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The First Cuckoo, Barty to the Vet and a Snippet in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2014| 3 Comments »

Ciao to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

The Common Cuckoo

The Common Cuckoo Photo Wikimedia

On the  first day of April, and right on cue, we heard the first Cuckoo of the year.  Then, on the way back from coffee a swallow swooped over us and out across the valley.  So we are now certain that spring has arrived.    Later, I was delighted to see two wood pigeons building a nest in one of the fir trees surrounding the villa.  I just love that sound; doo-do0 doo doo-doo, doo-doo doo doo-doo.  I rushed into the kitchen and found my man, “We are going to have babies!” I announced.  “I bloody well hope not, not at our age…! He groaned.  “No, no, baby wood pigeons silly!”  “Oh, of course, how did I not guess the first time, baby wood pigeons…” he sighed.

The stunning Copper Carnival, one of our new garden plants. Photo j Finnigan

The stunning Copper Carnival, one of our new garden plants.
Photo j Finnigan

Despite the weather warnings from the farmers, we have bought more plants for the garden pots at the market in Certaldo.  Our lovely plant lady popped in some freebies as well, as we are such good customers.  By next weekend we will be very ship-shape and ready to show off the garden in all its potted glory.

Meanwhile, I mentioned to my man that Farty Barty the cat was due for his first jab in April, and he had a swollen front knee.   He is very good at sensing when this is about to happen, will disappear for up to five days, and then come in starving in the evening when the vet is closed.  But this time we managed to fool him and got him off for the jab and some antibiotics on Friday morning!  The

Farty Barty preening after his visit to the vet. Photo J Finnigan

Farty Barty preening after his visit to the vet.
Photo J Finnigan

vet said, oh, but he’s not due for a jab until May.  “You’ve got your Marzo’s and Maggio’s confused again,”  my man groaned on the way home.  “And that swelling is no worse than ones he’s had before and we just got charged 30 euros for the visit!”  Then we went to the farmacia (chemist) for the antibiotics and they cost another 13,50 euros.  Meanwhile, Barty has disappeared without trace.  If you spot a grey tiger cat, who swaggers  like John Wayne, let me know.

Back in our local village of Fiano, Paolo from ‘C’era una Volta restaurant’ waltzed in to the bar (yes he has a funny sort of dancing walk) to buy his bread, looking very bronzatta after ten days lying on a beach somewhere in the Indian Ocean.  We are glad to see him back, as we have taken to having Sunday lunch there of late.  On Wednesday the Sister and Niece returned to England and were disappointed to have found him closed when they were here.

Last week I promised to let you have a snippet from my current novel ‘The Bolivian Connection’, which is in progress.  So, here it is:

Chapter two;  Joanna, our heroine,  is relaxing in her farmhouse garden in Devonshire with a glass of Pinot Grigio and her black Labrador Dippy…..

‘I do not know how long he had been standing there. I sensed him before I saw him. There had been no sound of a car or footsteps on the gravel drive. The air had become very still, just like the lull before a storm. The birds had stopped singing and the gentle breeze had gone. He moved then, reaching inside the gate to untie the string, his face breaking into a crooked smile. Dippy had not moved and neither did I.  My half-brother raised his hand in greeting and started walking slowly across the lawn towards me.  I had no idea who he was.  A youngish man, perhaps in his twenties, smart dark suit, black shirt, and matching tie. Shiny expensive black shoes, black hair greased flat to his head and curling at his neck. His crooked smile revealed a gold tooth and he looked foreign, possibly Spanish.’

Maybe a little tweaking, but hopefully that’s wetted your appetite and it also reminds me that its gone two o’clock and I’ve missed lunch……

So I’m off to have an aperitivo in the little bit of sunshine that is peaking through the heavy clouds.

Have a great week and I’ll update you on the continuing adventures of Silvio B, next time.

Amore June xx

PS Here is the link to my Amazon author page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Wrong End of the Incense Stick, Removing the covers and Glorious Sunshine in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

We have lived in Italy for nearly ten years and have learnt the language gradually over that time.  However, no matter how confident one can be, never underestimate the misunderstandings that can occur when listening to an Italian speaking rapidly in dialect, while thrusting a piece of paper through the gate.  I heard the bell ring and my man answered the door.  The conversation was floating up to me in bits, but I distinctly heard him say, in Italian of course, “I won’t be here, but my sister will be.”  Standing at the top of the stairs I enquired of my man, “who was that then?”  “Oh, it was a nice man with a leaflet about a church blessing that’s being held at the church on Thursday, when I’m in London.  I told him that my sister, who is Catholic, would be here and that she might like to go.”  Sadly, our local church has been closed ever since we moved here and we had heard that it sometimes opens for one day, once a year, so we guessed this was it.  We are not church goers, however, this was an opportunity to see inside!

canstock7799636

Confused Roman Catholic Priest

On the Wednesday, my man’s sister arrived with our niece for a weeks holiday.  The following morning, at a quarter to the designated hour, the doorbell rang.  My sister-in-law could not work out how to open the door, so I hung out the front bathroom window.  Smiling up at me from outside the gate was a Roman Catholic priest in his flowing robes and purple sash, clutching his trusty bible.  Standing next to him was the elderly chap who had delivered the leaflet.  “I have brought the Father to bless the sister,” he shouted confidently.  “Sorry, did you say bless the sister?” I queried.   “Yes, the sister is Catholic, your husband said we should call!”  So, as you can imagine, I tried to explain that there had been a misunderstanding and that we had thought the church was going to be open for a service.  “No, no,” the Father was smiling,  “we are only in the village to bless the sister…..”  Of course, I apologised for their waste of time, but then the Father said, “What about you?  Perhaps you would like a blessing….” His smile was withering.   “Err, I’m not Catholic, I’m Methodist.”   He shrugged,  “Your religion is similar, I can give you a blessing!”  Finally, they realised that I was a hopeless case and bade me good morning.  However, I did feel bad, and perhaps after all I should have let him in to ‘Bless the Sister”, but it’s too late now…..

Spring flowers with fallen olives Photo J Finnigan

Spring flowers with fallen olives
Photo J Finnigan

Meanwhile, the garden is heaving with spring growth.  Jasmin, wisteria, primroses and pansies.  our lovely plant lady was back at the market in Certaldo, so we were able to get those much-needed plants for the spring pots.   We also removed all the covers from the delicate plants, then were told in the village that the farmers were anticipating a two-week cold snap in April!  But it’s so lovely to have everything uncovered, including the orange trees that are heavy with fruits.  Sadly, our potted Kumquat tree looks ill, so I have pruned it down and have my fingers crossed.  Wintering under the covers was a big fat locust, which flew off in disgust.

The Sister posing on vintage Vespa at Osteria la Gramola Photo J Finnigan

The Sister posing on vintage Vespa at Osteria la Gramola
Photo J Finnigan

Well, it has been a busy week, trying to work, write and entertain all at the same time.  Supper at our daughter’s house, Sunday lunch at a favourite restaurant called La Gramola in Tavernelle, and lunches in our sunny garden.  The ‘sister’ and our niece enjoyed a visit to Siena last Friday and are off to Florence today.  So I have a little quiet time to finish this blog and get it off to you.

Due to the limited time, and it being Monday, I will update you about Silvio next week and, I know, you are still waiting to receive a snippet from my current novel, ‘The Bolivian Connection”.  Next time, I promise……!

Have a great week.

Amore June x

PS Here is the link to my Amazon author page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

 

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Squeaky Tractors, Bonfires and Giant Emperor Moths in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2014| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers,

The valley below our villa Photo J Finnigan

The busy valley below our villa
Photo J Finnigan

“Did you call me to attest to your insanity?”  My man is staring up at me from the garden, whilst I am hanging out the studio window with a hoarse throat.  “No goddamnit” I croak, “I wanted you to remind me what it was you said to your London friend, when he asked you what ‘the sounds of Tuscany’ were.”  “Oh, yes, squeaky tractors of course.”  Well, it depends on the time of year, however, at this moment in time my man is right.  Ancient squeaky tractors are currently rattling their way up and down between the vines, rotovating the soil.  this goes on for quite a few weeks, whilst imported workers are trimming and tidying the vines.  Meanwhile,   the pruned branches from the olive trees are being dragged into piles and burnt.  So the air is rather smoky at present.

Last weekend in Fiano, Benedetta had gone off to the coast to celebrate her twenty-third birthday, so her mother Laura was holding the fort at the bar/alimentari alone.  Over coffee there, I told my man about the quotes I had had for translating my novel into Italian and that they were all very expensive.  I explained that I had been asked for the number of ‘characters’, rather than words, and wondered if they included the spaces.  “Ha, I’m surprised they didn’t want to weigh the book, they weigh everything else here!”  he groaned.  You may laugh, but what my man said is very true.  If you order a sandwich, the Italians slice the bread and weigh it, slice the cheese/ham and weigh it, and weigh tomatoes and/or salad before slicing.   So, back to the book, I may have to postpone the translation, until I make a lot more royalty money from the English version.

Yesterday, our beautiful nine-year old granddaughter arrived to stay overnight, whilst her big brother went down to Perugia to play rugby with his team from Siena.  Sadly, the result went heavily against Siena this time.  Our girl introduced her granddad to a new game of cards, which they are currently playing at her school.  There was a lot of shouting, laughter and slapping of hands on the table.  “What’s going on?”  I enquired.  “Oh its this game called Manaccia” my man replied, “It’s a bit like snap with attitude!”  Earlier in the morning, we had dropped down to Certaldo to buy Primula and Pansies, but were disappointed because our usual lady was not in the market with her plant stand.  However, all is not lost as  we managed to get some plants in Montespertoli this morning.

Giant Emperor Moths on Garden Lamp Photo P Finnigan

Giant Emperor Moths on Garden Lamp
Photo P Finnigan

My man called me down to the garden a couple of days ago and  I was amazed to see two, probably newly emerged, Giant Emperor Moths hanging off the bottom of one of our garden lights.  This light stays on all night, so they probably had toasty warm feet.  Fabulous, and my man managed to capture this picture for you all to see!  I must say that all the signs are here now for the end of any

The first baby fig of 2014 Photo P Finnigan

The first baby fig of 2014
Photo P Finnigan

cold weather; ants, flies, dragonflies, butterflies flitting and dancing together,  six bats emerging at dusk and the first baby fig on our tree!  However, it’s a bit chilly this morning….

Enter, the much adored Silvio Berlusconi.  Oh no, things are sadly on the downward slope for SB.  Italy’s highest appeal court has upheld his two-year ban from

Silvio swallows the pill. Photo Indiatimes

Silvio swallows the pill.
Photo Indiatimes

public office, after which he ‘auto-suspended’ himself from the ‘Federation of Knights’ ahead of a meeting, where he expected to be stripped of the title.  Described by many Italians as ‘Il Cavaliere’, he will now have to get used to being simply Mr Berlusconi!  Meanwhile, he has scotched rumours that his children will stand as candidates for his party Forza Italia in the EU elections.  What to do next, that is the question?  When you are the sixth richest person in Italy, one’s choices are very limited…….

Oh, I nearly forgot.  I promised to send you a snippet from my new novel ‘The Bolivian Connection’ to be published later this year.  I will send you a taster mid-week as I am now under pressure to get on with the day job.  Nevertheless, life eez good, life eez now!

Have a great week.

Amore June xx

PS here is the link for my Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

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An Election, Vicious Caterpillers and 60’s Fashion in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2014| 6 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers,

Matteo Renzie on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Matteo Renzie on the cover of Vanity Fair.

last Sunday, the village hall in our local village of Fiano, was all set up to receive the voters for the election of the new Mayor of Certaldo.  Our resident Moroccan street seller had positioned himself close to the entrance, so everything was ready.  We had received forms to complete, that would have allowed us the opportunity to vote, however, life being so hectic, I clean forgot to return them.  We have no idea who the candidates were, but for sure, it will be difficult to find someone equal to the handsome and charismatic Matteo Renzie, the original Mayor of Florence, who is now Prime Minister.

the vicious Processionaria that builds nests in Fir Trees. Photo National Geographic

the vicious Processionaria that builds nests in Fir Trees.
Photo National Geographic

Back in the countryside and gardens, vicious caterpillars called ‘Processionaria’ are causing a lot of problems.  They are lovely to look at, but deadly to approach.  If they think they are being threatened they will fire sharp spines that are very dangerous for animals and humans alike.  Our poor son-in-law was trying to clear some from the garden when a spine was shot straight into his eye!  After hospital treatment, the painful injury should be OK, but be warned…..

Eurasian Jay Photo Wikapedia

Eurasian Jay
Photo Wikipedia

However, there are some good things to tell you;  particularly the sight of four Jays doing a mating waltz, directly in front of us over the steep valley below.

Back in the village, we were approached by local man Sergio, who owns a 1960’s English MG sports car and he was keen to know what an Englishman would have worn then, whilst driving the car.  My man said over coffee, “I think he needs some Clarks Desert Boots, a houndstooth or checked sports jacket, cravat and cap.  Think Terry Thomas!”  So back in my studio, I did a bit of research on-line.   I could not find any really good pictures of our Terry, but came across one of  Michael Caine dressed in perfect attire.   I then found some excellent British sites that still sell the exact same clothes.  It will be possible for Sergio to buy a new all British double-breasted navy sports jacket with brass buttons from M&S, and have it posted!  There were even sites dedicated to English cravats!  so I printed off some pictures and left them in the bar for Sergio to collect.  I look forward to hearing from him and seeing him looking like a proper English, if Italian, gent.

Meanwhile, Farty Barty the cat seems to have slowed down and, thank god, is probably over the call of the wild.  The sun is now quite hot by mid-day so he is lying on his back on the wooden bench, in a most ungainly fashion, and enjoying himself.  We have been able to throw open the doors and windows for a large part of the day and have even started some spring cleaning!

Silvio re-launches 'Forza Italia' Photo Reuters

Silvio with his party ‘Forza Italia’
Photo Reuters

And so to the undaunted and charismatic billionaire Silvio Berlusconi.  Undaunted, because he is now planning to run for a place in the EU parliament!  If he wins, he may not be able to take his seat in the legislative body, which traditionally meets in Strasbourg, France.  Why?  Well firstly, he does not currently hold a passport, handed over to prevent him fleeing the country, and secondly he maybe under house arrest when the vote takes place.  You have to admire the man though;  down, but definitely not out!  What do you think?

Well, enough of that.  Time to beautify myself and to go out to Sunday lunch with my man.

Have a great week, do drop me a line and, if you have read the book,  please pop a review of ‘My Father, The Assassin’ on Amazon or Goodreads.

Grazie Mille and Salute, June x

Ps  I must mention the fact that I have been chuckling all day over something I wrote yesterday in chapter eleven of ‘The Bolivian Connection’.  It is an exchange of conversation between our heroine Joanna and her Interpol protector and former lover, Frenchman Laurent.  Sorry, you’ll have to wait for the book to be published….ha,ha,ha!  on the other hand, I might let you have a snippet next weekend….watch this space.

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The London Author Fair, Early Spring and a Welcome Back in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

It was a delight to be welcomed back at Laura’s bar/alimentari in our local village of Fiano.  I had only been absent for four days, however, this did not stop the chorus of ‘bentornato’ from our favourite locals.  This makes me feel rather special, particularly as my man and I are English, if long term,  interlopers in a small rural community in Tuscany.

You will be aware that I had returned from The London Author Fair, where I had attended seminars and workshops with a view to obtaining some new ideas for marketing by current novel, ‘My Father, The Assassin.’  I now have a lot of following up to do to maximise the benefits.  Whilst there, I bumped into another author called James Minter.  We were both really surprised, as I was in the middle of reading his three very funny books, The ‘Hole Trilogy’ and he was reading mine!

Taglierino del Tartufo (white truffles) still on the menu! photo P Finnigan

Taglierino del Tartufo (white truffles) still on the menu!
photo P Finnigan

However, I was so pleased to be back in our little bit of Chianti last Sunday,  in time for lunch at ‘C’era una Volta,’ one of our local ristorante.  Whilst there, two Bavarian friends walked in having seen our car outside, so we were able to catch up and have a great lunch together.  We parted company with an invite to theirs for supper.  They own a beautiful villa next to our old house, which has been bought by Australians!  We are  very cosmopolitan lot in this area.

Mimosa in our garden. Photo P Finnigan

Mimosa in our garden.
Photo P Finnigan

My man had been busy whilst I was away.  Grass cutting and generally tidying up in the garden.  The temperature is up to 17 degrees centigrade today, so fingers crossed for lunch in the garden, as it smells so wonderfully spring like now.  Tomorrow, Saturday, is Festa della Donna (Festival of Women) when mimosa flowers are presented to all female family and friends.  Sadly, the mimosa has blossomed too early this year, so the blooms are a little past their best.  Nevertheless, we will cut what we can and take some over to Laura at the bar in the morning.

By the way, I am about to send out invites to my next Rock Concert Garden Party, so if you want to come and have not already sent me your email address, please do so.  june.finnigan@virgin.net

Sivio at AC Milan in happier times Photo Reuters/Stefano Relland

Silvio at AC Milan in happier times
Photo Reuters/Stefano Relland

So, what has the gorgeous, if aging, Silvio Berlusconi been up to over the last couple of weeks?  Rumour has it, that he is thinking of selling his beloved football club AC Milan!  This has been denied, however, the team’s performance has been lacklustre of late, and they could lose as much as 51.4 million euros in revenue, if they do not finish in the top four this season!  The Team is currently the eight richest team in the world.  Last year  SB’s personal wealth only increased by 1.5 billion dollars, poor thing, so he perhaps needs a little more in the bank.  Mind you, quote John McDuling of Quarz News, ‘Would you buy a used soccer club from Silvio Berlusconi?’  Now that’s a bit harsh…..

Well, enough of that.  Must go and think about lunch.  I spend a lot of time thinking about it; I just wish someone else would cook it!  But the sun is shining, hurrah!

Have a great week and see you next time.

Amore June x

PS don’t forget to check out my new author page at:

https://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

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A Leg in Plaster, Men Living alone and a New Government in Beautiful Tuscany.

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 24, 2014| 9 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers

Winter colour in the garden. Photo J Finnigan

Winter colour in the garden.
Photo J Finnigan

As I write this blog, the morning sun is pouring through the open studio window and there is nothing like it for being inspired to write.  The weather has been so spring like, apart from the hailstorm yesterday, that many trees and flowers are well in advance with their blossoms.

Our grandson kicks a winning drop goal. Photo P Finnigan

Our grandson kicks a winning conversion aka Jonny Wilkinson.
Photo P Finnigan

Last weekend we went to the historical centre of Poggibonsi for lunch with our beautiful daughter and two grandchildren.  You may recall that our thirteen year old grandson is bravo at rugby and is capitano of Siena under fourteens.  Unfortunately his leg was in plaster after his friend and team-mate landed on his knee during Tuscan trials in Arezzo.  He’ll be on the bench for up to six weeks with damaged tendons.  Later this year he will be off to Blundells school in England having brilliantly won a scholarship and is really looking forward to enjoying the vastly improved sports facilities!  Our nine-year old granddaughter has her sights on a horse, as they live right next door to some stables!  Watch this space….

Italian mens' street fashion in Florence. Photo lettersfromflorence.blogspot

Italian mens’ street fashion in Florence.
Photo lettersfromflorence.blogspot

Earlier this week, we were relaxed over coffee at Laura’s bar in Fiano.  My man was reading the paper and I was making my usual observations and notes.  “Well, well, how strange” said my man, “It says here that one in four Italian men live alone!”  Now, we found this an interesting subject to analyse.  Italian men are mostly very tied to their mothers and if that fails, they are more likely to find a replacement in a wife.  The younger generations are slowly changing this, however, it seems that fifty-two percent of 25-34 year olds still live with their mothers, compared to thirty-five percent of women.  We do know a few men in Fiano who are getting on a bit, have never married and live alone.  Apart from one of these, they all have a rather hung dog look about them and it is obvious that they lived with their mothers until she died of a ripe old age.  It’s also true, that we are all living longer, so elderly men have increased in number and many of these will be widowers.  However, one in four men living alone seems quite high given the fact that women still usually outlive their men.  I would be interested to have your thoughts on this….

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

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

You will be aware that it has been all change on the political front.  Our aging Peter Pan, Silvio Berlusconi is disgusted with the fact that his former right hand man, Angelino Alfano, has been invited to join the coalition government and is complaining that the new members have not been elected, which is undemocratic!  A bunch of sour grapes methinks.  At the bar, most of those who have anything to say, like the new interim Prime Minister Matteo Renzie, mainly because he was the Mayor of Florence and they are all keen Fiorentina football fans.  The new government is also very young and I could only find two over sixty!  In fact, the majority are below fifty!  Well, things could not get any worse, so fingers crossed for the promised reforms and reduced unemployment figures.

Well, I will be off to London on Thursday for a  gathering of authors, publishers and literary agents.  It should be interesting and the day will finish with a lavish gala dinner……Yummy.   Meanwhile, I must get this blog off to you and get on with the day job.

Have a great week.

Amore June x

PS  Don’t forget there are still big discounts for downloading ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan from Amazon and please, please write a review.  Grazie Mille.

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Amore, Searching for a good Coffee and a Little Sadness, in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 3, 2014| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

Long Winter shadows

Long Winter shadows & Amore
Photo P Finnigan

When you have been lucky enough to have spent a lot of years living with the one you love, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the loss of that person would be catastrophic.  So as my man prepared to head for London a week ago I asked him, “If you go before me, and you may not, how can I capture the whole being that is you?”  My man looked very thoughtful and said “Feel free to lop off whatever you want!”  Now he is normally a very romantic guy, but can you imagine?    I was thinking that I would like to have my own ashes sprinkled across the Chianti Hills, this would then put back into the vineyards a little bit of what they have given me over the years.  Why am I thinking about morbidity?  Well, one of Fiano’s sweet old ladies, Iolanda, died on Friday.  She loved to do embroidery and I bought two pretty tray clothes from her a couple of years ago.  Her hands were already shaking with Parkinsons, but she persevered.  Addio Iolanda x

The Rock Chick Band

The Rock Chick Band

Personally, I hope to fade away disgracefully singing loud rock songs with the Rock Chick Band, whilst holding a nicely warmed glass of Chianti.

But enough of that.  Wednesdays, in our little bit of Chianti, is the day for making an executive decision.  Where to get a really good cup of coffee, fresh pastry (if one is not still on a diet) and a relaxing environment?  You see, Laura’s bar and alimentary is closed on that day, so we must go elsewhere.  The other bar in Fiano serves reasonable coffee, however, the ambiance has a lot to be desired.  So more often than not, we will head for Tavernelle, where there is a nice pasticeria (baker of pastries and cakes), and the locals are friendly.  However, last week we drove over and found that they had closed for a two-week holiday.  February is quite popular with the Tuscans,  for disappearing off to the Far East for a warm break.  So we decided to drop down to Certaldo, which almost completed a full circle.  When we finally got home again, my man, who is the analyst, worked out that we had travelled thirty kilometres in our search for coffee!

Things have been very busy over the last two weeks.  I have booked flights to London for the end of February, as I will be attending an Authors Fair and also for the end of May as my mother will be celebrating her 90th!  Flights are pretty easy between London and Pisa and likewise to Bristol, but prices are on the up.

Silvio addresses new young recruits to his party Forza Italia. Photo AP/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse.

Silvio addresses new young recruits to his party Forza Italia.
Photo AP/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse.

And what about the other main character in our lives?  Please put your hands together for the one and only, Signore Silvio Berlusconi!  There is a standing ovation and it takes five minutes for the devoted followers of SB to calm down.  He smiles, flashing his perfectly white straight teeth and starts to speak.  More cheers and clapping and he raises his hands in thanks,  then waves the devotees back into their seats.  It is a fact that millions of Italians still believe him to be the most dynamic leader ever, in Italian politics.  They accept his version of events, not the courts, and believe that he only has the people’s well-being at heart.  He now has the advantage of being in the opposition during a period of austerity and, whilst he will not be able to stand for election, he will certainly choose someone who will!  He may have been caught with his trousers down on more than one occasion, but he still has a good pair of legs!

I am now well into writing ‘The Bolivian Connection’ where Joanna Wilde is nervously watching the arrival of the worldwide assassins’ ring, who are being dropped off at ‘The Castle’ by various helicopters, for the reading of her evil dead father’s will.  Watch this space!

Meanwhile, have a really great week and please do leave a review on Amazon if you have read ‘My Father, the Assassin’ by J W Finnigan.  I’ll be eternally grateful!

Grazie Mille June xx

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Mick Hucknell, My Kindle and January Jobs in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2014| 6 Comments »

Welcome Ragazzi and thank you for following,

Mick_Hucknall_by_Slawek

The real Mick Hucknell
Photo Slawek

The countryside in our little bit of Chianti, is fairly quiet at present.  The sound of vines being snipped and the relentless muted conversation of the contadini (farm workers) drift up from the steep vineyards below us and some distant woodland maintenance has started, opening up new vistas that we regulars can enjoy on the way to coffee in Fiano.  Most of the land around us, other than the olive grove immediately below our home, belongs to the Fattoria Villa Bacio.  It is quite a vast area and every season offers up new jobs to be done on the land and in the gardens.  For sometime we have seen a youngish man, whom we think is the son of Villa Bacio, in charge of the workers and I have been struggling to think who he reminds me of.  Then it hit me, he is the spitting image of Mick Hucknell, former lead singer of Simply Red!

Beautiful january rose in our garden. Photo P Finnigan

Beautiful January rose in our garden.
Photo P Finnigan

In our garden we currently have a most beautiful January rose and here is a picture.  We inherited lots of English roses that are easily identifiable by their strong perfume.  This one is only slightly perfumed, so if anyone can identify it, do let me know.

I am completely in love with my new Kindle, which my man bought me for Christmas.  I would never have believed that I could be persuaded away from my beloved books to reading an electronic gadget.  However, when I tell you that I have just downloaded the complete works of Charles Dickens (60 volumes) for just £1.27p, there is no way I can argue against it.  Reading is very important if you are a novelist, not just for the pleasure, but also for plot ideas and creative writing.  I am also teaching myself chess and have beaten the Kindle several times.  Mind you I am currently on the first level, so time will tell.

My man is now on a serious diet which also means no alcohol, apart from the weekend when he enjoys a couple of nice Chiantis with his lunch and a light aperitivo before supper.  I am doing my very best to do the same, but I cannot cook lunch without a couple of glasses of wine and loud rock music to keep my spirits up.  You may have noticed, that I rarely mention food, other than when visiting a ristorante; this is because I am not a great lover of cooking.  I know, most of you will throw your hands up in horror, as my own daughter does.  However, I do cook and only because my man does not.  This is not a complaint, he does just about every other job around the house and garden, including his own ironing!  In Fiano, where we usually take our morning coffee, he is currently forgoing his sweet pastries, so his face is a little on the long side.  The poor thing has also had to contend with a sore throat, which I’m sure is due to the lack of a soothing glass of vino.  On Saturday mornings, the locals we do not see in the week, arrive at Laura’s bar/alimentari in their customary smart tracksuits and quilted jackets.  This last Saturday was also black woolly hat day, no newspaper delivery and everyone talking about the previous day’s  disasters.  (Friday 17th, which is considered very unlucky in Italy)   When the man is a little grumpy he comes out with his best gems and this time, in referring to a gossiping black hatted, grey track-suited lady in high heels he commented, ‘I bet she’s been storing up her conversation all night!’  Don’t we just love him.

Inside Bar/Pasticeria Fiorentina in Montespertoli

Inside Bar/Pasticeria Fiorentina in Montespertoli

On Sunday morning we headed off to Montespertoli for an aperitivo, despite the rain, and tucked into the corner of the tiny Bar and Pasticeria Fiorentina, where everyone was looking forward to Florence winning their latest football match.  The atmosphere in the town is always affected by the local football (calcio) results!

I will bring you an update on our idol, Silvio Berlusconi next weekend as I must crack on with ‘The Bolivian Connection’, where my heroine Joanna Wilde,  is about to check out of her hotel in La Paz and head for her evil father’s former mountain home, known as ‘The Castle’, for the formal reading of his will…..

Have a great week and don’t forget to check out Joanna’s previous story in my book ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan on http://www.amazon.uk or .eu or .com.  Or for a big discount on a download, go to http://www.firstchapters.net

Ciao June x

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Hot sun, Freezing Fog and Christmas Markets in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 8, 2013| 6 Comments »

Crumbling Cliffs left and our villa top right. Photo P Finnigan

Crumbling Cliffs left and our villa almost hidden in the trees, second from right.
Photo P Finnigan

Driving along the strada bianca this morning, the sun was a russet gold and the light fantastic.  So much so, that my man stopped the car and took some lovely photos of the of the foggy valley and inland cliffs below our villa.  I have mentioned before that we live in an area which is constantly on the move and the crumbling cliffs provide a reminder that within staggering beauty is a landslip always waiting to happen.  The cliffs are full of fossils and ancient seashells, reminding us that these Dolce Colline (sweet hills) were under water during the ice-age.   The steepest parts are largely covered in mixed woodland, so the area is teaming with wildlife.  A young roe deer crossed the track this morning at some considerable speed, so we braked and as anticipated a second one was not far behind.

The much hunted and beautiful Cinghale.

A Tuscan Cinghiale.

A couple of weeks ago our daughter was driving across country and a big old male cinghiale (wild boar) broke cover and dashed across the road.  She expected several more to follow or perhaps hunters’ dogs, but no, the frightened animal was being chased by a cock pheasant!  Don’t you just wish you had a camera at a time like this?

Back in Laura’s bar/alimentari in Fiano,  the ever popular Sig Rotund enjoys a shoulder and neck massage provided by a number of passing local ladies, whilst reading his paper.    My man has recently been acting very stiff shouldered to see if he can get the same attention, but no luck so far!  Sig Rotund has provided the Christmas Raffle this year which, unfortunately,  consists of some rather gaudy silver plate things.  The thing is, do we buy a ticket and ask to have the prize put back if we win, not buy a ticket or buy a ticket and try to lose the prize somewhere?  What do you think?  Oh, dio….  Here in Tuscany the festive season is taken very seriously and Christmas Markets are everywhere.  Germany is said to have the best European Christmas Markets and, would you believe it,  Florence is actually hosting a ‘German’ Christmas Market right now!

And now something completely different.  If you live in Italy, well certainly in Tuscany, finding an idraulica (plumber) who a) actually arrives, b) can do any plumbing job and is not restricted to one specialist area, and c) does not take all day to do a few little jobs, is almost impossible.  Well, we popped into Bar Italia in Certaldo the other day and discovered that Fabiola, who works behind the bar, is married to just the man we have been searching for!  The amazing Salvatore arrived the next day and did everything in less than three hours, then rushed off and said he would leave his bill in the bar at sometime in the future!  We now have flushing loos and taps that no longer drip, so we are all ready for the festive visitors!

OLive trees overlooking thefog filled valleys. Photo P Finnigan

Olive trees overlooking the fog filled valleys.
Photo P Finnigan

Back at the villa, despite the freezing air temperature, we have been able to sit outside in hot sunshine at around 1pm on most days this last week.  The magic thing about southern Europe is the fact that the sun, when it comes out, is still hot in winter.  So if you take your folding chair, even on a frosty day, get out of the wind and have direct sunlight on your face, you can soak up that much-needed vitamin D and enjoy a pre-lunch aperitivo at the same time!

And so to the Peter Pan of politics.  How is the gorgeous Silvio Berlusconi doing?  The New York Times provided a very amusing article last week.  Quote, “SB cares about his friends as long as they do what he says.  He talks fondly about his late Mama and adores his kids, in fact he loves family so much, he has had three already!  Hang in there SB, the girlies still love you!

Well, as it’s a lovely sunny day, we are off to Montespertoli for an aperitivo in the main piazza, then a bit of lunch.

Have a great week and don’t forget to check out ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan on http://www.Amazon.co.uk (.com or .eu) or http://www.firstchapters.net for your Christmas reading and/or presents.  If you would like my autograph, I can send you a very nice sticky label to go in your book.  Email June.finnigan@virgin.net with your details.

Amore June xx

PS We have just bought a nice bunch of mistletoe, so may be a little preoccupied for a while….

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Warming Chianti Wine by the Fire and Flying with Royalty, in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to all my loyal and new followers,

Warming a nice bottle of local wine. Photo J Finnigan

Warming a nice bottle of local wine.
Photo J Finnigan

Yes, its freezing cold and when  Chianti wines are served at room temperature in the winter its enough to make you tremble with the chill of it all.  So we are now keeping two or three bottles in the nook next to the fireplace that is specially made for this purpose.  Even so, it still needs a little more heating in front of the fire along with the glasses, before it is the right temperature for drinking!  Yes we do have central heating, but it drys the air so badly and the gas is very expensive.  It’s best to dash out of bed in the morning, manually put on the heating upstairs for half and hour, drape bath towels over the radiators to warm up and climb back into bed with a hot drink and wait.  This is also the best time for reading a book, while snuggled up with my man who is generally playing with his Smartphone .  I said Smartphone.  My current book is ‘The Beekeeper’s Apprentice’ by Laurie R King, a really gripping & beautifully written Sherlock Holmes story.  In my studio, I am butted up to an electric fire which our daughter delivered to us when we met for coffee in Fiano last Monday.  Our lovely girl was concerned about my poor aching joints, sweet thing, and thought it would help as I spend so much time working at the computer!  By choice, we live in an old villa which, by its very nature, is a cold house.  all the windows and doors are well fitted and double glazed, however, the cold always manages to seep through the roof and the high ceilings upstairs don’t help.  Despite this, I have to say, that since we left England almost ten years ago, I have barely had a sniffle and only a couple of viruses.  In England I lost whole months of work every year due to heavy colds and flu!  There is a lot to be said for homes warmed by  things other than central heating and fitted carpets.

Well, I don’t know about you, but keeping moving is the thing and its amazing how warm you can get trying to cover the plants with white muslin in a high biting wind.  Last Tuesday, I filled my pockets and mouth with clothes pegs and frantically pegged away at the flapping cloth and then tied it all down with string, leaving the pegs for extra security.  Now granted,  it does not look all that pretty, but it was a job well done.  The day before, my man had erected the polytunnel and all the vulnerable potted plants went under cover.   We were just in time, because come Wednesday, when he had flown to London, we had the first frosts.

The Duke and Princess Michael of Kent fly to Pisa looking a little overdressed. Photo Mail online

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent fly to Pisa looking a little overdressed.
Photo Mail online

On the subject of flying to and from London, my man was joined by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent on his return flight to Pisa on Friday.  Now it was quite obvious that the Prince did not know the rules when flying in a lower class than he had become  accustomed to.  He had arrived at the front of the plane at the same time as the other ‘priority passengers’ and decided that he preferred the front  aisle seat to the one he had been allocated.  However, passengers are allocated seat numbers and when the chap arrived who had paid for and booked that seat, the Prince was asked to move!  Oh dear, but then the chap was a regular, always sat there and knew his rights!

The lovely little caffe bar, at Terra Viva, in Poggibonsi, with the shop beyond. Photo J Finnigan

The lovely little cafe bar, at Terra Viva, in Poggibonsi, with the shop beyond.
Photo J Finnigan

On Thursday, I popped down to Poggibonsi to visit ‘Terra Viva,’ a vegetarian shop and cafe bar, as I particularly wanted to buy some vegan margarine to make some stuffing balls.  This is a new recipe that I found on the vegan website, so I thought I would try it out in plenty of time for Christmas.  ‘Terra Viva’  is a treasure trove for vegans, fresh organic fruit & veg and a kitchen that serves up vegan lunches.  They also sell lovely perfumed oils, candles and mini water fountains set in crystal.  I had a caffe latte there made with organic coffee beans and rice milk – it was surprisingly delicious!  Whilst we are not fully vegan (I adore cheese and cream) I would like to be and we do have some vegan friends to cook for.  I have also been reading up on vegan dishes and its amazing how creative one can be without dairy produce, so I must have a go.  If anyone can recommend some good ideas for a vegan Christmas, do let me know.

And how is the virtually challenged, but gorgeous Silvio Berlusconi doing?  I’ll just go and check the latest news and come back to you.  Poor old SB,  the news is not good.  He must feel like he’s walking trough a wind tunnel, one step forward and two back.  It seems the courts are now claiming that SB “gathered women together at his Milan mansion last January,” then they suggested that “he paid off the would-be show girls with 2,500 euros each a month in return for giving almost identical testimonies  in court, playing down the sexually charged nature of his ‘bunga bunga’ parties!”  Oh dear, they are also claiming that “many of these women lived in apartments owned by SB, wore gifted jewelry and drove cars given to them as birthday presents!”  You don’t say!  Well, of course SB has responded  saying that “it was simply in his nature to try to help people in need.” Well bless his warm and generous heart….

Well, enough of that, it’s now December 1st and everything is getting very Christmasy! I must go and get the Christmas box out of the storeroom and check the state of the crushed decorations and wrapping paper.  Then off to lunch at one of our lovely local ristorante.

Book Cover for 'My Father, The Assassin'

Book Cover for ‘My Father, The Assassin’

Have a great week and don’t forget to check out your Christmas books, especially ‘My Father, the Assassin’ by J W Finnigan on http://www.amazon.uk (eu or com) and at http://www.goodreads.net where you can download an e- book at a discounted price!  Enjoy…

Amore June x

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