Junefinnigan's Weblog

Welcome to all my new and loyal followers,

Sunset over Geneva on the mans flight to London.
Photo P Finnigan

At 7am sharp on Saturday, the hunters started shooting in the valley below our villa.  Fortunately, my man was traveling from London that day, because he had stayed over on Friday night with a ticket to watch rugby at Twickenham.  However, Sunday morning when he most needed a lie in, the shooting started again at the same time.  My man groaned, turned over in bed and said “The bloody peasants are revolting.”  I said, “don’t worry I have a cunning plan.”  But that’s my secret.

Farty Barty exhausted after laying the table.
Photo J Finnigan

Then the cat fight started, so I clambered out of bed to check on Farty Barty who had stayed out all night.  Black Cat, a big local tom, was standing on Barty’s favourite perch over the orange trees staring down into the orchard, so I opened the window clapped loudly and shouted ‘vai’.  The horrid cat looked angrily back at me and then casually climbed down and waddled off.  This then leaves you thinking, ‘Oh god I hope Barty is alright’.  Well of course he was fine and strolled in an hour later saying ‘feed me’!  Meanwhile my man is mumbling, “Are you trying to wake me up?”  Then at eight o’clock it’s the rumbling of tractor and trailer as Alessandro arrives with his team of Romanians (I think) to finish the olive picking.  So, despite it being Sunday we were off for coffee at nine!

The good news this week is that I went to Sandra’s new Hair Salon which, is very nice and girlie, with a beautiful mural of Audrey Hepburn on the wall.  I took Sandra a present and her mother & mother-in-law were there to greet the ‘famous English writer’, warmly shaking my hand and kissing my cheeks.  Sandra is quite rightly very proud of her new salon, and took two hours doing my hair instead of the rushed hour and a half at the old place.

Yesterday morning I dropped down to Certaldo, very slowly, as an old boy was driving his invalid carriage along the white line in the middle of the main road.  Now thinking about this, it’s possible that he thought there was room to pass him on either side of the road, however, I felt that the wind of my car might topple him over.    I followed him for half a kilometre with my heart in my mouth, praying that nobody overtake me and not see him.  So I put my hazards on.  Then a truck came round the bend towards us and the old boy casually swerved to the right, then returned to his central position immediately afterwards!

Paintings on wood from the Doggy Charity sale only 5 Euros each!
Photo P Finnigan

There is always a fruit, veg and plant market on Saturdays in Certaldo, however, this time there were around fifty stalls selling home-made chocolates!  Dear god, how can one possibly eat sensibly in this sweet toothed country!  I was also really pleased to see a Doggy Charity in the community hall,  where I bought two wood paintings and a tray.  My sister-in-law would have loved it there, as she is brilliant at spotting good labels in jumble sales and then selling them on E-Bay.  Sadly, I rarely see any charity shops or sales in our bit of Tuscany, whereas, England is overrun with them.

I am really pleased to tell you that Laura’s Alimentari/bar in Fiano is open again.  Laura & Benedetta had both been down with the same virus, so all is back to normal.  Signor Rotund was delighted to see my man back and Italy has just beaten Fiji at Rugby, so that’s more good news.  I had a conversation with Benedetta yesterday morning and she said in English “this is your break”.  so I tried to explain that in English one normally takes a ‘break’ say mid-morning, or at least after having worked for a couple of hours and that I was taking my caffè latte before starting work.  It was then around 9am or 8am UK time.  Of course, Benedetta and her mother start at six thirty, so for her it was already mid-morning, so then the conversation got a bit confusing!  So I also explained that it was important for me to ‘Uscire’ (go out) each morning, otherwise one could go ‘stir crazy’.  Try and translate that one!  However, she understood the phrase only too well and finished the sentence for me with a big grin on her face!

Silvio & Angelino Alfano in happier times.
Photo BBC News Europe

And so to the successful survival of our heart-throb, Silvio Berlusconi.  SB has now formerly re-launched Forza Italia.  A supporter commented, ‘We could do with at least three Silvios in government, he’s the only man capable of restoring this county’s prosperity!’.  Well, it’s hard to recall a time of prosperity over the last  twenty years, but hey ho.  Meanwhile, SB was ‘in a lot of pain’ over the break away of his former right hand man, Angelino Alfano, who has formed a new faction of dissidents.  I say, never mind SB, the girlies will still support you, anyway who wants a new leader who always looks as if he’s sucking gobstoppers!

Well, time to go and put on the lipstick and head out for lunch at ‘La Gramola’ in Tavernelle.  If anyone is interested, the food is really good and they specialise in gluten-free, which is great for me.  Visit http://www.gramola.it

Have a great week.

Amore June x

PS You can now find me and my novel ‘My Father, The Assassin’ on http://www.goodreads.com, http://www.firstchapters.net and of course on Amazon.  Enjoy!