4 Lovely tips for things to do & give this Valentine’s Day
Is Valentine’s Day a commercial stunt or a celebration of love? It can be a little contentious. Its reputation as an American greeting card holiday is valid in some respects, but at Stena Line we like to look at the bigger picture. Truthfully, we’re quite fond of Valentine’s Day and what it means — we’ll gladly seize any opportunity to put the focus on love.
Here are 4 lovely tips for things to do and give this Valentine’s day.
1. A weekend getaway in a cosy seaside village
Treat your partner to a weekend break in a cosy seaside village. Seaside towns have a lot to offer in the winter months. There’s nothing quite like warming up by the fire after a winter walk along the coast! The villages and towns are much less busy during the winter months, the ideal time to spend some quality time together.
In Wales, you’ll find gems nestled all along the coast. The Victorian town of Llandudno is an ideal spot to spend some well-deserved time together. If you’re travelling to Ireland, than the picturesque seaside town of Tramore is sure to delight.
2. A culinary adventure
Rather than cramming into a restaurant down the street, why not try culinary experience that’s a little more novel? Take a course together in wine and cheese pairings. Find a class where you learn how to cook Thai food, make chocolates, or work with the foods of the season.
If you want to go all in on the classic romance, find a gorgeous restaurant in another city and make a whole night out of it. Do a bit of searching and you’ll find some really good restaurants, with or without Guide Michelin stars.
3. Gifts of love, for the love of gifts!
Why are perfumes and colognes considered romantic gifts? Well, when worn properly, only those who stand very close can have a whiff. Find a scent you want to get right up next to, and get it at on board prices if you want to spring for a luxury brand and save some money. Here are our top 5 scents, for him and her, from the on board shop.
And chocolate – why is it associated with love? It’s all about chemistry. Amidst the velvety, melty texture, a chemical called phenylethylamine lurks. This is the same molecule as the one released by our brains when we struck by passion. To get in the Valentine’s mindset, a gift of chocolate will do the trick!
If your loved one is neither a scent nor a sugar person, how about a bottle of their favourite spirit. A whiskey they’ve never tried, a new wild-foraged gin… this could be an ideal gift, especially for the Valentine’s Day sceptics out there.
4. No romantic partner? celebrate love anyway – with friends!
Love comes in all forms, and it deserves to be celebrated! Celebrate the friends in your life by planning a fun dinner or weekend getaway.
For the ladies, it’s becoming ever-more popular to do something fun and sparkly together on “Galentine’s Day” on February 13th. We’re big fans. Again, any chance we can get to spread love, smell roses, and eat chocolate is just fine by us!
So there you have our 4 best tips for celebrating Valentine’s Day. We hope they have been helpful. Book your Stena Line tickets and surprise your darling on the day of love.