#Travel | Valentina Expressions

Traveling Kaftan

I have been part of a project called “Travelling Kaftan” by Gale Low, one of my digital friends on Facebook. The whole project started with an unusual idea. The psycho-pandemic was chaotic. I think the world was played up. While we were all on forced lockdown, she wanted to spread joy and love in the world. She aimed to do this by sending a Kaftan to various places. She invited her most active Facebook friends. I was one of her favorite friends in this project and surely lifted everyone’s spirits.

Gale lives in England. She received the colorful Kaftan from her sister in South Africa. Gale sent it to someone she knew. From that moment on, it travelled to many locations in the world before it reached me. I received it from someone in Texas and I sent it to someone in Malta.
After receiving the Kaftan, Gale required the participants to wear the piece. We had to photograph ourselves and write a small inspirational phrase. Finally, we had to post it on Facebook and share it on our pages. I was told this Kaftan was hand-embroidered in Hawaii. It is a spectacular work of art.

I wrote:
“Where there is color, there is music.
Where there is music, there is love.
Where there is love, there is happiness.
Where is happiness, there is food.
Where there is food, there is wine.
Where there is wine, there is warmth.
Where there is warmth, there is a fire crackling and a sense of home.”
From @The Drawer Of My Thoughts”

Today, a Kaftan is a fashion statement. Modern designers have made it from silk, bamboo, linen, cotton, printed fabric or encrusted with jewels and beads. It is mostly used as beachwear and loungewear. Its history goes back to ancient Mesopotamia. It is also found in Middle Eastern countries, Northern Africa, and some parts of Europe and Asia. Worn by royals and high-roller, powerful people, it meant “social status”. The shape has always been large and flowy. This design allowed for riding horses and enabled comfortable sitting on the floor with legs crossed.

I suggested that Gale write a book about the Travelling Kaftan, with all our pictures and our stories.
I hope she is doing it. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied 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