When we found out the fantastic news that Jenn was pregnant in the fall of 2023 one of the areas of our lives that we knew would change in the short term was travel. As of this writing, we’ve visited 43 countries and averaged three personal international trips a year. With that in mind, we spent many dinners, weekends, and walks with Frasier early on in the pregnancy talking about where we wanted to go before our daughter arrived. And then the pregnancy began in earnest and we had to survive the first trimester and get through the holidays. That left us the start of 2024 to go out and travel and a very limited window to do it. We landed upon mixing two work trips and going back to some of our favorite places in the world.

Stop 1: Vienna, Austria (January 25 - 28)

I arrived in Vienna after taking a business class flight on Delta from New York to London, spending a few hours in the American Express lounge before flying via British Airways to Vienna, Austria. I arrived in the afternoon, while Jenn wrapped up her team’s offsite in Dublin, Ireland before taking a RyanAir flight to Vienna to meet me at the Park Hyatt. In 2023 given my extensive stays at Hyatt’s we were upgraded to a luxurious suite with a separate living room, bedroom, and massive bathroom and closet. It is one of the nicest rooms we’ve ever stayed in and at a hotel that is just as beautiful.

While I waited for Jenn to arrive I spent my evening walking a couple of miles before having dinner at the The Bank Brasserie & Bar in our hotel. I may have splurged a bit on the meal and enjoyed a couple of glasses of Austrian wine, a wiener schnitzel, and apple strudel. Jenn arrived close to midnight in Vienna, had some room service, and called it a night.

We hadn’t been to Vienna in 8 years but it felt like we had never left. The next morning we were out of the hotel by 10 AM and walking the stunning streets. We had booked this trip somewhat last minute to make sure Jenn was going to be up for it so our options for dining were limited. Somehow by pure luck, we managed to get a last-minute lunch reservation at Steirereck (currently ranked #18 in the world and has two Michelin stars) on our first day in Vienna. Jenn was feeling up to it so we walked from the Park Hyatt to the restaurant for our noon reservations. We had a few options for lunch but decided to choose our menu and had an unbelievable meal. From the beautiful Austrian wines to the bread cart with 18 different varieties, to the unreal fish and meats, we had quite the feast. As are most of these meals there were countless “pinch me moments” where you couldn’t believe that this was real life. How are we able to eat at such an exquisite restaurant? Then there’s always the enjoyable people-watching that you get with these experiences. From the two couples with a dog to the family with two kids who had two courses and left less than an hour later. Jenn and I had a beautiful time and left full and happy.

We grabbed a cup of coffee and stopped at a beautiful children’s store on our way back to our hotel called Nanan. As I learned throughout this trip Jenn is ready to nest and find the most beautiful clothes and toys for Elle and this was the first stop of many on this trip. We did a little more walking around the city, seeing the Hofburg Place and the beautiful city center before going back and letting Jenn rest.

That evening we bought tickets to the ballet at the gorgeous Vienna Opera House. Our first true opera experience (not counting the one we saw in Barcelona in 2010) was seeing Carmen in 2016 at the Vienna Opera House. It completely changed the way I thought about Opera and have been in love with it ever since. It is an evening that Jenn and I refer back to at least a half dozen times a year. Unfortunately, there weren’t any operas playing while we were in Vienna but there was Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) ballet which thanks to our hotel we were able to score last-minute tickets too in a beautiful box. For the next few hours, we were whisked away into a trance of beautiful storytelling and dancing. We didn’t make it to the third act but walked back to our hotel gliding along the rainswept sidewalks thinking back on a perfect day. We got back to the hotel, ordered room service, and called it a night.

We woke up to another cold but beautiful day in Vienna on Saturday the 27th of January and began with breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Belvedere Palace. We had gone here in 2016 but didn’t go into the museum, so we rectified that this time. Jenn was starting to have a lot of swelling in her feet from the pregnancy so we took the pace much slower, which allowed us more time to sit and reflect on the beautiful surroundings. We walked back to our hotel, stopped at a Starbucks to get a coffee, and grabbed an Uber to take us the rest of the way back.

Jenn wasn’t feeling great so she took a nap and I went for a long walk. It was just before sunset and I was able to get a couple of miles in, listening to my book (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) and taking in parts of Vienna that I had never seen before. I ended up at Augarten that’s in Leopaldstadt. We saw a play of the same name a year or two back and so when I saw it was so close by it felt like the right destination. Oddly in the middle of the park are these massive WWII aircraft defense towers that are still standing to this day. I made my way back to the hotel as the temperatures started to dip and it turned to night.

When I got back Jenn and I grabbed an Uber and headed to the one-Michelin-starred restaurant, Apron. I’m not sure how I’d describe the restaurant other than to say it’s a blend of a few different cuisines mashed into a very cool and innovative menu. We started with pickled asparagus and moved on to halibut, salmon, pike perch, and cauliflower. The main course was a choice between duck and venison (we did 1 of each) and finished off with a lovely fig and carrot dessert. It was a lovely meal and we were both stuffed afterward. I was so full I let Jenn take an Uber back so I could walk off the meal. We got back to our beautiful suite at the Park Hyatt and called it a night.

Stop 2: London, England (January 28 - 31)

Sadly when Sunday the 28th of January arrived it meant it was time to head to London and start a long week of work. Before heading to the airport we had breakfast at the hotel and made our way leisurely to our British Airways flight at 2 PM. Fortunately, they had a beautiful lounge for us to wait in. Jenn took a nap and I caught up on work and enjoyed their outdoor patio on this beautiful day. The flight to London was unadventurous and we arrived in London a little before 4 PM. We had a car ready to take us to our hotel, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square. Unfortunately, the driver must have been a heavy smoker so we had to have the windows down the entire time. Jenn was not thrilled.

When the 1 hour plus drive to our hotel was over we checked into our hotel before immediately leaving to jump on the tube to take us to dinner tonight, Jamavar. We were here in July of 2022 this was right when we started to notice Jenn wasn’t feeling right and coming up with a rash. Later we learned it was COVID. Jenn has been desperate to come back ever since to hopefully enjoy it more on a repeat visit. On our way to the restaurant, we did a quick walk by St James Park and Buckingham Palace before walking to the restaurant. They were luxuriated in cocktail/mocktails, and incredible Indian dishes. We love Indian food and figure next time we are in London we will likely be back here for a third time. We took the tube back to our hotel, walking past my work, and showing Jenn the areas I normally frequent when I come here for these trips without her.

The next couple of days were normal work days. Jenn worked from our hotel room and I was out of the room early and usually back to the room late at night. On our final day in London, Jenn got her hair done at the salon in the Four Seasons and it turned out beautifully. She had planned to go do some light baby shopping and walk through St. James Park but the hair took far longer than expected so just met me at dinner at Smith & Wollensky an American steakhouse I usually come to when I am in London, mostly on my last day in town. Jenn met me there and we had a great steak and sides. We finished that evening with a cookie and ice cream before heading back to the hotel to pack for our early train to Paris the next morning.

Stop 3: Paris, France (February 1 - 5)

We woke up early the next morning and made our way to St Pancras Station to take the Eurostar to Paris. This was Jenn’s first time on the train in over a decade and she loved being back. We arrived in Paris and had a car drop us off at our hotel, the Hyatt Paris Madeline. Ironically this is where we stayed every time we came to Paris on our own, and my work also has it as an approved hotel to stay at for work trips. We checked in and I was immediately off to work while Jenn was luckily given keys to the room to go start her work day. I was out and about most of the day searching for sites for a company offsite and arrived back in time to grab Jenn from her last meeting and head to dinner.

This was the only evening of our time in Paris that I hadn’t planned a dinner. We went back to one of my favorites Le Comptoir des Petits Champs, a very casual bistro that has exquisite food. I had been here once before but having Jenn there made everything taste better. We ended the night walking past the Lourve and to our hotel. Walking the streets of Paris with Jenn (instead of being alone) was something I’d been dreaming about each time I came to Paris. It’s the most romantic place in the world and I am fortunate Jenn was able to join me on this trip.

The next day was Friday the 2nd and I had a full work day ahead of me while Jenn finished up her work week as well. We met for dinner that evening at Contraste, a 1-Michelin star restaurant that’s less than a 10-minute walk from our hotel. I’m so grateful they sat us right next to the chef’s table so we got to watch them prep and cook all of our food. It was an exquisite and delicious evening where we went with the full tasting menu and I even had their wine pairings. I left the dinner a bit heavier in the stomach and lighter on the feet. What I will remember more than the food, was the company. I remember telling Jenn that evening that our being together in Paris was the greatest gift. I love long meals, and they are the best with Jenn. We somehow never run out of things to talk about, or laugh about, or plan for. These are my favorite memories.

We had the weekend free in Paris. No big plans, no tours, nothing. Just a weekend in our favorite city. So what did we do? We shopped our little one of course. Our first stop on Saturday morning was Natalys, a higher-end kids’ store in the heart of the city. Jenn was in heaven. We could have spent a couple thousand dollars there easily. Fortunately, we didn’t but we bought some of the cutest outfits for our little girl. It was perfect. We walked back to our hotel, dropped off the purchases, and then started to make the walk towards the Eiffel Tower. On the way, Jenn got hungry (a common occurrence during her pregnancy) and we stumbled (literally) into La Traboule a small Michelin guide restaurant that looked closed for the day but let us in. The food was unbelievable and the wine was sent from the gods. We ate every last morsel of our main course and dessert and left feeling great.

Eventually (with my very slow walking partner) we made it to the Eiffel Tower on an overcast Saturday afternoon. I almost always call Jenn from the Eiffel Tower when I go visit but this time I gave her a headphone and we both listened to the main song from Midnight in Paris as we walked under and past the beautiful landmark. She looked so beautiful with her small bump and big smile. We talked a lot about when our first trip with Elle will be to Paris. Maybe this year?

The day had caught up to both of us so we took an Uber back to the Hyatt Paris Madeline where we checked out, and grabbed another Uber to take us to the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme where we’d be finishing our trip for the weekend. This was our first time as a couple staying anywhere but the Hyatt Madeline but it was a nice change of pace. We were upgraded again here to a stunning room overlooking the courtyard. Eventually, after Jenn took a nap we went to the Vendôme and the nearby park and then grabbed an Uber to take us to dinner at Passionné Restaurant. We had a beautiful dinner at this very trendy restaurant. The only downside was there was one waiter for a dozen tables so the 5 or 6-course meal took nearly 4 hours. We arrived at 7:30 PM and our dessert came at close to 11 PM. Luckily the food was out of this world and reminded us why we love French cooking. Rich in flavor (and likely butter) and very innovative takes on classic dishes.

Our last day in Paris was on Sunday the 4th of February. We had a leisurely morning before taking the Paris subway to Montmartre. Jenn and I have explored this area before but Jenn never made it to the top. Today probably wasn’t the best idea to do this with Jenn six months pregnant but she managed to do it even at the horror of many onlookers. It was worth it, from the beautiful cathedral to the time spent watching the dogs play at the dog park we loved being up here. We took the steps back down and grabbed an Uber to take us back to our hotel.

Jenn took a very quick nap before we both got dressed for the opera. I looked for tickets but the performance of Giulio Caesar at Palais Garnier was completely sold out. I had asked a friend at work if he knew of a way to get re-sale tickets and he was nice enough to use his connections to get us two unbelievable tickets in the center orchestra. Easily the best tickets we’ve ever had for the opera. Given Jenn’s swelling and general discomfort from being pregnant, I wasn’t sure we’d make it through the 4-hour 15-minute performance. But with two long intermissions and a riveting performance, we were both entranced. It was one of the best operas we’ve ever seen and one of the easiest to follow (that helps). When we left the Palais Garnier we were both aware that it was one of those performances we’ll never forget.

Normally I’d walk from the opera house to dinner but Jenn’s feet were hurting so we took an Uber to Colvert my favorite restaurant I’ve been to in Paris. There we got the corner table overlooking the rest of the dining room and had an exquisite meal. The highlights were the truffle gnocchi, the guinea fowl, and the out-of-this-world chocolate dessert. It was the perfect dinner and the perfect way to end our time in Paris. From there we walked to Notre Dame which is now almost fully restored before grabbing our last Uber to take us back to the Park Hyatt. The next morning we took the car to the airport where we boarded separate flights back to New York to conclude was a perfect last trip before our daughter arrives later this year. I will miss these adventures together, we've become unbelievable travel partners and explored the world together. It will be so different bringing someone with us, but then again I can’t wait to live in these beautiful places in the world through the eyes of our daughter. Until that happens I will bask in the beauty of our final trip, and dream of the next time we’re all here as a family.