Most Romantic Things to Do

Hi Alex -

Picnics!

Safe Travels

A Love Lock on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Yes, it is illegal, so you have to be sneaky. But life is short and temporary. The Florence government made a big deal out of it as a no-no, but no one has paid any attention to that. There are locks everywhere and now in places that are hard to remove. We don't throw the key in the Arno any more, which is the old tradition. We just make sure all other keys are destroyed and recycled. They eventually remove all the locks and melt them down. Knowing this, we used the little luggage locks this time to make the whole deal easier for them to later remove the locks. It is still a statement of enduring love. Florence should embrace this international phenomena, even if the founding myth is some what wrong, and work with it. There should be vendors ON THE BRIDGE selling locks. And there SHOULD BE RECEPTACLES on the bridge to take the keys with the solemn promise that the keys will be destroyed so metal keys are not tossed in the River.

Hi Alex,

In Venice you have to go to San Marco Square at night. You can stroll with a glass of wine and listen to the dueling orchestras and then dance in the square. I thought evenings in San Marco square were very romantic. Depending on how long you are in venice you could also do a day trip to Verona to see Juliet's Balcony.

In tuscany we loved sitting drinking wine and taking in the beautiful scenery (specifically San Gimignano). we also did a great wine tour near Greve called Castello di Verrazzano (http://www.verrazzano.com/). The best part was afterwards everyone on the tour left and they let my husband and I stay as long as we wanted on the terrace overlooking the Tuscan hills. It was just the 2 of us for about 2 hours enjoying the scenery. It was perfect.

In Cinque Terre my favorite romantic memories were sitting on the rocks in Riomaggiore and watching the sunset each night. It's also nice to stroll on the Via Dell Amore in between Riomaggiore and Manarola.

Have a wonderful time! Italy is definitely the perfect place for you guys go go for a romantic 25th anniversary!

Make time to wander back streets and talk, give yourself time to reflect.

Francis<<<<You're a mind reader, I thought the same thing.

Thanks Marla (and all!) for the great ideas!!!

Alex, We spent our 25th on a very similar trip in Oct of last year. San Marco late at night is a must, walk streets of Venice With your loved one, it is a wonderful place. We loved Varenna, and really enjoyed albergo Oliveda. Hike to the castle for an amazing view, and enjoy the small streets and wonderful people. Ct is a great place for couples. Great food, great wine, and atmosphere to die for. Picnics in Tuscany!!! Enjoy, you will not forget it. Caio, Jeff

Alex,
We're celebrating our 36th with a similar trip, leaving in 5 days!

9 years ago we were finally able to get to Europe to celebrate our 25th (a little late) and it was the most romantic thing ever. The gondola may be touristy, but there is nothing more romantic. I fell in love all over again.

What will be different this time, is that we will spend more time just "being" in Italy (and France) and absorbing the natural romance of it all. We're also buying new wedding rings in Florence.
Questo e amore!

Alex - Congrats on your 25th. We're also going to Italy for 3 weeks (and Germany for one) in September to celebrate our 25th. We are going to the same places you are, plus Rome and Verona. I'm looking forward to stealing some of these ideas.

Have a great trip.

I certainly agree with the Gondola ride being a must. I balked a little at the price, but it was worth it and even more.

Thank you for all the lovely ideas and congrats to all of you celebrating anniversarys too! Awesome!

Definitely splurge and have a glass of prosecco at one of the cafes at San Marco Square in Venice. I was there with a girlfriend a few years ago and it was romantic even with her-ha! I love walking the back streets of Venice at night, lots of little corners to smooch!

Congratulations!!!

Buy some wine and glasses and watch the sunset in Vernazza. It's unlike any sunset I've ever seen. Be sure to turn around and look at the light on the village and the hills.

We passed on the gondola ride. Looked to us like an expensive awkward silence with a stranger. We might be the minority on that, but we didn't like the predatory "Gondala Gondala" chasing us nor did we want to spend that kind of money. I would have had to fill the silence with trying to talk to the gondalier! We found it more romantic to stroll hand in hand down the little quiet canals in the more residential areas.

Italy is just plain romantic. If you can't find it there around every corner, I don't know where else you could! I would just say take it as slow as you can so you can drink it all in!

Enjoy. I'm jealous. I'd love to live there.