Tag: italy

Festive Christmas Time in beautiful Italy

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

This year was a big anniversary milestone for my husband and I plus it was 30 years ago since I first went to Italy. So we decided to go to Siena as I had never visited the city and then to see family in Campania. 

I had always wanted to visit the Tuscan city of Siena as I worked with someone who went there, and I was aware of the medieval city design and architecture as well as the famous Palio di Siena race in the Piazza Del Campo.  The city is a UN World Heritage site as ‘an embodiment of a medieval city’, and great for understanding the traditions of the contrades, city zones, community, family and most of all…the preserved traditions and creativity.  Born out of medieval sports and traditions, the Palio occurs in the summer.  It is taken seriously by the Sienese from the motifs and symbols of the contrades.  There are fabrics and colours and good old fashion brand in the clothing, flags and some motif identity of the neighbourhoods we walked through in Siena. Two of the restaurants we visited have homage to the Palio mainly showing people, the horses and the representation of various contrades.  I would still like to visit Tuscany in future and who knows, maybe I will be there one day for the Palio.

The Piazza del Campo itself is spectacular and scalloped or ‘D’ shaped.  The medieval building surrounding it encourages excitement and awe of the epicentre with the imposing Tower and piazza.  It is also not flat as Siena is situated on a hill.  There was activity on the foggy night as well as the sunny daytime walks.  The restaurants and bars all seem to have a long history of entertaining, feeding and providing for those visiting the piazza.  And like some other model of piazzas – this is one that truly was special and spectacular in our modern times too!

I love walking along the street with the beautiful architect and they were still very well maintained.  The street were narrow but still wide enough for some car traffic but the core historic centre was mainly pedestrianised.  What made it extra special was once we had arrived at our lovely hotel, we were able to take a walk with fog around the city street and the twinkling of the Christmas lights and decorations.  It truly was magical! There were not many tourists but I can tell those visiting was also captured by the beauty of the lights, fog and festive decorations.

I have a bias, rose-tinted view and love of Italy to visit. However, you can really see the effort and art of shop windows of independent, and even retail chain shops in Italy.  It is great to have a walk and to see all the shops.  I was able to spot something interesting each time I went for a walk along the many streets. In Siena, even the bookshop had a great history of once beginning outside the original city borders although it was not far from the Piazza del Campo.  As it was Christmas time, it was lovely to see families and people walking and enjoying the sights, restaurants and even ice skating in a ring in a nearby park.

I had been to Florence 20 years ago but we decided to go for the day.  There were transport strikes the day before our trip but luckily we were advised that it easy to get the Rapido Bus from Siena to Florence.  The bus was not expensive and a very pleasant trip to and from Siena.  I loved looking out at the winter colours on the Tuscan trees, hills and fields.  The drive was not flat and the Tuscan countryside was really made of rolling hills, mist, fog, sunsets and beautiful vistas.

Florence is bigger, lively and very busy compared to Siena.  The last time I went it was April, and I have fabulous memories as it was more relaxed as we spent a few days in an apartment in a villa near the Baboli Gardens. I loved seeing the sights again and walking around the centre.  Having studied the Renaissance in Trinidad for A ‘levels, I know the significance of Florence as the birthplace of the Renaissance, innovation, creativity, art, music and science etc. 

Walking around the city, you can’t miss the beautiful architecture and spectacular openings onto more piazzas, buildings, churches and great shops. The Ponte Vecchio bridge is a great piece of history on its’ own with the amazing jewellery shops that tempted passers-by as they traverse across the river Arno. I love seeing the places I recalled from 20 years ago and it was reassuring to see some things still the same but that other small aspects had changed.  I had always planned to visit Florence again as the first time we went – there is not a single photograph as we had a problem with our old-fashioned camera (non-digital).  At least this time, I was able to have some photos. 

The final part of our stay was to make our way down to Caserta in Campania to visit family that we have not seen for a while.  We took the Flix Bus from Siena on a cold foggy morning to Rome, and then with one other bus change to Caserta. It was nice to see the city again and it was my first time there in winter.  It was still sunny apart from one day when we got caught out walking in the rain.  We stayed near the Royal Palace in Caserta – which I thoroughly recommend that you visit, but it is better in warmer climate for the amazing gardens. It was good to stay central to walk to all the great shops, restaurants and to visit family. 

I had visited Caserta in 1995 and again, the shops make an extra special effort for displays and showcases.  There were many times I wanted to buy something but was busy getting from A to B.  There are obviously the impact of online buying and other changes in recent years with some closed shops but this is having an impact everywhere. It was nice to see the festive decorations, cafes and people visiting for the nightly walk to see the shops and to meet friends etc. 

My time in Caserta was mainly to catch up with family and therefore, it was really nice to see them and spend time reminiscing on stories and remembering those who are no longer with us anymore.  The fact that we are making our own memories now made me happy that we at least found time to visit this year and see those dear to us.

I have now been back to London where I spent the rest of my Christmas holidays.  However, I thought that this little time was truly special to me and was definitely a great way to spend some time in December (when I am usually working).  I hope you enjoyed me sharing this trip highlights with you.  Before I end, I wanted to wish you all the best for the new year!

Another vintage year

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

I have had a lot of time in the last week to relax and enjoy time with family, friends and pets. On reflection at the year at this time of year, there has been a lot that happened in a professional level, and I made a conscious effort to find some time to see more of England. You can see from my previous blogs posts that I have been busy with professional activities and some fun and travel thrown in. This year was busier than expected, and little did I know that I would be unable to have lots of free time.

Some of the highlights are mentioned here for my own reminder of a year well-spent. 

It was also great to start the year visiting the Chanel exhibition at the V&A Museum.  The dresses on display were like works of art and the exhibition enlightened me on Chanel’s impact on design and fashion from the little black dress, ball gowns, trousers, and the classic suits she is famous for to this present day. I have recently visited the Medieval Women exhibition at the British Library, and this reminded me of women who have been doing fascinating innovative activities throughout time but whose stories are not always told.  For example, it was great to smell some of the scents made in the medieval ages that would not seem out of place in this current age.  There is definitely a deeper appreciation for those who have gone before us.

One of them was getting ready for a wedding in the family where I had my first away weekend for a hen party.  It seemed like ages ago but spending January doing fun things with family was a great start to the year.  In Birmingham, we looked at movies, danced, tried new drinks, had brunch and had a cake completion.  I do remember all the lovely pink theme items and even now when I wear my bright pink top – I still get compliments when I wear it and I feel oblige to say that I bought it for a hen party.  Fast forward a few months, and the wedding was also a lot of fun! It was great to spend time with family for a big occasion like an Italian-South African wedding with delicious food, good music, dancing in a lovely venue. 

I try to find a balance with work and life. This year I wanted to visit some places where I haven’t been before and they were Bournemouth, Dorset, Swanage, Shaftesbury and more recently Oxford and parts of the Cotswold.  I spent a few nights in the south coast in Spring where we were able to see a few coastal towns.  It was good to be by the seaside and get out of London.  I really loved seeing the Dorset countryside and the Jurassic coast. Durdle Door was such a busy place in lockdown that it made all the headlines and therefore I was able to add it to my list to see this year.  It was a natural geographic spectacular and I still find it amazing seeing people trekking across the steep cliff tops – they have my immense admiration! 

Recently, I also visited Oxford as I have never been – apart for a visit to Abingdon for a library resources supplier visit in the 2000s.  It was great to spend time around such a famous city and we made an extra effort to try some nice local restaurants such as Brassiere Blanc (not to be confused with the more exclusive Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons ) and The Ivy Brassiere.  The architecture and local areas were great to see.  We didn’t have time to do the world renown tour of the Oxford Colleges but it was nice to see the Bodleian Library and building along the city centre.  I do hope to visit for work related visits in the future so just taking in the sights and town were good on this occasion.  I also wanted to visit the surrounding area and thankfully the weather was great for driving to the picturesque village of Bibury and Cirencester which were in an area known as the Cotwolds. 

It is very pretty around there and although it was December – it was nice to see.  I imagine it will be more beautiful in summer when all the flowers are in bloom.  Cirencester was bigger town and obviously the residents looked more affluent and well-to-do.  There were great shops and a town square burst with activity for a Christmas market, festive choir and musical band as well as some street stalls. We were really pleased to fit in Bibury and Cirencester in the day and return to Oxford by sundown.  The Ivy Brassiere restaurant was really good and the food excellent with great atmosphere, décor and service.  I look forward to trying in 2025, the one in London as my recommended by my husband. There are still some places in England that I have to visit, and hopefully I can do that in the near future.   

The two other big trips to the University of Rhode Island, Boston and Italy were great.  SLA had a really great conference in Rhode Island – from the programming, the venue and grounds, to the attendees having a great time at the social and networking events.  The talks and presentations were certainly empowering, especially with regards to newer trends in Artificial Intelligence to best practice in various information systems showcased.  I met old friends and made some new ones along the way.  That part of the country is beautiful – and I am lucky to have a cousin who went out of her way to welcome me.  I was great spending time with family in the surrounding areas and visiting areas I was researching before my visit.  I am truly grateful for their time and efforts.  I hope I can do the same for them in future.

I had a few weeks of work on my return from the USA and then it exciting to visit Italy. In 2023, I was very busy being SLA President on top of my work and family life, so my reward to myself was to have a summer holiday in Italy this year. Looking back, it was such a great holiday to relax and observe life and the beauty under the Italian sunshine.  I am a little bias, and there is so much I find interesting when I visit Italy that I never get bored of visiting.  I am already planning my next summer visit to Italy or perhaps a city break. 

Without a doubt, I have been very busy with work and all the demands a busy schedule requires. On reflection, I  am thankful that all is fine for now.  I know that next month I will no longer be on the SLA Board – this has been an opportunity of a lifetime and therefore I have been fully commitment to my role and the cause.  I will gain some extra time in the new year, and will still be involved with SLA and SLA Europe in other roles and activities. I know the turn of new year will also be a busy time, but I will remind myself to take it each day at a time and look to the future with faith and belief that it will all work out in the end.  Touch wood!