The Second Honeymoon - Ireland

I've made a promise to myself to refer to every trip that we take since the honeymoon as "our Nth honeymoon" - keeping the dream alive, per se. With that, there are some pictures from our 2nd.

I hope others get to see the green wonders of Ireland that we saw...


We started in Dublin...

Ireland - Dublin

...rented a car and drove South to Kilkenny...

Ireland - Kilkenny

...continued West to Kinsale...

Ireland - Kinsale

...and farther West through Cork to Kenmare...

Ireland - Kenmare

...then North to the home of me ancestors - Country Clare

Ireland - Co. Clare

Our Return

It's been a week since we've returned and - we're back - sadly - so to speak.

Sad because who doesn't want to drop life and honeymoon around the Mediterranean - forever - or at least the next 6 months.

So to speak because we're glad to be home and sharing what we've been through.


So to speak because there's even more to celebrate now that we're back.

While I wish we had recorded everything we've stated (and restated) thus far so I just could just upload a podcast so you can listen as you go, sadly, you'll have to imagine what you can about the places we've seen.

Roma - Part 1 & Part 2


Mykonos - Here


Rhodes - Here


Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, & Athens will follow shortly...Enjoy! With more time I may be more inclined to write more. As it is, I'm being beckoned to the couch for Gossip Girl. S-W-E-E-T.

Come dite?

With the Honeymoon quickly approaching, I think it's high time I get to learning Italian. Ideally, I'd love to find the best means via an iPod. I haven't done any due diligence as of yet, but if you have used something that has worked well for you, please pass it along. Grazie

ps...our vino del mese (read: wine of the month) is Valpolicella (Allegrini). Fitting, huh? And delicious. Perfezioni per qualcuno che stia cominciando a godere il vino rosso.

Epiphany

* Updating this blog once a day - much less once a week - is mucho difficult.

* With that being said, I've heard bridesmaid dress selection is around the corner.

* We're getting to ready to book our flights to Rome. It's times like that this that I wish I knew someone - anyone - in the airline industry. Business/first class tickets are so not happening.

* Coco has done absolutely no research regarding shore excursions. Slacker.

* As much as I fancy the idea of wedding cake alternatives, I'm not sure the Carlyle has taken steps in that direction. Coco, you down?

* Somehow, I just don't feel badly for these guys, right Brad? Perhaps stupidty is contagious over there? I hope so.

* This story gives new dimension to hand me down wedding dresses. Guess the dress also classifies as the "something old", huh?

* I wonder if the Mets will have to include Reyes in a package for a top-notch starter?

* As far as wedding photography goes, I've come across a great link stressing about 20 or so things to keep in mind. I'm a huge fan of the family photo coordinator! Hmmm. Wonder who we'll pick....

* When do wedding invitations usually go out? 6 months ahead?

Random Thoughts of Honeymoon

* I wonder if I can pay for the hotel in Rome today to get a better currency rate against the Euro? I can't imagine the rate getting any better than 1 USD = 0.682 EUR. DAMN!! European CD's anyone? A risk free score if things keep going as they are.


* The cruise - our honeymoon - I can't tell you how many times I forget what ship we'll be on; Libery of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, etc... Too many "...of the Seas" if you ask me. Let me check the intinerary to make sure - hold please - alright, it's Legend of the Seas. Note to self: do not forget. Here are some specs.

While I'm a bit disappointed there aren't any of those targeted restaurants like the Chops Grille and Portofino, I suspect it's because the cruise takes place a non-GINORMOUS ship - Just the way I like it. My only concern was a casino, and thankfully, the Legend has one. D'ya think they serve dinner and drinks at the Blackjack table?


* I have not clue what shore excursions will be like much less cost. I don't think their site has them posted yet. Since we're hitting Rome, Naples, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria, Mykonos, Capri, Cyprus and Ephesus (Turkey), I wonder what we'll actually end up doing. A good deal will be cultural yet some will also include sand and sun. This is what it looks like:

D1: Civitavecchia (Rome): Depart 5:00 pm
D2: Cruising
D3: Mykonos: Arrive @ 1 pm, Depart @ 11 pm
D4: Ephesus (Turkey): Arrive @ 7:00 am, Depart @ 6 pm
D5: Rhodes: Arrive @ 7:00 am, Depart @ 5 pm
D6: Limassol (Cyprus): Arrive @ 9 am, Depart @ 6 pm.
D7: Cruising
D8: Alexandria (Egypt): Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 10 pm.
D9: Cruising
D10: Athens: Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 5 pm
D11: Cruising
D12: Naples/Capri: Arrive @ 7 am, Depart @ 6 pm
D13: Back in Civitavecchia (Rome): Arrive @ 4:00 AM

Here's a map of the route, too:



Where was I? Oh yeah, shore excursions...can anyone tell me anything about them? Do you think we should use those set up by the cruise operator or venture out on our own?

I'll try to detail some of the goings on in each over the next couple of months so Coco has something to read on the subway. I'll 'visit' Rome last since she's been there already. As opposed to following any order, I'll just select a destination at random and run with it.

What should I cover first?? Any suggestions?

The Honeymoon - An Addendum

As discussed, we decided to front load our honeymoon with 2 nights in Rome. Having never been before, Coco stressed staying near the Trevi fountain (pictured) and the Spanish Steps; "I'd like to be near it all."

I couldn't locate a Comfort Inn on that side of the Atlantic, so after a heated discussion we've opted for the Hotel di Russie. Sweet.

Dude.

Sweet.

Dude.

S-L-O-W

With things as slow as they are, I've only got the following to report:

1) I'm hoping to accompany Coco to our next floral shop visit this Sunday (Pedestals in Garden City) but it doesn't look likely - silly girl scheduled it at 3pm on the Sunday the 'Boys play the Pats.

2) This Saturday will mark the second Wedding Dress day. Only two - whodathunk.

3) We're tossing around what hotel to stay at in Rome on the front side of the cruise. Have you been? Where should we stay in? What's a must to see (since I've never been)?

4) Imagine if it's this warm come next year?!?

5) There's got to be more - there has to be.....

The Honeymoon

Finally.
At last.
Conclusively.
Its settled.
Irrevocably - well at least until October 1.

The honeymoon is finalized.

I'm not really sure why we didn't explore this option earlier in The Honeymoon Game but I'm elated to know that most of the plan is in place. We're thinking Rome, Naples, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria, Mykonos, Capri, Cyprus and Ephesus (Turkey). 12 days on the eastern Meditterranean sounds sweet doesn't it?! I've never done the cruise thing before but I've only read great things about the ports of call, the ship, you name it...

Read more about it here!

Man, oh, man....

What's with planes crashing in Thailand??!

Our honeymoon is now completely on the rocks. You should see Coco scrambling...

Why am I not scrambling, you ask??

Because I would be just as happy poolside at the Motel 8 on Country Road 52 in Omaha, Nebraska. You know the one a 1/4 mile down from the Nelson Pig Farm & Slaughterhouse. Mmmm - bacon.

Random Thoughts of Weddingness

* With almost year to go, Coco and I are finalizing our plans for the Honeymoon. As much as I'm sold on hitting Thailand, I am having a hard time pulling the trigger on flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui and finally from Koh Samui back to Bangkok in order to return to NYC. [Here's a map] Seems like a lot of flying, no? I haven't quite worked out the total time commitment needed but think it might eat into time at the actual destination. Perhaps we cut Bangkok short - I've seen plenty of dirty city in NYC.

* We've countdown past the 400 day mark and are QUICKLY (almost too quickly if you ask my man purse.) approaching the 365 day mark. Whoa. It will definitely be here sooner than we think.

* We're going to visit the Carlyle in a few weeks to check out the grounds for photos and lighting. Around the same time we'll partake in our discounted din-din at The Oak Room with Big A and Mrs. Big A. (Mom, have no fear, I want you to see and taste what the Carlyle has to offer the next time you're up in NY!)

* We just got back from a great trip to the Berkshires; we hit John Williams at Tanglewood on Saturday night for his film night tribute to the great British director, David Lean, creator of Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Passage to India, and Doctor Zhivago. Here's the program.

Sunday was all about betting the the ponies at Saratoga. I know it wasn't for the Travers but it still was a great time! What a beautiful race track. (pix to follow shortly!) I'm still trying to figure out why I didn't bet our wedding savings on War Pass in the 3rd?? Big A said "pound it". You think I listened?? It was a losing day for me but here are the results in case you're interested - [here]

* We got a letter from Brad that says he hopes to be done with this war on or around July 4, 2008. Should I count on that given the state of things??

* Wedding Dress decisions are upon us (or Coco for that matter) and I'm sure tensions will rise. Her first venture out is in a week or two I think. My opinions vary and I've had my say, LOL, and think Coco will make the right choice. Big A and I will be passing the time at Shea as Los Mets take on the Phillies. Is it me or has the progress on Citifield exceeded your expectations?! Be sure to check out the time-lapse constructions web-cam on the right of the page.

* Not that I need another distraction but classes start up today for the fall term. Hear me now, but listen to me later, children - if you can afford to do it full-time - do it. 60+ credits across almost 4 years isn't as much fun as it's cracked up to be.

An Ode to Bundling

The WSJ had an eye-opening piece on the latest rage in weddings - perfect for 2008 - weddings as bundling initiatives. It's ingenious if you ask me.

It started out as a half-joking comment from fiancee's Alex Heckler and Tiffany Zientz: "Why not convert the wedding reception for 250 guests into a per-plate fund-raiser for a presidential contender?" As it turns out, such a far-out idea is far from far-out since the very same groom-to-be actually met his bride-to-be by lifting her email address from a political fund-raising list. Gasp. (Whatever is takes to get the woman of our dreams, right fellas?)

Mr. Heckler's devotion to fund-raising is characteristic of few. At least dating back to Kerry's run for president, he's been a bundler - "one of the few hundred Americans underwriting the early rounds of the campaign by cajoling friends, relatives and contacts to dash off checks for a few thousand dollars to their favorite candidate."

Could such an endeavor work for Coco and I? Let's explore the possibilities:

a) We are Americans.

b) We have friends.

c) We have family.


...looks pretty good so far.


d) Said family and friends most certainly own checkbooks filled with........wait for it....checks just waiting to be filled out. Nevermind that I deftly left out Mr. Heckler's $2,300 per-plate asking price.

e) Said family and friends, some WAY more outspoken than others, most likely (and hopefully!) vote. It is our right and hopefully your voting so aspects of the President's Immigration Bill (like "amnesty" via Z visas & council paid by our tax $s) never make it to fruition. Anyway you look at it, this bill will cost a pretty penny. And at the very least, said family and friends must prefer one candidate (or candidate's features!) more than the another, no? If that ain't reason enough to vote, I don't know what is.

f) Said family and friends will conveniently be convening to celebrate our upcoming nuptials. Could there be second reason to celebrate?

g) If you read the right rag, you may have caught on that a certain gentlemanly candidate from a state whose northernly brother loves vinegary BBQ (and is very close to the state where Seannie and Jenoa are moving to) will be front-and-center on a certain familial CN pub. How's that for a cryptic blind item!


...the stars seem aligned thus far...


i) If we pull out the cost of the Honeymoon that I've included in our spreadsheet, the per head 'contribution' seems very affordable.

j) Can you say tax write-off??

k) We would let attendees select the campaign of their choice.

l) 'Contributions' are anonymous. (Please maintain current registered political affiliations, Heather. Anonymity doesn't mean you can now use blue ink because it's in vogue and you dig Hil.)



So, what do you think? Compelling argument if you ask me. The chances of us 'bundling' our wedding for the 2008 Presidential election look pretty good, huh?

[I was really hoping I could think of 26 (A-Z, get it?) reasons but I just don't think I'm as witty as you think I am. Sorry to disappoint.]

Coco Strikes Gold - The Registry Kind

I missed the boat but was miraculously thrown a life preserver by the bride-to-be. Whew. I'm not sure how I missed it but it's definitely good blog fodder. A job well done, baby.

Discussing the very concept of a registry is fraught with deep, complex issues: What do we register for? What do we want vs. what do we need? Do we really need that? What should we not register for? What will most of our friends and family pick off? What will be left that we have to then pick up to complete a set of something? This list goes on.

And sadly, the issues do not disappear just because you're on the other side of the line actually building a registry. (I use the term 'building' because one must really give thought to this. Slapping together a hodge-podge of wants & wishes can actually be a detriment and cost something.)

I'll be the first person to tell you that I avoided registries; I thought they were too impersonal for the relationship I have/had with the bride and groom. I like to make sure there's meaning behind the gift. Coco has appropriately slapped me out of my fantasy. Hello real world. Registries - consider me your slave.

What I failed to read, and Coco so graciously pointed out to me, was an inquisitive and insightful Gawker post. [Gawker - a cog in the Nick Denton Gawker Media machine; the blog that you love to hate; Other blogs include Wonkette, Defamer and one of my personal favs - Gizmodo. The list goes on. Just google him and see for yourself.]

The post, that I am sl-ow-ly getting to, is an expose` on The Worst Wedding In The World. With brevity in mind, I'll attempt to consolidate most of the important points.

1) I didn't know a Modern Bride Of The Year crown even existed. I'd like one please.

2) How can someone really invite 200 guests to a destination wedding and expect them all to show up? Rumor has it the destination was Cali wine country.

3) The couple is "ready to take the sickest honeymoon of all time." That's so rad.

4) And as such, have registered with Starwood for said sickest honeymoon of all time. Yes, I said registered. See how they have been doing here!

5) The groom-to-be states the following "With Heather in school, etc., unfortunately we're not really at the life juncture of copper cookware, roasters, and 400 count Egyptian [sic] cotton sheets". 400 thread-count sheets? Sounds so Martha, n'est pas?

Here's the link again in case you missed it. [Here] Be sure to read the comments. Here are some of my favorites. (Warning: not for the faint of heart)

"if there is a god, she will be waiting for them"

"This has MD telethon written all over it."

"Also, in browsing the "Our Friends" section of the website I can't help but think that if her girlfriends were as good-looking as she is, she'd have a pool of wealthy older husbands to mooch from. That's what you get for being one of those girls who likes to be surrounded by less attractive women. "

"Can you say 'Cash Bar'?!"

"In my day, this was called 'begging'."

"And Heather, do you take Mike to be your lawfully wedded husband? I douche."


I'm in line with the majority that have commented; I think the bride and groom might be extending themselves a bit too much. But I'd also be lying if I said I never, ever, ever, ever mentioned something along identical lines. It's almost as bad as registering for assistance in clearing personal debt. Or how about registering to assist with mortgage payments? If guests are willing to contribute to starting a home, why not suggest what it is they should be getting. Sort of sounds like the whole idea behind a traditional gift registry, no?

Daniel Gross at Slate takes a defensive position dropping topics such as socially-accepted-recipient-directed giving, the emerging field of happiness studies, 'transumers' (people who are driven by experiences not objects) and frictionless transactions. It really makes for an interesting read.

Going In For The Kill

The Honeymoon is in our sites. We can almost taste it. Hotel after hotel is falling to the wayside as we narrow down only those that will do - for her.


Cabo - out.
Brazil - out.
Africa - out.
Maldives - out.
Seychelles - out.
France - out.
Greece - out.
Sedona - out.
Tahiti - out.
Hawaii - out.
Bali - out.
Maldives - out.
Spain - out.


Right now it's all about Thailand. Bangkok and Koh Sumai will most likely be our abode for a couple of weeks. We'll stop over in Bangkok for a few days to get accustomed to the time zone change and then fly into Koh Sumai and meet up with Leo and Virginie Ledoyen for some island fun. Grrrrr.

As of today, that makes it roughly 493 days until we leave. With the wedding on Friday we hope to fly out on Sunday. Forsee any problems with thinking this way?

I'll keep you posted on when we actually seal the deal and commit hard earned cash.

A Brief Update

Unless things drastically change, Brazil (a.k.a "who needs another Brazil stamp in their passport anyway??") and Cabo are sinking faster than Meredith Grey and McDreamy's relationship. Dun Dun Dun Duuuuhhhhhhh.


For mindless updates as this unfolds visit:

Derek is hot

Derek is the shiznit

Derek tickles my fancy

Derek can have my cake and eat it too

Bar sluts must die

..due to the sheer volume of Grey's Anatomy fodder on this interweb thing I have stopped linking links.

This Just In - The Honeymoon

I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't yet another honeymoon destination on the table.

Should the fact that I've been there already come into play?? Maybe. Maybe not.

ps...where's the spreadsheet I'm looking for?

Honeymoon Banter

True to who she is as a person, how receptive she is to people's opinions, and exactly what I expected - Thailand got hit with the jab. It's knees buckled and it could be getting knocked down for the count. Not exactly a true statement but it is has drifted from our #1 to 1 of the top 3. What are the remaining 2 you ask? I don't know.

This morning's subway discussions have evolved into a new locale; 4 or 5 days in Sedona (perhaps here) followed by 10 days in Cabo (which I am just finding out is actually Cabo San Lucas or Los Cabos or the Cabo Corridor). Coco just loves this place and wants to stay here. Very nice. [Sidebar: Is it me or does anyone else hate TheOneAndOnly website?? I just don't get it.]

My thoughts on the matter: I just want the dollar to go as far as it possibly can. Nothing wrong with that, right? Didn't think so.

Coco, when will you have the honeymoon spreadsheet ready for my analysis?

ps...this could definitely mean more $$$ for the Honeymoon.

Rain Rain Go Away

I'm back on the honeymoon kick. I'm making an executive decision to travel far, FAR AWAY. My reasoning is this: Because a country is somewhere on the other side of the world, does that mean I should not travel there at ANY point in my lifetime? I can't really take a two week vacation every year ( unlike a certain someone I know). So I think that we should travel as far away as humanly possible. My parents have tried to dissuade us from taking a long flight (Please note that my mother has traveled to Japan), that I'll get more value if we traveled a shorter distance. I don' t know, those flights to Hawaii are pretty darn expensive and those pesky flights to Roma are over a grand. Who knows what's going to happen, for now, I'm a dreamer and I'm dreaming HUGE.

How does a 22 hour flight to Thailand sound? Sounds great to me! My wonderful, former boss Terry has kindly put me in touch with a gentleman by the name of Stan. Stan is a world traveler and is currently in Tokyo right as we speak. Terry and Stan traveled together to Thailand before the tsunami and both say that it's FANTASTIC. Even though September gets more rain than any other month, I've been reading that it's like Miami: It pours for 20 minutes during the day and then is beautiful and sunny soon after. I don't know, I'm conflicted. I just feel it's so much more exciting than Tahiti. Thailand has culture, beaches and great food. If we go, I promise to make a full comparison of the food in Thailand to that of Song/Joya. Man, I love their Pad See Yue. =)

Terry also suggested that we should fly through Hong Kong and stay there for a couple of days before heading down to Thailand. Thoughts on that people? Could be fun!

They Say It's "The Trip Of A Lifetime"

About once a year I seem to get the travel bug. I LOVE to travel. It's been such a huge part of my life thanks to my parents who are/were both in the hospitality industry. And boy does my dad know how to travel. I admit that I am a tad on the spoiled side b/c of this and I believe my husband-to-be once dubbed me the "Hotel Snob." That being said, I have certain requirements for the honeymoon portion of the marriage. There are so many options. Where to begin? I've already ruled out the Caribbean and Mexico - it's hurricane season. Plus, while beautiful, I've been to several islands and to Mexico and would like to try something different.

Since it's supposed to be the trip of a life time, I'd like to travel to a place I've never been to before and a place that we most likely won't get to again in our lifetime.

I'm driving myself crazy with all of my prospects. Once I get an idea into my head, there is no living with me, especially when it comes to traveling. I become obsessed, and I think I've changed my mind about 10 times already. I've learned that September is a tricky time of year weather wise. Thailand is automatically ruled out due to monsoon season, same with the Caribbean (hurricanes), Europe presents the problem of not being hot enough. It's cold in the southern part of South America and in New Zealand.

My requirements:
1: Beach
2: Tropical climate
3: Beach
4: Must have other activities so my fiance won't go crazy from boredom.
5: Beach
6: Must have people willing to serve me one of these while basking in the HOT, HOT sun
7: Beach
8: Hotel must be nice (read: my definition of nice is most likely better than yours)
9: Beach
10: an Anti-Kid Hotel
11: Beach
12: Would like to experience a different culture
13: Beach

Ideally, I'd like to take my experience that I had here and transplant it somewhere far away from Brooklyn.

So far, I've wanted to go to New Zealand, Cabo, Tahiti, Tanzania, France, Italy, Spain, Hawaii, Maldives, Mauritius, Bali, and Seychelles.

I have since ruled out:

Tanzania: While beautiful, I'm not sure that it would be a great spot for a honeymoon...too much moving around, a girl needs to relax.

Cabo: Too close and I think that it's a place where we can spend a long weekend away at some point.

New Zealand: too cold

Hawaii: I feel like I'll get there at some point in my life.

France (Saint Tropez): I simply adore this country but I think it won't be warm enough - even down south. I worry when the average temp is only 69 degrees F.

Maldives: If I hit the lottery, I will be staying HERE and taking all of my friends with me.

Mauritius: Please see above

Seychelles: WAAAAY too expensive. It costs almost 3K to get there!

Bali: Too far - yet I hear that once there the dollar goes a looong way. Any thoughts on that?

So now my top choices are Tahiti and Italy, and Maldives if I win lotto (of course).

What do you think we should do? Island hop in Tahiti or hit up Rome and the Amalfi Coast, part sight-seeing part beach.

In the words of my favorite AI Host. "The lines are open for at least two hours...You've got to vote, Vote for your favorites..."

Help us decide!

Killing Me Softly With...

Honeymoon Choices.

Recent Wedding Chatter

She's gonna kill me...but what do I care - she's already said yes AND its about the Honeymoon.


So, with Boogie finally returning from what seemed like way too many trips away from Brooklyn, her stories and pictures have Coco off and running with Honeymoon (the big 'H' is on purpose) ideas. Africa anyone??? Seems like a great idea as long as it fits into our............wait........wait for it............B-U-D-G-E-T. (Baby, here's a great blog to check out.)

-No progress on an officiant (my responsibility).

-No progress on a DJ (her responsibility).

-We might (heehee) go see a band showcase in the next week or two.

-We need to finish our Registry (the big 'R' is on purpose).

-And the engagement party will either be late spring or early summer (Read: sometime in June.)

For those that have actually read through the entire post here's some Honeymoon trivia:

It has been said that the origins of this word date back to the times of Babylon. In order to increase the virility and fertility of the newly-weds (now we're talking!), the father of the bride (Big A!!) would provide his son in law (that's me) with all the mead (or Black Label) he could drink during the first month of the marriage (and therefore "moon"). Given that the English word is only four hundred years old, direct attribution to Babylon is questionable, though often repeated. The custom of drinking mead (or Black Label) after a wedding for a month was also a medieval custom, however, and in practice at the time the word first appeared.

Other possible explanations of the word honeymoon have to do with the date that weddings traditionally took place. Weddings once commonly took place upon the Summer solstice both for religious reasons earlier on and also for the practical reason that it was the time between the main planting and harvesting of crops. As it was at this time of year that honey was first harvested, it is possible that this is also the source.

Hope you enjoyed the info.