Ben's Visit to Paris!

Something wonderful and lifechanging happened during Ben's visit to Paris last week. At Place Dauphine on Tuesday, January 31st around noon, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Immediately, I said "oui!," and after he slipped the ring on my finger, we sat on a park bench and went back and forth sharing various reasons, for which we love each other. After embracing and taking several photos, we strolled arm in arm around Ile de la Cité et Ile Saint Louis.

Many people had asked me if Ben surprised me. I respond with a smile and reply, "Absolutely not!" Ben and I had been planning this proposal for months. We had already told our family and friends that we were going to get engaged in Paris. We picked out my engagement ring together. Ben had a 4-day window to propose: Ben arrived on Saturday, January 28th. We knew that we were going to celebrate the engagement in the Champagne region from Wednesday to Friday, and I had already planned an engagement photographer to take photos of us in Montmartre on Saturday, February 4th. And I planned every activity on every day during his 9-day visit to France. So no... I wasn't surprised when Ben proposed to me on Tuesday, but it nonetheless was an extremely wonderful and memorable moment between us. 

For my readers, who haven't had the chance to meet Ben, let me start by saying that he is a great guy! He is originally from Evanston, Illinois. His best friend is his brother, Zach. He earned a BS in Economics from American University and a MS in energy policy and climate science from Johns Hopkins. Ben has dedicated his career to saving the environment and fighting climate change. He loves to cook and try new recipes; green matcha beignets and kefta kabobs are his specialties. He enjoys hiking, biking, and doing CrossFit. He is an avid listener of lifestyle and political podcasts, particularly by Ezra Klein. He is very mechanical and enjoys doing DIY projects from installing closets and repairing bicycles to creating lamps and fashioning furniture. He enjoys traveling and has been to 12 countries; Iceland is his favorite. He has a dry sense of humor, is extremely caring, is (mostly) chill and easygoing (though I've met my match when it comes to stubbornness!), treasures his relationships with his friends and family, and has been such a supportive and empathetic partner over the past 2.5 years of our relationship. I love him dearly and cannot wait to see how our relationship grows and deepens! 

Over the course of our 9 days together, we spent 7 days in Paris and 2 days in Champagne. In chronological order, here are several snapshots of what we were up to together! We visited many museums and places, ate extremely well and at varied restaurants, drank a lot of good wine and champagne, met up with friends, and overall, had one of the best trips of our lives!

Day 1: Walking around the 8e and 16e arrondissements 

Our first hotel was near Parc Monceau, one of my favorite parks in Paris. Evidently, this was one of our first stops in Paris (Ben is pictured on the bridge!)

In front of the Arc de Triomphe 

At Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower in the background 

To take a break from the cold, we visited the Paris Museum of Modern Art. Here is a painting dedicated to the history, discovery, uses, and wonders of light in France. 

Cool place to chill and ponder 

Day 2: Musee D'Orsay and 5-hour Electric Bike Tour (not pictured)

Day 3: Louvre, Galleries Lafayette (not pictured), and 2e arrondissement for lunch and dinner (not pictured)

The African, Americas, Asia and Oceania Art Exhibits 

A Moai Statue Head from Easter Island 

The croissants at the Louvre cafe (aren't these works of art, themselves?!)

A 17th century gallery room

Visiting the Ancient Egypt exhibit 

Day 4: Ile de la Cité (already pictured!), Ile Saint Louis, and the Marais 

Place des Vosges 

Day 5: Rodin Museum, Place de la Concorde, and Traveling to Champagne in the evening

Place de la Concorde 

Day 6: A Morning Stroll in Reims and an Extraordinary Tour and Champagne Tasting at La Maison Belle Epoque of Perrier-Jouët in Épernay in the Afternoon

The Reims Cathedral, where all French kings over a thousand-year period were coronated!

Modern stain glass windows by a German artist from 2011 

The Marc Chagall stain glass windows 

Excellent (vegan) quiche in 3 varieties

In Epernary, the world capital of Champagne, every major brand has a small mansion on the "Avenue de Champagne," and it is here that you enter the mansion for a tour of the home and a champagne tasting. While the vineyards are located elsewhere in the region, several steps in the champagne making process, such as the monitoring, sugar adding, and aging, take place in caves underneath each house. 

Perrier-Jouet's most expensive and vintage wines, some dating to 1820!

Through a personal connection, Ben and I had the opportunity to have a VIP tour at la Maison Belle Epoque of Perrier-Jouët and a vintage champagne tasting. Words cannot describe how extraordinary, wonderful and delightful this tour was! We are so grateful to Sebastien, the brand ambassador, the staff, and my French connections for making this happen and for giving us such a highlight to celebrate and remember our engagement! 

Day 7: Leisurely Morning in Reims, Return to Paris, Walk Around 9e Arrondissement and Rue des Martyres, Meals at Marche Saint Quentin, and Drinks at Canal Saint Martin (not pictured, but wonderful!)

Day 8: Engagement Photo Shoot at Montmartre and PSG Soccer Game! 

We had a lovely time with our photographer, Lora Barra, in Montmartre. She was very kind, sweet, and gave us easy to follow instructions to capture "natural" photos of us. While the photos are presently being edited, she sent us this teaser! Another blog post to follow!

What a game! 2-1 comeback win against Toulouse with Messi scoring the winning goal! 

Day 9: Ben's early morning departure and our diets/intense exercise regimes begin!