Romance in Rome - ideas?
May 23rd, 2005, 11:58 AM
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Romance in Rome - ideas?
I'm traveling in Italy in early June with my girlfriend. We're spending several nights in Rome, Florence and Venice. This is our last trip together before she moves across the country to begin her MD/PHD (seven to eight years of intense schooling). I’ve been to Italy a couple times and I know it will be wonderful regardless of any planning I do (perhaps better with less) but I really want to hit this one out of the park, you know?
She’s never been so time must be set aside for some touristic staples. I think the evenings are where I might hatch a surprise. I don’t think that my problem is a lack of creativity, rather a lack of experience in these cities – I don’t know exactly what I’ve got to work with and I won’t have enough time to conjure something on the fly without at least some preparation.
I’m looking for elegance but not extravagance. I don’t want her to feel like I’m trying to purchase an experience though I don’t mind spending on something I hope we’ll both remember for a long time. I’m not on a shoestring but…well…think carless twenty-something who bikes to work.
Partial idea: I need another suit for my job (and what a place to get one but Italy!) and I was thinking of working that into the plan. If I could find a tailor to fit a suit for me fast (sneak in one day and pick it up a day or two later) then…she steps out of the shower after an afternoon in the Forum or the Uffizi, ready for dinner, and there I am, holding up a skirt for her while standing in a new suit, Vespa waiting outside …
Inspiration? Ideas?
She’s never been so time must be set aside for some touristic staples. I think the evenings are where I might hatch a surprise. I don’t think that my problem is a lack of creativity, rather a lack of experience in these cities – I don’t know exactly what I’ve got to work with and I won’t have enough time to conjure something on the fly without at least some preparation.
I’m looking for elegance but not extravagance. I don’t want her to feel like I’m trying to purchase an experience though I don’t mind spending on something I hope we’ll both remember for a long time. I’m not on a shoestring but…well…think carless twenty-something who bikes to work.
Partial idea: I need another suit for my job (and what a place to get one but Italy!) and I was thinking of working that into the plan. If I could find a tailor to fit a suit for me fast (sneak in one day and pick it up a day or two later) then…she steps out of the shower after an afternoon in the Forum or the Uffizi, ready for dinner, and there I am, holding up a skirt for her while standing in a new suit, Vespa waiting outside …
Inspiration? Ideas?
May 23rd, 2005, 12:23 PM
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Of course, Venice may be the ideal choice. It is the one city of the three I haven't been to but as long as the often lamented garbage smell isn't too terrible, Venice could be wonderful.
You're right a Vespa could be pretty tricky in Rome though I don't think Florence would be too bad. Besides, it was really just a bit of a cliche Roman Holiday imagery that's been stuck in my head.
I need new inspiration.
You're right a Vespa could be pretty tricky in Rome though I don't think Florence would be too bad. Besides, it was really just a bit of a cliche Roman Holiday imagery that's been stuck in my head.
I need new inspiration.
May 23rd, 2005, 12:28 PM
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i agree with ira...can you do this in venice instead of rome...i just got back from paris, venice, florence & rome (my honeymoon) & we both felt venice (& paris) were much more romantic than florence or rome.
if u can do it in venice, try popping the question one of the days when you are just strolling through the back streets (no true destination in mind) & as you are going over a bridge (none famous...make it your own bridge), just stop to look out over the water, kneel down & ask her. you may want to have reservations for a nice dinner later on to celebrate.
good luck!!!
if u can do it in venice, try popping the question one of the days when you are just strolling through the back streets (no true destination in mind) & as you are going over a bridge (none famous...make it your own bridge), just stop to look out over the water, kneel down & ask her. you may want to have reservations for a nice dinner later on to celebrate.
good luck!!!
May 23rd, 2005, 12:30 PM
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i'm not sure how smelly it is in june, but when we were there (2 weeks ago), we didn't smell anything foul until the last night as we were passing one of the waterways. maybe someone else has a better idea of june odors.
May 23rd, 2005, 12:46 PM
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I like psy_drs suggestion of making it your own. No, I don't know Venice yet, but know the female side of things. Buying her clothing is very iffy...unless you're amazing in that department and she fits into everything!
Sometimes the most romantic restaurants are the ones you discover together. Perhaps you'll see one earlier in the trip you can book for later.
Sometimes the most romantic restaurants are the ones you discover together. Perhaps you'll see one earlier in the trip you can book for later.
May 23rd, 2005, 02:37 PM
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ROFLMAO IRA! AMEN to the joke about the suicide pact. I've never seen quite a circus of traffic as I did in Rome and all those freaking scooters! I thought I was going to die just being a pedestrian around so many Vespas.
Velvethammer, a suit would be quite impressive, although I wonder if you'd get it produced in time. If it works though, what a lovely idea!
Also, a night on St. Mark's in Venice will cost you a bundle -- we had two glasses of wine and with the music, it was $40 Euro...no dinner, no nothing with it.
A romantic dinner in Rome, along with a walk by the Trevi Fountain after dark (when the crowds are long gone) would be quite nice and even if you paid $100 Euro for it, you'd actually get to eat something.
Florence is lovely too -- a slower, easier place to navigate, and lovely after dark.
Good luck,
Jules
Velvethammer, a suit would be quite impressive, although I wonder if you'd get it produced in time. If it works though, what a lovely idea!
Also, a night on St. Mark's in Venice will cost you a bundle -- we had two glasses of wine and with the music, it was $40 Euro...no dinner, no nothing with it.
A romantic dinner in Rome, along with a walk by the Trevi Fountain after dark (when the crowds are long gone) would be quite nice and even if you paid $100 Euro for it, you'd actually get to eat something.
Florence is lovely too -- a slower, easier place to navigate, and lovely after dark.
Good luck,
Jules
May 23rd, 2005, 03:29 PM
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Ok velvethammer, here are some REAL tips. We just spent our anniversary in Italy so I know what I am talking about. Picnic at the Borghese gardens in Rome and the Boboli Gardens in Florence.
At the Trevi Fountain, if you stand facing the fountain behind you to your left is a little market. Go inside and get some cheese, bread, wine and olives and have a late afternoon snack on the fountain steps.
Of course an after dark gondola ride in Venice. And...let her shop with out complaining! Hold hands where ever you walk and get lost in one another. Make her feel like she is the only person on Earth. You will have an awesome time!
At the Trevi Fountain, if you stand facing the fountain behind you to your left is a little market. Go inside and get some cheese, bread, wine and olives and have a late afternoon snack on the fountain steps.
Of course an after dark gondola ride in Venice. And...let her shop with out complaining! Hold hands where ever you walk and get lost in one another. Make her feel like she is the only person on Earth. You will have an awesome time!
May 24th, 2005, 09:01 AM
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SusanP was right. I'm not quite ready to propose, just love seeing her speechless. The suit thing, I decided, is too focused on me instead of her and others were right to suggest that I should not try to buy her clothes.
Hmm...still not getting any inspiration.
Thanks for the comments though.
Hmm...still not getting any inspiration.
Thanks for the comments though.
May 24th, 2005, 11:20 AM
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velvethammer.
darling. i met my husband in rome. nothing was more romantic than meeting for our second date in piazza di spagna, having dinner at a random trattoria (vegetarian no less - totally bizarre) and wandering the streets of rome for hours, as we talked about everything. you're right -there is nothing more romantic than italy, especially roma. one of my favorite restaurants is this little place called cul de sac (between piazza navona and campo di fiori). they have lovely little nibbles of meats, cheese, etc with a wine list an inch thick. don't overdo the romance -she probably loves you because romance just happens between you, regardless of any effort involved. as for venice in the summer, i could do without it. take her back in february or march, when you can cuddle together on a gondola as it glides through the mist. have a wonderful time, stop over-thinking it, DON'T buy her clothes, and definitely DON'T scream something ridiculous in piazza san marco (a man definitely wrote that commerical).
darling. i met my husband in rome. nothing was more romantic than meeting for our second date in piazza di spagna, having dinner at a random trattoria (vegetarian no less - totally bizarre) and wandering the streets of rome for hours, as we talked about everything. you're right -there is nothing more romantic than italy, especially roma. one of my favorite restaurants is this little place called cul de sac (between piazza navona and campo di fiori). they have lovely little nibbles of meats, cheese, etc with a wine list an inch thick. don't overdo the romance -she probably loves you because romance just happens between you, regardless of any effort involved. as for venice in the summer, i could do without it. take her back in february or march, when you can cuddle together on a gondola as it glides through the mist. have a wonderful time, stop over-thinking it, DON'T buy her clothes, and definitely DON'T scream something ridiculous in piazza san marco (a man definitely wrote that commerical).
May 24th, 2005, 11:25 AM
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Velvethammer...I think the important thing to remember is that it doesn't really matter that you're in Rome, only that you're together. Telling her what it means to you to be in such a romantic place will mean more than the romantic place itself. I think you can do no wrong if you have stake out a nice place for dinner, put on your best duds, and "spontaneously" buy her a bouquet of flowers on the way home (not on the way out, as they'll wilt).
You don't have to buy her a ring or anything, but getting her a small momento of the trip would also go over huge. Unless she's a snob who demands a minimum 2 carats of anything (which I doubt she is if she's got someone as thoughtful as you), it doesn't have to be expensive, just a little token she can wear and think of you.
We're suckers for that sorta thing.
Jules
You don't have to buy her a ring or anything, but getting her a small momento of the trip would also go over huge. Unless she's a snob who demands a minimum 2 carats of anything (which I doubt she is if she's got someone as thoughtful as you), it doesn't have to be expensive, just a little token she can wear and think of you.
We're suckers for that sorta thing.
Jules
May 24th, 2005, 11:30 AM
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I would like a candlelight dinner along a canal in Venice for my romantic memory.
And when you do propose don't kneel, I think that is so silly, but then again you aren't proposing to me so I'll stay out of it.
Let us know.
May 24th, 2005, 11:32 AM
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No, I'm back.
In Rome I think the most romantic evening would be strolling along hand in hand late in the evening after a wonderful dinner. It all depends on what you say and do more than where you are.
In Rome I think the most romantic evening would be strolling along hand in hand late in the evening after a wonderful dinner. It all depends on what you say and do more than where you are.
May 24th, 2005, 11:53 AM
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If you do the gondola ride in Venice, start the ride just before sunset, when the colors are wonderful and the colors are changing...they reflect off the water and the buildings... If there is just enough light left to still see the colors of the buildings as the gondola floats by, this is a magic twilight time of day...
Hopefully you will get a romantic gondolier who will tell you it's a special custom to kiss while going under the bridge of sighs...
but Venice is very expensive! rome is also wonderful and can be romantic...rome is also less expensive.
Walking in Rome is romantic, especially towards the evening and after dinner. I love the wonderful neighborhoods surrounding the Pantheon...ristorantes on colorful little piazzas...The Trevi fountain is beautiful in the day-time and also romantic when lit at night. (Crowded in the day-time at the Trevi fountain.)
And no, the canals in Venice don't smell bad. The only time a canal in Venice smells bad is if there is some kind of repair work going on, and they close off a canal. If it's closed off, and has no circulation, it will start smelling. But this is the rare occurrence...we only found one canal like this which had to be closed off. the others smelled fine, and I am speaking as a person with a very sensitive nose!
Also my husband had been to Venice over 25 years ago, when the canals did smell. He came with us last summer and said, wow, Venice has really improved, it doesn't smell any more and has been cleaned up. For the rest of the family it was our first time in Italy.
I find the most memorable romantic gestures from my husband to be the ones that are very personal and just take me by surprise... The moments which really define him as a unique and wonderful man when he reaches beyond his every-day limitations and gives me one of those amazing moments!
These are personal moments that are unique to each couple.
For example, my husband has always been a thrifty man, raised by thrifty parents and from a long line of thrifty people. It is hard for him to spend money, no matter how much money he makes. To him, spending money always feels like wasting money. The first time he ever took me to a restaurant and smiled and said "Order anything you want. Anything! YOu deserve it" This was a very big deal for him to say and I knew he had arrived at this point for me!
Also, for a man, complimenting a woman in private is often easy. But complimenting her in front of others is often much more difficult for him, especially in front of his family. I tell my husband, if you compliment me in front of others, it doubles the compliment! Of course you have to make sure the compliment is sincere and will make her smile proudly, and not cringe in embarassment.
In Italy the small family-run ristorantes can be just as romantic, and cheaper, and have better food than the bigger, touristy, expensive places! You will find them on the smaller piazzas, not always on the big and famous piazzas. Bring a list of recommended restaurants from fodors guidebooks, other travellers, and also check out the restaurant recommendations in Rick Steve's guidebook especially for rome. they are great, a bargain, and lots of atmosphere!
I think you will impress her by showing interest in her interests. Start with the planning phase. Find out together what interests her as you plan. show her you want to plan a trip which includes her interests. She will remember this!
I told my husband that romance is often about being thoughtful! It's not just about sunsets and expensive gifts. It's about the little things, like he gives her his only coat to wear when they are freezing at the beach because somebody ran off with her keys. She says, but you're freezing, and he says, No, I'm not cold at all, as he sits there shivering. (this happened to my 18-year-old daughter recently and she found it very romantic!)
have a wonderful memorable trip!
Hopefully you will get a romantic gondolier who will tell you it's a special custom to kiss while going under the bridge of sighs...
but Venice is very expensive! rome is also wonderful and can be romantic...rome is also less expensive.
Walking in Rome is romantic, especially towards the evening and after dinner. I love the wonderful neighborhoods surrounding the Pantheon...ristorantes on colorful little piazzas...The Trevi fountain is beautiful in the day-time and also romantic when lit at night. (Crowded in the day-time at the Trevi fountain.)
And no, the canals in Venice don't smell bad. The only time a canal in Venice smells bad is if there is some kind of repair work going on, and they close off a canal. If it's closed off, and has no circulation, it will start smelling. But this is the rare occurrence...we only found one canal like this which had to be closed off. the others smelled fine, and I am speaking as a person with a very sensitive nose!
Also my husband had been to Venice over 25 years ago, when the canals did smell. He came with us last summer and said, wow, Venice has really improved, it doesn't smell any more and has been cleaned up. For the rest of the family it was our first time in Italy.
I find the most memorable romantic gestures from my husband to be the ones that are very personal and just take me by surprise... The moments which really define him as a unique and wonderful man when he reaches beyond his every-day limitations and gives me one of those amazing moments!
These are personal moments that are unique to each couple.
For example, my husband has always been a thrifty man, raised by thrifty parents and from a long line of thrifty people. It is hard for him to spend money, no matter how much money he makes. To him, spending money always feels like wasting money. The first time he ever took me to a restaurant and smiled and said "Order anything you want. Anything! YOu deserve it" This was a very big deal for him to say and I knew he had arrived at this point for me!
Also, for a man, complimenting a woman in private is often easy. But complimenting her in front of others is often much more difficult for him, especially in front of his family. I tell my husband, if you compliment me in front of others, it doubles the compliment! Of course you have to make sure the compliment is sincere and will make her smile proudly, and not cringe in embarassment.
In Italy the small family-run ristorantes can be just as romantic, and cheaper, and have better food than the bigger, touristy, expensive places! You will find them on the smaller piazzas, not always on the big and famous piazzas. Bring a list of recommended restaurants from fodors guidebooks, other travellers, and also check out the restaurant recommendations in Rick Steve's guidebook especially for rome. they are great, a bargain, and lots of atmosphere!
I think you will impress her by showing interest in her interests. Start with the planning phase. Find out together what interests her as you plan. show her you want to plan a trip which includes her interests. She will remember this!
I told my husband that romance is often about being thoughtful! It's not just about sunsets and expensive gifts. It's about the little things, like he gives her his only coat to wear when they are freezing at the beach because somebody ran off with her keys. She says, but you're freezing, and he says, No, I'm not cold at all, as he sits there shivering. (this happened to my 18-year-old daughter recently and she found it very romantic!)
have a wonderful memorable trip!
May 24th, 2005, 01:09 PM
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Yes, he is not PLANNING on proposing, but these places, just being there, together, he could very well find himself unexpectedly proposing. Amore is powerful, especially in the cities you are visiting.
May 24th, 2005, 02:22 PM
#20
Honestly, I am most impressed with your initial "partial idea"... it's a beauty! I say keep thinking of something along those lines... brilliant IMO.
The canals in Venice do not stink in my experience (and both my visits were in August). But for me personally I would not enjoy a gondola ride or find it particularly romantic but more embarrassing (that's just me).
The canals in Venice do not stink in my experience (and both my visits were in August). But for me personally I would not enjoy a gondola ride or find it particularly romantic but more embarrassing (that's just me).
