If you are visiting Rome and you don’t want to eat in a touristic place my suggestion is Fresia.

Fresia is the Italian word for the flower Freesia.
Fresia is a bar, a restaurant and a wine-bar where Romans go daily for a cappuccino at breakfast,  for a brunch during the lunchbreak, for a drink in the late afternoon (during the happy hour), for  dinner or  after…

There you can taste traditional Roman cooking and Italian wines while listening to live music.
So, for a sandwich or a drink, with your family or for a romantic dinner, try out Fresia.

Italian version.

Italians do not decorate hard–boiled eggs nor have chocolate bunnies or pastel marshmallow chicks, the biggest Easter displays in bars, pastry shops, supermarkets, and especially at chocolatiers are brightly wrapped uova di Pasqua—chocolate Easter eggs—in sizes that range from 10 grams (1/3 ounce) to 8 kilos (nearly 18 pounds). Most of them are made of milk chocolate in a mid–range, 10–ounce size by industrial chocolate makers.

Some producers distinguish between their chocolate eggs for children (sales numbers are a closely guarded secret, but the market for these standard quality eggs is said to be shrinking with Italy’s birthrate) and expensive “adult” versions.

All except the tiniest eggs contain a surprise. Grown–ups often find their eggs contain little silver picture frames or gold–dipped costume jewelry. The very best eggs are handmade by artisans of chocolate, who offer the service of inserting a surprise supplied by the purchaser. Car keys, engagement rings, and watches are some of the high–end gifts that have been tucked into Italian chocolate eggs in Italy.

Article taken from Italian about.

I found this “TOP 10″ of romantic movies on the holidayspot.

Sometimes there is nothing better than to cuddle up with your sweetheart on a big couch and watch a sweet romantic flick, making a journey to the magical reel world and merging yourselves with the characters onscreen, the only bond being that four letter word…love.

Looking for some tips on what to watch with your sweet one on Valentine’s Day? You’ve come to the right place then. Here are ten nice Valentine’s Day movie suggestions for you.

Check these out and find out all about the movies that you can catch on Feb 14!

An Affair to Remember (1957)
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Titanic (1997)
The Way We Were (1973)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Two Weeks Notice (2002)

I also add some recent Italian movie:

The Heart Is Elsewhere (2003)
The Window Opposite (2003)
The Consequences Of Love (2004)
Don’t Move (2004)
Saturn in Opposition - One Life in not Enough (2007)
Quiet Chaos (2008)
When Do the Girls Show Up? (2005)
Manuale d’amore (2005)

The Lady with an Ermine, Ginevra de’ Benci, Isabella d’Este: these are the female portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci that look after the rooms in Bed and Breakfast Repubblica in Florence, the perfect place for a romantic weekend’s art in one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Everything, in this hotel, is connected with the spirit of Florence, from the furniture, in a renewed Renaissance style, to the views from the windows, overlooking on beautiful foreshortenings of the ancient city.

Even if all the rooms are nice and have their own bathroom and tv, there’s a very special one: the Beatrice d’Este’s room have a king size double bed and an internal staircase that takes you up to a mezzanine with a comfortable double sofa.
The view on the tower of Confraternita dei Lanai is really romantic for art lovers…

The bed and breakfast is also two steps away from Uffizi Museum and the Dome, and in the very centre of Florence: Piazza della Repubblica, close to the main fashion shops of the city, is a place from where you can reach everything.

Welcome to the city of art!

Italian version.

Romantic Festival of Valentine’s Day is celebrated with enthusiasm in the beautiful country of Italy. Lovers take opportunity of the day to express love and affection for their beloved. Loads of Valentine’s Day gifts are exchanged and everyone enjoys the day to the hilt.

History of Valentine’s Day in Italy

Valentine’s Day was initially celebrated as a Spring Festival in Italy. Celebration for the day was held in the open air. Young people would gather in tree arbors or ornamental gardens and enjoy listening to music and reading of poetry. Later they would stroll off with their Valentine into the gardens. The custom steadily ceased over the course of years and has not been celebrated for centuries.

Early Valentine’s Day Tradition in Italy

In the Italian City of Turin, betrothed couple used to announce their engagement on the Valentine’s Day. Several days ahead of February 14, stores were decorated and loaded with a huge variety of bon-bon. Some even sold china baskets and cups filled with delectable Valentine’s Day candies and tied with a ribbon. These were to be presented as gifts to Valentine.

Another interesting Valentine’s Day tradition followed in Italy and Britain made unmarried girls to wake up before sunrise. People strongly believed that the first man an unmarried girl sees on Valentine’s Day, or someone who looks like him would marry her within a year. Girls therefore used to wake up early on Valentine’s Day and stand by their window to watch a man pass.

Valentine’s Day Celebration in Italy

People of Italy see Valentine’s Day as a holiday imported from US, just like Halloween and Mother’s Day. For the love and lovers country of Italy, the major day for celebration of love is il giorno della festa degli innamorati. As lovers’ exclusively celebrate this day family members and friends do not exchange gifts.

In recent times however, lovers in Italy celebrate Valentine’s Day by expressing their love to sweethearts. Couples usually go out for dinners at pizzeria or ristorante. Just as in several other countries, the festival has been commercialized to a great extent. There is a strong tradition to exchange gifts like rose, perfume, chocolates and diamonds depending on the age and taste of person. Another popular Valentine’s Day gift in Italy is Baci Perugina - a small, chocolate-covered hazelnuts containing a small slip of paper with a romantic poetic quote in four languages.

Text taken from www.stvalentinesday.org

Do you love a thrill?

The emotion that I’m going to suggest you is one of that holidays that will stuck in your memory.
Imagine: the lovers’ city, the evocative symphonies, a charming place where to enjoy nature, an incomparable Roman amphitheater…

If you like nature and art, if you want to “live” the Opera in its habitat, if you want to spend a romantic or exciting week end… welcome in Verona!

In next months the Verona Arena will offer Carmen, Aida, The barber of Seville and Tosca: an amazing Opera season.

Even if you are not interested in Opera, you have to visit this wonderful city of Veneto… even just for a bit of relax!

In fact, just 5 km far from the Arena and the historic centre, there’s a particular bed and breakfast, totally immersed in nature.

The Bed and Breakfast Horse’s House is positioned in a fascinating early 20th century farmhouse, surrounded by the flora of its gardens, and each room is dedicated to a horse: a passionate tribute to liberty and to the owners’ riding traditions.

Welcome in Verona!

Italian version.

Don’t know what to buy for your girlfriend?

Easy! A “cheap” Gucci bag heart-shaped, really suitable for Valentine’s Day!

It’s a gloss evening bag with detachable chain strap, front zip clousure, bow charm with engraved gucci script logo and ornaments.

It’s available in dark gold leather or in black leather.

Spend a few odd coins for your other half…

For further info visit Gucci’s website.

“Italians Do It Better - Love Themes for Valentine’s Day” is an Italian romantic compilation to celebrate the lovers’ day.

It collects love themes created by famous Italian composers of film scores, like Ennio Morricone, Piero Umiliani and Piero Piccioni.

Even if you don’t know their names you surely know their pieces (they composed for many movies, as “Once Upon a Time in the West”, “The Mission”, “The Legend of 1900”, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, “Swept Away… by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August”, etc…).

This compilation is sold on line, so you don’t have to come in Italy to buy it!

It’s a good idea for a gift, if you don’t know what to give to your partner, or it should work as a soundtrack to get in the right mood, if you know what I mean…

Valentine’s day is coming… it sounds like a threat!
I found a funny “handbook” to discover if he loves you or not on the Jamaica observer:

“Most guys do a pretty lame job at showing their love for their girls. Sure they may tell her all the time that she is beautiful and sexy and all, but how often does he even say he loves you or better yet, how often does he do something special for you to prove his love?

We know when machismo (male ego) sets in; you have to read deep between the lines just to know how he really feels about you. Often times you are still not sure but here are five easy ways to tell if he loves you or loves you not this Valentine’s Day.

1 If he keeps a track of your habits, your likes and dislikes and actually remembers them at the relevant times, then girl your guy is way over his mind for you.

2 If he wants to go out with you all the time, surprises you like on your birthday or Valentine’s Day and takes you out to your favourite place and indulges in your favourite pastime with you then it could only mean one thing and that’s love.

3 When he calls or messages you just to have chit-chat or to express how he feels about you then, look out girl, there is some genuine love interest on his part.

4 Boast about you to his friends and family and praises you in front of them? That’s only love and pure love too. The guy wants the world to know that this beautiful angel got him hooked!

5 If he ogles you down every time you are around him and then quickly detach his glance when you look at him, he is shy but he is all the way in love with you. That sparkle in his eyes will tell it all.”

So, girls, what’s the verdict?

As you well know, Verona is the birth place of Romeo and Juliet.
If you want to spend a romantic Valentine’s day I think that Verona would be a nice destination for you and your partner.

The so called “lovers’ city” will offer you a particular atmosphere, perfect for such an occasion.
I’m inquiring about going there and I found a special place, a B&B that sounds really interesting and suitable for the mood I want to create for me and my boyfriend.

The name of the bed and breakfast is “Casa e natura”, on the website you will know the owners, a young family full of romanticism.
I really was fascinated by the beauty of the rooms and by their attention to the bio way of life: all the things you will come in contact with will strictly be natural and biological.

Moreover, they offer a bicycle to each guest… naturally romantic!

Italian version.