After saying our goodbyes and crossing over the entire width of California to catch our flight at SFO the day after our wedding, we'll be landing in Venice with hopefully not too much sleep deprivation. Once there, we'll spend a few days walking along the canals, taking in all the museums, glassware, and great food the city has to offer, as well as enjoying romantic gondola rides at sunset (Bridge of Sighs, anyone?). We'll be staying at the luxurious and romantic Hotel Danieli, which has fond memories for Hank since he and his family stayed there once in 2015. The restaurant at the hotel has a beautiful view of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute across the Canal Grande--it literally does not get more romantic than that.

We'll leave the floating city behind and travel to Bellagio in Lake Como (maybe stopping for a few hours in Milan on the way), enjoying several days sailing on the lake and eating what is sure to be an unhealthy amount of pasta. The villages around Lake Como are ripe for exploring, so we'll burn that pasta off with long hikes up steep alleyways and around cobblestone lanes that reveal the secrets of these small, enchanting places. Each morning we'll dine beneath the wisteria trellises of the Hotel Florence, one of the oldest and most venerable hotels in the area, once host to Puccini, Toscanini, Jean-Paul Sartre, and many others.

From Bellagio, we'll take a train across the border to Switzerland and spend the next few days in the alpine town of Zermatt, nestled comfortably beneath the shadow of the Matterhorn. We'll hike ancient glaciers, relax in spas, eat our weight in melted cheese, and gaze wonderingly up at the imposing spire of one of the world's most iconic mountains. After a few days of acclimatizing, we'll scurry on over to Wengen, situated high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and continue our Swiss mountain adventures. Known as the Jungfrau region, this area of Switzerland has much to offer: hikes with adorable bell-jangling cows, tours of the valley's many waterfalls, and cogwheel trains that take you up the steep sedimentary cliff faces of the valley. We'll also explore the Junfraujoch, with its observatory at the top of Europe, and the Schilthorn, which boasts impressive panoramic views as well as a historic connection with James Bond.

Floating gently down from the mountains, we'll rest for a few days in the charming French town of Colmar, best known to us as the primary inspiration for Sophie's town from the Studio Ghibli film "Howl's Moving Castle." We'll tour the town and surrounding countryside, sampling some of the finest rieslings and gewürztraminers the Alsace region has to offer. We'll reminisce fondly about our recent time in Venice as we stroll through "Little Venice," the flower-decked promenade that parallels the canal cutting through the heart of the old town. While it may be one of the shortest stops on our honeymoon, it's sure to leave some long-lasting memories.

From Colmar, we'll zip over the Rhine to Freiburg im Breisgau and rent a car for a lovely day of driving through Germany's scenic Schwarzwald (Black Forest). Fairy tales await us as we wind through pine-flanked switchbacks and cruise through picturesque small towns, munching on pretzels and a butcher's worth of brats. Our road ends that day at Schloss Eberstein, a charming castle-turned-hotel that Niki discovered in her research. When we saw the website we knew we had to spend at least one night there, and so we will! Situated on a vineyard-lined hill overlooking the quiet town of Gernsbach, Schloss Eberstein is a pure romantic fairy tale. We can't wait to say "prost!" while clinking our steins together as we enjoy a warm Black Forest night straight out of a Brothers Grimm story.

For the last leg of our honeymoon, we'll travel north and deposit the car at Heidelberg, where we will rest from our journey at the Boutique Hotel Heidelberg Suites. Overlooking the Neckar River and the totally-not-haunted ruins of Heidelberg Castle, Heidelberg Suites will be the perfect place for us to relax, unwind, and reflect on this incredible adventure as it comes to a close. Never ones to go out without a bang, we'll make sure to pack those last few days with adventures of their own: castle-spotting river tours, lengthy forest hikes along der Philosophenweg, and plenty of exploring around Heidelberg's altstadt will keep us busy right up until our flight out of Frankfurt. With so many fond memories and stories sure to tell, we'll return home feeling satisfied that this honeymoon was one for the books.