Due to COVID, the opportunity to travel to Italy is limited to many so I sit daydreaming of how fabulous it would be to in Italy during the month of February, celebrating the month of love.
Whether it is a romantic love, family love or love for oneself, or maybe all of them? There are so many ways to fall in love in Italy.
Historically, celebrating St. Valentines started as a festival, it was a time that Italians would spend time outdoors in parks and gardens. One story of St. Valentine is that he served in the third century Rome and disobeyed the orders of the then Emperor by marrying young lovers in secret. The Emperor thought that soldiers were best if they were single and banned marriage. St. Valentine believed in love.
Thinking of parks and gardens brings my memories to the Lugano region, which is actually two countries, as it lies on the southern border of Switzerland and northern border of Italy. There is a lovely park, Parco Ciano If you wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day and love, try a day wandering around Parco Ciano. It sits on Lake Lugano, and the sight of the beauty placed in front of you can make you fall in love with nature. There you can soak in the flowers and trees and views of the mountains. Maybe you sit a bench for hours talking, or you sit on a blanket reading a book, soaking in the sun.
Another area to explore the parks would be Park San Mamete, this sits nestled between the lakes and mountains of the Como region of Italy. Here you have the splendor of the still water, the mountains whether they are lush or maybe slightly snow covered caps. No matter what your interest or activity level, there are options for all, young, old, single, or couples. You can make your own festival rituals. One never knows, the act of simply being present and soaking the beauty like sponge could stimulate your hypothalamus. And as the legend says the first person you see on Valentine’s Day is who you will one day marry.
So why we may not be able to travel to Italy, maybe we can day dream a little and fall in love all over again. Buon San Valentino, Amore Mio.
Author: Karen Titus. February 3, 2021
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Hidden Treasures of Italy 