I am looking to plan my wife's and my 10-year anniversary, and am strongly considering somewhere in Europe (but can still be persuaded to do something in the US). We would probably be looking at 8-full days somewhere (plus or minus a day). I am going to try to paint a picture of what we're like, what we like, and - despite probably being too meticulous - hope that some of you will have some good advice for us. The truth is, we're not in love with a single place in Europe - even though we have both been before (although not together) - and so I really would like to leave this wide open (and in no particular order!):
- We have lived in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Montana for a significant portion of our lives, and now live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of semi-rural SW Virginia. So, in short, we are not necessarily looking to "get away from it all". This doesn't mean we aren't looking for quaint, quieter locations. It just means that we are not driven by a deep need to leave behind the big city. Also, we love nature, and have done many beautiful hikes in the Rockies, but we'd prefer something we can't find here, rather than more natural beauty (at least natural beauty that is at the heart of a certain destination).
- I speak Spanish, and we both are native English speakers. My wife knows a wee bit of French too. We're not limited by language, but it certainly does play a factor.
- We aren't the types to plan every minute of a trip, but also aren't backpacking, hitchhiking thrill seekers (at least my wife isn't!).
- We enjoy being together, doing "ordinary" things. We love good food, are very interested in history/culture/architecture, and enjoy the feeling of being in an experientially rich, special place. As a matter of illustration, we would be a Christmas cottage and not a palace if we were a house (not that we don't enjoy places like Versailles etc.).
- We are on a budget, and are thrifty. We would completely content cooking in as often as we eat out. With that said, we definitely want options for eating out, and would probably love an evening at a vineyard tasting wine (as long as the folks are not snobby or pretentious - we like being foodies without the snobbery). -Totally interested in a quick stopover in Reykjavik (if using WOW air). -Would probably prefer to stay in one place, or at least make a single place our hub, with a few excursions thrown in.
- Again, not intimidated by major cities like London or Paris, but equally interested in places like Provence or Catalonia.
- We like quaint, cozy, and friendly - but not pseudo-friendly. We like trying to "blend in" with the locals, even though we know that's never entirely possible. I guess I mean that we're not camera toting, fanny pack wearing types, who demand to be treated like royalty.
- We like Indian food, good wine and cheese, the Lord of the Rings and Sherlock Holmes. An ideal day - as framed in my mind, which currently has no idea where to go and is therefore posting in a travel forum - would probably look like waking up lazily (yet we are morning people, so...), enjoying breakfast, taking a stroll about before second breakfast, and then doing a bit more poking around before a satisfying lunch and siesta. However, the siesta could be swapped for a show of some sort, a museum (quirky is fun, but I loved the Louvre as a young man), or a stroll through quaint shops and markets. We would then enjoy a very long dinner - with good wine/beer (even whiskey!) - and then a leisurely stroll before retiring for the evening in a modest, yet romantic, apartment/hotel etc.
Okay, so, as you can see, I mostly ramble, and have struggled to present much coherent thought. I guess my main aim was to give you a flavor for who we are, and what we're looking for. I think followup posts could help narrow things down. And yes, we could still be persuaded to explore parts of the US that we have yet to see. Thank you so much in advance!