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New! Split Heart Keychains With Free Engraving

The perfect sentimental gift! Our split heart keychain can be engraved with your names, dates, or whatever you choose! You keep one side and give the other to your significant other! It is a romantic and sentimental gift that will help keep the two of you close when not together.Great for anniversaries, birthdays, long distance relationships, military gift for a deployed service person or "just because"!

Hearts Tour - Romantic Belgium

Interested in going some place a bit different? Everyone goes to Paris and the like, why not try a place no larger that the state of Maryland but big in hospitality, steeped in history, fun things to do and romance. Nestled in between Holland and France lies Belgium. Quaint and unassuming this beautiful land boasts incredible cuisine in what seems to be an endless array of restaurants and cafes. You can enjoy a romantic cruise through the canals in Bruges then hunt for diamonds in Antwerp! Next, stop to enjoy fine art in Brussels. Belgium is multi lingual and with that in mind it is wonderful to know that most Belgians speak English! So navigating through all this county has to offer should be quite easy. In addition to a plethora of history and cultural diversity, Belgium also has some of the most romantic inns and bed and breakfast’s. You can also arrange to stay in a real castle, an Abbey or if feeling really adventurous you can even camp out ! (My idea of camping out is staying at a motel instead of a hotel but to each their own!). It is plain to see that Belgium has a lot to offer. Consider it for your next romantic getaway. Visit us at onepassionplace.com

Hearts Tour - York, England

Love and romance come in many different guises, that much is true. But if you’re looking for romantic introductions to beautiful York nestled in the North of England, there are a few which are beyond question. The first is that this was the birthplace of WH Auden, one of the most quoted 20th century poets in the world on the subject of love!

And then of course there is the undisputed romance of the railways and in York that means not only the beautiful Victorian railway station but also the National Railway Museum and, out of town, the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway, a romantic journey if ever there was one.

So if you’re looking for a little romance in your life, York is the answer. Take a moonlit cruise down the Ouse, indulge in dinner at beautiful St William’s College, and wake up to a breathtaking view of the Minster from your bedroom window. It’s a city built for exploring on foot, with plenty of stops for a cappuccino, afternoon tea or something a little stronger along the way. You can even arrange a walking tour of York and of course the Moors. And what better backdrop for romance than the Museum Gardens, with the beautiful ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, or the Treasurer’s House, complete with charming gardens, tucked away behind the Minster? For total, unashamed romance, hire a horse and cart for your tour of the city, leaving you free to gaze adoringly into each other’s eyes. Tours leave from outside the Minster.

The Castle Museum is home to one of the biggest collections of Valentine cards. A thousand or more messages of love are in the archives – including the earliest dated and printed card in existence. It was sent on 12 January 1797 by Catherine (whose surname is impossible to decipher, but it might be Mossday) to a Mr. Brown who may have lived in London.

Certainly York has a lot to offer the couple looking for a bit of sight seeing, a bit of shopping and of course romance.

visit us at onepassionplace.com

Hearts Tour: Storybook Prince Edward Island

When my daughter was a young child we had little money. One of the things we would do for entertainment and to save money was to scour the library for free rentals of movies. Something she would enjoy and something that we could enjoy together as a family. While at the library one afternoon I came across a movie called "Anne of Green Gables". I knew nothing of the movie or of the book written over 100 years ago by Lucy Maude Montgomery. To sum up; it is about this unique cherub of an orphan with red hair and freckles that finds herself in the home of middle aged (or better) brother and sister; Matthew and Marilla Cuthpert. The Cuthperts’ had been looking for an orphaned young boy to come and help them with the farming duties at Green Gables. A ‘mistake’ at the orphanage sent young Anne Shirley instead. I absolubtely fell in love with the film and where the movie was filmed at. Prince Edward Island in Canada. It has been a dream of mine to visit there and while I haven’t made it yet (we are going for my daughters high school graduation gift this summer 2008) I can’t wait to see Prince Edward Island. With its majestic presence, stunning coast lines and history there is so much to do on this beautiful island.

Not only does it make a great family vacation it just has to be the perfect backdrop to any romantic weekend! Or your wedding? Honeymoon? One look at the island and you will be drawn into its beauty. There are numerous quaint bed and breakfast’s scattered throughout the island. Art museums, tours of the island, not to mention tempting your taste buds with fresh lobster, mussels and oysters. After you are done having a bite go shopping! There are magnificent shops for just about anything you want. Including quaint antique shops, collectibles, clothing and more. You might enjoy a walk along the ocean, playing footsie in the sand with your partner. Breathe in the fresh air, enjoy a picnic at the pier. If you arrive in the early fall you can watch the changing of the leaves down the numerous garden paths of Charlottetown or the Woods at Victoria Park. From Charlottetown travel a little west and visit the Five Sisters of Lavender Lane in Kelly’s Cross. It’s all here waiting for you at Prince Edward Island.

Visit us at onepassionplace.com

Hearts Tour: Romantic York in the North of England

Love and romance come in many different guises, that much is true. But if you’re looking for romantic introductions to beautiful York nestled in the North of England, there are a few which are beyond question. The first is that this was the birthplace of WH Auden, one of the most quoted 20th century poets in the world on the subject of love!

And then of course there is the undisputed romance of the railways and in York that means not only the beautiful Victorian railway station but also the National Railway Museum and, out of town, the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway, a romantic journey if ever there was one.

So if you’re looking for a little romance in your life, York is the answer. Take a moonlit cruise down the Ouse, indulge in dinner at beautiful St William’s College, and wake up to a breathtaking view of the Minster from your bedroom window. It’s a city built for exploring on foot, with plenty of stops for a cappuccino, afternoon tea or something a little stronger along the way. You can even arrange a walking tour of York and of course the Moors. And what better backdrop for romance than the Museum Gardens, with the beautiful ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, or the Treasurer’s House, complete with charming gardens, tucked away behind the Minster? For total, unashamed romance, hire a horse and cart for your tour of the city, leaving you free to gaze adoringly into each other’s eyes. Tours leave from outside the Minster.

The Castle Museum is home to one of the biggest collections of Valentine cards. A thousand or more messages of love are in the archives – including the earliest dated and printed card in existence. It was sent on 12 January 1797 by Catherine (whose surname is impossible to decipher, but it might be Mossday) to a Mr. Brown who may have lived in London.

Certainly York has a lot to offer the couple looking for a bit of sight seeing, a bit of shopping and of course romance.

visit us at onepassionplace.com

Hearts Tour: Romantic Belgium

Interested in going some place a bit different? Everyone goes to Paris and the like, why not try a place no larger that the state of Maryland but big in hospitality, steeped in history, fun things to do and romance. Nestled in between Holland and France lies Belgium. Quaint and unassuming this beautiful land boasts incredible cuisine in what seems to be an endless array of restaurants and cafes. You can enjoy a romantic cruise through the canals in Bruges then hunt for diamonds in Antwerp! Next, stop to enjoy fine art in Brussels.

Belgium is multi lingual and with that in mind it is wonderful to know that most Belgians speak English! So navigating through all this county has to offer should be quite easy. In addition to a plethora of history and cultural diversity, Belgium also has some of the most romantic inns and bed and breakfast’s. You can also arrange to stay in a real castle, an Abbey or if feeling really adventurous you can even camp out ! (My idea of camping out is staying at a motel instead of a hotel but to each their own!). It is plain to see that Belgium has a lot to offer. Consider it for your next romantic getaway.

Visit us at onepassionplace.com

A Hearts Tour - The Taj Mahal

I was inspired recently by a television piece that talked about many of the treasures found all over the world. I was particularly moved when I heard the story of the Taj Mahal. How and why it was built and the meaning of the structure itself. I decided that it would be a great idea to take a “hearts tour” from time to time of some of the most romantic and sometimes romantically tragic places in the world. Today’s post is about the Taj Mahal, “the epitome of love” which stands majestically on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, India.

Built in 1631-1648 it is considered one of the 8 wonders of the world. There probably isn’t a single structure known to man that has more romance built out of tragedy than The Taj Mahal. Some say it is an expression of a “dream”. What we do know is that it was created by Emperor Shah Jahan after the unexpected death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, while giving birth to their 14th child. After her death he was inconsolable. However, his love for her was so great that he built the most beautiful mausoleum on Earth dedicated to her. It truly is a monument to love. It took over 22 years and over 20 thousand workers to complete the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a walled garden with a riverside courtyard mosque with the tomb of his wife at its center. Some say the first sight of the Taj Mahal leaves one mesmerized.

Certainly I wont have a “Taj Mahal” built for me when my time comes, but isn’t it wonderful to know that out of the incredible love that Shah Jahan felt for his wife, that the Taj Mahal stands today as a stunning testimonial to true love. And really isn’t that what it is all about? Finding true love? That one person. The one who no matter what you can count on. The one who wipes away your tears, brings you a cup of coffee when you are stumbling around in the morning trying to wake up, one who loves you for all of your faults as well as your triumphs. It isn’t always easy to find him/her. What is it they say…you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. Very true. However I truly believe they do exist. These soul mates of ours. These true loves. It just might take a bit of time to find them. But when you do hold onto them. Treasure them. Forgive them their minuses and lift them up when they need a loving hand. True love exists.

Visit us at onepassionplace.com