The first year of my Valentine's Day experiment, I made a list of all the romantic places in Europe that I wanted to visit. The only restriction was that each destination had to be able to provide maximum romance in just three days. I closed my eyes, pointed my finger at the list and landed on the south of France; ahh, the Côte d'Azure!

Walking into the famed Hôtel Négresco in Nice was just as I had dreamed it would be: a grand, luxurious setting for my celebration of love. I immediately realized that I was correct to bring 2 suitcases as I would need all of the chic ensembles that I could conjure for these magnificent surroundings. Classified as a National Historic Monument, the Hôtel Négresco was built in 1927 and is one of the few remaining privately owned palaces in the world. It has been frequented by the world's glitterati since its opening and remains a classic example of European elegance and grandeur.

During our short visit, we had drinks in the English-style bar, dinner in the grand Le Chantecler and generally lolled about our beautifully furnished room. The only time that we left the hotel for any extended period was to dine at one of the most romantic restaurants, La Colombe d'Or, located in the nearby village, St. Paul de Vence.

The lovely, medieval village, St. Paul de Vence has long been an artist enclave for seekers of its lovely lifestyle and gorgeous light. La Colombe d'Or certainly benefited from this as many artists, such as Modigliani, Matisse, Picasso, Miro and Léger left artwork as payment for their stay in the hotel. I think that the proximity to so many artistic masterpieces contributed to the sparkle in our eyes that night as we couldn't take our eyes off each other while we dined al fresco under the fig trees.

After the success of the 1st year, I wanted to take a bit of a risk on my next choice for a Valentine's Day trip. I decided that we would visit the great European capital of Vienna. Thinking of Vienna conjured up thoughts of Baroque architecture, the music of Strauss and strong cups of coffee. We couldn't wait to do Valentine's Day, Viennese style!

The Sacher Wien Hotel, located in the Innere Stadt (Inner City), was the perfect choice for our Viennese sojourn. With its neoclassical façade, crystal chandeliers, and air of imperial-era glory it remains the epitome of Old Vienna. The location is perfect: just across the street from the Opera House and within walking distance of all the major sites. We checked into our beautiful room filled with antiques (or good reproductions) and had the gracious concierge suggest a list of must do activities. Of all the suggestions on the list, there was one that stood out: taking a waltz lesson.

It may not have been the best idea to choose Vienna for our introduction to formal dance. Waltzing is the national passion here and whirling at breakneck speeds is not for the faint of heart. When we walked into the dance studio we were overwhelmed at how difficult it all looked: couples with outstretched arms spinning in perfect synchronization. We would never master this! As it turned out, we were not so bad and by the end of the lesson we were whirling together like a Hapsburg-era couple.

Dinner later at the Hotel Sacher Wien's famed restaurant was wonderful. We dined on the fabled tafelspitz (boiled beef dinner). Don't be put off by the name, tafelspitz is fabulous. This tender beef is flavoured with a variety of spices, including juniper berries, celery root and onions. An apple and horseradish sauce further enlivens the dish, which is usually served with fried grated potatoes. And, of course, we had the delicious Sachertorte that was invented here.

We were able to truly indulge our love of classical music in Vienna as it is one of the music capitals of the world. There was a monthly listing of the music happenings that looked like a truncated version of War and Peace. But the best part of our holiday was just walking the streets of the old quarter, hand in hand, and stopping for coffee and pastry at one of the many kaffeehaus that are on every corner.

Now for the 3rd year, I abandoned risk-taking and chose a destination that always delivers romance, Paris. It is my favourite city for so many things: beautiful architecture, fine art, haute cuisine. However, these things combine to make it, per square inch, the drop dead, most romantic city in the world.

Having both visited Paris a number of times, I decided to make this trip a bit more unique by choosing a hotel that neither of us had stayed in previously. The Hôtel Regina not only conquered our trepidation about this decision it also exceeded our expectations. With its sculpted oak trim and gilding in the lobby, heavy red and gold drapes and Louis furniture from every period, this Belle Époque gem was a well-written recipe for romance. It is adjacent to rue de Rivoli's equestrian statue of Joan of Arc opposite the Louvre.

One of the first things we did after settling in to our room was head to the Café Marly, which overlooks the I.M. Pei-designed pyramid entrance to the Louvre. Its comfortably-cushioned chairs were the perfect place to have a bite and contemplate love, art and our plans for the evening.

The Bar du Crillon was an elegant setting for a pre dinner cocktail, but we decided to be more casual for our evening meal. We walked along the Champs Elysée, randomly turned on a side street and discovered a charming neighbourhood bistro that offered a welcome respite to high-end Paris. We dined on steak frites and a carafe of wine and let the warm hospitality of the place envelope us. After dinner we were in the mood for a little music, so we headed to the cosy jazz club, Le Duc des Lombards where we joined other aficionados for a sizzling hot jam session. This was indeed a memorable Valentine's Day.

Since I began this experiment, our Valentine's Day celebrations have taken us to other wonderful destinations: from Thailand's seaside resorts to the Taj Mahal in India. With all of the interesting places to visit in the world, I'll never run out of ways to celebrate love and indulge our love of travel.