It is that time of year again, when everyone claims that love is, once more, in the air. Whether you are looking for love or are lucky enough to be in love, then perhaps you may consider taking a romantic Nordic Walk with the object of your heart’s desire. On the face of it, Nordic Walking may not appear obviously given to romance. Although, traditionally courting couples often strolled adoringly down lovers’ lanes, the use of poles precludes the possibility of ambling along hand in hand; arm in arm. However, what can be better than spending time with a loved one free from the distractions of the modern world? Leave your phones and gadgets behind you and get out on a walk together.
There is some confusion as to the exact origin of St Valentine, as there are at least twelve Roman Catholic Saints who share the name Valentine. One tradition is that he was a Roman priest, known as Claudius Gothicus, martyred during the reign of Claudius II. Upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome, he was arrested, imprisoned and tortured on 14 February 273. According to another legend, that was popular during the Middle Ages and documented in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parliament of Foules, birds were believed to pair into couples in mid-February. This was then associated with the romance of Valentine.
Saint-Exupery, the french writer, once said “life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” By sharing a Nordic Walk and “looking outward together” at the breathtaking February scenery, the delicate snowdrops pushing up through the ground, the birds in flight and the wildlife running to hide, you will be bonded together in the same experience, the same special magical moments. Writers clearly see the outdoors as a great starting point for falling in love. Another frenchman, Voltaire, certainly found that the fresh air boosted his amorous feelings when he described love as “a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.” So the answer to finding love or allowing your devotion to blossom is to get out into nature’s canvas and give your loved one your undivided attention.
If all you think you are aware of is the nip in the air and a chill in the wind, then maybe you are actually failing to recognise the signs of love, well documented by those great philosophers of our modern times, Wet Wet Wet, who sang “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. Love is all around me, and so the feeling grows. It’s written on the wind, it’s everywhere I go.” So don an extra pair of socks and gloves, grab a pair of poles, persuade your other half to join you and notice the love around you in the wind. Happy Valentine’s Day.