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Archive for February, 2015

Mimosa Blossom, Sanremo, Calcio and the Six Nations in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers

The first Mimosa blossom in the garden. Photo J Finnigan

The first Mimosa blossom in the garden.
Photo J Finnigan

Returning from coffee in Fiano this morning, I ambled through the garden breathing in the air and absorbing the smell of spring just below the surface.  Whilst the winter countryside and garden here in Tuscany is still very beautiful, thanks to the evergreen trees including the silver green of the olive, we still long for spring and the uplift of the mind that goes with it.  Then I saw the bright flash of yellow and, hurrah, the Mimosa tree has opened its first fluffy blossoms.  So it will be only a matter of days before its heady perfume will be filling the air!

The hugely popular and charismatic TV personality Carlo Conti joins me for coffee. Photo J Finnigan

The hugely popular and charismatic TV personality Carlo Conti joins me for coffee.
Photo J Finnigan

Many of you will be aware that the 65th Festival della Canzone Italia has been going on in Sanremo, hosted by the very popular Carlo Conti.  This is where the great and the good Italian singers go to celebrate, yes you got it, singing.  There is massive coverage on television and the bar is full of talk about who they liked best the previous night.  We do not have SKY where we are, and are limited to some local stations, BBC World, Bloomberg and a few obscure ones.  So unfortunately, or depending on your point of view fortunately, we did not watch it.  In my humble view, there are some very good Italian singers of popular music and a little rock, but there are also some awful ones that are amazingly popular and can be heard constantly on the radio.  Radios are always playing in bars, hairdressers, dentists…  Oh dio, why did I have to mention the dentist again!  (I have one more visit to go, you see, so think of me on Tuesday!)  Fortunately, the Italians also love English and American music, so there is a lot of that too.

On the subject of music, I have finally finished typing out the lyrics for my next rock concert.  They need to be in bold and size 18, no the font size silly, so that I can see it without my glasses at night.  Whilst mentioning this, if you are not already on my invite list and can make it to Tuscany on June 20, do send your email address to june.finnigan@virgin.net.

The adoration of Calcio. Photo J Finnigan

The adoration of Calcio.
Photo J Finnigan

No doubt you are aware that the football (calcio) season is in full swing and the Italians are crazy for it.  In our area the main team to follow is Florence (Fiorentina) whose colour is purple.  I wear this colour a lot, because I like it and it suits me.  I am often being congratulated for supporting the team!

Ireland demolish Italy in the first round of the Six Nations. Photo J Finnigan

Ireland demolish Italy in the first round of the Six Nations.
Photo J Finnigan

From our point of view, we are a great rugby family, coverage of the Six Nations Rugby last weekend, by the Italian sports channel, was a very pleasant surprise.  As you can imagine, my man was a very happy rabbit indeed.  Our grandson, who started at an English boarding school last term, for the sole purpose of following his dream of becoming a professional player, is also delighted to be able to watch it here in Italy during his half term.  Sadly, Italy has a long way to go to be up to the standard of the other five teams, but time will tell.  A big investment is needed in Italian Rugby for it to really become competitive.

But life eeez good here in our lovely bit of the Chianti hills.  Farty Barty the cat seems to have returned to normal after a rush of dating, as is his wont this time of year.  I heard a Hoopee calling yesterday, the sun is now shining and by next weekend both my current novels should be ready for publication.

Well, time to get on with making myself beautiful as my man and I are off to C’era una Volta for lunch.

Thanks again for the follow and do drop me a line.

Molto Amore June x

PS   Here is the direct link for my novel ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan. You can also visit http://www.amazon.com & http://www.amazon.eu

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A New Baby, Hot Chianti Wine and San Valentino in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers

I really missed you all last week, my being down with toothache and feeling sorry for myself.  Unfortunately, the brain felt like it was under water, which made it impossible to think, leave alone write!  But don’t you worry, I’m back and I will go to the ball!

Young Benedetta has been missing quite a lot from Laura’s bar in Fiano.  Then last week Laura told me that her lovely daughter was pregnant!  That then explained the rather strained look on Benedetta’s face when she was occasionally behind the bar!  But all appears to be well!  We can now safely congratulate her and her very nice husband!  It’s good to feel part of a family here, simply by being a regular coffee customer.  In time one gets to know all the locals and to hear about all the family issues and news.  We have been welcomed and made to feel part of a big family in Fiano.

Hot Chianti wine in the sunshine. Photo J Finnigan

Hot Chianti wine in the sunshine.
Photo J Finnigan

The view last Wednesday, having moved into the shade with my hot Chianti. Photo J Finnigan

The view last Wednesday, having moved into the shade with my hot Chianti.
Photo J Finnigan

Now, I will not labour (excuse the play on words) on my feeling sorry for my self, however, I would like to mention that last Wednesday I was feeling pretty low.  I felt the need for a strong drink as my throat had also become sore.  As luck would have it, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped, so I was able to go outside with a hot glass of Chianti wine.  Hot you say?  Well, please don’t tell anyone else, particularly Claudio who supplies our wine, but I will confess to putting my glass of vino in the microwave for thirty seconds.  I know, ‘Sacrilege’ you are all shouting, and you are quite right, but Flavio my lovely doctor said this morning, that wine cures everything and I believe him!  So, that Wednesday I had two large heated glassfuls and had to move into the shade as the sun had become too hot.  Or was it the wine raising my temperature?  Non lo so.

Now, I felt much better on Friday when I went to meet my man at Certaldo station.  He had travelled back from England with our fourteen year old grandson who is back for half-term.  So my beautiful daughter and granddaughter were also there to greet them and we had a nice glass or two in the station bar.

Valentino Rossi, Italy's very popular motorbike champion. He is normally found wearing leather. Phot J Finnigan

Valentino Rossi, Italy’s very popular motorbike champion. He is normally found wearing leather.
Photo J Finnigan

Of course the next day was San Valentino and whilst my man is always very romantic, we do prefer to be low profile on the day.  The younger Italians are very keen to celebrate San Valentino and on Sunday, when we went out for lunch at Ristorante ‘C’era una Volta,’ Paolo was delighted to tell us that he had twenty-three customers for dinner the previous night.  This was an odd number, I thought, but it turned out that the odd one was a baby with a young couple.

Popping back to the previous Friday morning, Laura was promoting San Valentino with some chocolaty fancy wrapped gifts.  However, the bent-over old boy she was talking to was shaking his head, “No, mi non piace’ he grumbled.  So I smiled and said, in Italian, ‘Do you not celebrate Amore anymore?’  His face brightened and he said ‘How about you and me?’  Serves me right of course.

A big article in the newspaer about the last King of Italy. Photo J Finnigan

A big article in the newspaper about the last King of Italy.
Photo J Finnigan

I did manage to get out for coffee every day last week and the newspapers and magazines were full of San Valentino.  I also noticed that there is a celebration going on about the King of Italy who I think was dethroned by Mussolini earlier last century.  Please put me right if you know otherwise.  I must read up a bit more about this and perhaps visit some of the exhibitions in Florence (Firenze) that are commemorating this poor man.

OK.  I am off to do some lunch.  Do drop me a line, and watch this space for news on the publication of the second edition of ‘My Father, The Assassin’ and of course my latest book ‘the Bolivian Connection.’

Salute June x

PS Meanwhile, here is the direct link for my novel ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan. You can also visit http://www.amazon.com & http://www.amazon.eu

 

 

 

 

 

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A Throbbing Toothache in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , on February 9, 2015| 2 Comments »

Ciao to all my Loyal and New Followers

I have throbbing toothache and it’s affecting my thinking and therefore writing.  I will get it sorted tomorrow.  In the meantime, please forgive me if I do not send the usual newsy blog.

Have a great week and see you at the weekend.

Amore June x

PS Here is the direct link for my novel ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan. You can also visit http://www.amazon.com & http://www.amazon.eu

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Boxes, Politicians in Knickers, Pistoia Blues Festival and Cannabis in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 1, 2015| 2 Comments »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

“So what are all these boxes left in the study, do you know what’s in them?”  I ask my man.  “No idea.”  He replies, trying to look convincing.  Last Thursday two IKEA men arrived with some long-awaited storage, so we could finally unpack boxes of clothes and other things and put them away.  Now, we have moved house rather a lot over the years and some of these boxes have not been opened for ten years or more.  “I bet you’ve got your 70’s cheesecloth shirts and your Miami Vice trousers in one of these boxes!”  I say.  “Humph, possibly.”  He mumbles.  “Well, I’m sure at least half of what you have could go up to the big clothes collection box in the Piazza.”  I smile encouragingly.  “I might want to wear them again one day.”  He argues.  “I just need to lose a bit of weight, so there’s no point in unpacking it all, as we’ll only have to pack it again when we next move….” He goes all big eyes and I melt.  O Dio…

Silvio and friends at Viareggio Carnivale. Il Torreno Newspaper.

Silvio and friends at Viareggio Carnivale.
Il Torreno Newspaper.

Back at Laura’s bar/alimentare in Fiano, my man and I are enjoying our morning coffee and reading the newspapers, as Sig Rotund, who cheekily tries to hide them from us, has not arrived yet.  There are some fun pictures of the famous Viareggio Carnival, and I just love this one of Silvio Berlusconi and other politicians in knickers and bras.  Just think, can you imagine this kind of Micky taking in some of the arab countries!  Here in Italy anything goes, thank god.  Whoops, are we allowed to use the lord’s name in vain these days?  And should I write lord with a capital L?  “Jesus Christ” I groan aloud.

Then underneath I read that the fabulous band Dream Theater are performing at the Pistoia Blues Festival near Florence.  I had every intention of going, but by the time I remembered, the tickets had all been sold.  Blast it.  Anyway, I will be performing their great song ‘Wither’ in my next concert;  I’m really looking forward to that.

Cannabis arrives! Il Terrano newspaper

Cannabis arrives!
Il Terrano newspaper

I should mention, that earlier in the week the newspaper reported that Cannabis will be available on prescription in March.  No, no, not the pot smoking version, although I do have some fond memories about that.  This will likely be herbal medicines on prescription, which will be fantastic because it is now the only thing that might ease my aching joints, my being allergic to pain killers.  Chianti wine helps, but it doesn’t quite hit the spot, just takes the mind off things…..

Then my man reads out that yesterday, Saturday, the car hire staff at Pisa Airport all went on strike, blocking the road and causing chaos.  “That’s what comes of one company like Europcar, buying up the other car hire firms and having the monopoly.”  I say.  “So if Europcar strikes, all the others do too!”

Back at my computer, I have been doing a final edit for the second edition of ‘My Father, The Assassin’, which will be published at the same time as my latest follow-up novel ‘The Bolivian Connection.’  The idea is to change the size of the book and cover, to match the more popular dimensions of around 5″x 7.3″ and, of course, to update my biography on the back cover.  You never know, if you have a first edition of ‘My Father, The Assassin’… it may become a collector’s piece!  It’s currently still available, see below!

Silvio looking very depressed. Photo Reuters

Silvio looking very depressed.
Photo Reuters

Meanwhile, I hear that our friend Silvio Berlusconi is still in the news.  That is, apart from the carnival picture above.  He is very unhappy that Prime Minister Renzi nominated Sergio Mattarella, a former Senior Judge, for the important position of Italy’s President.  Silvio does not like judges.  One has to remember, that whilst the President has a mostly ceremonial role, as Head of State he does has the power to dissolve parliament, call elections and pick prime ministers.  This nomination has caused a rift between Silvio and Renzi, however, I have just had news that Sig Mattarella has now been crowned.  So poor Silvio will have to eat dust for the time being.

Well, enough for now, must get on with the workload and finish the editing.  Have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

PS  Here is the direct link for my novel ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan. You can also visit http://www.amazon.com & http://www.amazon.eu

 

 

 

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