It is said that if you toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, it ensures that you will one day return to the city known as the Eternal City.
When Mark and Joani Share of Concord, California, were on their honeymoon in the summer of 1970, they took part in this historic ritual. It is unlikely that they could have imagined that their eventual return would involve flying business class on United with gourmet meals and lie-flat seats, followed by a visit to United's Polaris Lounge.
Or, they might have a luxurious stay in a suite at The Tribune, a boutique hotel that is owned by Hyatt and is located close to some of Rome's most famous tourist attractions, such as the Trevi Fountain.
When TPG announced a contest called "Honeymoon Take 2" in the spring of 2022, the Shares immediately thought they had a pretty good chance of winning the grand prize, which was a chance for a second honeymoon and a return to Rome. Even though they may not have pictured this exact scenario, the Shares immediately thought they had a pretty good shot at winning the contest.
Participants who wished to enter the competition were required to create a two-minute video in which they described their first honeymoon and demonstrated how they would recreate that trip if they won the grand prize, which consisted of approximately $20,000 in cash from TPG as well as our expert assistance in planning an epic second honeymoon.
Not only were Mark and Joani only a few months away from celebrating 52 years of marriage when they joined the contest, but they also had a fairly remarkable honeymoon the first time around. Mark and Joani were the winners of this sweepstakes.
Mark expressed his thoughts with TPG, saying, "I believed our tale was unusual."
When I found out the specifics of that first honeymoon, I found that I couldn't agree with you more.
The first honeymoon of the newlyweds Mark and Joani
was on July 5, 1970.
"That night, we boarded a teacher charter aircraft (a chartered flight expressly for teachers who were free to travel when school was out for the summer) to Amsterdam, and from there, we spent the next two months driving around Europe.
During that period, the Shares travelled to eight different countries, drove more than 3,700 miles, stayed in more than 20 different hotels, pensions, and guest homes, and accumulated an endless number of memories.
The Shares were operating with a very limited budget the first time around.
"We were instructors who had recently graduated from college," Joani explained. "We stayed in some cheap locations, but at that time, it was simple to travel throughout Europe without paying a lot," she noted. "It was easy to go across Europe without spending a lot of money."
Their "bible" at the time was Frommer's "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day," which, in addition to the paper maps that assisted them in navigating from city to city, also helped them navigate between cities.
A second honeymoon, compliments of The Luxury Travel Group
They were given a lot greater budget by TPG to use on their second honeymoon so that they could relive the most memorable parts of their first trip together as a married couple.
Rome was the appropriate choice for their initial destination. Before settling into their business class seats for the duration of the flight, the couple celebrated their recent engagement with a glass of wine and some snacks at the United Polaris Lounge located at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Joani then went to sleep while Mark watched the movie "Top Gun: Maverick."
The Shares took advantage of their six-hour stopover in Frankfurt to join the Lufthansa Business Lounge. While there, Joani, a retired art educator, clipped up newspapers written in different languages in preparation for art projects she intended to complete once they returned home.
It was time to rekindle the romance all over again when they finished their brief Lufthansa business class connection from Frankfurt to Rome.
Mark and Joani went to the Trevi Fountain to meet a local photographer named Guido who works for Flytographer. While the photographer was taking pictures, Mark and Joani threw money over their shoulders.
During their time in Rome, they also went to the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. St. Peter's Basilica was also on their itinerary. They also went to a few more churches and spent some time exploring the various marketplaces, lanes, and piazzas that the city has to offer. All of these activities were part of the Jewish Roma Walking Tours that they participated in.
The pair boarded a train to Cinque Terre before continuing to Spain. While there, they stayed for three nights and explored the five ancient fishing villages that make up the area. They also attended the Cinque Terre Cooking School, where they learned how to prepare pesto, gnocchi, and sea bass. They concluded their trip in Cinque Terre by embarking on a sunset boat offered by Cinque Terre del Mare Tours. This excursion allowed them to say their goodbyes to each of the five villages.
They then boarded a train to return to Rome to catch their trip to Barcelona. Once there, they checked into the Kimpton Vividora, which is located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona.
The Sagrada Familia was the attraction in Barcelona that they were most looking forward to visiting. In the 1880s, work began on the church that Antoni Gaudi would later design, although it was never fully completed. The Shares had already been to the church on two separate occasions, which provided them with the chance to observe it at its different stages of development before this trip.
In 1970, they had a hard time envisioning that it would be finished at any point in the future.
Joani said that while the outside could be observed, there was nothing of interest on the interior to be seen. "There were enormous groups of stone carvers chipping away at the stone, and the location was nothing more than a peculiar gravel pit and part of a structure. You did not have a clear picture in your head of how it was going to seem."
The Shares were sceptical that Gaudi's vision would ever be achieved when they visited in 2014, even though there had been some forward movement since their previous visit.
The couple's most recent visit, which occurred during their second honeymoon, was the time when they observed that the interior of the church appeared to be just about complete. They also marvelled at the gorgeous stained glass windows and numerous intricate carvings that adorned the exterior of the building.
The remainder of their stay in Barcelona was spent seeing the Dali Museum, attending a concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, and going to the Mercado de la Boqueria, which is Barcelona's largest covered market.
Both Casa Mila (also known as La Pedrera) and Casa Batllo, which are both Gaud masterpieces, were visited by the couple during their time in Barcelona. They arranged for a private paella cooking session at Savour Academy, which they claim has rendered them unable to enjoy paella at restaurants ever again.
In addition, they went on a day excursion to Girona, a town that has been inhabited for almost 2,000 years and features stunning architecture from the mediaeval period. It was also used as a filming site for "Game of Thrones."
Unfortunately, the Shares' second honeymoon came to an end with their visit to Barcelona. On the return trip, all that was left for the couple to do was settle into the plush business-class seats provided by United and think fondly of their second chance at love.
Since the trip was sufficiently long, Mark was able to rewatch "Top Gun: Maverick," and Joani was able to start working on her art projects.
Europe in the past and the present
Even though their second honeymoon was markedly unlike their first, there were still many aspects that were the same. Mark and Joani paid special attention to the fact that the people and the cuisine had not changed, which was included in this category.
Mark said that the folks he encountered on both this trip and the one his family took 52 years ago were kind. They go above and above to assist you in every way they can.
In terms of cuisine, eating is still as much a way of life and an integral part of the culture as it was back in the year 1970.
Mark elaborated by saying that the quality of the food remained consistent regardless of the amount of money spent on it. "The environment includes things like food. It's a lot of fun, and the food is almost usually worth it. The fact that you went the additional mile and educated yourself on how to cook some of those dishes this time around made the experience of eating them that much more rewarding."
The forthcoming trip plans of Mark and Joani.
The Shares are a family of brave explorers. They have been to places such as Belize and Mexico, as well as the entirety of Europe and the United States. They are already making preparations to travel to Israel for a bar mitzvah this year, and they also intend to take their granddaughter on a trip to the Grand Canyon.
Even though there are many new sites that they are eager to see, there is one location from each of their honeymoons that they intend to go back to shortly.
The pair expressed their desire to visit Barcelona once more when La Sagrada Familia is completely completed so that they may take in the city's iconic landmark.
Naturally, the fortunate coins that were thrown into the Trevi Fountain appeared to have worked successfully the first time around. Based on this information, it would appear that Mark and Joani's plans include travelling back to Rome.