Call it cliché if you must but I went the whole hog on the proposal - surprise early return to Paris, drinks and dinner at our favourite local bar and Italian restaurant respectively, then, during an arm-in-arm walk across Pont Neuf on the way home, a proposal in French on one knee (sans mistakes, I might add). I'm still buzzing from her saying "oui" and life life continues to be wonderfully happy.
We've decided not to have a formal wedding. Instead, we'll do the required civil service in Paris and follow it up at some stage with a big party. The wedding itself isn't all that important to either of us, although we will do something semi-formal in Australia (if not for some time). The civil wedding also allows me to apply for a spousal visa, a necessary step to a more permanent move to France now that the MBA Center sponsorship has fallen through.
Of course, not wishing to rest on our laurels, we continued the excitement with a 12-day trip to Portugal. Five nights in Lisbon, one night in Sintra, two nights in Evora, and four nights near Odemira on the Atlantic Coast.
Pure. Sun-drenched. Bliss.
Highlights for me included authentic Portuguese custard tarts (thanks Erin for the help in finding the best ones in Lisbon!), the afternoon breeze that washed over Lisbon every day, driving Madame Camembert (our little red Citroen) often at high speed along rural back roads, and body-surfing off Zambujeira do Mar. Oh, and the black Labrador puppy - that lil' bugger provided hours of entertainment.
Photos here. (You'll definitely need a cuppa for these ones.) In the meantime, this was the beach on our final day.
Not bad, huh?
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