Once Within A Lifetime (39 page)

“
Yes, my precious, I want to take you places, do everything I can for you, and love you beyond description. I want this to be the best honeymoon in history.”

“
Can we take a few minutes to walk up to the garden one more time before we go?” she asked longingly.

“
Why not? That’s a wonderful thought. I imagine they removed many of the last minute items to preserve them for as long as possible. They cannot remove them from the tape thankfully. But it will still be the Rose Garden, our memory world.”

They
took a leisurely stroll to the place of their vows. It was amazing to see most of the beautiful things gone, a little sad really, but it was still lovely.

“
Are you ready to go on the honeymoon of a lifetime, Mrs. Noble?”

“
Oh yes, yes, Mr. Noble, my prince, take me away to begin our future.”

They
kissed long and happily and left the garden to go back and go to the airport.

They
got in the car and left, looking back fondly at the scene of their nuptials.

They
arrived at the airport, checked in their luggage and got their tickets taken care of so they could go to the restaurant to have some breakfast. They sat down and he looked at her so caringly and lovingly.

“
Eat up, my love, I want only the best for you in everything.”

By the time they finished eating it was time to board. It was a long trip to Paris and they would have time to make some plans if there was anything special they wanted to do. Much of their plans would be made once they got there and checked things out. Of course there would be the regular attractions, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Palace, one of the largest palaces in the world which houses the Louvre Museum. It dated back to 1200 and was built as a royal fort and rebuilt in the 1500s as a royal palace. They also wanted to see the Arch de Triumph, which the French call the
Arc de Triomphe
, Champs Elysees, Paris’ most famous avenue, and the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, which extend a half mile along the River Seine. This would be a fun and memorable experience.

They
sat and looked at each other remembering the events of the past evening and still finding it nearly hard to believe. They talked about feelings and thoughts that had been awakened through wonders that they were not previously aware of. They now understood it on a different level from before. They had been transported into another realm and it was marvelously wonderful and pleasure filled.

At
last they heard the pilot’s voice say, “Fasten your seat belts for the descent into Charles DeGaulle airport. The local temperature is a beautiful eighty-eight degrees with a gentle breeze. You will have a lovely evening here.”

They
were about midway down the line of passengers, and as they got ready to deplane, they needed patience to get off. They went to the luggage area and got a taxi for transportation to their hotel. They had been told that there was a wonderful dining room in the hotel, and when they arrived, they made reservations for seven o’clock in the evening. This would give them time to settle in and freshen up a bit before going down to eat.

They
went up to their room and looked out over the city. The Eiffel Tower was in the middle of their view. They stood in the window and looked out over the view with their arms around each other’s waists.

“
Oh, darling, it is so wonderful. Here we are. We can truly enjoy ourselves without having to part for a moment. It is too, too divine,” sighed Triessa.

"She turned to him and put her arms around
his neck. They held each other and kissed longingly, moving to the bed. They sat down still holding each other. They caressed each other and then got up to undress. They needed to shower anyway, so they laid back down again and became very passionate. They took advantage of the moment to make love again, enjoying the lack of restrictions that had previously held them back. It was such a relief and a joy and their desires seemed insatiable.

“
My darling, I adore you so much,” whispered Todd. “I do not want to move and break the spell. But I suppose we should shower and get dressed for dinner. We can go down early and walk around the area to see what it is like.”

They
looked around to see if they could find some small souvenirs to take with them for their wedding memory album. They must remember to keep the video intact so they could capture many lovely tapes for their future memories. After they had seen the major areas, the gift shop and the lovely entrance, they went and sat at their table, looked at the menu and ordered. They both knew French, so they were able to order with ease. They ordered a nice rich drink to enjoy while they were awaiting the arrival of their order.

“
Are you truly enjoying yourself to the full, my darling?” Todd asked her. “I want to be sure you are having everything you want to make this a rich, fulfilling experience. Something you will never forget because no matter how many times we come back here it will not be the same as this time. A honeymoon is a once in a lifetime event which will not happen again emotionally. The experience will never be duplicated. Please let me know if you can think of anything you want to do to add to all the beauty. I cannot know if you do not tell me and I do not want to learn later of anything that may have disappointed you. So please feel free to tell me. Promise me you will. It will be a joy to make you so very happy in every way possible.”

“
Oh, yes, my darling, I will feel free to tell or ask you if I think of something. Many things do not come to mind right away. It will be more fun to go along and enjoy the things we come upon than to have a strict and tight schedule that will prevent that freedom and spontaneity. Do you not agree, my love?”

“
Yes, that is very true, but as we go along, please tell me if there is anything you wish to do or see. My great desire is to totally please you to the fullest.”

The
waiter came with their meal of Graustark Venison, Asparagus with Orange and Cashew Sauce, and Potato Puffs with Almonds, all done to perfection. The French cooking proved to be very good and interesting. They had a bottle of their favorite wine and began their meal in joy and wonder. Though they had both been here before in this city this time was so different and wonderful. Everything had a special glow and excitement that was so difficult to describe and could only be known by the experiencing.

There
was a small room where a band was playing their lovely, romantic French music. There was space to dance if one desired and they definitely desired. It would be a terrible waste not to experience everything they could while they were here. They danced ever so closely and she laid her head on his shoulder. They could nearly feel one another’s heart beat with the closeness.

“
I am glad you are a wonderful dancer,” she snuggled closer to him. “I love to dance and would be very unhappy not to be able to do so. That is one thing you know that will please me very much. I am so grateful that we have an air of openness between us; let us be sure to always keep that alive.”

They
agreed that it was time for them go up to their room and turn in because it had been a long, tiring day. They walked over to tell the people in the band that they had really enjoyed their renditions and loved the music.

“
We are on our honeymoon and the romantic music adds so much to the evening. We have a special fondness for this type of music.”

They
went up to their room to get ready for bed. She had decided to wear the white nightgown they got when she bought her wedding dress. As she came over to the bed, he let out a sharp, long whistle.

“
How gorgeous you are. That is a truly elegant gown. Come here and let me look at it up close.”

As
she did, he began to undo the tiny buttons in the front. As they got into bed they spoke about how happy they were and how much each one added to the overall happiness. In such a romantic state it was automatic for them to draw close and make love again as a seal of their love and joy. Then they lay in each other’s arms, fell asleep to dream of their love and pleasure in each other’s company.

When
they awoke in the morning they were still in each other’s arms and held each other, kissed, and loved each other. They arose, showered, and got ready to face the day and begin to see the sights.

Todd
called to rent a mid-sized car. It arrived after they had finished breakfast at the hotel. They got the camera, video and all they needed to take with them on their tour of the city. Todd had been here many times; Triessa had been here twice for shows. They planned to see the things they had learned of before that everyone longs to see here, like the Arch de Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Champs Eleysees and stop to walk by the River Seine that flowed through the city. It actually divided Paris into a left bank on the south and a right bank on the north. There were a number of outdoor cafes and sidewalk eateries that were very tempting and fun. They would be sure to visit some of them. Of course the pastry shops must not be left out. They were an art in themselves. They certainly must visit the Louvre and see the great works of art there. They were now tourists and would really live it up.

“
Let’s take our time,” suggested Todd. “If we do not see it all today we can do the rest tomorrow. We are not limited in time. We will take all the time we wish wherever we are. I want us to take it all in together. We have been here by ourselves before but this time we are building our lifetime memories and stories for our children and grandchildren. That seems a long ways off now but it will be here one day, surely.”

“
Of course, we will want to take lots of movies and photos and keep our scrapbook up-to-date. We can relive this many times after we’re home and not on a trip. We should have two copies made of everything so we can have one at both places. We can show them to our families as well. I am sure they will be interested in seeing them.”

“
You know, that sounds like a really great idea. I am so glad you thought of that now at the beginning. We can take pictures in light of what we will want to do with them in the future. You can be my model and I will photograph you from all your best angles, though they all seem great to me. Oh, my love, this is going to be such joy and bliss. We can get someone to take some photos of us in many places also. I am sure they will be glad to help some newlyweds.”

They
stopped at the Eiffel tower and went up to the second level to eat, not for hunger’s sake but for memories. They took photos of each other there as well as in the front.

“
At times like this I wish I were an artist,” said Triessa with a deep sigh. “What perfect surroundings this would be for a painting.”

“
Yes, it truly would be. You see many out there doing just that. Let us see if they will sell us one.”

Indeed,
they did find artists there and got a painting. It was good they had the car so they would not have to carry all these items around. They decided to go to the Louvre Palace and the museum to see the great art all at one time. The courtyard was covered with pigeons, hundreds of them, who were well aware that the tourists think them cute and toss them handouts. They only move aside slightly as people go by them and fly only if frightened. There were hundreds of them there and crumbs barely hit the ground before they were gone. Many did not get that far.

They
had taken a lot of time inside the Louvre Museum examining many works of art. It was close to noon, so they went back to one of the little outdoor cafes they had just passed. It was easily within walking distance, and they sat down to order a nice, light lunch and take plenty of time to enjoy it. This done, they decided to move on to see the arch and the very famous street with fantastic shops, the Champs Elysees. Here was where the tempting to buy would be very strong so she planned to keep a watchful eye all the time to see what they might wish to purchase.

Afterward
they went to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, a must for Parisian visitors. It was the most famous of Paris’ beautiful churches on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the middle of the city, where the city actually began.

By
the end of the day they had seen a lot of the things they planned on seeing. He looked at her and said, “Tomorrow we should take a drive out into the country and find a nice little inn where we can spend the night. A romantic little hideaway to spend a pleasant evening and night.”

“
That will be wonderful. I think that is a splendid idea. This way we can take our time and not miss the beauty of the countryside for that is where the people live. The city seems like the hustle and bustle of merchants, tourists and people about their business of the day. It will be good to get out and touch the souls of the people living in quiet peaceful surroundings.”

On
this note, they started back to the hotel, planning to go up to the room to get ready for dinner in the dining room and then turn in for a good night’s rest so they could be up and out early in the morning. He parked the car in the parking area for the hotel. They went inside, up to the room to shower and change into something a little more appropriate to go downstairs to eat dinner. They ordered a delightful meal and ate it slowly and enjoyed it thoroughly. Coq au Vin, Leek Salad, Spinach au Gratin, Gratin Dauphinois, accompanied with Peches Melba for dessert which was served with chilled Champagne. It was best to live in the moment; if they did not, they would lose so much. They were planning to savor all they could and let it sink in deeply.