Declare your love for Spain this Valentine's Day

Why not make Spain your Valentine this year?

Mass-manufactured sincerity isn’t what it used to be. In the shellsuited pre-Internet days, romantically stunted blokes could happily ignore Valentine’s Day until 5pm on February 14, when a quick stop-off at the local garage for a box of Milk Tray and a limp bouquet was enough to sate the grateful machinations of their partner.

Men didn’t have to think, plan or overspend. Token gestures were the literal Hallmark of Valentine’s Day, and the traffic was all one-way. The womenfolk didn’t have to do anything other than smile sweetly and insist that, yes Jeff, you can open the chocolates.

Today, however, Valentine’s Day is fraught with potential pitfalls. Things like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and ‘Caring’ have put paid to that aforementioned age-old ritual. Young, angular hipsters not only spend weeks planning the most romantic flashmob-backed, eye-wateringly expensive paean of love to their paramour, they also share it with the world, creating gently rocking hordes of green-eyed men and sighing gaggles of wistful women.

It’s ruined, frankly. Valentine’s Day is now pretty much a global nightclub, where millions of men prance and jostle for position on the dancefloor of one-upmanship while the ladies gravitate towards the most ostentatious displays.

But there’s one relationship that melds the best of modern technologies and techniques with timeless traits of enduring romance. And the best thing of all? It’s effortlessly reciprocated.

Declaring your love for Spain is easy. She is a low-maintenance sort; simply shower her with your time and she will reward you tenfold. You don’t need chocolates (they’ll melt), nor flowers (the wildflowers of Andalucía are more beautiful than anything a Shell forecourt could muster), and romantic walks on the beach are everyday occurrences, so they’re out too.

Nope, all you need to do is visit, pick a spot and put down roots. And what do you get for your declaration of undying love for Spain? Why, all this…

Genuine warmth – There’s nothing flash-in-the-pan about Spain’s climate. Those long, sunny days that last from April to October are guaranteed. ‘A good summer’ is not a one-off; it’s just what Spain does. Every year.

Endless gifts – Beautiful beaches, stunning mountain backdrops, delightful cities, friendly people, fantastic cuisine, ever-changing landscapes, sweeping horizons, dazzling sunsets and even – for the Goths, ‘cos they need love too – dramatic thunderstorms. And this is just in Andalucía. Spain showers you with all of these gifts, and all you have to do is be there.

Regular challenges – Relationships need their ups and their downs in order to rise above the perfunctory. Your relationship with Spain, while more up than down, will be no different. Spain challenges you in many ways – its bureaucracy can be maddening, its people puzzling, its history troubling and its future uncertain. But that’s part of the enduring fun of living in one of Europe’s most passionate countries. If you want safe and steady, head to Switzerland.

So there you have it. If you’re looking for love this Valentine’s Day (or even if you’re all loved up, Spain doesn’t mind), why not finally declare your undying love for Spain?