A Non-Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day Post!

I’m just going to be up front about this, I’ve stressed over this post for a while as I really wasn’t sure how to do it. Obviously it’s for Valentine’s Day and OBVIOUSLY that means that automatically brings a certain level of cringe, cheesy, mushiness to it, especially if you hate Valentine’s Day. I was very reluctant to call it anything like ‘romantic things to do…’, ‘Valentine’s ideas’, because firstly I’m no bloody Cupid or expert, and secondly it’s not meant to be just for Valentine’s Day.

I did consider doing a big Valentine’s Day post for Kieran and slapping it straight up on his Facebook wall for maximum LOLs, as he informed me we absolutely weren’t doing cards or ‘owt daft like that’. But he would actually kill and I’m also not a #luckygirl #valentineswiththisone #myworld type of girl.

That being said we have done some pretty amazing stuff together the past two years, and especially the last year. Travel can give you some of the best memories, whether it’s with a partner, family or friends, but so can just staying at home. If I can just get all sentimental for five…people are what matter at the end of the day aren’t they.

 

 

Feel free to move swiftly on if you can’t deal, but here’s all the things in all sorts of places that are pretty cool to do with your favourite person, whoever that is! Most of them I’ve done, but there’s a few special guests in here too.

 

Amsterdam

• Stay in a traditional canal house. They’re so pretty and it really makes all the difference to a trip to Amsterdam. We stayed in the beautiful Ambassade Hotel.

 

 

• Go on a canal cruise. Try the Friendship Canal cruise for extra luxury and a bottle of wine as you float around the canals and sights.

 

 

• Enjoy dinner in a posh restaurant overlooking the canal! We ate on this terrace, literally on the canal overlooking the lit up bridges and boats sailing past.

 

 

• If the weather is bad and you can’t do anything outside or on the water, find a cute little cafe like Pluk Amsterdam or Ree7 and sit in the window seat with a coffee.

 

 

Greece

• Enjoy a Cypriot sunset!

 

 

• Have dinner outside under lanterns and fairylights

 

 

• Join in some Greek dancing and plate smashing (I mean its not for me but people like it!)

 

 

• Upgrade to a suite – Greece and the Greek islands have some of the most beautiful hotels in the world. In fact, whenever you can take an upgrade!

 

 

London

• Experience afternoon tea at the Ritz! How proper!

 

 

• I’d strongly recommend Swingers Bar for date night, a cool bar, a fast food corner and a round of Crazy Golf all in one place is a winner.

 

 

• Enjoy the views of London with some bubbly at the top of the Shard. Champagne and The Shard has a nice ring to it I think!

 

 

Cologne

• Take a cable car at sunset over the River Rhine in Cologne.

 

 

• Get that padlock locked on to the Hohenzollern Bridge!

 

 

Paris

• Swerve the tourist spots and enjoy a peaceful lunch at Ralph’s restaurant in the quaint little French courtyard

 

 

• Sit in the sun at Chateau de Luxembourg

 

 

• Share a seafood platter at Cafe de la Pays or Flottes restaurant

 

 

Tulum, Mexico

• Enjoy the immaculate beaches in Tulum, either for a walk along or for a doze in a hammock.

 

 

• Find a secluded spot at Xel Ha just for yourselves.

 

 

• Get a double dingy and float down the natural lazy river.

 

 

Portugal

• Go on a hot air balloon ride! One of Kieran’s best mates Dale proposed to his lovely fiance Hannah in a hot air balloon ride over Coruche near Lisbon. They get married in Portugal next year – how amazing! Thank you Hannah for letting me use your beautiful photos!

 

 

Yorkshire

• Explore the boutiques along the Shambles in York

 

 

• Enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s

 

 

• Stay at The Calls in Leeds, a very pretty boutique hotel by the canal and perfect to go back to after a night on the cocktails

 

 

Budapest

• Take a walk along the Danube Embankment for the perfect view of the Chain Bridge. Cris from Look n Walk shares her memory of this with her husband:

I’ve fallen for Budapest almost 10 years ago but there’s a certain moment that made me fall even harder for my (now) husband. We love to walk hand in hand exploring cities. Back in 2011, on our first trip together as a couple, we decided to talk a walk on Danube Embankment. Was it the weather? The company? Or maybe just Budapest’s lovely sights passing by us as we walked, but I cannot help not to cherish that moment. Every time we go back, I want to retake this walk. And every single time I fall more in love: with both Budapest and my husband.

USA

• Watch the fountain displays outside the Bellagio, Vegas. Get up close so you can hear the music too.

 

 

• Have a drink at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan

 

 

• For old school Hollywood glamour stay at the Beverley Hills Hotel in one of the bungalows based on Marilyn Monroe or Frank Sinatra to name a few!

 

 

• Go for a walk through Central Park

 

 

Other things to do in general:

• Go on a ferris wheel, whether that’s in Paris, Lille, London, Santa Monica…or even the Hoppings in Newcastle (the latter being definitely more scary than romantic)!

 

 

• Do things on the spur of the moment, like Cory Varga of You Could Travel and her husband who booked a trip to Nice for cheese!

 

We’ve never been keen on celebrating Valentines Day, but last year, we had what I would call a struck of genius. We were chilling on the sofa, watching a very boring French movie, when I say “I wish we could eat lots of cheese and enjoy a promenade by the beach”. My husband, as silly as it is, goes out of the room, just to come back 5 minutes later with a flight to Nice booked for the following day. He found a bargain last minute flight, a great escapade for a couple of days. Upon arrival, we purchased 7 varieties of French cheese, some 5 euro white wine. We enjoyed a rather fun and cheesy dinner in our cheap hotel room.

 

 

• Watch fireworks – at New Year, bonfire night, any occasion really!

 

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A post shared by Steph Fox (@stephfoxtravel)

 

• Take a spa break somewhere fancy! This was Rockliffe Hall.

 

 

• Enjoy a staycation! Stay in a hotel where you live and it will feel like a mini break. I’ve lost count of the times we have stayed in Newcastle Malmaison so we can have breakfast by the Tyne and a walk along the Quayside market and lunch in the Broad Chare.

 

 

• Plan surprises, my lovely friend Amanda kicked off at her boyfriend Jack when she thought he didn’t have her a Valentine’s Day card, then she came home and he had planned all this!

 

 

• Newcastle is a great city for this – go out for Sport events! You can’t beat match day in the toon and the atmosphere of the Great North Run!

 

 

• Get dolled up for occasions – weddings, engagement parties, or my personal favourite – the races!

 

 

I think I’m done. Hopefully that wasn’t too OTT?!

Happy Valentine’s Day! x