Christmas – Slow Lane Musings

We had promised ourselves that we would again spend Christmas somewhere different, following our wonderful experience last year on the Queen Mary 2. We looked for a city where it would be possible to be outdoors on a nice day and to repair to museums if the weather was not so clement. Italy is always a good bet. We had spent a few days in Florence in 1996 and remembered it fondly.

To our delight, we found out that Florence does Christmas very well. In addition to festive decorations, the names of streets in the historic district are spelled out in strings of colourful lights at night. Its vibrant Christmas spirit is infectious.

Although Florence is geographically compact, compared to Rome let’s say, there is so much to see there that you would need at least a month to see it all. Not surprisingly, it hops with visitors.

The festive period is important to us. We cherish many simple traditions which we enjoy every year as the winter settles in and the days get shorter. It is a time when we write greeting cards and contact people we rarely speak to. We bake many fruit cakes to give away and we put up a tree and cheery decorations. Since we keep a daily journal, we also take the opportunity to reflect on the events of the past year.

As we begin a new year, we have been mulling over the significance of an additional festive experience we had in 2024: a voyage that literally and metaphorically transported us to a place of genuine joy and good cheer and left us feeling refreshed and optimistic about the year ahead.

Tag: Christmas

A festive season in Florence

A festive season at sea