With a trip to Paris and the French Riviera coming up in less than one month, this linkup topic is very well timed!  I guess I consider every vacation to have some element of romance to it.  My husband and I work a lot so getting to disconnect and spend quality time together without the constant interruption of email and phone calls is always romantic in my book.  However, it’s true that some destinations add to that sense of love and romance by virtue of their beauty, atmosphere and history.  Here are a few of my favorite places to bring back that ‘ol spark.

Paris, France

We’ll be spending a few nights in Paris and 6 nights in the French Riviera at the end of the summer and I’m so excited for this trip.  Steve and I are lucky and have been to Paris 3 times now and it is such a beautiful and romantic city.  Something about the architecture, the food, the wine, the cafe culture, the gardens and the art that all combine to create the perfect atmosphere for feeling lovey-dovey. I have never been to the French Riviera so I’m very excited to check out Nice, Eze, Antibes and maybe Cannes.  I’ve been in the process of making some dinner and lunch reservations in both locations and we have picked some gorgeous looking hotels as well.  Bring on the champagne and macarons! And the eclairs..and the creme brulee…and the pastries….

Amalfi Coast

We visited Italy for the first time in 2016 and spent 3 nights in Rome and then 5 nights on the Amalfi coast and I fell head over heels for that region, especially the Island of Capri.  Capri was so peaceful and quiet and it seemed like every building was carpeted with brilliant flowers.  The views from Capri town and Anacapri took our breath away.  Sitting on the patio of our hotel with the sun beaming down on us and enjoying a glass of wine or campari spritzer can’t be beat.

French Polynesia

We came here for our 15 year wedding anniversary and were not disappointed.  We spent 3 nights on Moorea and then flew to Bora Bora for the overwater bungalow experience at the St. Regis.  We have been to the Caribbean many times but the beauty and French Polynesia is incredible.  Walking past the view of Mount Otemanu each morning on the way to breakfast was surreal because it looked like a screen saver to me.  It was a long flight to get here but Steve and I really got to disconnect from work and just enjoy each other’s company without the distraction of our iphones and what-not.  Seems like everyone in FP is on their honeymoon or special anniversary so it was a nice adults-only trip.  We particularly enjoyed a private island champagne lunch with Bora Bora Romantic Tours.

St. Lucia, Caribbean

One place that I am dying to return to is St. Lucia.  I think this is the most scenic of all the Caribbean islands, at least the ones that I have been to so far.  The pitons skyrocketing straight up from the ocean make for a quite a sight and a sunset sail is the best way to see them.  There are also so many hotels that have an open wall concept with views overlooking them (Ladera, Stonefield Estate and Jade Mountain are excellent choices).  We stayed near Soufriere and caught the most magical sunsets every evening – we even saw the “green flash” twice during our stay.  This was also our first private plunge pool experience and it spoiled us for the rest of our Caribbean vacations!  Now we pretty much insist on that feature.

A few other locations that we enjoy and have been very romantic are the Riviera Maya (the Viceroy Hotel near Playa del Carmen is my favorite) and just about any wine region is bound to be romantic – I think Napa is particularly nice and has some beautiful hotels.  I always say that good wine does not grow in ugly places so you can be guaranteed natural beauty, plus a great glass of wine is sure to put a warm smile on your face.  I’m also looking forward to staying at Casa Kimberly in January 2019 in Puerto Vallarta – it’s Elizabeth Taylor’s and Richard Burton’s old love nest, which has been turned into a romantic boutique hotel.  Her pink heart shaped bathtub is still in the main suite, as well!