Once a couple starts a family, almost everything is about the family. Couples may find themselves having lesser time to spend solely for each other. To many like us however, we hold on to special memories that can tide us over until such time when we are back to two, once all our children are old enough to be living their separate lives.

Last night, my husband and I had  a grand time reminiscing while we were sorting our family photos after we tucked in our children to sleep. It did not take long before we started thinking about the most memorable places for us as a couple. It is not a coincidence that Hearts' Day is drawing near. There must really be some magic attached to this day that is making everybody feel romantic, including us. 

So here goes our list:

1. University of Santo Tomas 

This is where my husband and I met. I met him the first day of my freshman year in college but he says he saw me much earlier during the entrance exams. We were classmates for four years but never had any romantic relationship. He courted me a year after we graduated.




2. Manila Central Post Office

This is probably the most unromantic place for any couple to spend time in but we did spend a substantial amount of our free time here attending meetings of a Philately Club. Collecting is a common hobby between us. He collects stamps and coins while I enjoy collecting postcards. The rest of our free time was spent on watching movies and eating out. 




3. Saint Pancratius Chapel, Paco Park

The moment I saw this chapel, I knew this was where I wanted to say my wedding vows. Fortunately, my husband had exactly the same idea especially since it is located very near his family's place of residence. I would always cherish the solemnity of the ceremony. 



4. Old Swiss Inn Restaurant

Both of us appreciate good food and this restaurant is one of our favorites. Being located beside Paco Park, it was an automatic choice for us. Good food and ambiance plus convenience for us and all our guests, what else can we ask for?



5. Agoo Playa Hotel

It is very unfortunate that this hotel has closed down after being damaged by an earthquake. The morning after our wedding, we hopped on a bus to La Union and occupied this Mediterranean-style villa for 2 days and 3 nights. We were literally the only guests during that time because it was off-season. We felt like royalty as the chef was cooking only for us.




My Say

We had and continue to have many happy moments after this time but most were with our children. It doesn't mean to say however that we ceased to have our special moments together. This time though, they weren't moments associated with any specific place. They were moments that came in reassuring touches of support, whispered words of love and understanding, and a steel grip that will never let go in times of intense trials.



That said, much as we both want and expect to add more places in our list in the future, we would gladly settle for this swing on our porch when we are too old to go anywhere. 

Image Credit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Santo_Tomas_Main_Building
http://wikimapia.org/186929/Manila-Central-Post-Office
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco_Park
https://oldswissinn.wordpress.com/photo-gallery/paco/