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TAKING YOUR LOVED one on a romantic road trip this Valentine’s Day is sure to drive them into your arms.
So get the guy or gal out of your dreams and into your car, because, as Smokey Robinson put it, cruising is made for love.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of the six most romantic drives around Europe to make your love life miles better. So, grab the keys to your car and maybe you’ll get the key to their heart. OK, OK, I’ll stop (in the name of love)! Sorry, I can’t help myself. (I love you and nobody else)…
1. Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Fancy a romantic midnight stroll and a starlit picnic under the Milky Way? Then drive the Ring of Kerry when the sun goes down and the stars come out and spend the night in the Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve. This is the only Gold Tiered International Dark Sky Reserve in the whole of the Northern Hemisphere. This means that the view of the night sky is as clear and unpolluted as remote places like the desert plains of Africa or the Joshua Tree National Park in California.
On a clear, moonless night you can see the band of the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and nebulas, all without any telescopes or other equipment. You can rent a house or stay in a hostel or just lie on the ground and look up at the stars shining bright above you while night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’.
2. Heart-shaped road (aka Road 937), Maribor to Špičnik, Slovenia
Looking for the perfect place to pop the question? Then take a road trip to Slovenia. Starting in Maribor, take road number 937 and head towards the tiny village of Špičnik, about 30 minutes away. The pretty road winds its way through quaint villages and vineyards and there are plenty of places to stop for a romanic picnic which are nestled along the banks of the Bresterniški potok that follows the road.
However, the real romance starts when the road twists into the shape of a heart in Špičnik. Make sure you get out of the car and walk up the hill so you can see that you really were on the road to love.
3. The Romantic Road, Germany
Of course THE Romantic Road in southern Germany has to be on this list, but it really does live up to its name. It is one of my favourite roads to drive as it takes you through some lovely old towns and rolling farmlands at the foot of the Alps. It is especially pretty around this time of year as there is usually snow everywhere which ups the romance to Barry White level.
By the end of this road trip your partner won’t be able to get enough of your love, babe.
4. The Cotswolds Romantic Road, England
Whilst Kissing Tree Lane might be the most romantic road name in the UK, the actual most romantic road is called Copse Hill Road in Lower Slaughter, which is in the Cotswolds. And I know it doesn’t sound romantic but believe me when I tell you it is incredibly darling and perfectly suited for those who are ‘courting’.
The Cotswolds Romantic Road splits into two loops, both centred on the elegant Regency town of Cheltenham. The northern loop is known as ‘A Road for Today’ and the southern loop is known as ‘A Road for Tomorrow’. Both routes follow twisty, narrow country drives through quintessentially English countryside. These roads are best enjoyed in an open-top British sports car – I recommend a 1974 Triumph TR6 – and don’t forget to steal a kiss at the turn of a mile.
5. The Bloemen Route, Netherlands
Flowers are traditionally synonymous with Valentine’s Day in Western culture as they represent romance and love. But this year, don’t just get your loved one a bouquet of flowers. Get them all the flowers.
This drive, known as the Flower Route, takes you through western Holland and is filled fields covered with multicoloured blooms that stretch as far as the eye can see. It really is breathtaking and almost otherworldly to see the landscape blanketed with such colour.
The Bloemen Route is around 40km (25 miles) and the flower show starts in late January, when the first crocuses come up. Daffodils, narcissi, and hyacinths spring up next followed by irises and tulips in early May, then gladioli, dahlias, and fragrant lilies. A trip along this fragrant route is sure to get you kissed by a rose on the grey.
6. The Amalfi Coast, Italy
Italy is a country known for its romance and passion and the Amalfi Coast is one of its most famous and most romantic roads. Start your passionate drive in Sorrento, preferably in a sporty Italian convertible, and preferably with a sporty Italian, and head north towards Positano. The thrill of driving the narrow, coastal road will leave you and your loved one buzzing with adrenaline and you’ll be hugging each other tight celebrating the fact that you made it to Positano alive.
Once in Positano, head to one of the most romantic restaurants in the world, La Sponda in the famous La Sirenuse Hotel. This Michelin-starred restaurant offers magnificent views of the coast and has an elegant atmosphere especially at night when the space bathes in the soft glow created by 400 candles. By the end of the night you’ll be fanning the flames of love eternal.
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had a samsung for 2 years, got an iPhone and within half an hour was wondering why i hadn’t had an iPhone all along. Still streets ahead in my opinion.
Both are a waste of money. Huawei all the way.
I think Apple products are far superior to Samsung. Let the games begin!
Can’t fault them, they do make great products, iPhone 5s is a super phone and laptops are sweet especially the MacBook Air
What do i use my old iphone and ipads for? that cannot upgrade beyound 5.1 ios and therefore are useless all apps are 6 and over. Why do they make devices to survive more than 2 years when they are worthless after that. Thats where they make their billions i suppose.
Its called Planned Obsolescence. Good documentary regarding the above on youtube.
The most recent iPhone that is not compatible with iOS 7.0 is the 3GS, released in 2009, slightly longer than two years. It was compatible up until iOS 6.1.3 as far as I know.
And the iPad only came about in 2010
Cork’s Average Income rises again!
Think I’ll stick with the ol’ Nokia 3310, still going strong after 11 years
I hate that kind of arrogance where Apple think are the only company that are part of the ecosystem, when everything they do is built upon the shoulders of others – Their phones would be useless without the work of Ericsson, NSN & Huawei who share their knowledge to make networks available to all; their ipads and laptops dependant on the internet, built on open standards made available to all, the thosands of websites that are built without any help from apple; Music players built on the backbone of mp3 developers, and the app store built upon the millions of developers who didn’t work on the 10 or so apps that apple have developed.
Like or loathe their products (I like them), Apple as a company are the Disney corporation of the 21st century, and will stiffle creativity and originality through their obsession with cash and patents above openness and sharing. Eventually, they will just be a US only patent trolling company left behind by the rest of the world.
(nb: apologies for the rant)
Totally agree. I like apple products however not a fan of wallet gardens and will therefore not support them.
Giz a lend apple
I wonder how many Chinese lads jumped out of windows because they couldn’t bare to work in apple factories while an American corporate giant makes enough money to cure world poverty….
Foxconn dont just make apple products they make everything xbox one ,Asus motherboards
4
Oh go away Declan you miserable sod.
My god filthy rich.
But can it play snake
Doesn’t make me want my I phone any more..
Imagine if Irish Exchequer was receiving 12.5% of those super profits in corporation tax every year from Apple Inc?
Currently it’s circa 2%, and the Market Capitalisation of the company is headed towards $1 trillion, with Hard Cash on the Balance Sheet of $150 bn.
Great News for Shareholders, but is it good for Society in general that such cash piles are building up in lots if international behemoths, as a result if low and inequitable CT rates. 10% extra filtering into Government coffers, would go a long way to addressing perceived unfairness of system for “stateless” multinationals. And Governments could apply those extra revenues for productive public works in their respective countries, thereby generating additional and essential economic activity, employment, taxes etc.
The tap of trickle-down economics needs to be turned on fully, to offer more hope to the masses in a broken economic world.
If our government got some of that money we wouldn’t see it anyway all the cronies would be looked after and that’s about it
It’s a year on but well worth a read, first one is Wall Street Journal, the second one is interesting to us as irish people. Of course tax avoidance is all right it’s the non regulated tax evasion that middle men dislike.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324787004578495250424727708
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-apple-reduces-what-it-pays-in-taxes-2013-5
Apple . meh, its easy to see how they have massive profits what with obscene prices apple fan boys suck up to. Apple don’t do much designs in terms of electronics, its mostly outsourced but not to Samsung who rightly told them to fluck themselves.
If the lads up in the dall got their hands on that money they would just squander it
Get a life geeks…
Sent from my pink Tamagotchi
Apple . meh, its easy to see how they have massive profits what with obscene prices apple fan boys suck up to. Apple don’t do much designs in terms of electronics, its mostly outsourced but not to Samsung who rightly told them to fluck themselves.
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