Chapter 26
CPOV
We board a train at the Gare d'Austerlitz station in Paris and head towards Toulouse in the south of France. The ride is about four and a half hours, and my sweet Anastasia rests her head on my shoulder and peacefully falls asleep.
I don't think I could be as happy as I am now - especially when I thought not that long ago I had lost her forever. Now I know that I will never let my Anastasia go no matter what may happen. I need her like I need air to breathe.
When we arrive in Toulouse, our driver is waiting to take us to our hotel, the La Cour des Consuls Hotel. It is nicely appointed, and our suite is plush yet chic. The private terrace offers a peaceful view where we can sit and enjoy each other's company with a glass of wine or champagne.
It doesn't take me long to get ready, so I catch up on some emails for work while Anastasia dresses for dinner at Michel Sarran. The chef's flagship restaurant is a two Michelin star restaurant here in Toulouse. He is known for using local ingredients and combining his classic French cooking with cuisines from his extensive travels around the world.
When Anastasia walks out of the bedroom and into the living room, she makes my heart beat out of my chest. She's wearing a black Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress with three-quarter sleeves, a lace top, and full taffeta skirt. I purchased it for her while we were in Paris, much to her chagrin. Her black Christian Louboutin follies lace pumps make her shapely legs look a mile long. I give her a wolf whistle which makes her blush. You'd think she would know how gorgeous and sexy she is.
"Damn, baby, I'm tempted to cancel our reservations and keep you home. After all, I know you are quite the delicacy, and I could feast on you all night long. But, since I despise the thought of my wife feeling hungry, I think we should go. Are you ready?"
She looks into my eyes and quietly nods yes.
We are in a private dining room, and I am pleased that the waitstaff, while attentive, was very discreet and barely noticeable. We order the Chef's Surprise which is created just for us by Sarran himself. All in all, it's a very romantic dinner - perfect for a honeymoon. At least, I'm pretty sure it is. I'm still new at this hearts and flowers shit. Anastasia really seemed to enjoy dinner, so I think I did OK.
The following day we walk around the quaint streets of Toulouse just enjoying ourselves and the town around us. Throughout the day we stop to tour the Mairie de Toulouse, the Basilique Saint-Sernin, the Cathédrale Saint-Etienne as well as a stop for a leisurely lunch of cassoulet.
We finish the last few days in the French Riviera at Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Annecy. In Avignon, we walked through the medieval city, toured the Papal Palace. After we visited Aix-en-Provence, we head to Marseille where we will finish our remarkable honeymoon on a yacht cruising up the coast to Monaco.
In Marseille, we tour the city with the small fishing boats nestled between the yachts. The interesting point of Marseille is the infamous Chateau d'If, where the Count of Monte Cristo escaped. Of course, Anastasia is familiar with that work, although I think she is more familiar with Alexandre Dumas' other work, La Dame aux Camélias. I smile as I think of that - it was when I visited her in Savannah where we talked about it before she left me initially. How much has changed since then? If only I had admitted to myself I loved her, even then.
In Saint Tropez, we leave the yacht in the harbor and spend the day lounging in the sun on Escalet Beach. Anastasia and I were able to tuck away into a quiet corner on the beach. Ana is so fucking sexy in her blue brush stroke bandeau bikini and hipster bottoms. Even though I bought the bikini for her, and she definitely wears it well, I can't help but get jealous when I see a group of young guys blatantly staring at her. Of course, sweet Anastasia doesn't even notice them gawking. It takes everything I have in me to not rush over there and beat the living shit out of them.
By sundown, we are back in the relative safety of the boat and head towards our next destination of Nice. Our boat docks where we then board a train headed to Nice. A suite at Le Negresco is our home away from home for the next couple of nights. We arrive in Nice at around dinner time and have a quiet dinner on the deck per Ana's request. The following day, we tour the markets of Vieux Nice, stroll along the Promenade des Anglais along the coast, and explore Chagall and Matisse museums. The Matisse museum was interesting, although I'm not a huge fan of neo-impressionism, but I do appreciate the unusual nature of it. The Chagall museum is very different from the Matisse museum, but the collection of Chagall's work is quite impressive. On our last evening in Nice, we have dinner at Jan which brings together modern French cuisine with a South African flare. It was very nice and different from the usual heavy french meals we've eaten on our honeymoon.
Our first night in Monte Carlo, Anastasia and I see Hélène at the Opera de Monte-Carlo. I remember reading about Helen of Troy in Virgil's Aeneid. The face that launched a thousand ships. Ana has that type of beauty. I stand on the deck of our yacht in my tux admiring the view when Ana comes up to me in a white Monique Lhuillier strapless silk-blend column gown in a colorful splashed print. The sweetheart neckline is incredibly flattering for her, and her hair is in a low chignon allowing easy access to her graceful neck. I love it when she looks sweet and innocent, like the girl who fell into my office. But when she looks like this her real beauty comes out, like a butterfly emerging from her cocoon.
The rest of the time in Monte Carlo is spent walking along the harbor, at the casino, shopping, and at the beach. I got a beautiful picture of Anastasia at the casino square that I think I will have framed for my desk at work. I give her the diamond and aquamarine earrings I purchased for her earlier today at Dior. Ana hates shopping and didn't want to buy anything, so I decided to get her something myself. I love lavishing her with gifts; she deserves the best of everything.
Our honeymoon was perfect, and I've fallen even more in love with Anastasia. She is selfless and caring, innocent, sweet, and beautiful inside and out. If our honeymoon is any indication of how our marriage is going to be, I think we will be very blissful for years to come.