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11月のクリスマス イタリアで出会った煌めく風景 Festive Scenes from a November Trip to Italy

 

 

November took me on a business trip to Italy.
As my regular trips are usually in January and June, this visit came at a slightly unusual time.

Europe was just entering the holiday season, and Christmas decorations could be seen everywhere.

In this week’s blog, I take a different approach and share these cheerful scenes.

  

 

 

 

 

After nearly 15 hours in the air from Haneda, I arrived in Paris.
Instead of continuing on a connection, I left the airport and stayed one night at my usual nearby hotel, then flew to Milan on the first flight the following morning.

 

 

 

 

Inside Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Christmas trees were on display, giving the familiar duty-free area a slightly special atmosphere.

 

 

  

 

In front of the Duomo, a huge Christmas tree was already standing.
The lighting ceremony takes place in December, so on this November trip I could not see the illuminations.

Instead, I noticed an unfamiliar sign.

 

「ミラノのひとかけらを
持ち帰ろう」…?

 

なんだろう、と立ち止まって
みたところ、来年の
オリンピックを記念した
ピンバッジのお知らせでした。
それぞれの地域のシンボルを
デザインしてあるようです。

 

“Take home a piece of Milano”…?

Curious, I stopped to look and found that it was an announcement for commemorative pin badges celebrating next year’s Olympics.
Each design features a symbol representing a different region.

 

 

 

   

 

Panettone, now well known in Japan, is said to have originated in Milan.
That explains why this pin badge is shaped like panettone.

 

 

 

On this trip as well, I spent one night at a five-star hotel to reflect on what defines truly first-class service and a comfortable space.

I used to choose a different hotel for each business trip, but recently I have consistently stayed at Principe di Savoia.

 

 

 

On my previous visit, I made the reservation through the hotel’s official website with a message in Italian.
When I arrived, a welcome sweets plate was prepared with “OKAERINASAI” — “welcome back” — written in Roman letters.

At checkout, I also wrote a handwritten thank-you note in Italian and gave it to the staff who had assisted me.

For this trip as well, I received an email saying they would be waiting for me at the front desk.

 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing them again, I headed to the hotel…

I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow.”

 

 

 

Passing through the revolving door, it felt as though I had stepped into the world of a picture book.

 

 

 

Large trees and figures were displayed to the right and left, and I thought that if I had seen this as a child, it would surely have become a lifelong memory.

 

 

 

 

At the front desk, I was reunited with the same staff member who had assisted me on my previous visit. Although check-in was scheduled for 2 p.m., I arrived at 10 a.m., and was kindly told, “Your room will be ready in about 20 minutes. Why not have some tea while you wait?”

 

 

 

Among them, this display was especially breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

A snowy mountain scene arranged on a table about two meters wide.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Not only did the lights sparkle, but skiers and skaters, trees, and gift boxes moved and rotated in a lively scene.

As someone who loves miniatures, I was truly captivated by this decoration.

For a moment, I even wondered if I could buy the entire table and take it home, perhaps order it online — before quickly coming back to my senses and realizing there would be nowhere to put it.

 

 

 

As time passed in my excitement, the staff member came to invite me to the room.
Normally this would be handed over to a bellman, but as before, the front desk staff personally escorted me to the room.

When I mentioned in conversation that I had business meetings scheduled right after arrival, they said, “After such a long journey, you’re already working. We will later send something to your room to help you relax.”

 

 

さてこのプリンチペディサヴォイアは
以前も綴った通りステファノリッチ
のショールームが地下にあります。

 

楽しい光景に後ろ髪を
引かれつつ階下へ…

 

 

As I have written before, Principe di Savoia has a Stefano Ricci showroom in its basement.

Reluctantly leaving the festive scene behind, I headed downstairs.

 

 

 

 

Here, too, there were festive decorations.

This staircase, adorned with a beautiful chandelier, is one of the hotel’s most popular photo spots.

 

 

 

 

The meetings at Stefano Ricci lasted from morning until evening.

We shared updates from the past six months while enjoying a meal together.

At one point, my counterpart said, “Kyoko, shall we take a short break and have something sweet?”

This is what was brought out.

 

 

 

 

 

Panettone!

I was told that this panettone was an official Stefano Ricci item.

With both the meetings and discussions successfully concluded, I stood up to return to my room, when I was stopped with, “Kyoko, wait — this is a gift,” and handed a large box.

 

 

 

 

The box was so large that I wondered if it contained a hat.
Inside was a whole panettone, just like the one we had enjoyed earlier.

 

 

Back in my room, what the reception staff had mentioned earlier was waiting for me.

 

  

 

A chocolate cake plate with a “Welcome back” message, along with a perfectly chilled prosecco.

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

A handwritten note was also included, and the tension I had carried through a full day of meetings finally melted away.

This is not a story about being “treated specially,” but rather a kind of life lesson: when you try to be a good guest at a good hotel, that intention is felt, and a wonderful moment is returned to you.

What matters is respect and genuine human connection. On the spot, I once again relied on ChatGPT to write a thank-you note in Italian, which I handed over at checkout.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the panettone from Stefano Ricci.
It was so large I worried it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, but I managed to bring it home safely.

  

 

 

 

I’m thinking it’s about time to open it and cut it into slices.

This new Christmas pleasure, which I didn’t have last year, is something I am truly grateful to the Stefano Ricci team for.

  

 

皆様も素敵なクリスマスを
お過ごしくださいませ。

 

 

オンラインからのご相談は
こちらにて
For online inquiries

 


下記バナークリックまたは
QRコード読み込みにて
お友達追加の上、
トーク画面からご質問
下さい。

 

For online inquiries, please click here

 

ZILLIのラグジュアリーな極薄コットンシルクデニム、軽やかさと柔らかさが特徴。

QRコードが表示されている画像

 

 

 

Register as a member and receive 5% points for your next purchase. Currently, we are also offering a 2,000 yen discount coupon for new members. Don’t miss this opportunity.

 

 

銀座HIKOのロゴとウェブサイトURL、会員登録の案内を含むオレンジと白のデザイン

 

 


We encourage you to take this opportunity to register on https://ginzahiko.com/.

 

 

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お写真をご閲覧いただけます。
下記QRコードをクリックまたは
スマホから写真読み込みにて
アクセス下さい。
 

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あづま通りにございます
文具店 伊東屋 ( K.Itoya )
様の左隣で、

 

ガラス張りのビルの
「2階」(1階は時計店
ダニエルウェリントン
様 ) です。

 

ビル奥のエレベーターにて
2階へお越しくださいませ。

 

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Ginza 2-chome street sign in Japanese, with a decorative metal design, indicating the location of a store.
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