Welcome and Benvenuti to all my Lovely Followers around the World,
What’s that you said? A European Election? Oh, yes that one, I had noticed. Don’t get me wrong, but I promised myself I would not write about politics this week. But how can one ignore it, especially with the massive move to the right in many of the European countries. But it’s hardly surprising. Apart from Tuscany, Italy has followed the lead of the very proactive Matteo Salvini, currently the Minister of Internal Affairs, who’s Lega party has swept it’s way to a massive victory. Sig Salvini has spent many months out and about wearing various uniforms and T-shirts, making himself as visible as possible and shutting the ports to the immigrants, as Italy is supposedly sinking into the sea with the weight of the thousands already here!
The most surprising election victory was for the Forza Italia party in Milan, where the veteran of politics and purveyor of scandal, Silvio Berlusconi, has won a place at the big round table in Brussels. At the age of 83 there is no keeping Silvio out of the spotlight. From a non-political point of view, I’m quite pleased to see him back, it makes for more colourful reporting. When allegations swirled about escorts and ‘Bunga Bunga’ parties, Silvio admitted “I’m not a Saint, you’ve all understood that.” Watch this space…..
Meanwhile, back here in our little bit of Tuscany, our local village of Fiano hit the news when it was chosen as a place to interview the locals on their view of the impending election. We were delighted to find our favourite cafe bar and shop singled out for this purpose and in the foto you will see our lovely friends Fabio, Sandra and Rossella at La Dispensa. If you are in Tuscany, do pay them a visit.
Well, I thought I would change the subject and talk about Italian interior design. We live in an ancient converted Monastery Farmhouse, which has it’s original brick floors and beams. Modern Italian furniture designs really lend themselves to old properties. The contrast makes for a perfect blend. As does modern art. We have recently bought new sitting room furniture, comfortable but modern. It is also possible to muddle in a few antique bits here and there; somehow in this property it works. A set of modern furniture in a large high ‘ceilinged’ villa also looks great; like in the enclosed picture. website
Then of course, if we want to get into Summery Fashion designs, I’m all for it. The weather has been terrible and we have been out and about wrapped in winter jackets every day in May. The poor tourists have been drenched in rain for weeks on end, however, we are reliably informed that summer starts tomorrow! Do you get maudlin after lengthy periods of grey skies and rain? I am a naturally cheerful soul, but just lately it’s been hard to keep a smile on my face. Anyway, I love the relaxed look in the enclosed foto. Whilst my signature colour is black, the occasional colourful outfit will catch my eye and this look has both. Website
The Rock Chick Band
So, what next? Ah yes, the excitement is starting to build! It’s nearly June, my favourite month of the year. My next Rock concert is on 21st and my birthday is the 23rd. I’m so looking forward to having a house full of friends & family and concert goers. If you would like an invite, email me at june.finnigan@virgin.net
OK, I’m a little late sending this blog out, my apologies. Do drop me a line, I love to hear from my readers at june.finnigan@virgin.net or pop your comments into the box below.
Have a great week.
Salute June x
ps visit my website at My site
Newspaper fotos extracted from La Repubblica, La Nazione.
Well, I always say that if you are feeling a little down, buy clothes or better still a new handbag! And, that’s exactly what I did on Thursday. My man felt sorry for me and offered to drive me across to Barberino val D’Elsa and my favourite atelier Colleregio Firenze. I have mentioned this place before; for me it is the ultimate shop for all types of bag, purses, belts and hats. However, I must fill you in with the run-up to buying this, my latest bag, and the importance of understanding how these specialist shops operate. Or don’t as the case may be. Two weeks ago I did the round trip to Barberino and arrived at the shop during opening hours, to find it closed! OK, well things happen, so I decided to ring and check that they were open before going for a second time, this time with my man, and yes the nice lady said she would be there. Guess what, they were closed! So late afternoon I ring again only to find that the nice lady had been waiting at their other shop in Castellina in Chianti; apparently the telephone number goes through to her wherever she is! But no worries, the shop in Barberino would open for us that evening. We arrived and yes the nice owner Francesco, had come up from Florence to open it for us! Thank heavens they had the bag I wanted, otherwise, I would have sunk into a bout of despair. The moral to this story is ‘be very precise.’ If you ring a shop, make sure they know which shop you want to go to, as they may have more than one, If you turn up on spec you may be disappointed. It was all worthwhile, I love my new bag!
Anyway, Last weekend was a pink one. Yes, pink or Rosa in Italiano. Montespertoli and Certaldo were bedecked in pink balloons and flags as it was the first time that the big cycle road race, Giro D’Italia, had passed through in sixteen years. Pink is the colour for this very popular event, the winning cyclist ended up being presented with, yes you guessed it, a pink shirt! There was a lot of excitement being generated in our local village of Fiano, which is half way between the two towns! The Tuscans love a festa and especially if it involves cyclists!
And, this weekend was another celebration, that of Street Food! Certaldo hosted a street food festa over a long weekend in Piazza Boccaccia, which is normally the central carpark. I walked through it on Friday evening and it was heaving with people and children enjoying the fairground type rides. I couldn’t help but notice two tourists who had obviously arrived by train, pulling their cases through the crowd heading for the funiculare, the little cable train which would take them up to the safety of Certaldo Alto, the historical centre. They both looked scared to death! There had also been a train strike that day, which only ended in the early evening! Poor things. But they will love Certaldo Alto!
But enough of that. Life eeez good, life eeez now! back in Fiano and reading the papers over coffee, I notice that a new film is about to be launched simply called Leonardo. You may think that there have been enough films and documentaries made about the great man, but apparently this is not the case. I really enjoyed the Medici films so I will look out for this one too.
OK, where are we? Oh yes, just a little cautionary story. Italy is a very welcoming country and particularly Tuscany. But down in Rome, some not very nice eatery charged two tourists 81 euros for two hamburgers and coffees, which is totally unacceptable. So just beware of the tourist traps!
Well, who’d have thought it. The first week in May and we have been swamped with rain and thunder storms. Una bomba d’aqua! If you are visiting, do not be dismayed; when the sun comes out even briefly, you will see the how the light will change and once again everything becomes an artist’s dream. Just stand still in the countryside, no electronic equipment please, hear the rain dripping off the trees, soak up the lush view of many shades of green and the glut of white Acaccia and Elderflower blossoms, oh and the bright yellow Broom. The perfumes will intoxicate you, and then you will see that 3D effect as the sunlight picks up every hill and valley, every row of trees and vines, it will take your breath away! Close your eyes for a second, open again and you will see that you overlooked the steam rising from the valleys as the hot sun starts to dry things out. Then there is the birdsong, the Cuckoo, newly arrived Bee Eaters, the Hoopoe and all the other beautiful regulars. Well, enough said.
The bad weather prevented us from going down to Certaldo on Sunday morning for the annual parade of I Bersaglieri (Marksmen) who are the wonderful running infantry soldiers who wear plumed hats. We watched them arrive in town last year, running and playing their brass instruments at the same time. They are so impressive to watch and I must say the leader was a bit of a hunk. Do go on to Youtube where there is some great footage. Also visit 
Meanwhile, back in our local village of Fiano we are all delighted to welcome the lovely Gabriella Carbini and her Ceramic showroom and studio, Ceramiche D’Arte Carbini. The ‘shop’ is in the main street, Via Firenze, and is full of beautiful traditional ceramics for you to drool over. Your problem will be what not to buy! In addition to the ceramics, Gabriella (on the right in picture) will be pleased to welcome small groups to demonstrations of her work in her studio. You can telephone her on (0039) 346 418 8211 or email ceramichecarbini@gmail.com We attended the opening yesterday evening and can’t wait to go back and start buying things!
Still in Fiano and enjoying coffee at La Dispensa, I read an article about the dark side of Italy, that being the Italian Mafia. Of course they have always been around but more predominantly in the south. We do not see much evidence of their existence here in Tuscany, but then we are not really looking for it either! Anyway, this article was about a new film release called Il Traditore, The Traitor. The Plot is about r
And, on a much brighter side, the lovely Fiorentine Iris has once again survived the winter and is standing proud in the garden. I had promised to post pictures of our new potted plants but due to the heavy rain most remain under cover and will be planted as soon as we have a rain free day. So I hope you enjoy seeing the Iris!
For the first time ever, last Saturday we went to a show at the Old Cinema in Fiano. Not a lot happens there. It is used by the local primary school for gymnastics and the occasional concert. We were really surprised to find it newly refurbished inside and settled into our third row seat to wait for the start of a Comic Opera. This being Italy the start time of 9pm stretched to 10pm as it takes that long for old friends and family chatting away in groups, to finally take their seats. The set was very good and the characters funny and singing excellent. Whilst my man and I did not understand all of it (regional dialects abounded) we did laugh in the right places and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Then at the second break, I reached for my bag, which had been carefully wedged between our seats, and my purse was gone! To cut a long story short, the strange looking couple who had been sitting behind us, had gone too! They were the only strangers in the place, everyone else was known to us and they were all horrified that this should happen to the English lady who had been made so welcome in the village. The villagers hunted high and low, but it had obviously been stolen. So I hastily cancelled my plastic cards then drove down to Certaldo at fifteen minutes past midnight to report the theft to the Carabiniere. A sign outside said to return at 9am unless our visit was very serious and urgent. We decided to go back on Sunday morning. The lovely police officers were very helpful and as my purse/wallet had included all my documentation and driving licence, I had to make a written statement and apply for the police to issue a new licence! Foto pinInterest – I make no excuses.
And so to lighter things and I read in the paper that the amazing Italian singer Patty Pravo, now aged seventy, is still performing! She of the amazing gravelly yet sexey voice, and without an ounce of fat, is still wowing her audiences. If David Bowie had wanted a female look-a-like, Patty would have been perfect. A big hit in sixties Italy, she reinvented herself in the mid-nineties and hit the charts again. If you would like to listen to an italian female singer with attitude, Patty is for you. 
And now for something completely different. All you lovers of Tuscany may not be aware that we have a thriving grain industry. No, it’s not all vines and olives! Wheat, Barley and Corn and other crops I cannot recall, are all grown here. Also, of course, big fields of sunflowers for their seeds. Italy does have a growing beer industry, so that’s one route some of these grains might take. And, of course, Tuscany’s very own pasta made from local wheat.
This then leads us on to the other Italian drink, so very popular with the men as a digestivo, yes you are right Grappa. Grappa is a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume. I’m not too keen on it, we more northern europeans would more likely choose a port after dinner. Mind you, after my purse theft experience, I might just drink anything!
Well, last Sunday morning was busy at coffee time at La Dispensa, in our local village of Fiano, with lots of locals wearing their team Calambur T-shirts, in readiness for the exciting contest due to start at two-thirty. This was going to be a hard-fought contest for the coveted victor’s banner, which the team can keep displayed in their zone for the next twelve months. Our Fiano team is called La Fonte, and our colours are red and white. The village was festooned with flags as was Certaldo, where the big event was to be held. The event is a bit like the ‘It’s a Knockout’ contest we used to have in the UK and is very entertaining to watch, but taken very seriously indeed by the contestants.
At the end of the day it was La Canonica team from Certaldo who came out victors, despite our team putting in a superb effort. La Fonte did win two years ago and I remember the beautifully embroidered banner being displayed in La Dispensa. Oh well, there’s always next year!
Meanwhile, there has been a lot of busy preparation for the Truffle (tartufo) Hunting Season, which starts on 22nd September. Lots of tourists include this rather exciting event in their holiday itinerary and if you visit EnvyItaly on-line you will find an article all about it. Click on ‘Magazine’ then ‘Best Experiences in Italy’. There are also hunts available locally to us; I can put you in touch with the right people. Foto Envy Italy.
And, so to my other love, Italian Autumn Fashion. The papers and magazines here are filling up with gorgeous Autumn colours, my favourite time of the year. I noticed that Burberry in England has taken on a new look, but believe me, Italian designers do have the edge when it comes to style. I just adore this fringed coat, couldn’t you just snuggle up in it? MaxMara’a models are not the most cheerful lot, but I have let this fact pass for once.
The other advert I found, was for a pair of comfy shoes! Arrrgh, I hear you say, fashion and comfort just don’t go together! I have spent a lot of years trying to combine both, and yes it’s difficult. However, what do you think of these shoes? Are they stylish enough or too clumpy? I’m almost tempted to buy some, but I’m not sure…..
And back in the real world, yesterday, Monday, was back to school day. Lots of nervous children and students were starting the new term and some, like my 13 nearly 14-year-old granddaughter, a new senior school in Siena! The Italian school holidays, particularly the summer one, is very long, almost three months in fact, so parents and grandparents alike are sighing with relief.
Only in Italy will the front page of a national newspaper show the Prime Minister and other political big wigs splashing around in or by the sea! You see, tomorrow is Ferragosta and If you are Italian you know exactly what that means. You down tools, pack your extended family into a car, get into a crazy queue of traffic stretching for hundreds of miles, eat your way through hampers of food and wine on the journey and if you are lucky arrive at the coast or mountains by night fall! If you are a foreign resident like us, you stock up with food and wine, batten down the hatches against the heat and stay at home. Meanwhile, the unfortunate tourists arriving in Pisa this week, will find themselves in an endless queue trying to pick up a hire car, then another one trying to get on the FiPiLi dual carriageway, the caffes and pit stops are closed, because it’s the annual holiday and the petrol stations are only geared up for self-service cash only pumps! When they finally arrive at their destination after endless stops in the overheated traffic queues, they find that local shops and restaurants are also closed! So they all fall into the swimming pools, cool off and compete over who gets bitten the most by the zanzari (mosquitos) as no-one thought to pack any insect repellent. By day three, the tourists will have discovered how best to deal with things. The towns and villages are like ghost towns, so they eventually find which supermarkets are open, that hot pizzas are only sold in the evenings, the few available restaurants, only open in the evening as it is too hot to eat outside for lunch, and that cities like Florence are cauldrons this time of year and are best avoided. Despite all these things they will leave after their week or two here, totally in love with Tuscany and wax lyrical to all their envious friends! Foto La Nazione.
However, Ferragosta is also a week of fantastic music and theatre, if you know where to go, like Follonica over on the Tuscan coast. For the Follonica Summer Festival go to their 
Meanwhile, down in Roma the traditional pilgrimage to visit Pope Francis is at full throttle, this year seventy thousand fans filled the Vatican City on greet the masses days. The heat has been horrendous, so I hope there was a good supply of chilled water and holy wine. This man has a huge following, whether you are religious or not. It is no doubt his likeable personality and charisma combined.
And finally, to say brava to Manuela who has been drafted in from her house next door to La Dispensa in Fiano, to man the bar for two weeks whilst Rosella goes off for a hard-earned holiday on the south coast with her amore. As you can see in the foto and after several days of practice, she can now make perfect coffee even with her eyes closed! Bless her.
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