In February, 2009, I wrote: Valentine’s Day is coming up. It is unavoidable. I might as well write about it in terms of books and travel.
Here are my random choices of romantic things.
Most romantic couple: Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning
Most romantic city: Florence (And the Brownings just happened to live there!
Most romantic line of poetry: I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach….
Most romantic book about travel I have read: Eat, Love, Pray
Most romantic restaurant I have eaten in: Rainforest Hideaway, Marigot Bay, St. Lucia
Most romantic hotel I ever stayed in: Princess Village, Koh Samui Thailand (Unfortunately now gone upscale as the Le Paradis Boutique Resort and Spa. Ahh, you not only can’t go home again, you can’t go Koh Samui again.)
Here’s a little gift for your Valentine:
How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Photograph by “goranpg” from Flickr, Creative Commons license