How Eugene and Italian beau keep their love aflame

Eugene Domingo (right) with Danilo Bottoni —INSTAGRAM

Ginagawa mo lang Divisoria ang Italy (You’re turning Divisoria into Italy)!”

That’s the kind of teasing Eugene Domingo gets whenever she shares with show biz reporters that she’s flying—yet again—to Italy, to spend time with her beau, film critic Danilo Bottoni. But while they do see each other quite regularly, they still spend most of their time away from each other.

But distance, she said, was never really an issue.

“I don’t believe that being apart makes the relationship go stale. You have to be creative in expressing your love for one another. Even though we’re not always physically together, we make sure that we maintain the emotional connection,” she said in a recent press visit to the set of her weekly comedy anthology on GMA 7, “Dear Uge,” in Quezon City.

According to her, being together all the time doesn’t necessarily guarantee a great relationship anyway.

They share a lot of common interests and qualities: They both love talking and singing; they’re crazy and spontaneous. But what she misses about Danilo are his lips. “We love to kiss!” disclosed the acclaimed actress, who met Danilo at the 2014 Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. “I noticed that Italians and Filipinos have many similarities—we’re fun- and food-loving, and very close to our families. But they’re more expressive in showing their affection. They’re touchy, and they love hugging.”

Eugene, who also hosts the game show “Celebrity Bluff,” is currently in Italy, where she will celebrate her 46th birthday. “Maybe we will just visit a castle or spend time in the countryside,” said the Kapuso talent, who added that age isn’t a hindrance to trying out new things.

“We shouldn’t stop learning. I want to allot time for the things I wasn’t able to do when I was younger. So I learned to speak Spanish and play the ukulele. Now, I want to learn Polynesian dances!” she said.

She may not be too keen about acting in a soap or film anytime soon, but Eugene is perfectly happy about her two shows. “I can’t ask for anything more. To have a show with your name on it is a big honor. Ang lakas maka-Nora, Maricel, Vilma, Sharon at Snooky!” she quipped.