City of lovers
St. Valentine's Day is perhaps the only holiday on which you can receive a gift just for being loved and loving. Moreover, not only from a dear person, but also from travel agencies that take the opportunity to attract clients. Some of them decided to give loving couples small presents throughout the month in the form of a free excursion, a bag for things needed on a trip, or a session at beauty salons. So, a free sightseeing tour is offered to those who go to Paris.
For those who do not want to discover Paris on their own, there are tours offering several excursions over seven days. During this time, you can visit the Fragonard Museum, a jewelry center, the historic center of Paris, Montmartre, the Latin Quarter, the Louvre, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Chantilly, and also take a boat ride on the Seine. Those who decide to celebrate St. Valentine's Day in Paris will have another surprise – a cruise on the Seine with dinner on the boat.
This year Paris greets affluent lovers with special honors. In the famous Parisian hotels Ritz, Bristol, and at the Chateau du Domaine St. Martin Vence on the Côte d'Azur, rooms with surprises have been prepared for couples.
At the Bristol hotel, a special offer for two is valid only from February 13 to 16. During these days, all lovers in their rooms will be greeted with flowers and champagne, as well as traditional English tea in the bar accompanied by the best desserts and sweets. In addition, the hotel gives shopping enthusiasts a shopping pass that will allow them to receive discounts and gifts in stores such as Montblanc, Valentino, Sonia Rykiel, Lanvin, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Jun Ashida, Cartier, Fred, Givenchy, Leonard, Christian Lacroix, Missoni, Feraud, and Thierry Mugler.
A three-day trip will cost 1,900 euros for two. In addition, the hotel's chef Eric Frechon prepares a special festive dinner on St. Valentine's Day. Those who want to try special dishes for lovers will have to pay an additional 340 euros.
The Ritz palace-hotel, located in the very heart of Paris, on the Place Vendôme, has extensive experience in welcoming lovers. It was here that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton met.
This February, in rooms for two, guests will enjoy champagne, pastries with flavors of wild berries, currants, violets, and roses, flowers on the pillow, and a gift from the jewelers of Place Vendôme. Moreover, the celebration can be extended as long as you wish: the offer is valid all February. Three days at the hotel will cost 1,560 euros. A special dinner will also be served at the hotel's restaurant L'Espadon. Chef Michel Roth will prepare for lovers blue lobster, green asparagus with black truffle and a veil of Comté cheese, and veal tenderloin with peanuts, foie gras, and airy potatoes accompanied by Amour de Deutz 1998 champagne.
For dessert, a special gift from pastry chef Eddy Benghanem: for men – a combination of strong and bitter – coffee and chocolate on a crispy chocolate biscuit, and for ladies – a fruity and bright – a delicate heart-shaped pastry with the scent of flowers. In addition, you can try special cocktails – Le Ritz Elixir – a homemade essence of ginger and champagne with orange zest and ginger chocolate, Le Pêché d'Aphrodite – a frozen cocktail based on vodka with coffee and chocolate liqueur and a drop of mint, and Liaison Dangereuse – an exquisite duet of cognac with truffle. The most beautiful lady of the evening will also receive a special jewelry gift. An evening at the hotel restaurant will cost 850 euros for two.
The cost of tours to the capital of France – from 624 euros.
Breathing perfumes and mists
St. Valentine's Day disperses the fogs even in England. Hotels put out special offers for a whole week: a room in a three-star hotel can be booked for 37 euros, and a night in a five-star hotel will cost 114 euros. Moreover, only on Valentine's Day many small inexpensive floating restaurants set off down the Thames. From them you can admire London's sights and enjoy live music. In addition, on February 14 you must not forget to visit the green oases in the center of London – Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens – the two most romantic spots in the city.
A trip to London will cost at least 773 euros.
Romantic journey
Those who are not afraid of quick changes of places and long bus rides will enjoy traveling around Italy. This will be all the more interesting since a grand carnival with endless processions, parades, masquerade balls, live music, and attractions took place in Venice until February 8.
Those who do not make it to the folk festivities in Venice should not be upset: immediately after the Venetian carnival, an equally famous carnival in Viareggio will begin, lasting until February 13. For those who prefer active travel, a sightseeing tour is more suitable: in eight days you can visit seven cities and see Rimini, Rome, the Vatican, Siena, Florence, Venice, and San Marino.
If Valentine's Day is associated exclusively with champagne, a candlelit dinner, and flowers in a hotel room, a four-day tour to Rome or Venice with accommodation in a four-star hotel is much more suitable. True, the price of such romance is somewhat higher.
The minimum cost of “Roman Holiday” is 656 euros.
Cyprus hotels also welcome their guests on St. Valentine's Day with champagne and baskets of flowers in the room. In addition, some hotels offer special gifts to lovers, such as a private excursion for two to the birthplace of Aphrodite and to the city of Paphos.
To be continued.
Tatiana SEIRANYAN,
Ekaterina BABKOVA.