| Ask any bride-to-be and she'll quickly tell you that | | | | authentic northern Italian cuisine. |
| honeymoon dreams come true in Hawaii. This tropical | | | | You won't want to leave without participating in |
| paradise has been king of the hill when it comes to | | | | Carnival. Remarkably, the term "carnival" comes from |
| honeymoon destinations for nine straight years. But | | | | the Latin "farewell meat!" Similar to Fat Tuesday in |
| this year, the king was dethroned. Instead of finding | | | | New Orleans, Carnival began the practice of throwing |
| Hawaii as big kahuna, Italy took the lead. | | | | huge parties in order to use up all the meat, eggs |
| In previous years, Italy ranked third, but in the 11th | | | | and butter before the fasting of Lent started. To |
| annual Modern Bride survey for 2007, it surpassed | | | | make Carnival unique, Venetians wore masks to |
| Hawaii, followed by Tahiti, Costa Rica, Mexico and | | | | disguise themselves. This way they could participate |
| France. The 11th annual survey was conducted | | | | in all types of debauchery without being found out. |
| through a network of 6,000 luxury travel agents who | | | | While Carnival today is much more civil, the enormous |
| ranked their 50 favorite honeymoon spots. The | | | | levels of fun still run high. |
| results appear in the magazine's August/September | | | | Capri |
| issue. But what doesn't appear is the answer to the | | | | Another unique destination in Italy is Capri. An island |
| question "why?" | | | | (as is Venice), this region has wooed the world for |
| According to Hawaii's state Department of Business, | | | | decades. Countless movies have been made on Capri, |
| Economic Development and Tourism, the trend has | | | | emperors have visited and honeymooners have |
| been building over time. The number of honeymoon | | | | strolled along her hillsides. Part of the allure of this |
| couples traveling to the Aloha State fell to just over | | | | island lies in the aromatic fragrances that overtake |
| 200,000 as of June this year. That's a 1.2% drop | | | | you as soon as you arrive. |
| from 2006. Hawaii certainly has beauty and a | | | | The scent of ripe natively grown lemons in addition |
| playground with enough adventure and romance to | | | | to the intense perfume of indigenous basil, marjoram, |
| keep couples busy for weeks. But Italy is beginning | | | | oregano, parsley and thyme waft through the air |
| to be appreciated for many of its unique features. | | | | with every breeze. It's something almost everyone is |
| Venice | | | | pleasantly surprised by. |
| For instance, Venice charms young and old alike with | | | | One of the most popular attractions is The Blue |
| magical waterways stretching throughout the entire | | | | Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) - a must-see. As daylight |
| city. The gentle trickling of water through the canals | | | | enters through an underwater opening located |
| is romantic on its own. Add to that a dreamy gondola | | | | immediately below the entrance to the cave, the light |
| ride and you've set the mood for the entire trip. | | | | is filtered by the water. The red tones are absorbed, |
| Truth be known, Venetians travel by gondola | | | | leaving only the blue ones to pass into the cave. The |
| because there are no cars, not because of the | | | | result is an astonishing aura of blues that simply |
| romance! You also won't find any motorbikes or | | | | defies words. |
| motorized scooters. Why no cars? Because there are | | | | Whichever you choose as your top honeymoon spot, |
| no roads to drive them on! | | | | you'll find plenty to do and see. Cruising to your |
| What you will find in Venice is gorgeous scenery | | | | destination offers the flexibility to see more of the |
| along with palaces, museums and art collections. | | | | region for less than you might think. Explore online |
| Open-air food markets are also plentiful and make for | | | | first and then decide which location will offer more of |
| wonderful shopping. Or, of course, you can dine at | | | | what you and your spouse-to-be will love. |
| any number of restaurants where you'll delight in truly | | | | |