He thanked them, told them they had been truly kind and thoughtful guests and it had been a real pleasure.
“We can see you are newlyweds deeply in love. It is so encouraging to see such things these days. We do hope you will return sometime.”
“We might just do that,” replied Todd. “We were looking around on our honeymoon and wanted to see the country as well as the sights of the city. We are so glad we did. It is a marvelous place and we do not want to leave, but we must move on. Thanks again for everything. We travel a bit, and no doubt, we will see you in our future.”
Todd picked up the luggage and went to the car to get ready for one more quick little jaunt around the town, then they will go back to the hotel sometime after lunch. They drove through the village and saw a road that led up an incline and followed it. They drove for a ways and stopped to look around. What an exquisite sight. It was such a breathtaking view, one could see the Danube from here floating lazily along with the boats sailing to and fro. It was magnificent and they got lots of footage with the video and shots with the other camera to add to their memories for the future. The contrast between the near and far shots would be obvious.
They drove back down the incline and looked at the houses on the way. They were nearly the same style with the alpine flavor. How cozy they looked and they were very glad they came here. They started back and planned to stop somewhere en route for lunch whenever they saw a place that appealed to them. They drove along slowly and watched the people around their houses, gardens and animals. They looked so peaceful and oblivious to the hustle and bustle not too far away. How cheerful and restful it all appeared. They were so glad they had not missed this. A picture of two different worlds adjoining each other.
Just ahead on the left they saw an adorable little place which looked like it may have some food inside. They went inside where to their amazement, tables were already set for the noon meal and food items were already on the tables. They found a cozy little spot and sat to wait for someone to come to take their order. Soon a cute little girl with alpine-type clothing and braids came to take their order. She showed them a spot out back where they might sit and eat and watch all the outside activities of the farmers and gardeners.
“This is grand,” replied Todd. “Thank you so very much. We truly appreciate this. It means so much to us. We are here on our honeymoon and are trying to gather up some of the atmosphere with our camera to take along for our future memories which can bring us back in a visual way to recall these wonderful trips and the wonderful people we have met.”
“We are more than happy to help you in this matter,” replied the master of the restaurant. “We are very pleased that you decided to stop and share your time with us. Let us share with you some of our local delicacies. We are sure you will like them.”
“Thank you,” replied Triessa. “You are so gracious and helpful.”
The waitress brought them some local cheese and crackers with some wine. Also some Banitsa, flaky cheese rolls. These were to nibble while the meal was being prepared. They did just that and found them very delightful.
“We must get some of these to take with us,” said Todd.
She nodded her head and when the waitress came back with some meat and homemade bread, they asked her about getting some. She told them that it was not a problem and she would prepare some for them to take when they left. After the meal, dessert and coffee were brought, which was truly interesting. It was a special kind of cheesecake and had fruit on it. The girl gave Triessa a piece of paper and told her that it was the recipe for the dessert so she could make some for themselves. Many asked for it.
“What a marvelous idea,” Triessa said, placing the recipe in her purse.
“How very kind of you, I would love to try some. Thank you, my dear, for your thoughtfulness.”
They finished their meal and said goodbye, thanking everyone again for their kindness and help and got back in the car to start back to the hotel and make further plans. They arrived around three o’clock and took their luggage up to the room and sat by the window to look out at the beautiful blue Danube while they talked about the rest of their plans.
“We have been gone two weeks now,” said Todd. “What do you say if we go back to Monaco and get a room at the hotel where you stayed and spend some time there looking around and then go spend some time at my place? Our flight is scheduled for tomorrow, midafternoon and we can arrive there early evening. Do you think we had better call the hotel and make a reservation? Do you want the same room or would another be better?”
“I think it would be nice if we have another room all our own with no previous memories. Rather like starting off on a new experience. Let’s start off with a room with no memories and make our own. Something special to add to our memory collection. How does that sound to you? Do you have any special preference?”
“No, my darling. I think it would be great to start out there all new like it is our first experience. We want to be sure to get the best view possible. Let me call and see what we can do.”
He called and got the manager at the desk and talked to him regarding the matter. He explained that Triessa had been there a number of times but that they were on their honeymoon now and would like a room with the best possible view.
“Do you have such a room available at this time? We will be arriving early evening and would like to have dinner on the patio if that would be possible.”
The manager answered, “I will have a really special room by then, the people there are leaving early tomorrow morning and I can certainly reserve the room for you and have it ready for your arrival. It will indeed be a pleasure to do this for you.”
“Thank you very much, sir,” Todd replied. “That sounds like a perfect situation. We will be there several nights and it will be just superb. We will see you tomorrow evening, then.” He hung up and told her what the plan was. “I think it will be a very special room by the way he was talking.”
“That will be wonderful. I look forward to getting back there and being able to spend time together in a very special way that we could not do before. How marvelous it will be. There will always be a special fondness for the area because we met there. What a truly spectacular day that was. It will always stay fresh in my memory as if it were only yesterday. A lot of wonderful things have happened since then, but it is still very vivid in my mind. Oh, my darling, do you know how much I really love you? I feel you do because it is mutual, but it is something that is so hard to fully explain. How can you describe such a strong emotion? There are no words which can relate the feeling. There are many adjectives, but they can’t do it justice. Wouldn’t you think someone could have come up with some words somewhere? We should attempt to do it ourselves. I guess it is because there is really such a gulf between words and emotions. Words are black and white symbols; feelings are, there I go again, looking for words. But I am sure you understand what I mean and feel after what we have shared and are sharing.”
“Oh, yes, my Sweetheart,” he replied, “I truly understand just what you are saying and feel the frustration of trying to describe it. So let’s not try, let’s just feel it and hope everybody else has the same experience.”
“Well,” she asked, “Shall we make the plans for your place or wait until we get there? We will not know for sure when we will want to leave. It will depend on how things go and what we plan to do, right?”
“Yes, exactly. I think we will just wait until we get there and decide after we have been there a while. No doubt, you will want to see Phylicia and spend a little time with her. Maybe while we’re there, we can take in a show at the Grand Theater of Monte Carlo, if one is going on we like. By seeing Phylicia, you can keep up on things so you will be in tune when you want to get back into it. Get to touch the pulse of the business. I know it will come up one day when you get some fantastic ideas swirling around in your pretty head. Do you want to call her now or wait until we get there?”
“Oh, let’s wait,�
� she replied. “After all, this is our time and I would just rather do it at the right time. It is a little difficult to plan anything when we have no idea what we will be doing or where we will be. Our time is our own and we will have lots of new things to see. Before, it was pretty much dictated by what I had to do to get ready for future showings. We won’t have that type of pressure now. I am grateful, aren't you?”
“Oh, for sure, I am. We can pretty much do things as we have so far. We will look to see what’s available and make a schedule the next day after we get there. We will just get there, eat and settle down for the night and then the next day we can plan. Doesn’t that sound much easier and more pleasant?”
“Sounds perfect to me. Now, what’s the time schedule? When shall we call our folks? We want to get a good time and not be too late. I think the time will be best after we have dinner. It is now four-thirty. Why don’t we shower, dress and go see what is served for dinner? Then we can come back up and call and sit around for a while, unless you feel like turning in.”
They showered, dressed and went to the dining room, which was still fairly empty. There were one or two couples there. They found a table by the window, sat down and were watching the sights when the waiter came to take their order. They ordered some wine which was brought for them to enjoy while they were waiting. It was beginning to get dusky and the lights were beginning to come on. This was always a grand time of the day and they immensely enjoyed seeing the lights flicker across the landscape and glimmer like small stars.
Soon the meal arrived and they turned their attention to eating. They were quite hungry. It had been an exciting day and they ate lunch in the alpine village rather early. It had been a while since then. They ate slowly for they had no plans for the evening except making the calls and relaxing. It was dark by the time they finished eating and the lights had taken on a special brilliance against the dark background. It was truly a special sight and one they never tired of viewing.
Soon they were finished, went up to their room and settled in for the night. They called their folks and related the wonderful things they were doing and tried to share some of the excitement. They compared notes on the weather and time of day. It was good to get together again if only by phone. It had been a while since they had talked. They promised to pass on the news to the rest and Todd and Triessa hung up to settle down for the evening. They sat and watched the lights out their window for a while and then decided to get ready for bed. They were tired from all the excitement and travel. Though it was very enjoyable, it was taxing.
They got ready and into bed and held each other to appreciate being together. They knew that it was only the beginning; they had a whole lifetime ahead of them, and it could be so much better as time went on and they added to their love and experiences. They caressed each other and held each other, then fell asleep in each other’s arms and rested very well.
They awoke early and remembered their boat cruise on the Danube when they had first arrived. If they got right out there, they would have time for one more ride before they left. This way they could take in all the sights in one trip and it would save trying to decide which one to pick. They quickly showered and dressed and went to the dining room for coffee and a quick bite so they could catch the boat. They should just about make it. Thankfully it was not far away.
Once aboard the boat they settled back to see everything as the narrator pointed out the major sights. The baroque architecture was truly worth taking in again and stood out on the special buildings. They contrasted it with the alpine structure they had seen just yesterday. It was very opposite with the intricate design and curls in the baroque beauty.
Now they could relive their last few days here by seeing these sights again, and it was a pleasant recap to their whole visit to this wonderful and exciting city, the music capital of all Europe.
They returned to their departure point to get a cab back to the hotel. It was certainly time to check and make sure that everything was ready to go. Most of the luggage was packed previously so a last minute roundup and packing would be brief. They put in a lunch order at the hotel and went up to finish the luggage and checked out. The desk clerk would call for a cab to arrive in time to get them to the airport for their departure. With this all done, they could sit and eat lunch free of cares so they could be ready to get a cab to the airport. They got a seat near the window to have a last look at the beautiful blue Danube. The boats that were floating about. There was a breeze today and small whitecaps peaked here and there adding to the beauty of the water.
With lunch over, they sat to look out at the river while awaiting departure time. Soon the clerk came over to tell them the cab had arrived, so they got up and went to the entrance. The driver was loading the luggage in the cab, so they said goodbye to the clerk and went got in the cab to depart for the next leg of their journey to their beloved Monaco.
CHAPTER 24
The flight was smooth and quick and they arrived in the early evening. There was a light mist in the air. They took a cab to the hotel and signed in. They had previously ordered to have a meal sent up to their room upon their arrival, so as they stopped at the desk to pick up the key, the desk clerk told them it would arrive shortly after they got settled in.
The room was on the top floor, number seven, so they took the elevator. The desk clerk would bring up the luggage. They went to the room, he opened the door, turned to her and told her he wanted to carry her across the threshold. He scooped her up in his arms. She smiled and lifted her arms to place them around him as he did so. Once he had her in his arms, he kissed her gently, then kissed her again, a little longer this time.
“Welcome to another honeymoon adventure, Mrs. Noble.”
He opened the door with his foot and they stepped inside. She looked around and gasped in amazement. As they looked straight ahead they saw a whole wall of windows, floor to ceiling, looking out over the fantastic scenery. The windows formed a curve, a quarter of a circle and outside the patio followed the design and curved around to take in a large area of the countryside. The patio table was in the center of the arc and had a large umbrella over it. A large plant was on the table; it looked like an Orchid. The city below was lit up now and the water curved in a large arc at the city’s edge while lights spanned the whole arc. They were a little hazy in the mist but still gorgeous. He took her over to the window, placed her feet on the floor and they stood and gazed at this awesome spectacle. They certainly felt close to heaven.
“I am afraid I may be dreaming,” she sighed. “Can such exquisite things really exist? Oh, my darling, I am so glad we decided to get this room. I may never want to leave here.”
“We can stay as long as you like, you know. Our schedule is very open for some time. Happy honeymoon, Mrs. Noble. Nothing is too good for my princess bride.”
She turned around to take in the rest of the room. It was a large room with a beautiful and brilliant chandelier turned on to welcome them as they arrived.
On the left side of the room was a semicircle-shaped bar and at the center was a large ice bucket with bottle of Champagne waiting for them. It was a huge bottle, the size of three ordinary ones. How nice. Two brilliant pieces of stemware sat beside the bucket on mauve napkins with their names embossed on them. The hotel manager remembered that mauve and pink were two of her favorite colors. On either side of the champagne was a huge bouquet of roses, one was pink and the other burgundy.
“There must be five dozen in each bouquet,” she sighed. “They are just divine.”
“Yes, that's just what is there. I remembered that we met on the fifth day of the month. I ordered these bouquets for our arrival.”
The living room furniture was arranged to face the windows and made the view easily accessible. The furniture was white; the rug mauve and sheer pink curtains hung at the sides of each window. They were full enough to be pulled to cover the windows should one desire. It seemed very unlikely though. At one end of the arc of windows was a small, op
en kitchenette to take care of small needs.
“They have thought of everything here one could ever need or desire. This truly must be the honeymoon suite,” she exclaimed. “I wonder if the previous guests were on their honeymoon?”
To the back and a little to the right of the kitchenette was the bedroom door. They went in to look at it. The windows were set in the same pattern as those in the living room, truly a glass house. Sheer champagne-colored curtains hung on either side of the windows. A large queen-sized bed was in the center of the opposite wall to make the view from the windows available. The beautiful satin bedspread was champagne as well and in the center was a cluster of burgundy and pink roses embroidered on it. It was an exquisite sight. The mauve rug was very plush and soft, inviting her to bare her feet and walk on it.
On the dressing table was a large bouquet of red and white roses, a bottle of champagne and a card. Now this even surprised Todd for he did not know about these.
He picked up the card to read, “Happy honeymoon to you both. We are pleased you chose come to our hotel so we could add to your pleasure and comfort.” It was signed, Robert Mason, manager and staff. “What a lovely surprise,” he stated. “This was totally unexpected. It’s a first class act on their part.”
About this time there was a knock on the door. He went to answer it and saw that the waiter had arrived with their meal. He wheeled the cart into the room and asked if they desired to eat on the patio or inside. A fine mist was still falling and they felt it best to eat inside. A table and two chairs were against the window in the center of the arc, and he laid out the meal and dishes there. He placed a vase with a single white rose in the center of the table and placed two candlesticks beside it with pink candles in them. He told them he would return with dessert and coffee in about a half hour. They thanked him and Todd held Triessa’s chair to seat her at the table, then went around and seated himself opposite her. The table was small and very intimate. He lighted the pink candles in the holder in the center of the table, opened and poured the champagne. They toasted to the beautiful surroundings and a wonderful visit here at this elegant resort.
Once Within A Lifetime Page 30