Holy Snowy Weekend Batman! We got clocked with snow in the NYC area, but that’s nothing compared with what our DC friends experienced. Terrible for all of those folks stranded at the airports and train stations (I couldn’t help but worry for the couples who had weddings this weekend and were delayed from honeymoon plans!) But it gave us the perfect excuse for a much-needed, chill-out weekend.

After a JC pancake brunch with Marissa and Chris, we hunkered down in our house. We sadly missed a much-anticipated Brooklyn holiday party, but Tim’s sniffles and the blizzard outside made us realize being warm at home was the way to go.

We spent the weekend cooking (Sesame peanut noodles with tofu and broccoli, inspired by Tyler Florence. And parmesan potato pancakes, courtesy of Giada), watching college basketball, knitting (well, that was just me), having a snow drink at our favorite neighborhood bar, and taking a quick walk around the neighborhood with hot chocolates before hurrying home to the heat.

All this cold weather made writing the posts for our upcoming Miami feature even sweeter. Tim and I took two trips to Miami in the recent past and I’ve compiled them both into a honeymoon review. Our good friends Dan and Amanda played tour guide on both occasions. Miami is a close-but-romantic, affordable-but-luxurious, delicious-and-beautiful destination for any couple. Stay tuned this week and next for some great reviews of what to see and where to go.

Marissa adds, “I had foie gras, and we both had poulet au vinaigre that was served in cast-iron dutch ovens for dinner, and crème brûlée for dessert. The menu was written on chalkboard hanging above us. We entered at the same time as one other couple, and by the time we left, the ten or so tables in the place were packed.”

You know a meal is good when you walk by the restaurant the next morning, just wishing you could immediately go back in. Both Chris and Marissa agree that the two-person team (just a waitress and a cook) and the appropriately slow, relaxing service was perfect. There were lots of smiles on both sides despite the language barrier.

But the good vibes didn’t end with dinner. “I’d say it continued on after we left the restaurant, and walked down through Montmartre, to check out the Moulin Rouge and Pigalle area at night,” says Marissa.

An earlier night in London rivals their Parisian dinner though. They have fond memories of a pub called The Swan, just across from Hyde Park. Nothing fancy, a typical English bar, but perfect for the newlyweds. Marissa says, “It was the first time since the rehearsal dinner that we were sitting down actually facing each other, relaxing, having a beer, and talking to each other like normal human beings again. And calling each other ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ a lot.”

I’ve heard the same from so many other couples. The relief of having the wedding behind you — whether it was a disaster or a smashing success — and coming down off the whirlwind high of a reception/wedding night/next day brunch/yadda yadda make that first relaxing cocktail together something magical. So clink glasses, sit back, and drink up.

Marissa Hussey and Chris Avello — who just so happen to be our rad neighbors in lovely downtown JC — took full advantage of autumn on their London and Paris honeymoon. Chris, a Manager of Business Development at an audiobook publisher/Obscure Record Store Finder, and Marissa, an Online Marketing Project Manager at a publishing house/International Chatterbox, jetted off to Europe after their Swansea, MA wedding for eight days of food and sightseeing.

They affectionately refer to their vacation as a “Culture Vulture Whirlwind” and think it’s the perfect honeymoon “for anyone who loves art, a good bar, and walking a lot.” The weather was cool and “sweatery,” as Chris describes it. But that didn’t dampen any spirits. It may have rained a few days, but “that kind of made it more awesome. Made for great umbrella pictures,” says Marissa. No doubt it lent a great Parisian dreaminess to this shot Chris took of her descending the stairs of the Sacré-Cœur.

And now we’re gearing up for five more days of exciting posts. Chris and Marissa — our friends from the ‘hood — share their non-stop trip to London and Paris. Their stories and photos are fantastic, which is why we wanted to feature them right away. Spending time with their images this afternoon, I had the urge to dig out my Before Sunrise and Before Sunset DVDs (yes, I own both. stop chuckling.) to remember the feel of Paris.

It’s been a French-heavy weekend for Tim and me… brunch at our most favorite neighborhood café this weekend led me to start me streaming French pop on Pandora. Check out singer/songwriter/model/hottie First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy if you haven’t heard her. I encourage everyone to listen to her in the background while reading this week!