Love on the Banks of the Seine

There are two things I value above all else: Luxury and Romance. Finding each individually is hard enough, but finding them together is nearly impossible. So I did what most people do when they are looking for something. I googled it. I entered simply, Romantic Luxury Getaways, and let the computer do the work for me. And I implore you to do the same. Go ahead, Ill wait right here until you return. Dont worry, it wont spoil the ending

Back yet? Okay, what did we both find? First, it was some of the great hotels of the world. And amongst them, of course, the city that appeared again and again: Paris, France. Not Paris, Texas, nor Paris, Arkansas, both of which Ive visited and can say are truly unromantic. Paris, France, on the other hand, is, clich or not, simply the most romantic city in the world. Luckily for us, it also offers some of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

Before I get into that, and therefore before I list which of Paris finest are my favorites, I want to tell you why Paris is romantic. You may now be grumbling ! about yo ur last visit, or maybe your last 5 visits, and how you know very well what is and is not true about la belle ville. Ive been several times myself in the last few years, and in fact lived two years in Paris on the Left Bank in my marauding early-20s. And yes, while I have the advantage of ordering a Domaine Romane-Conti in heavily accented French, Ive learned that in Paris anyone can find romance.

Where? I found it on the terrace of a caf in an alley at a hole-in-the-wall Moroccan restaurant that no longer exists. The place was run down, the couscous overcooked, and yet when I raised a glass of Burgundy and toasted with the sweet, brown-eyed girl underneath a canopy of stars illuminating the French summer night, I didnt want to be anywhere else in the world. Months later, a ring tucked deep in my pocket, I strolled down to the banks of the Seine, heard the muted stir of the river below, and found myself on one knee asking her to be with me forever. We returned for our honeymoon, and several trips thereafter, and Paris never let us down. The gray hair on my temples has never kept the romance at bay, and I still raise a toast with the brown-eyed girl on the other side of the table.

Now, though, when I go to the worlds most romantic city, I stay at the worlds most luxurious hotels. And why not? Luxury and romance go hand in hand, just as my hand goes with hers each and every morning when I wake up, and just as our lips come together each evening to say goodnight. (more)