Valentine’s day is right around the corner, and whether you are living the single life or have found ‘the one’, whether you are a couple or a family with kids, we have you covered! Take a leaf out of team Namaste Switzerland’s book – we share some of our ideas on how to make V-Day special.
Rajan Thambehalli takes us to the city of Verona, which he visited in 2016 with his wife, Tripti. “William Shakespeare has been instrumental in making this Italian city popular. He based three of his plays on the city– The two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet.
One can experience Valentine’s Day activities such as the famous balcony from Romeo and Juliet and the ‘Club di Giulietta.’ This is an actual club funded by the Verona city council in which women don the role of ‘Juliet’ and respond to thousands of letters on matters related to love and its many emotions. To test this, I did send a letter (it is free) with a few hypothetical questions. A few months letter, I did receive a hand-written reply. True story!
And, for those who wish to be away from the buzz and the crowd, avoid the city centre and take a walk along the Castelvecchio, a castle built in the Middle Ages. There is also the Verona Arena and several Roman architectural structures that are worth a visit. If you are a fitness freak and love distance running, there is the annual half Marathon (Giulietta & Romeo Half Marathon) that takes place during the Sunday of Valentine’s Day weekend (this year on 16 Feb).” Valentine’s Day can also be a chance for you and your significant other to explore a sport together.
Chetana Parameswar tells us about her experience paragliding with her husband in Zermatt, “Our wedding anniversary is a month away from V-Day and we could combine the two celebrations.
We visited Zermatt for a weekend. Day one we went to see the Matterhorn with the Gornergrat Bahn and did a bit of hiking instead of taking the Bahn all the way down. Also took in some sights of the Zermatt village and made our bookings for paragliding. The next day until mid-day was reserved by us for that activity.
Param was very excited but I was a bit anxious. However, after taking the “leap of faith” off the cliff, it was truly exhilarating! One can only imagine the joy and freedom that a bird experiences! I truly felt like a bird while flying at that height while soaking in the beauty of the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks. Tandem paragliding is fun and the pilots are very friendly. Also, if it’s one place that is absolutely cautious and has all its safety requirements adhered too, it’s definitely Switzerland! I can’t imagine trying such an adventure sport in another country. I couldn’t be happier that Param encouraged me to face my fear and see what lay ahead of it. That’s what love is all about, ain’t it? Taking that leap of faith!”
Vantika Singh tells about how she makes time for her family on Valentine’s Day. “One must take time out to celebrate this beautiful emotion called ‘love’! The concept of love varies from person to person and for me I can be my own Valentine and pamper myself unconditionally but this year since Valentine’s Day is on a Friday, I plan to celebrate it with my husband and my son. My boys mean the world to me and we plan to have a nice and relaxed meal in our favourite restaurant‚ Maison Manesse’ in Zurich.
There have been times when we didn’t have much time on our hands but we made sure that we met for a quick cup of coffee accompanied with some nice conversation or just a simple stroll in the park if the sun was out. Nevertheless, for me, an ideal celebration would be at a spa with my boys relaxing and unwinding from the daily chaos. It can also be a day at a theme park – taking fun rides with a lot of laughter and making wonderful memories!
We try to make sure that time is not a constraint whenever we plan an occasion together. We should not forget to breathe and enjoy the little things in life which bring immense joy to us. On this happy note – wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day where there are more love and less of work emails :)”
Smita Swamy tells us about her idea for a ‘Ski Gutschein’, I once gave my husband a ski day ticket of Titlis mountain, that I got through their website. Most of the ski resorts have such gift vouchers, or a course or lesson gift voucher. This is for people who want to experience skiing or for a pro who will surely enjoy a ski day out.” She also suggests Bungee Jumping as a gift idea: “If your partner is an adventurous person then a bungee jumping experience can be gifted. One of the more famous ones in Switzerland is Bungee jumping on Versace dam also known as GoldenEye bungee jumping.”
Manasa Mukka shares how her family celebrates Valentine’s Day, “As young parents, it’s difficult to celebrate Valentine’s Day like how couples without kids celebrate, especially when there is no family around to babysit the children. We celebrated Valentine’s Day last year together as a family at dinner.
The kids made a Valentine’s Day card for us. The kids and I baked a heart-shaped chocolate cake (I know… cheesy right?). We made some pasta and tossed some salad. We all got dressed up in red and the menu was also mostly in shades of red. It was a fun evening with laughter and lots of love. Isn’t this what Valentine’s Day is about?”
Keerthana Nagarajan enjoys a special indulgence – “We as a family LOVE the Swiss Sprungli cheesecake. But then enjoying it for special occasions makes it more fun and also keeps a check on one’s calorie count! Even if we forget, our kids remind us to get the heart-shaped (available only around this time of the year, other months it’s a round cake) cheesecake topped with fresh raspberries!”
Aradhna Sethi explains how it is important to celebrate with thoughtfulness, “Every day is a new one to welcome with your loved ones and feel blessed. But yes, there’s that one special day dedicated to love – Valentine’s Day. Presents – I love them from my husband and my kids! But there’s a catch – say it with love and self-made from your hearts! A homemade special meal of everyone’s favourite dishes, cake and coffee. But hang in – there’s work involved- and each one who wants to be part of my Valentine day celebration has to pitch in – surprises or planned cooking – we do it together. Erm… the cleaning up is managed by the kids and hubby! Well – that’s the true show of “we love you and we care”. That’s if V-day falls on a weekend.
On a weekday, we decide to dine out and have that coffee and cake. My special present to the family – undiluted and focused involvement with things beyond organizing and doing… and their special presents to me – togetherness without electronics and shoptalk! Of course, weekend or not – kisses and hugs are always to share! Anytime, every time.”
Shinta Simon talks about how celebrations have changed over time for her family, “The sweeping romantic gestures, gifts and dinner dates from the years ago have given way to hand-made cards (made by my older son), family meals and movie nights at home. Valentine’s Day is not as much of an event as it used to be back in India, but we do make the time for a special meal, which my oldest usually plans ahead. We are a family of foodies and we make sure that the meals we cook for special days and celebrations are unforgettable.”
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