If you’re looking to add a new spark to your long-term relationship, there’s nothing like a walking adventure to bring out a fresh and passionate aspect of your favorite person.
Published on January 31, 2025
By Molly Waldstein, Travel Writer
Spring is a time to celebrate love. New couples, old couples, couples that aren’t yet couples, and every other multiplier and configuration of humanity rejoice at the return of the light and the fresh stirrings of new growth. For those of us who have seen their fair share of vernal seasons come and go on the arm of a long-time partner, the years can have a way of making a once-jaunty amour feel a touch stale. If you’re looking to add a new spark to your long-term relationship, there’s nothing like a walking adventure to bring out a fresh and passionate aspect of your favorite person. For Country Walkers Tour Consultant Claire Truso, it was a challenge to find time for a romantic getaway with her husband while their son was very young. But once he was grown, a walking vacation to the south of England on the Country Walkers England: The Cornwall Coast Self-Guided Tour was a delightful way to see the world and learn more about each other in the process. “My husband works a lot—so it was hard to take a vacation when our son was little,” recalls Claire. “Now that he’s older, we wanted to do a self-guided vacation because my husband enjoys more independent travel—so this trip was perfect for us.” Along the way, Claire re-discovered delightful and unexpected sides of her husband’s interests.
Getting back on the walking trail gave the couple an invigorating opportunity to explore the world together—with unexpected discoveries along the way. “Just having that amount of quality time together was really nice,” says Claire. “We know each other pretty well, but I was surprised to discover the strength of my husband’s interest in historical and cultural sites—something I hadn’t fully appreciated until this vacation. One of the highlights of our trip was a walk to St. Michael’s Mount—we strolled across the wet sand at low tide, which was a lot of fun. There’s a ton of interesting history there, and my husband really enjoyed it.” With this new-found fascination with history, the couple spent many delightful hours exploring the archaeological, architectural, and cultural heritage of Cornwall together. A new-found love of history wasn’t the only surprise in store for this long-married couple. During walks in the Cornish countryside, Claire and her husband discovered a fresh passion—and a new aspiration together. “The Cornwall scenery was really cool with the big views and seaside walks,” recalls Claire. “And the walks in the countryside were amazing—passing green fields and charming farms. Along the way, I discovered my husband is really interested in plants and flowers—which surprised me! Now, he wants to go to the Cotswolds to see the beautiful English gardens.” Their Cornish walking tour opened a whole new set of shared interests for this couple—and the promise of new adventures to come.
For Claire and her husband, culinary discovery is a must-have for any adventure. “My husband is a chef, and he was fascinated by Cornish pasties,” says Claire. “They’re little turnover-style pastries with different fillings inside. Once we tried them, we stopped at a different bakery every day to try a new flavor. When we found a bakery with lines out the door, we made it a point to get a place in line—because if that many people are willing to wait for them, they must be good!” How many couples can honestly say Cornish pasties made their marriage stronger? When you travel with Country Walkers, there’s no telling which cultural discoveries will catch your imagination—but one thing is for sure. When you explore the world together, it re-ignites the love that makes you whole.
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