Junefinnigan's Weblog

Benvenuti and Welcome to all my Lovely Followers around the World,

Phew, well, yet another beautiful Sunday morning in Tuscany, despite the heat and humidity.  Things were quite normal on the main road into Fiano;  an orange (the colour you go when you have been to the coast) overweight Italian in shorts and trainers (no shirt) running backwards down the middle of the road, two tourists walking on the wrong side of the road wearing pink lycra, a small group of Italian cyclists in racing colours riding impossibly thin-wheeled bikes and an deeply tanned old boy walking just in shorts and a pink cloth cap.  Yes, pink is the colour it seems.

In Fiano La Dispensa was noisy and busy, but we managed to grab the papers and our favourite places at the end of the long table.  We were joined by Italian tourists from Rome who like to come to our bit of the world in Tuscany for the weekend staying with friends, then returning home with local oil, wine and hams.  When the Tuscans claim to have the best oil, foods and wines in the country, these Romans said they were spot on! The cheeses here are seriously delicious.  Tuscan Pecorino, sheep’s cheese to you and me,  can be consumed young & squidgy and at several other stages right up to aged, when it has a similar texture to Parmesan.  I just love it and this great picture; wherever you are in the world go to your cheese specialist counter and ask for Tuscan Pecorino, they might just order it in for you!

I don’t know about you, but I have been struggling with my summer wardrobe.  Just when I think I have enough outfits to chop and change my look and still be cool, in both senses of the word, I find myself undecided on what to wear.  I don’t seem to have enough lightweight cotton flared skirts!   And dresses, nothing looks right, I have to admit my figure could do with trimming down, must have put on half a stone since this time last year.  But I need to wear these clothes now!  Do I buy new clothes a size larger or not, that is the question?  So I found myself once more flicking through the Italian fashion mags.  Wrap around tea dresses look lovely, but not from the rear if you have an extra layer on the hips!  How many of you actually look at your rear view image in the mirror?  I cannot help but notice those who never do, looking wonderful from the front and awful from the back.  Lots of flowing cottons are best I think.  Loose tops and skirts are good for me at the moment.  What are you wearing?  However, just spotted this gorgeous orange number, (see picture) I could be tempted……

In the same magazine I came across an article to make you green with envy.  A stunning italian beauty with a massive artistic talent, namely Beatrice Venezi.  Perhaps envy is the wrong word, I think admiration is more correct.  Beatrice is beautiful and wears fabulous clothes, however, it is her talent that really draws one’s attention.  Beatrice is the award winning Principle Conductor for both the Orchestra Milano Classic and the Orchestra Scarlatti Young of Naples.  I hope she is also in love, as then she will have everything a girl dreams of!  Go to her website to be even more impressed.  Beatrice’s site

Photo by Maria Isabella Bernotti on Pexels.com

Meanwhile, I’m back hammering away at book four in the Joanna Wilde series.  I have just had an email from another writer, who lives near San Casciano, complaining that she is living and working in the dark in the same room, blocking out the heat with thick curtains.  Now she wasn’t really complaining, just stating a fact.  There is nothing else one can do in this scorching heat, live in the dark during the day and let in the light early morning and late evening!  Methinks this next couple of months should be great for creative thinking, drinking gallons of water and hugging the air conditioning unit.  Most sane people, and mostly Italian, have gone off to the seaside or mountains, we will have to think about how we deal with next summer a little more creatively.  If anyone has an apartment on the coast that is available for a week or two next month, let me know!

As you have probably worked out, the dust has finally settled after our rock concert and I have had some lovely messages, thank you.  There is a lot of activity on the music front in Tuscany at the moment, so if you were coming over, you’ll find plenty to do.  But do avoid August, I know I say this every year, as you will find 80% of shops, cafes and restaurants closed.  Hey ho.

Anyway, time to get this blog off to you, I’ve already overrun into Monday, sorry about that.

Do drop me a line, I love to hear from my readers, oh and visit my Author Site for lots more info.

Have a great week.

Salute June x

Fotos from La Republica.