Today, we are returning to Paris to start the second half of our honeymoon. That’s still a strange sentence for me to compose, maybe it will never stop sounding strange. Our time in Annecy was beyond amazing. It was like something out of a movie set or a postcard come to life. The mountains, the lake, the fresh air, and the rolling hills  in the distance are hard to describe. The proximity to Switzerland and Italy is felt throughout the cuisine and atmosphere. Italian restaurants almost outnumber the French and gelato is everywhere.

With the rain pouring down when we arrived, we made good use of our new raincoats and headed – of course – for lunch. We knew right away that the food here was going to be just as spectacular from that very first lunch. Why can’t tomatoes taste like this back home? And, when we finally checked into our hotel room, we found that the hotel had gifted us a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion of our visit. Drinking to us with that view before us - it was beyond expectations. And, yes, we had wedding cake. It traveled well and I think there's a small slice left in the freezer back home.

I could’ve stared at the lake and mountains for hours, but there were sights to see – and yes – churches to go into – so we kept on moving.  Opening the balcony door and seeing the mountains every morning was the cure for any issues with life that I left behind. Sitting in the dark outside, those same mountains shrouded in secrecy by the lack of light were like a message telling me to hold on, the light is coming, and the new day will be spectacular.

I’ve lost track of how much we’ve eaten or really, I’m not keeping track. We’re always hungry and we are always in the mood for wine. Although a Porn Star Martini is on every menu, we’ve yet to try one. We've put that on the list in Paris. 

At the halfway point, it’s hard to explain what this trip has been like for me. I’m with someone I love so completely that it doesn’t seem real. It’s something I’ve never imagined for myself and like when we met, it feels natural. There are no questions, well, except maybe why John sometimes forgets to put his ring on, and I must make him go back to the room to get it or why we have to stop into every church we pass.

This morning was bustling in the city square. From food vendors to jewelry, clothing, desserts and more, it seems that Tuesday is when Annecy comes alive. Local residents with their rollaway bags filled to the brim with fresh fruits and vegetables mingled with the tourists buying fudge, macarons and more was a joy to behold. We purchased some treats for the train ride to Paris and then made our way back to pack up and take the very short walk to the train station.

Annecy, like this entire adventure did not disappoint. We’d love to return someday, perhaps going to Geneva or northern Italy and taking the train back for a day or two. We’re not hikers or skiers, so food and wine days suits us just fine. But I would like to just stare at that lake longer. It’s a long way from Boston to the lakes of the French Alps and it’s been a long way from San Francisco to San Antonio. What a journey it has been and one that is far from over. We return to Paris before we head to Belgium to see an old friend and then back to Paris to cap off this trip. As we were talking last night, I told John that no matter where we go in this world, I will always want to return to Paris. Despite my Italian and Lithuanian heritage, France holds something magical for me. Like my marriage, it’s something I can’t explain but something I completely accept because it all just fits.