Junefinnigan's Weblog

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Giant Swallow Tail Butterfly with my man at aperitivo time. Foto J Finnigan

Well I’ll be honest with you, the girlies do like my man, and hone in like moths to a flame.  Now I understand this completely, I still oggle him across the table over coffee every morning.  But yesterday he attracted a butterfly, not just any butterfly but a beautiful Giant Swallow Tail.  It had to be a female of course, well she wasn’t interested in me, and she simply would not go away.  So in the man’s relaxed way, he gave in and she settled on his shirt whilst we enjoyed our aperitivo.  Now of course, this is quite remarkable when you think about it, they are normally very shy creatures and flit away at the slightest movement.  So we were very privileged to have such a good close-up and here is a foto for you to marvel at.

La Mercantia starts on Wednesday 13th in Certaldo.
La Nazione

Earlier in the week, I read in the paper that this coming Wednesday 13th is the start of La Mercantia in Certaldo, which goes on for five days.  This is a hugely popular event that spreads between Certaldo town and Certaldo Alto, the old historical town on the hill, and is the 29th annual festival of International Street Theatre.  So, as you can imagine, it’s going to be heaving in Certaldo, particularly in the evenings when most of the street theatre is going on.  If you want to go, you will need to park on the edge of town and walk in!  But do go if you can and enjoy this amazing spectacle!

Pink Floyd in Roma.
La Nazione

I also read the rocking continues and this time in Lucca that very popular town near Pisa.  The open air concert venue is currently hosting Van Morrison and ancient rocker Tom Jones!!  Mmmm, it’s too hot to go to that one!  No, I’m talking about the weather silly.  Last weekend, Rome rocked the night away to the sound of Pink Floyd including the original guitarist David Gilmour.  Forty five years rocking with the same band and his ‘guitar’ doesn’t look a day older…..  Good for them I say!!

Looking defeated. Matteo Renzi and Angelino Alfano.
La Nazione.

Meanwhile the country as a whole is grumbling about the state of the current government and the need for a complete change to the way the country is governed.  Parliament failed to reach the maximum support needed for proposed government reforms, so will have to go for a public referendum in October.  The Five Star Movement and the second largest party in Italy, led by radical Beppo Grillo, hope that this will oust Premiere Matteo Renzi.

Five Star candidate, Virginia Raggi, became Mayor of Rome last month. Photo: Alverto Solaro/AFP

On a lighter note, a member of the aforesaid party and the recently elected mayor of Rome, is a breath of fresh air to behold.  Why?  Well she is female, hugely intelligent, a mother and beautiful.  Her name is Virginia Raggi and here is a picture for the guys to drool over.  She nearly didn’t get elected as the other candidates objected to the fact that she was pregnant at the time of the election.  Well done her I say.

Well it’s time to organise sunday lunch.  It’s just too hot and humid to go out again and we’ve now got the air conditioning unit set up in the inglenook, which is sending cooler air around the place.  Farty Barty the cat hardly moves in this heat, just from one bit of floor to the next.  Our daughter and grandchildren have gone to the coast for a few days with all the other gasping inlanders, to try to cool off.  But we are happy here, a nice glass of chilled fizz and all is well.

have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

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‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.