Guest Post by Karen Sommers

Italy has been calling in more ways than one throughout this entire past year. Not only does the country (which I’ve never visited) spark a sense of interest and curiosity in me, I’ve been working on a novella series set amid its fabled wine country which I hope to finally release this year.

As I stared out the window one day dwelling on my irrational interest in the country I had no real reason to feel a strong connection with, I started to wonder if there are common elements shared by cities, countries, and regions popularly considered romantic.

This is what I came up with.

Sensory Elements

My first attempt at a list contained many of the following items, and it took me a moment to realize they all directly correlated to one or more of the five senses. This made a lot of sense as I thought about it, given that we are sensory beings and what is Romance if not a sensory experience of something or someone in far greater depth than what the constraints of society and responsibilities normally allow?

Sight

This one may seem obvious. Can anyone think of the word “romance” without conjuring up images of sunsets and fields of flowers? Rows upon rows of vineyard vines?

The common factors here seem to be:

  • Color. Warm tones come up in romantic images more often than not, your reds, pinks, yellows and oranges
  • Landscapes. When we think romance we tend to think rural, vast expanses of [pick your preference here: ocean, beaches, rolling hills, forests, etc.]. Personally, I think this is due to the complimentary elements of nature, pacing, and human heritage I’ve got listed further on.
  • Light. Monet noted that the light in Italy was just different from his native norther France, and different again from England. The atmosphere in any particular place filters sunlight in different ways, some more pleasing to the senses than others. In general, places that are lighter and brighter are better thought of than those with cooler/darker hues.

Sound

Ambient sounds and music

  • Water. Whether waves on a shore, a gently waterfall, a babbling brook, or a light rain, there’s something soothing and magical about this heart-centered element. It resonates with the core of us as beings made mostly of water. My all-time favorite is a summer thunderstorm.
  • Street musicians and traditional instruments. I love a good street recital just about anywhere, but have noticed they often take on a special quality in smaller towns or older cities. Listening to delicate strains of classical or traditional music as it rebounds off the densely packed buildings of the heart of a city, reverberating to the listener’s very soul…It’s an experience not to be missed.
  • Wildlife. This is another big one, especially if I’m traveling in a place where the fauna are vastly different from my home. There’s something awe-inspiring in the first time one hears a loon, or even a pack of frogs (yes, this amazed me the first time I heard it). And what about a place with primates or exotic birds? I had a friend recently describe the unearthliness of an elk call. That one might not scream “romantic” to me, but she guaranteed there was still something impressively heart wrenching about it.

Smell

  • Gardens and natural perfumes. Wandering through local gardens is one of my favorite things to do when I visit a new place. Those wondrous scents, sweet and subtle, draw a person deep into a space of comfort and memory, especially on a warm spring day.
  • Nature. Cool forest in a light rain, a packed clay road in the summer warmth, the earthiness of tall grasses and the sweetness of fresh water. Many of us are cooped up in our offices and homes amid a concrete jungle for more hours of our lives than we’d like to think about. A trip to somewhere that reminds us of our connection to mama Earth can be immensely relaxing and comforting
  • Foods and warming spices. I’ll go more into this in the next paragraph, but have you ever wandered by a spice shop or tea house? I had the good fortune to do so a time or two, the honest to goodness open air street shops. The effect is both invigorating and overwhelming. I’m always especially entranced by the warm scents like cinnamon and anise set alongside crisp citrus.

Taste

In addition to the items listed for smell, I’ve also included the concept of trying new things and new combinations of things in this category. When we visit new places, we are often exposed to options we wouldn’t normally be, or else feel emboldened to try something new. We use travel as an excuse to branch out and splurge on things we otherwise might not. A few examples:

  • It never would have occurred to me to toss a berry or two into my champagne if my hotel hadn’t done it for me.
  • I never understood what chefs talk about with ideal spice or herb combinations for food until I tried Moroccan food
  • Sure, I had heard of the cheese and fruit thing, or the strawberries and chocolate thing, but that all seemed like too much effort… until that one tea I attended.

Feel

  • Soft. Silk, down, meadow grass. Anything that flows
  • Gentle. Whether it’s a lover’s touch, a caress to a child’s cheek, or the way a garment flows, we respond positively to a touch that is light and adoring.
  • Warm. Both literally and figuratively. As warm-blooded creatures, we enjoy a certain homeostasis. Not too hot, not too cold as the saying goes. Gentle rays of the sun as we recline in our landscape of choice keep the mood relaxed and pleasant.

A few other elements

These are the things I found listed most often in travel articles about Tuscany. They apply not only to that region, but to many romantic places. I’m sure all of these fit into the sensory categories quite easily, but I wanted to focus on them in more of a societal or human community way. You decide if I’ve succeeded with my observations.

Alcohol. Not the most romantic introduction, but accurate. We tend to think romance in any place that has a wine country: France, Italy, Spain, etc. I would have titled this “wine,” but didn’t want to leave out the romantic element in cocktails, champagne (that one could’ve worked I suppose) or a creative hot toddy.

While I don’t personally condone or advise an overindulgence in alcohol, I do understand the relaxing effect is likely what helps associate the drinks with romance. Alcohol (in moderation!) can lower the inhibitions and embolden, sometimes leading to positive results.

Pacing. By this I mean the feeling that life somehow moves slower in these romantic regions. To some extent it’s true. We visit new places when we’re on vacation, so without the constant stress of home responsibilities it does feel as though things are moving at a much more relaxed pace. Additionally, depending on where we visit, there may be a completely different social norm with regard to activities (Spanish siesta anyone?)

History/human heritage. This one bleeds into the next in inspiring an innate sense of connection with our fellow man. When we see the evidence of where we came from, the longevity of it, there’s something humbling in the knowledge. That humbleness opens us up to romance. In my perception it’s something like the release of inhibitions with drinks, but without the negative effect of a foggy brain. We let go of our sense of superiority in the face of remarkable achievement and become more receptive.

Art/architecture. Basically the same as I’ve just mentioned, but with physical representation rather than the more vague documented (and undocumented) information inherent in history.

And there you have it. Quite a list, but there are so many overlapping features. Now that I’ve fleshed out this idea a bit, I’m curious to see how these items are reflected in writing. And I mean really reflected, almost subconsciously rather than the obvious use of description to set the scene.

Let me know if you’d like to see a post on that theme, I’m happy to put something together. Meanwhile, What did you think of this list? Is there anything vital I left out? Let me know in the comments!

Karen is a fellow author of historical romance. If you’d like to learn more about her and her work, please check out her website or author central page on amazon:

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