Kate says: We rented a studio apartment, above, in the Latin Quarter for the week we stayed in Paris. We found the flat on Craig’s List and the price for a week was considerably less than what we would have spent on a hotel. But more than the savings, staying in an apartment made us feel that we weren’t just tourists. There is something incredibly romantic about making omelets, or even doing laundry, in a Paris apartment! It gave us a sense of domesticity, a sweet feeling for a newly married couple, and it was Parisian domesticity.

We delighted in discovering “our neighborhood.” Le Boulanger de Monge, one of the city’s best bakeries, was down the street from our flat and every morning we indulged in decadent pastries. We also made several trips to the nearby rue Mouffetard, a street lined with market stalls, where we bought fruit for our day trips and wine to enjoy back “home.” I would highly recommend renting a flat to anyone who plans on staying in the city for more than a few days.

We hit the big tourist stops: the Eiffel Tower (where we enjoyed a picnic on a nearby lawn), the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and Notre Dame. However, we also took time to wander. I highly recommend “City Walks: Paris,” a set of 50 cards with maps and suggestions for walks. Every day we picked several cards and walked one or two of the suggested routes. This is how we ended up on Passage Brady, a pedestrian street that is home to Paris’s très petite Little India. The vegetable stands, South Asian grocers, and Indian restaurants made us feel homesick for Mumbai. We had an excellent dinner at Pooja, where the tasty curries were obviously made with rich French butter and cream.

One of our favorite afternoons was spent in L’Institut du Monde Arabe, above.

We drank fresh mint tea in the institute’s Café Littéraire and then took the elevator to the rooftop terrace, which overlooks Notre Dame and the Seine. The view is marvelous and so is the building—steel diaphragms open and close depending on the sunlight, an ingenious blend of modern design and classic Islamic architecture. We’ve returned to Paris twice since our honeymoon and both times we made sure to visit this gem.

Of course food played an important part of our stay in Paris. We discovered what we consider the best crepe stand in the city near the St. Germain des Prés Métro stop. We grew so addicted that we went on a daily basis and even went twice on one especially greedy day.

At Dalloyau tearoom in the Bastille neighborhood, we drank the thickest, richest hot chocolate we’ve ever tasted. We lounged on a red sofa, against a backdrop of pink and red walls. It was like being inside a Valentine candy box.

And we’ll have Mumbai and Trivandrum and London and Melilla and Barcelona… We feel fortunate that we experienced such an incredible honeymoon (or honeymoons) and look forward to one day telling our daughter about these adventures.

RH note, again: A super, gigantic, huge THANK YOU to Adeet and Kate for sharing their incredible journey. Their words and photos make are just spectacular!

Burlington, VT is a great location for anyone seeking an East Coast mini-moon. But especially for couples who love comfort food that won’t empty your wallet.

Tim and I hit up Sadie Katz Deli for breakfast. This tiny spot is an old fashioned diner with booths, lunch counter and vintage formica table tops. Many of the meals are served with delicious and greasy potato latkes instead of home fries. The waitresses were friendly and the food was served up fast. We cleared our plates!

The Burlington Fresh Market and Cheese Outlet is the perfect stop for lunch. Located on Pine Street, this place offers a huge variety of gourmet goodies. Not only do they prepare gift baskets and offer catering services, but you can shop for groceries, order a sandwich or pick up a freshly baked scone. We stopped in for lunchtime bagels and then browsed the shelves for a while.

You absolutely cannot go wrong with American Flatbread for dinner. Be prepared for a wait – we spent ours at the bar trying their beers brewed on site. But there’s a reason everyone in town flocks here for dinner… the artisanal pizzas are handmade with fresh, local, organic ingredients and then baked in a wood burning oven. All the prep and cooking is done in the open-air kitchen just off the dining room. Without exaggeration, it was one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had. Do not miss this place if you visit VT!

While honeymooning in Greece, Jen and Eli made sure to check out the most famous dishes. One of their first meals was a lunch of moussaka (bottom right in the shot above). The dish is traditionally made with eggplant, miced meat and deliciousness.

Feeling like a little Greek for dinner this week? Check out these recipe options.

While at the beach, they had to stop for a couple of crisp, cold Mythos beers.

These two know the best food often is often found on the street, not in a five star restaurant. They had to try shawarma, which is similar to a gyro.

Jen says, “If we could go back the first thing we’d do is at everything in sight! Seriously. We had the best tomatoes, Greek feta, and fish while we were in Greece. And the yogurt! Can’t find anything like it here.”

Included with Kay and Eijiro’s caving tour at Aktun Chen, they got admission to the six acre wildlife zoo. You can get up close and personal with white tail deer; birds like parrots, toucans and oco pheasants; numerous varieties of local snakes; and of coures, the tiny monkeys. This ecological preserve focuses on the reproduction and repopulation of local species.

Just because they were expecting, did not mean Kay and Eijiro were going to sit still on their Mexican babymoon!

Locate about 60 miles south of Cancun in the Riviera Maya, Aktun Chen offers an adventurous and up-close interaction with nature. A zipline flight through the jungle canopy was obviously out of the question for mommy-to-be, so instead they opted for a cave tour and a snorkel trip.

The guided tours take you through a 600 meter long dry cave. You’re provided with helmets and the caves are well-lit with easy-to-walk paths. The cave itself is more than 5 million years old, with stalactites and stalagmites on display.

Kay and Eijiro also took a snorkel tour though the park’s cenote – or underwater cave.

Again, the equipment was provided. Each snorkeler gets a floatation belt, mask and snorkel. You can glide through the warm, crystal clear water to check out the rock formations.

An Aktun Chen trip is quite affordable as well. This two-tour package will run you US$45 each for three hours of guided adventure. Kay wisely recommends seeing out the “locals” parking lot near the caves. Parking in the bigger “tourist” lot is a total rip-off. Great tip!

I just love the idea of a “babymoon” – a second honeymoon of sorts taken by expecting parents. Some see it as a “last hurrah” to take that dream trip they’ve always wanted. Others see it as a way to relax and unwind together before the stress and sleepless nights kick in. No matter your motivation, a babymoon is a wonderful way for parents-to-be to bond and reconnect before the little one is born.

Kay and Eijiro Kawada, of South Bound Brook, NJ, decided on Mexico for their babymoon last spring. As a Continental flight attendant, Kay is something of an expert traveler. She and hubby Eijiro – an account executive at Baldwin and Obenauf – looked into Punta Cana, Mexico and the Dominican Republic for some R&R.

Cancun in obviously best know as a sloppy spring break destination, but they chose the Gran Caribe Real Resort & Spa because they got great, cheap last minute airfare. As a flight attendant, Kay gets a good deal but often has to fly stand-by. They also happened to be traveling in the midst of the 2009 swine flu panic, meaning the flights and the resort were nearly empty.

Kay says, “because no one was there that week, we were treated with the staff’s undivided attention.” They got to relax on the beach, by the pool, and take a few outings in their rental car. Most importantly, they got to spend that precious time together before the baby arrived.

If this isn’t the cutest photo, I don’t know what is. Kay captioned it: “Baby and Daddy’s first picture together.” So sweet… I love it!

While in the Finger Lakes region of NY, Mark and Christi wanted to do more than just drink wine. The hiking in this area is remarkable. Watkins Glen State Park displays the natural power of water. The stream running through the has carved out 200-foot cliffs and spills over 19 waterfalls along its 400-foot course.

The newlyweds loved the natural beauty of this spot, as well as it’s welcoming attitude to their dashund/terriers Rusty and Trouble who tagged along for the honeymoon.

The topography in Watkins Glen, much like Ithaca, is – as they say – gorges.

The park’s three main trails – Indian Trail, South Rim Trail and the Gorge Trail – wind through the rock and are easy to manage with several man-made bridges and staircases. Honeymooners of course have to check out Lover’s Lane (top photo) along the Gorge Trail. Late spring, summer and early fall are the best times to visit. Otherwise, expect snow!

Lots of steps make this a good workout. Pack a picnic lunch, pay the $7 to park your car and enjoy a cheap day for two. (or 4!)

Mark and Christi were super excited to check out some of the fantastic wineries that New York State offers in the picturesque Finger Lakes region. Most of these wineries have tasting rooms that will give you samples for free or for a small fee. They’re cozy and not at all pretentious. The staff is always willing to share their knowledge and help you discover the varieties you like best. (Can you tell I’m a huge Finger Lakes fan as well?)

They discovered some of their favorite spots easily. The got a free bottle of sparkling wine because they were honeymooners at Arbor HIll Winery in Naples, NY.

Also in Naples, they thought Imagine Moore Winery, above, was “a very cool winery with generous pours.”

And it wasn’t just wine Mark and Christi were tasting. They also checked out the local still at Finger Lakes Distilling where $2 buys you three whiskey samples. Christi calls their Glen Thunder “moonshine, pure and simple.”

After all the tasting, food was in order. These honeymooners had lunch at Stonecat Cafe in Watkins Glen. Mark says the food “was fantastic.” Christi is a collector of some amazing things, including vintage typewriters and super-cool Pyrex bowls. So you know they had to also wander into several antiques shops and check out the General Store.

These two sadly just missed the annual Grape Festival, which took place the following week in late September.  But they were eager to learn more about it. Christi says, “Henry, our innkeeper at Bristol Views, told us that grapes grown in the Canandaigua Lake region are mostly used for grape jelly, grape juice, and, of course, the local fave – grape pie.”

What a sweet way to spend a few days in the Finger Lakes! Check in tomorrow for the newlyweds’ more adventurous activities.

Mark and Christi started their mini-moon in NY’s Finger Lakes with no real plans other than booking a place to stay. That turned out to be the best plan… they fell in love with the affordableBristol Views Bed & Breakfast in Naples, NY. The recently renovated farmhouse has four guest rooms, a wood-burning stove and a fantastic view of Canandaigua Lake.

The honeymoners rated it a “five star” stay. Not only did this B&B offer excellent accommodations, but it was also pet-friendly since they were traveling with their two pups.

They had the added benefit of a private stay. Mark adds, “We lucked out and were the only people in the B&B at a time.”

The owners of Bristol Views made Mark and Christi feel right at home. He says, “They were so nice and friendly to talk with.”

They also stayed at the Bout Time B&B in Montour Falls, NY and the Ithaca University Best Western, both dog-friendly locations.

But Bristol Views won them over with hospitality and charm. Who wouldn’t love showing up to a hand-written welcome message on a front-porch full of rocking chairs?

Check back tomorrow to learn about wine-tasting in the Finger Lakes.