Bubbly Bliss

My last trip to Paris was over fifteen years ago. It was part of a quick backpacking trip through France, Belgium,and the Netherlands before starting summer session in Oxford. I was traveling with my college roommate. We both had small backpacks, a copy of Lets Go Europe, and very little money.We slept on the floor of a friend's small apartment and the only "fine" dining experience we had was in the basement cafeteria of a department store. The rest of the time we survived on baguettes and water. We spent most of our time in Paris wandering the streets, bickering over directions, and I can't even remember if we actually made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Needless to say Paris was not the highlight of that summer of European adventures.

Our recent escape to the City of Light, was the antithesis of that backpacking trip. It was a weekend of luxury, decadence, gluttony, and excess. One of my favorite moments: sipping champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower with a full moon hovering over the sparkly city. That moment of bubbly bliss washed away the hour and half wait we had to endure before we could even buy the tickets that would enable us to be sardine-packed into an elevator full of strangers. The waffle covered in Nutella and whipped cream helped to take the edge off, but really it was that first sip of champagne that erased any remaining tension that had been burrowing in my gut. And that pattern repeated itself throughout the weekend: moments of doubt or frustration quickly disintegrated by digesting some tantalizing treat in a breathtaking spot of beauty.

Want to start planning your own blissful escape right now? Well, here's my travel tip for you: head over to Enrout, sign up for their $500 holiday giveaway ,and then start searching for the perfect get-away destination. I don't usually promote businesses or other websites unless it is something I would personally use and Enrout not only fits that description, it also gels perfectly with the way our little family likes to travel. As I have mentioned before, we are big fans of renting apartments/houses. It really is the best way to travel, especially with kids. But what I especially love about Enrout is that they search through all of my favorite rental sites (VRBO, Homeaway, TripAdvisor, etc) to come up with one comprehensive and streamlined list of possible accommodations that fit our specific needs. Time-saving and brilliant, right?

So what's on your list of decadent and delicious places to visit?