Welcome and Benvenuti to all my Lovely Followers Around the World,
Did you miss me? So sorry not to have sent you a blog last weekend, but I can only blame it on losing my creative writing hat and spending too much time drinking wine in the sunshine! I also wanted to send you happy news and as I no longer have access to the coffee shop and the daily newspapers, I found myself getting rather brain-dead.
But that’s all changed! We have been inundated with visitors that don’t seem to understand how important it is to stay at home. Firstly, Phil our resident Pheasant, has invited two hens to stay and was flaunting himself below our bedroom window this morning. He’s obviously feeling very randy as he was fluffing his feathers up to give the impression that he is twice his normal size! When he started jumping his startled hens, I had to look away, what an exhibitionist!
The lack of humans in the countryside has encouraged deer out into the open, I hope we might get sight of a herd of Cingale ( wild boar) too. Below us is a field sown mainly to meadow hay and is proving very popular. Yesterday a lone deer made his way across the field and dissapeared into woodland, we both felt that this was unusual and hope he has not been chased out of a local herd. The mind tends to over react at times!
Meanwhile, the garden is full of visitors including the stunning and musical Hoopie. The disturbed earth around our new compost heap seems very attractive to them. Also a pair of Jays, numerous wood pidgeons flocks of redstarts and many other birds whose names escape me.
And, on the subject of Compost Heaps, we are very proud to have completed our very first version of one, yesterday morning. This then created the need for a wine break before lunch. It is rather shameful that we have only just created one after having spent most of our lives living in the countryside with good sized gardens. My beautiful Earth Mother daughter has been growing veg and using compost heaps for years. I am not the greatest of cooks and she asked me very seriously on WhatsApp ‘What are you eating Mum?” “I can cook if I have to!” I snorted. “Oh, I thought you might have ordered a flow of ready made meal deliveries!” She chuckled. Cheeky monkey.
OK, back to our wine break and I know I have mentioned the dance of the Swallow Tail 
Butterflies before, but they were back and getting very close to where we were sitting. Out of interest we had previously looked up their lifespan and were astonished to read that in butterfly form they only live for ten days! As one almost alighted on my man’s chest he commented “So, they have only ten days to work out if they are male, female or transgender.” He said very seriously. “Mmm. I think that one is female” I grinned. Foto it.123rf.com
Anyway, we are managing to enjoy working from home, beating the boundaries and checking for new rosebuds, before at least two home-made espresso coffees and breakfast, talking a lot of trivia and drinking good wine. The forecast is for sunny days for at least the next week so that’s good news; we have even had to start watering pots that are now uncovered!
Well, I could waffle on but there is one thing I want to mention. London based James Lakeland, who is the brother of an English friend, designs beautiful women’s clothes that are made in Italy. Like many fashion shops, he is really struggling at the moment. He has managed to pay his staff so far and has now reduced his prices so low, you have to get on-line and start buying! I have placed an order, so that’s my next concert outfit sorted, god knows when it will arrive here in Italy (Italy’s postal system is unpredictable), but it is worth it to support at least one deserving fashion house. James also delivers worldwide! Foto from James Lakeland Blogsite. James lakeland
So, enough for now. I have promised my man a veggie roast lunch, which will take me a while to prepare. Needless to say, can’t wait to return to our local restaurant, oh, and my hairdresser. I have an inch of grey roots creeping over my scalp. It’s unnerving. A few days ago my man said “Whats that shining on top of your head, oh, it’s not silver paper it’s ………” He has Peter Pan Genes, still dark blond and, due to the lack of hairdressers, is sporting a long 70’s hairstyle.
Hope you are all safe and well.
Salute June x
PS Have you read my books yet? Now’s a good time! Visit my site at My site
This is a very difficult time of the year for me, but a truly exciting one too. Difficult, because my head is full of song lyrics as I am practising daily for my up a coming concert and this has the effect of drowning out all the other things in my brain that I need to focus on too! Exciting because it’s the time of year to get back together with The Rock Chick Band and to make fabulous music! My man has to keep my feet on the ground and to remind me not to forget simple things. I keep a hard copy diary. It’s big and red and sits on my desk and cannot get lost like a cell phone or accidentally deleted like an electronic one, things I am prone to do! The repertoire is now finalised and our first rehearsal is on Sunday. Email me at june.finnigan.virgin.net for an invite to the concert on 21 June here in Tuscany.
Meanwhile, a visiting fox has discovered the fruits of our mulberry tree, but Phil the pheasant isn’t happy with that. He has been noisily complaining and shooing the poor thing away. I am also worried about the fox turning on Phil in a stand off.
Phil is quite formidable and frightening when he’s angry, but he would also make a good dinner for a hungry fox and it’s family and, he has a family of his own to protect in our garden!
On the subject of wildlife we had the rare sight of the shy porcupine run across the track in front of us the other day. Unlike the UK, we do not get a lot of road kill, but nevertheless it can happen. So we were glad to see it in time. It’s surprising really, what with the fast and crazy driving in Tuscany, that we don’t see more poor dead creatures. We often see deer and cinghale (wild boar) cross the road, sometimes whole herds, which is fabulous to see.
Anyway, what next? Ah, yes. We have just celebrated something very special in our local village of Fiano. The local school children worked with potter Terry Davies and The Caba Association Culturale, to create ceramic
Now back to the subject of Made in Italy and the first things to spring to mind, well mine anyway, is fashion and handbags. In the local papers I spotted two beautiful images that I loved. The colour red always gives me a lift and it goes with anything, so here is a beautiful shoulder bag from Felisi to drool over. 
And what do you think of this frock? I think the simple cut and the gorgeous harbour scene print is so eye-catching and irresistible. Pop it on I say, head for the coast, then simply take a stroll. You’ll be turning heads for sure! You’ll need to click ‘find a store near you’ if you want to buy from this collection. 
So, to much brighter things and especially to our beautiful Tuscan Garden here on the edge of Chianti, which is now full of flowering tubs. Yes, the weekend was glorious and we were able to get all the pots planted up with colourful flowers. The grass, or green weedy stuff, was mowed and we sat out in an evening temperature of around 24 degrees centigrade to admire our hard work. Now it is raining and is likely to do so all week. A little sad for the tourists that have started arriving in their droves. But hey ho, life eeez good, life eeez now! Foto J Finnigan.
Now I must mention the Star of Jerusalem, which is an herb said to be helpful to people suffering from depression, when taken in oil form. They pop up all over the ‘lawn’ and are really pretty. I have just read that these lovely plants are the bane of landscape gardeners as they spread like crazy. Well my man likes them so much, he mowed around them, bless him! What would you do? Foto J Finnigan.
Meanwhile, the legend that is Bob Dylan was in Florence on his Italian leg of ‘The Never Ending Tour’. He performed his first tracks seated at the piano, starting with ‘Things have changed’ his voice in excellent form and singing to a packed Mandela Forum. His visit to the city was very low profile and the reporters were unable to find out where he was staying or anything about his itinerary outside of the concert! Well, good for Bob, I say, privacy is everything. Did you go to the concert? Do tell me about it, as I could not get a ticket! Foto La Repubblica.
Back in our local village of Fiano and over morning coffee, I noticed in the paper a mention of World Book Day, which is apparently on 23rd April, so we must remember that. I’m not sure how one is supposed to celebrate this, other than perhaps buying or reading a book. Mine are always available of course, assuming you like romantic thrillers and adventures that take you around the world. Supporting an author is a good idea, me in particular! I will be in Wells and Exmouth in the West County of the UK the week beginning 21st May, so if you have a book group or any other club where you would like me to visit, do drop me a line. Visit 
Now, I think I should mention, if you are coming to Italy and hiring a car, that the roads have never been as bad as they are now. The recent cold snap, after a few days of early spring weather, has made things considerably worse! The roads have never been particularly good here, however, we are now reading about it in the papers so things have seriously deteriorated! In the UK, the local authorities would have paid out millions to drivers for the damage to their cars over the last year, here in Tuscany it’s accepted as the norm. As we currently have no government, what can we do? So, I recommend a high wheel based car, particularly if you are visiting me. Foto La Nazione.
Well, enough of the grumbles, there is a lot to be grateful for, like good restaurants! With our local one being closed for ten days, we decided to go back to another favourite in Tavernelle, which I may have mentioned before. I’m talking about La Gramola. It is newly refurbished with big modern paintings on the wall, and has a fresher and more spacious feel to it. Thankfully the chef, Cecilia Dei, has not changed and we enjoyed a really delicious meal there on Sunday. I had Crostini di Cavolo Nero (black cabbage on toast) followed by spaghetti con verdure. (seasonal vegetables.) Just to remind you, La Gramola also specialises in gluten-free. Let me know if you are visiting and perhaps we’ll take you there. Foto J Finnigan. Visit La Gramola at 
Junefinnigan's Weblog 