Love – Amour – Amore

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Wednesday and no matter how you say it, romance is on the mind of lovers everywhere. Tributes to the greatest of human emotions can be found in many places but the most lovely I’ve seen are in the middle of an Italian lake or on a Côte d’Azur hilltop. Here are five special testaments to the power of love.

Invitation, Monaco

"J" is for Juliet

You’re probably familiar with William Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. The play is set in the northern Italian city of Verona and, though the characters are fictional, the city has happily adopted this tragic couple. Visitors now flock to a bronze statue of Juliet in the tiny courtyard of Casa di Giulietta and gaze up at her balcony as Romeo himself would have done.

Statue of Juliet, Verona

Cinque Terre: the Five Lands

On the rugged northwest coast of Italy there are five small fishing villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. I love saying the names out loud – it makes me feel like I can speak Italian. (I really can’t.) Together these villages are known as the Cinque Terre, the Five Lands. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was once accessible only by sea and untouched by the modern world. Today the villages welcome visitors but retain their old world charm.

5 Oh-So-French Features of the River Seine

The Seine River, Paris

1. The Boats

Numerous glass-topped boats cruise the Seine River, offering visitors unique views of the City of Light. The Bateaux-Mouches are excursion boats providing commentary on passing sights. The Batobus is a riverboat shuttle service which allows passengers to hop on and off at eight stops along the route, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre-Dame.

Paris - Right Bank

Paris, May 2010 - We arrived in Paris yesterday on Trafalgar's Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. And I was excited to find pains au chocolat on the breakfast buffet this morning to accompany my cafe au lait. We needed to fortify ourselves for the sunny but blustery day ahead of us that would start with a brief sightseeing tour, followed by a visit to the Eiffel Tower.

Les Invalides, Paris