#ItalyTravel | Valentina Expressions

European Street Markets

September is for me the month that changes many things. It’s the beginning of the Autumn dominated by the water element through which everything moves and changes. Autumn is not only the new season in nature, but it’s also the Autumn for people when most of us take stock of the situation and make more sensible life plans for the year to come. Autumn brings a great charge that stalls temporarily in the Winter time and explodes in the Spring with new ideas and vibrations that we have felt inside of us exactly in the dormant lulling September.
This past September, I wanted to turn the page of my events, I wanted to look ahead and evolve myself into something new. Confident I was going to find what I was looking for, I boarded the plane to Europe and stayed gone for two months. I went through Germany for the October fest, Austria and as soon as I crossed the Alpes, the warm sun of Italy appeared among the grey clouds of the Teutonic countries and my heart started to sing, I had a distinct feeling that new ideas were appearing on the horizon already.

I spent two months seeing and connecting with people with whom I could lay the foundation of new enterprises. I spent time with them going to street markets, getting ideas, talking about new things at aperitif time, and soaking in the local culture. Living in the US makes me forget that life is not only about work and being productive. Unfortunately, I have become part of a grinding society that requires us to do more and takes all our energy until we have nothing else to give. In Europe, people are more relaxed and don’t feel guilty for spending time doing nothing when necessary. On weekends they don’t even answer work-related phone calls and don’t talk business at parties. They work to live, in the US people live to work. Growing up in Italy, I knew nothing else but how to balance work and play, life was much easier. However, when I moved to the US, I felt the urge to be competitive in my work and forgot how sweet life used to be.

After so many years in the US, I miss the street market scenes, the loud people screaming about having the best merchandise, the noisy streets, the colourful conversations between vendors and clients, the bargains, the socialization, the satisfaction of having found something fashionable at a reasonable price and to have spent a good day under the sun with much humour.

At the street markets, one can find home décor items, new and vintage clothes, shoes, fashion accessories, kitchen stuff, food and much more. There is something for everybody, every size, every taste, for women, men and children. People often exchange recipes at the food kiosks, while strangers tell you how good this or that garment looks on you at the clothes kiosks.

Home Décor.

Sweaters

Winter Fashion

Jewellery

Women Clothes

Sparkle Clothes for everyday use

The bread Lady was so gracious.

Typical baby octopus of the Mediterranean.

Cheeses and cold cuts.

Olive, nuts and dry food.

Red Onions

By this time, European street markets are already decorated with Christmas products. The atmosphere has changed, in some parts is snowing and very cold, but going to the market is still a great experience, especially at nighttime. Hot chocolate, mulled wine, chestnut roasting, pastry cooking and Christmas music fill the air.

Two months later, I am still thinking of the aroma I smelt, the food I tasted and the people I met. Life is certainly different in those parts of the world, my new plans will take me there again and often. I miss that lifestyle terribly, I want to be part of it just like I was growing up there. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

One Day In Venice

Summer is winding down and so is the warm weather, in a certain way I am happy, summer has become too difficult for me to take. I was having loose and unordered thoughts while sitting in my garden and a fun episode came to mind, my visit to Carlo Goldoni’s House in Venice. Goldoni was a witty, sarcastic Italian playwright and librettist of the Venitian Republic in the 1700s.

In preparing the luggage for my trip, I packed one of Goldoni’s plays, I knew visiting his House was in my plans, I wanted to envision his street plays and relive Venice of the 1700s through his writing. I loved that small theatre with a stage, regular theatre seats, dim lights and a great atmosphere!

Photo from: Venetoinside.com

I have been a lover of live theatre plays since a young age. In that moment, being in front of antiquity, I felt attracted to that small, ancient stage, it even smelled like the 1700s, perhaps my imagination played my fantasy. I started to recite aloud Goldoni’s play to experience being an actress in his time.
When I travel, I don’t look like a tourist, I blend in with the locals, thus the attendant of the House probably thought I was a real actress practising and left me alone to do my things, but in the meantime a few hours passed by, he forgot about me being there and closed the House. When I realized I was by myself and locked in a Museum House it was evening and I started to panic a bit about rats roaming around at night in the streets and inside buildings.

The play I recited to myself was beautiful and threw me into another era. I would have loved to be enveloped by that atmosphere, but my reality was in today’s time and my modern phone got me out of there with a simple call to the emergency number.

Alessandro Longhi – Ritratto di Carlo Goldoni (c 1757) Ca Goldoni Venezia

Goldoni wrote many successful theatre stories: “Il Servitore Di Due Padroni” (The Servant of two Masters), “La Locandiera” (The Mistress of the Inn). “Il Bugiardo” (The liar), “La Famiglia Dell’Antiquario” (The Antiquarian’s Family) just to name a few. Next time, you are in Venice, please visit Goldoni’s House, his satire will give you a few hours of freedom from your reality. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble