I have a million book ideas, mostly novels in my head). First I have to get through my dissertation and then I will be able to focus on my other ideas, for now they are just mental notes :)

Ha well Tyler is a Seminole ;) we are a divided house. Should be a good game!

Well....since Tyler is a Seminole, all is forgiven, haha!!! My house is divided as well. I will be the first to read your books as your style is mesmerizing! You MUST write a very detailed review of the wedding (pictures included), and honeymoon cruise. Well...maybe not all of the details, but you get my drift. Keep up the superb work!

Post# 22 C'est la Vie

Tuesday, 06/05/2012 C'est la Vie (part 1 of 5) yes, 5 parts! Sorry!

Paris Day 2

Today is our first full day in Paris! As I mentioned it is cold and gloomy out therefore we all got a great nights sleep and had a hard time getting out of bed. The beds in our hotel room are big, comfy, and fluffy. However, we have a big agenda for today! I forgot what time I told the family to meet for breakfast but I would guess 7:30ish.

Since my dad is a Marriott Elite/Platinum (whatever they call it) level we got free breakfast in the hotel. I think if you pay for it, it is like 45 Euros or something absurd like that. The breakfast provided is a real feast for the eyes if you are a carb lover like me! This is what I have been waiting for several months! See, I think I mentioned this, but I stopped eating carbs about 3-4 months prior to the trip. My logic was “I can eat the best carbs in the world when I get to Paris & Italy, so why am I going to eat Wonder bread or boxed pasta from Pubix now.”

Oh trust me, I sure made up for my lack of carbs… this is ‘part’ of my daily breakfast in Paris

Yes, that is not photoshopped! I ate every single morning at the least a chocolate doughnut, pain au chocolate, chocolate chip muffin, waffle with Nutella, and a bowl of fruit for good measure. Talk about carb loading!

Turns out we would need all those carbs; you will see why.

And this is another good time to mention this again, I lost over 10 pounds in Paris. I keep telling everyone I am moving to Paris because only in Paris can you stuff your face like a squirrel with carbs and lose weight. However, we were walking on average probably 8 miles a day in Paris.

Now that I think about it, I am really proud of my family for putting up with me. I totally dictated the entire trip to when we were waking up to what we were eating to where we were going and HOW we were getting there… which in Paris was usually walking; my favorite past time. So family, if you are reading this, thank you, ha!

Ok back on track, we last left off at breakfast. After filling out bellies the plan of attack was the Eiffel Tower and then catching the train to Versailles. Originally I had us going to Versailles first thing but due to the lifts being down at the tower it was recommended to go to the tower first thing when it opened.

On the map and according to the hotel staff they made it sound like it was a nice leisure stroll to the tower. You simply cross the river and there it is. So off we went. This route to the tower would soon become routine maintenance for us. We saw lots of things along the way.

I first saw this awesome Fiat today. I am now obsessed and want a Fiat:

We passed the memorial for Princess Diana and the infamous tunnel:

First you cross the busy Avenue des Champs Elysees, keep heading west until you cross the bridge over the river, and walk a little more and there it is! Sounds simple right? Our first time making the trip to the Eiffel Tower was not this easy but by the end of the trip I could do it with my eyes closed. It was about 1.5 miles from the hotel, so 3 miles round trip. This was when I got to feel like a real Parisian when I could direct people accurately to the Tower! It is nice you can see the Tower between streets letting you know you are on the right track and getting closer.

As the Tower got bigger and bigger my excitement grew larger and larger. We were almost there. I could feel the excitement running through my veins. I had waited a lifetime for this moment (I had a lot of these “moments” on this trip). We were all walking faster than normal; we were all excited.

We turn the corner and we are there, ahhh, we can take a sigh of relief. But then we see the line, already snaking back and forth around the plaza area. Even though we got there just a few minutes after opening the line was already at a 2-3 hour wait!

Umm I do not think so! There is not way I am wasting precious hours in Paris wasted in a line. I was a little upset at first because I didn’t think my family would want to climb it and I didn’t think they would want to wait in line; therefore we would not get to the top. Boo. But they shocked me; they were all up for climbing! Except mom. I mean I’ll be honest, if it were up to me I would have picked to climb the tower for the scenic exercise.

Tuesday, 06/05/2012 C'est la Vie (part 2 of 5)

Off we go!

inside the Tower:

SO we got our tickets and started the climb to the top. We climbed 669 stairs to the second platform and were able to take the elevator from the second platform to the top and third platform. Along the way they have little areas to pause, catch your breath, and read up on the history of the Tower.

We finally reach the top. It is taller than I remembered. I forgot how breath taking the views are from up here. I do not think this experience could ever get old. We spent quite a bit of time taking it all in before heading back down. There is a bathroom and gift shop on one of the lower platforms. We used the bathrooms (very long line) since I hear public bathrooms are hard to find in Paris.

View from the top:

Look closely, you can see the Arc de Triomphe!

VIDEO: Going up the Eiffel Tower from the 2nd platform to the top via lift

We saw this man sketching the Tower, pretty cool!

Tuesday, 06/05/2012 C'est la Vie (part 3 of 5)

Due to the construction of the lifts, they built this huge structure that ruins your pictures of the Tower. At first I was a little sad by this but then I thought I can use it as a marker so if I watch a show (such as House Hunters) and they show the Tower with the lifts down I can think “hey I was there at that time!”

The gloomy weather makes the sky look all white which made this picture turn out neat:

We met up with mom and needed a snack to hold us over and take some pictures. We got more food from a touristic place; it wasn’t as bad as the croque but satisfied our needs. Baguettes in hand, we ready to head to Versailles.

Just to recap on the engagement watch: We not have seen the Tower twice, once at Trocadero and today when we went to the top. I have a suspicion Tyler would not do it at the top because he is a pretty private person and I am too, despite publicly sharing my story on the internet.

Next it was time to head to Versailles. Again I memorized maps and train lines so I could pretend I was an ex-pat living in Paris showing my family around. Gosh, I never realized how lame I am haha. I was most excited for Versailles because when I came in 2004 the Hall of Mirrors was closed for refurbishment so we did not go inside. I would finally get to see the inside.

We took the RER train line C to the last stop, which is Versialles. Your metro carnet tickets work for this train. The train was pretty quiet and empty we had a whole section to ourselves so we stretched out our legs and enjoyed the ride. The train ride was just under 30 minutes.

When exiting the station you take a right and just a short walk and the Palace is to the left.

Wow, again, I forgot how massive, impressive, and opulent the Palace de Versialles is. For trip ‘research’ I watched Marie Antoinette (amongst several movies like Angels & Demons, da Vinci Code, etc.) and I could not help but imagine her walking around the palace grounds and entering through the in-your-face-GOLD-gates. You cannot miss these puppies, multiple circles of gold gates in case the palace. Even the ground is in a checker-board pattern that is beautiful; I can’t wait to get inside.

Like most places in Europe, the lines were long. BUT! BINGO! We have the Paris Museum Pass that includes the admission to Versailles! We just had to wait in a short line for people already with passes. The line for people looked long but moved quickly; we were in line for 10 minutes.

Shortly after getting through security, we get a phone call from my Uncle back home.

That’s not good. We only had the phone for emergencies. I can see the color in my moms face drain and her eyes fill up with tears. My uncle was watching our dogs back home. Killer, the smaller of our two dogs was not doing well and was at the pet hospital; the vet was able to talk to my mom. They had him stable but prognosis was uncertain. After dropping a few tears right on the steps of the Palace we pulled ourselves together and trying to put on a smile. We new Killer was in the best hands he could be if not ours. My Uncle Ray is the biggest animal lover I know and has a place in heart for every animal.

His name is ironic and an inside family joke. He is only 4 pounds, not much of a killer, more of a licker! Here is a picture of our Killer.

Tuesday, 06/05/2012 C'est la Vie (part 4 of 5)

Now, in my journal I took a whole page to talk about the crowds in Versailles. Umm, hmmm, how do I talk about out experience inside the Palace? Hmm, I think the right word would be letdown? Not letdown because of the Palace itself, it is out of this world, crazy, grand, over-the-top, etc. However we were not able to enjoy it. Every inch in every room and hall was crammed with people. Holy cow, talk about heart disease. It made my mom and I feel claustrophobic and panicked. All we could think about and focus on was getting out of there. My dad being an engineer said that he thought if everyone jumped at the same time the place would collapse; it was that crowded. I don’t know how this passed security room fire code things, maybe they don’t have that in Paris. Felt like we were cattle being pushed from room to doorway.

So how did I get to see the inside? I was able to catch glimpses between shoulders and backs. And from pictures after the fact. The entire time I just held my arm up and clicked away taking pictures, hoping they would turn out. I was really sad about this. EVEN I who was looking forward to this than ANY other single event on the trip wanted to get out. I cried. Seriously, I was so devastated I cried. So looking forward, I do not know what advice to give. Maybe go on a weekend so you don’t have the hoards of school field trips? Maybe get to the Palace RIGHT when it opens instead of 11am when we got there (since we went after the Tower). However, the glimpses I did catch were spectacular.

Look at this picture and all the halls ahead we still have to go through and all the people!

Sorry the previous paragraphs were so negative; we discussed a dog dying and Versailles madness. I almost omitted these parts but figured I would stick to my guns and share all the stories, good or bad!

Upon escaping the inside of Palace de Crowded we enjoyed the gardens and fresh air for a little while.

Just a technical note, the audio tour is free. We did not do the audio tour because of the crowds. Normally I love audio tours but it was not possible for us this day.

Tuesday, 06/05/2012 C'est la Vie (part 5 of 5)

We decided to head back to the hotel. Mom was pretty upset over Killer and feeling guilty about being here when he was so sick back home. She wanted to just hang in the room for a little while. The Dr. did call and give an update. He said he was just dehydrated and put him on fluids over night. He sounded optimistic.

After some rest, mom and dad decided to ride the hop on/hop off bus in Paris (I will report about this later). Brandon went to find a laundry mat and Tyler and I went exploring (on foot, ha!). To be honest I was a little depressed. The gloomy weather and bad experience at Versialles I was not feeling the Paris love. Tyler wanted some American food so we went to the French fast food chain called Quick Quick. Ehh it was ok, just like McDonalds.

Tyler and I walked to the Eiffel Tower (this was one of those 10+ miles walking day). It was nice just strolling hand-in-hand, just the two of us in Paris, my dream. I was starting to come out of my depressed state. I was determined to turn this day around. We spent time at Champs de Mars, which is the garden/field in front of the Tower. We took some pictures for family back home and sat on a bench for a while enjoying the view. I really wanted to picnic here but due to the weather the ground was wet and we had umbrellas to hold. We were going to rent bikes but with the weather we decided not to, something else to add to the list for next time.

This area would become important later on, you will see why.

Crossing the Avenue des Champs Elysees, headed towards the hotel and Mono Prix

We slowly walked back to the hotel and stopped at the Mono Prix. This is a target/Macy’s/grocery store. Very useful place. Tyler needed underwear and I wanted to look for some cheap gifts and we wanted to get some snacks. This is just the place. The bottom floor (basement) is the grocery section. VERY cheap! I cannot believe how cheap the water, wine, candy, etc. is. We bought some snacks and candies to bring back home. I got to test my French here, finally, yippee.

After the Mono Prix, we were tired and just kind of “over” this day. From the climb to the top of the tower, bad news about Killer, rain, cold, Versialles let down, bad fast-food we just wanted to call it a night. I just wanted a warm bath and shower; I took advantage of having both! And a good night sleep, so that is what we all did.

Tomorrow would be a new day, a fresh start. Still no proposal if you are keeping track.

Whew, this post was a doozy! Sorry it was so long.

I am really loving your review Ashley. We are heading out on our first ever cruise in 3 weeks and was a bit worried about the age demographic but I feel more confident now (I'm 27 and my fiancé 30).

We recently visited Paris for my birthday in August and found ourselves in the middle of a heat wave. I enjoy the heat but we struggled which meant we also had those disappointing days where we didn't do or see what we planned.

We stayed down near the Musee DOrsay and found ourselves walking about 10 miles a day. We did the same in Rome.

I feel like I'm stalking you - lol. This is like watching a tv show and waiting for that next installment - I can barely STAND IT!!!!

As you can see from my photo - I'm a dog lover - I sure hope that besides your engagement story that we hear that Killer is better! Please don't leave us hanging for long!!!

Great review. Keep it up.. Just more food pics! I'm hungry. But not for a bad croque monsieur. Maybe you had nice croque madame at some point?

What cracks me up is i started reading this thread I think a month before I went on the inaugural of the reflection (10/12). I have since gotten engaged LOL.

Before going I was always thinking to myself man, i want to find out what happened for her before I get engaged! But that didn't happen lol.

Yay for engagements on vacation. Keep on writing, I'll keep reading!

WOW.. loved your cruise review but your review of Paris is amazing! I went a year ago for the first time and it is AWESOME! :)

Thank you everyone for the nice encouraging words! I will be able to get a couple posts out this weekend, maybe even finish the report!

What cracks me up is i started reading this thread I think a month before I went on the inaugural of the reflection (10/12). I have since gotten engaged LOL.

 

Before going I was always thinking to myself man, i want to find out what happened for her before I get engaged! But that didn't happen lol.

 

Yay for engagements on vacation. Keep on writing, I'll keep reading!

I know, I am sorry :( I am writing my dissertation so it is difficult to find the time to write this report and not feel guilty. Congrats on your engagement! Share the details ;)

Here are just some pics from the hotel, Marriott Champs Elysees