The Proposal

I said I would tell you the story of our engagement, so here it is. See that hedge in the photo? With those arches cut into it? Under the middle arch is where Marco proposed to me! The hedge is part of the gardens around the Rodin Museum in Paris.

And here is what happened in the run-up to the moment above: for my birthday in 2009, my magnificent husband (then boyfriend) only went and whisked me off to Paris for a long weekend! "What an awesome gift!", I thought, completely unaware of what else this trip would hold in store for me.

I had never been to the City Of Love, but always wanted to go. We went by train and stayed at a small hotel in Montparnasse. We did all the usual touristy things, like visiting Mona Lisa and taking a barge tour along the Seine. Amongst our activities was a visit to the famous bookshop Shakespeare & Company, where I bought the children's book Miss Louise Goes To Paris.

Miss Louise is a primary school teacher from London who gets treated to a trip to Paris by her boyfriend. They go by train, as well. And they walk and walk and walk. As did we. They sit in cafés and watch the Parisians. As did we. Then they go up the Eiffel Tower, where the boyfriend proposes...

It then crossed my mind for a fragment of a second how lovely it would be to be asked for my hand in marriage in Paris. Sigh. How very romantic, but also how very cliché. And 'cliché' is not a word that Marco is fond of. In addition, even though we had spoken about marriage in the past, I was not quite sure that Marco was convinced it was for him. On top of it all, I was happy to be in Paris for my birthday, so the last thing I was expecting was a proposal.

Alas, I showed Marco the book and pointed out the cute illustrations and all the parallels to our trip, and told him how the ending made me smile. And that was that.

We continued exploring the city, and on our last day I asked if we could go and visit the Rodin Museum. Rodin is one of my favourite artists, his sculptures are so sensual and organic, seeming to invite touches and caresses.

The museum did not disappoint, it was full of Rodin goodness on two floors and throughout the grounds. We spent the whole afternoon there and I was pretty tired at the end of the day. So I was a little bit reluctant when Marco suggested to go back to the gardens at the end of our visit to take some photos. But hey, I love that man, so why not indulge him. We walked around a bit more and he said: "Oh, just stand by that hedge. I'd like to take some more pictures of you." I tell you, I look grumpy in those shots - the last shots of me as a single girl!

Marco gets down on his haunches to take pictures of me from that angle. All I think is that my double chin will probably be really well accentuated from that perspective. Marco puts down the camera and starts rummaging in his backpack. I wonder what he is doing. He finds what he is looking for and, still on his knees, looks up to me. Now this is really making me wonder what the heck he's doing. I see a little box in his hand and actually ask him:"WHAT ARE YOU DOING???" I am feeling quite weak in the knees myself now and all thoughts of grumpiness and double chins are gone.

My man is talking about his love for me, and about wanting to stay together forever. I think my man is proposing to me, in an enchanting garden, in the City Of Love! He has a beautiful ring to offer in exchange for a positive response, a plain band with a single Canadian diamond. I think I said yes to his proposal. My mind is a bit blurry on that... All I know is that my prediction from the first night I met him has become a truth. I am going to marry this man, the love of my life!

We spent the rest of the day just looking at each other, grinning from ear to ear. And hugging and kissing a lot. I am afraid there are no pictures of the ring or of us freshly engaged. We were too busy being in love for thinking of pictures! But here is the first ever photo of us as fiancés, taken the next day underneath the Eiffel Tower (we never went up).

Miss Louise Goes To Paris ends with one of her students saying: I hope I can go to Paris. I want to walk around its beautiful boulevards wearing a skirt and imagine something magical will happen to me.

Well, I went to Paris, and something magical DID happen to me! 

Thank you, Marco for making me so happy.

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