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May Day, A Birthday Weekend and Hot Air Balloon Flight in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Forgive the lateness of this blog, which I blame entirely on the holiday weekend and the arrival of the Sister-in-law to celebrate her birthday.  They say that pictures paint a thousand words, so to give you a taste of all our activities, I am filling this blog with fotos.

May Day celebrations in Certaldo. Foto J Finnigan

May Day celebrations in Certaldo. Foto J Finnigan

But before I launch you on a foto cruise, I will mention that Farty Barty the cat is now well and truly settled into his new home and whilst we still have pictures to hang on walls and books to unload onto shelves, we are pretty much settled in too.  And some good news is finally filtering down from our local village of Fiano in that both the Bar/Alimentare and the main bar in the piazza are re-opening soon.  This then means that we will be able to ring the changes for morning coffee, which is great.

The Family gathered on the terrazza, taken from our lofty kitchen window. Foto J Finnigan

The Family gathered on the terrazza, taken from our lofty kitchen window. Foto J Finnigan

OK, back to the weekend fun and frivolities.  We have eaten out at three different restaurants since Friday and are off to a local family one called Montalbino (no not a relative of the great detective, his name is Montalbano) for lunch today.  Now this little family osteria is hidden away in the countryside near Fiano and specialises in Fungi.  The food is really good home-cooked family fare.

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The sister-in-law and niece get ready to fly!  foto J Finnigan

The sister-in law and neice disapear into the blue yonder. frto J Finnigan

The sister-in law and niece disappear into the blue yonder.
foto J Finnigan

Otherwise, we had a family lunch party on Sunday, friends for supper last night, the sister-in-law has been horse riding with her daughter and up in a hot air balloon early this morning as today is her birthday.

Next weekend will be a little calmer and I will be able to catch up on all the local stuff that I know you guys like to hear about.  Meanwhile, have a smile at the fotos and our glorious bit of Chianti.

Have a great week.

Salute June

PS Do visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

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A Beautiful New Home, A Confused Cat, No Kitchen and Bliss in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2016| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers,

The big ancient Oak Tree garding our gate. foto J.Finnigan

The big ancient Oak Tree guarding our gate.
foto J.Finnigan

Wild life fresco on the sitting room wall. foto P Finnigan

Wild life fresco on the sitting room wall.
foto P Finnigan

Our lovely new home is called ‘Querceto’ and this is hardly surprising because it means Oak Tree.  Not only is the gate guarded by a massive oak tree, but the house itself is full of old oak beams.  Our landlord is also a bit of an artist and as soon as you walk into the sitting room you find the most beautiful fresco of the local wildlife including a Cinghiale (wild boar), deer and pheasant.  Turn around and there is a massive inglenook fireplace with Oak leaves and the house name painted over it.

The house name and oak leaves above the Inglenook. foto J Finnigan

The house name and oak leaves above the Inglenook.
foto J Finnigan

The house itself is very quirky and is divided into two apartments, so we have lots of room for friends and family to come and stay.  We took both the apartments because we want to have the place entirely to ourselves, including the gorgeous wooded garden.  I know, very indulgent indeed, but we love it.  It is built on the side of a hill and opens up inside like the Tardis!

The house from the lower terrace. foto J Finnigan

The house from the lower terrace.
foto J Finnigan

The place is also perfect for our annual rock concert garden parties and if you are in Tuscany on 25th June and would like an invite send and email to june.finnigan@virgin.net.

Now with the move out-of-the-way, we are waiting for Farty Barty the cat to settle in.  After three days he went off for four days and I found him back at the old villa!  It’s only a twenty-minute walk from here and he knows his way around pretty well.  He has been back here for two days and nights, then went out this morning into the countryside.  We wait with bated breath!

The excitement of the week was the arrival of the plumber to put our new gas cooker in.  He was very jolly and set the cooker in position, then announced that he would be back on Tuesday to link it to the gas supply!  So we are forced to go to the restaurant to eat!  There is a limit to how many tasteless microwaved jacket potatoes one can eat!  Tomorrow we are whizzing over to IKEA to get freestanding sideboards as we are not too keen on fitted kitchens.  So hopefully by next weekend we will have a working kitchen.  Mind you, it’s a good excuse for eating out, well you know what I’m like!

The lower terrace and view. foto J Finnigan

The lower terrace and view.
foto J Finnigan

Nevertheless life is blissful, despite all the boxes and dust.  Down on the lower terrace we are able to enjoy our evening aperitivi and watch the sunsets, which we could not see at the old place.  We have heard the first cuckoo and saw a hoopie in the garden today.  We even have a pond with croaking toads and the weather has been glorious.

Well, enough of that.  I’m off back to the little villa to hand over the keys, then we can really get on with our new life at ‘Querceto.’

Have a great week and I’ll bring you up to date with the local news next weekend.

Salute June x

PS Do visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

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Talking Trivia, Seasonal Dishes, Foggy Mornings, Good News for Fiano, and Silvio vs WikiLeaks in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 13, 2016| 2 Comments »

“Why do we always talk a load of trivia, first thing in the morning, on the way to coffee?”  I am thinking aloud but my man picks up on the question.  He is the logical one in this partnership and has an answer for everything.  “Well, its obvious really.  Before we wash down a nice strong espresso, we need to get our jaws working and the brain functioning, so we can move on to the more serious and intelligent conversations later on!” He glances at me looking perfectly serious, as he is driving and needs to keep an eye out for crazy Italian drivers.  I nod and hide my snigger, as the next maniac comes around the bend towards us on the wrong side of the road, just as my man is trying to avoid a pothole!  We swerve, my man corrects the car and we carry on.  So nothing unusual this morning.  The trivia we talk about can include the state of the roads, Italian drivers, blossom appearing on the cherry trees, Italians walking their dogs or children with the little ones on the traffic side rather than on the inside, the weather and/or why the people who own the horses haven’t moved them out of their wet muddy field to higher ground for a few days!  But enough of that.  We are not really complaining, just being observant!

Hot tasty Ribollita Soup. Foto J Finnigan

Hot tasty Ribollita Soup.
Foto J Finnigan

Wood fire grilled vegetables. Foto J Finnigan

Wood fire grilled vegetables.
Foto J Finnigan

OK, so lets catch up.  The last couple of weeks has seen the return of some delicious winter warmers to the restaurant tables including Ribollita and wood fired grilled vegetables.  Ribollita is a Tuscan soup made with any vegetables, beans and importantly stale bread from the day before.  My man loves it.  For me I just adore the grilled veg, and come spring I’ll be able to order the same, but with that oozy soft cheese Burratta.  Mmmmm.

Fog filled valleys, below us, at dawn. Foto J Finnigan

Fog filled valleys, below us, at dawn.
Foto J Finnigan

Also over the last two weeks, what with the heavy rains, we have woken to see the valleys filled with fog.  The view is spectacular from here, the only downside is having to drive down into it for coffee!  But I have some good news.  The resident butcher in our local village of Fiano, which is higher up and less likely to be foggy, is rescuing the Bar/Alimentare and it will reopen at Easter!  Hurrah for the villagers and for us of course.  We do like to ring the changes and look forward to once again splitting our time between Fiano and Certaldo for morning coffee.  Also Fiano has some lovely people whom we haven’t got to see for a while.

Silvio Berlusconi's facebook picture.

Silvio Berlusconi’s Facebook picture.

So, back in Certaldo we read in L’Espresso, the Italian news magazine, that the American Ambassador has been summoned to Rome to answer reports that NSA has spied on Silvio Berlusconi and his close associates during the 2011 Euro zone crisis.  This has been revealed through certain WikiLeaks documents.  O Dio, we all say!  It seems the US was allegedly concerned with Silvio’s relationship with Vladimir Putin and that he may be profiting personally from energy deals between Italy and Russia.  Now in my view, Silvio has always had plenty of energy of his own, I mean, in 2011 he was seventy-five and also being accused of being full of zest during his Bunga Bunga parties!  But anyway, this puts our man back in the headlines, some say bad news is better than no news in the political arena.

OK, so what next?  Well, we are gearing up to move house and will be signing a new rental contract on 24th March, after which I will be able to tell exactly where we are going!  But I can tell you that it is only a short distance away and will be great for our annual rock concerts!  Watch this space…..

Well must get this blog edited then off to C’era Una Volta for more lovely winter warmer meals.

Have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

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

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

 

 

 

 

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A Visit to Roberto Manetti’s Sculptor Studio and a Gorgeous Sunset in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Lovely Loyal and new Followers

Roberto Manetti Photo P Finnigan

Roberto Manetti
Photo P Finnigan

Now, by Friday morning I had planned out all the fun things I wanted to tell you, then I bumped into Roberto Manetti, our local world-famous sculptor.  We were both in the chemist (farmacia) in Fiano and I asked him if he had a lot of work on.  “Come and see for yourself!” he whispered, only because he speaks that way after an operation.  “Come tomorrow, I’ll meet you in the Piazza and you can follow me to my studios!”  “Well,” said my man, “Thats another morning gone!”  But I was really excited as I had never had the honour of visiting his studios before, and I had heard that he was an amazing artist.  So, Saturday we were in the Piazza at ten sharp and there he was with a big smile on his face.

Roberto's fabulous studio and exhibition centre. Photo P Finnigan

Roberto’s fabulous studio and exhibition centre.
Photo P Finnigan

We followed his big car/truck to a turning down a track only five minutes away from Fiano.  We drove over a stretch of concrete and back on to a dirt track, which was lined with terracotta pots filled with blooming shrubs, and into a small carpark fenced in natural wood.  We climbed out and breathed in the welcome smell of woodland, then down a few steps into the garden of a most amazing Art Decco type property with fabulous views.  I can honestly say it took my breath away.  Roberto had designed and built it himself thirty years ago as a studio and exhibition centre.  You would never know it was there from the road above.  Yes, people came by invitation only and he explained that he would often have groups of people who not only enjoyed the exhibition, but the huge garden too.

The exhibition. Photo P Finnigan

The exhibition.
Photo P Finnigan

Couple, dog and cat at window. Photo P Finnigan

Couple, dog and cat at window.  This is three dimensional.  If you go round the back you will see the bottoms and tails of these lovely characters!
Photo P Finnigan

Firstly, we were shown where he worked and there were two statues in progress.  Then into the exhibition centre and we were overwhelmed by the wonderful original work he had completed over many years, some of which have been in exhibitions all around the world.  My heart swelled when I realised how much he loved dogs and cats, these appeared in many of his creations.   My man was snapping away with his camera as Roberto and I did the rounds and he explained the background to each one.  Do take a closer look at these pictures.  My man and I agreed that we would ask him to do a statue of our last dog Bosun, just as soon as we we had sufficient spare funds!

One of hundreds of flowering pots. Photo P Finnigan

One of hundreds of flowering pots.
Photo P Finnigan

Man reading, with dog under olive tree. Photo P Finnigan

Man reading, with dog under olive tree.
Photo P Finnigan

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he took us on a tour of the garden, through arbours and tunnels, where beautiful shrubs, protected from the wind were in full bloom.  Up to a copse of Famiglia Trees he had planted thirty years ago and were now three stories high, and to visit his two peacocks that had a pen with a natural stream running through it and a bit higher up to see two fresh water ponds, one full of gold-fish and higher still to benches overlooking the Chianti Hills.

Rooftop View of the Chianti hills. Photo P Finnigan

Rooftop View of the Chianti hills.
Photo P Finnigan

Now all this time a cold wind was howling around the place, so we could only imagine how glorious it would be in Spring and Summer.  What a privilege to be allowed to see this place and to be able to tell you all about it.

The ancient hill town of Certaldo Alto, silhoueted against the sunset. Photo J Finnigan

The ancient hill town of Certaldo Alto, silhouetted against the sunset.
Photo J Finnigan

The only other thing I must show you, which was also very beautiful and caused me to screech to a halt on my way down to Certaldo on Tuesday evening, was the first sunset for weeks and Certaldo Alto’s wonderful silhouette against that gorgeous sky.

Yes, I know, what about all those other things I was planning to share?  Well I’m afraid Roberto’s place and Certaldo Alto in the sunset, has taken all my thoughts away.  But, please come back next week and we’ll catch up on everything else that did not get a mention this time, including some good news for Fiano!

Salute June x

Visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

 

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A New Bar in Certaldo, Giorgio Armani, Roccobarocco, Rugby and A Mafia Museum in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Here in our little bit of Chianti, in the Tuscan Hills we always start the day with a short drive to a local cafe bar for a delicious Espresso, which cannot be produced at home unless you get an industrial size machine.  Now the ones I have looked at that are supposedly any good, will take up far too much room in the kitchen.  But anyway, lets face it, making morning coffee at home only turns one into a boring house person, when you should be out meeting and greeting the locals.  Now you may remember that Laura’s bar/alimentare in Fiano was constantly closing, for one reason or another.  We now know that it is closed permanently.  This is very sad for the village as there is nowhere to get a cup of coffee now.

Evi behind the bar at Bar 'Garibaldi 11 Speakeasy' in Certaldo. Foto J Finnigan

Evi behind the bar at Bar ‘Garibaldi 11 Speakeasy’ in Certaldo.
Foto J Finnigan

These days you will usually find us at Bar Il Solferino in Certaldo, however, it is closed on Mondays so we have started to go to Jam Cafe next to the station, who only close on Wednesdays.  A couple of months ago I did notice a new bar, just two minutes walk from Il Solferino and thought I would try it last Tuesday, but that was their closing day!  I hope you’re keeping up!  So I went back on Wednesday and found them open!  It’s called ‘Bar Garibaldi 11 Speakeasy.’  Curious, one might say.  Well, I popped in and ordered a cafe latte which came in a huge jug of a mug, with two shots of espresso in it as I wanted it strong.  I don’t normally like big mugs and prefer a cup size, however, it was quite nice.  The decor is very pubby, rustic tables and a big sofa at the back of the room.  The local customers were youngish and arty.  So it has its attractions.  I will go back with my man on a Monday when Il Solferino is closed, or was that Wednesday?

Giorgio Armani with his models, in Milano last week. Il Nazione

Giorgio Armani with his models, in Milano last week.  Orgoglio Italiano means Italian Pride.
Il Nazione

Relaxing over the coffee last Friday, yes that’s right in Il Solferino, there was a lot of talk about Milan fashion week, which I have never been to.  But I still drool over some of the Italian designers.  Eighty something, Giorgio Armani was there with his lovely models and I could not help but notice that they all looked traditionally Italian with their beautiful shiny dark hair.  A lot of Italian women do dye their hair blond, but there is something special about that dark Mediterrainian look; don’t you think?

Roccobarocco Dress and matching handbage to die for. La Nazione.

Roccobarocco Dress and matching Handbag to die for.
La Nazione.

I have also shared a picture of this gorgeous dress and matching handbag by Roccobarocco.  Il Nazione newspaper does cover a lot of fashion news, which suits me, although it is really a national paper with news and sport.

On the subject of sport and our being a great rugby family, my man and I watched rugby, including the Six nations, all afternoon and most of the evening on Saturday.  Bad luck to Italy who lost against Scotland and Bravo to England who won against Ireland.  I have not seen the papers today (Sunday) as my man went off on the train before seven am, too early for a read.  And where did we manage to get a coffee at six thirty on a Sunday?  Well it was Jam Cafe next to the station in Certaldo.

A Mafia Museum opens in Palermo. Il Nazione

A Mafia Museum opens in Palermo.
Il Nazione

Now I will finish by mentioning that there is a new Mafia Museum opened in Palermo.  ‘What?’ I hear you say.  Well the Italians will admit to having a liking for the macabre.   You’ve only got to watch a carnival to see all the grotesque blood curdling exhibits and if you fancy a visit to a Museum of Torture, pop up to San Gimignano in the hills above Siena.  Italian parents and children seem unfazed by it all!

Oh, nearly forgot to mention that the DVD of Spectre I ordered from amazon late last year has just arrived!  Hurrah.  I’ve watched it once and will do so again this evening…..and probably tomorrow as well!  Yes, I know.

OK, time to get this blog edited and then organise some lunch.  The weather is too cold and wet to eat outside, so I think I’ll cook baked cheesy leeks and mashed potatoes, a real winter warmer.

Do have a great week and don’t forget to drop me a line or visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Salute June x

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Fiano, Certaldo, Elton John, St. Jude Law, Calcio Storica, Queenie and Il Palio in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my Lovely Loyal and new followers,

main via in Certaldo alto oct 2013

The main via in Certaldo Alto. Foto J Finnigan.

Here in my our little bit of Tuscany on the edge of Chianti, I try to write this blog every Sunday Morning; occasionally it slips over to early Monday Morning.  But today I have cleared my desk and am on schedule!  My man and I have just returned from morning coffee at Bar Solferino in Certaldo and the sun is shining, so despite the freezing temperature, it is yet another beautiful day in Tuscany.

Now you may have noticed that we are rarely in our local village of Fiano these days.  The sad fact is that Laura’s Bar/Alimentare has been closed for two weeks again and the village has fallen into the doldrums.  Bar Piazzina in the centre of the village was abandoned months ago, so now there is nowhere to get coffee!  The heart has gone out of the village and there are a lot of retired people who need somewhere to focus on.  Fortunately, there are other shops; a tiny bakery and pizzeria, butchers, chemist, Milko’s book and card shop and a post office, however, the latter is only open two days a week now.  The only snippet of good news is that the village hall has been converted into a Gymnasium for the village elementary school, so at least that’s something!

So for now, Certaldo it is, a town that manages to still be active with several bars, small shops and businesses, despite the dreadful economic situation.  Do you remember when the UK was described as a nation of ‘shopkeepers?’ Well Italy is much the same, but things are changing fast.

Elton John is coming to the San Remo Song Festival! La Nazione.

Elton John is coming to the Sanremo Song Festival! La Nazione.

Saint Jude! A new TV series starting in the Autumn! Glossy magazine at my hairdressers.

Saint Jude! A new TV series starting in the Autumn! Glossy magazine at my hairdressers.

Back at Bar Solferino earlier in the week, I read that Elton John is this year attending the Sanremo 2016 Song Festival.  Looking at the list of other ‘stars’ I only recognise one and he is Italian!  Oh, and would you believe it the gorgeous Jude Law seems to have taken his vows and will soon be starring as Pio XIII in a new TV series directed by Paolo Sorrentino.  He still manages to look sexy, lets hope they haven’t cast him as gay, but hey ho.  Apparently it will go out on Sky Atlantic and most European countries, including the UK, will be able to tune in.  Mmmm must get SKY in before Wimbledon starts this year, methinks!

On the subject of sport, have you been to Florence and watched Historical Football, known here as Calcio Storica?

Calcio Storica. Very rough, half naked rugby/football in Florence! La Nazione

Calcio Storica. Very rough, half-naked rugby/football in Florence! La Nazione

It’s unique to Florence and is a kind of rugby match, however, the players wear medieval pantaloons and are stripped to the waist!  It’s been going on for several hundred years and there are regular demands for it to be banned because of the extreme violence.  Well it’s in the news again with more complaints.  I cannot understand what the fuss is all about, if these guys want to play the game, why not!  We girlies like it…..

Siena's Il Palio says no to invite from the Queen! La Nazione

Siena’s Il Palio says no to invite from the Queen!
La Nazione

Meanwhile, the other rather rough sport, the horse race called Il Palio in Siena, has caught the interest of Queen Elizabeth.  She invited the riders and their horses to attend her next birthday celebration, but they have turned her down.  They say that for just three days, the logistics are too problematic; so Queenie can’t always get what she wants despite being in the top ten most wealthy women in the world!

Well, enough of that.  Back here in the villa, life goes on in the most pleasurable way.  The sun is still shining and if we tuck into a sunny spot protected from the cold, we might just sit out with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio.  On the other hand, if we go over to ‘C’era Una Volta’ at Lucardo for lunch, I won’t have to cook.  O Dio, these executive decisions can weigh heavily on the mind; particularly on a Sunday.  Ok, time to shut the studio down and make a decision.

Have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

PS. I would love it if you visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

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Snowy Mountains, A crisis meeting in Fiano, Rallies for France, Castello di Oliveto and Carabiniere in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Snowy mountains in the distance. Photo P Finnigan

Snowy mountains in the distance.
Photo P Finnigan

This morning’s train was delayed, so to get my man to the airport on time, we drove to the half-way point at Empoli where he could hop on a fast train from Florence.  He was slumped in the driver’s seat with a very long face.  “Look I’m wearing my overcoat, it’s so cold.  Don’t you just hate it?”  He groaned.  “Well, it will be even colder in London.”  I say unhelpfully.  But then I pointed out the beautiful view of the snow topped mountains against the bright blue sky and got a glimmer of a smile.  Bless him.  It is some time since we have driven down to Empoli and at least three new roundabouts have been introduced on the main road!  Rumours abound that certain well-known people own a lot of the land where roundabouts are built and that these certain people have pocketed the money paid by the authorities for road improvements.  Mmmm.  Well, driving back, I could see no need for these small roundabouts other than slowing the traffic down for a few seconds!  Meanwhile, the road surfaces remain appalling, in fact so bad that if this was England, drivers would have sued the pants off the local authorities by now!  Hey ho…  But the view of the snow topped mountains had been fantastic, so I smiled, shrugged and got on with driving back home via Fiano.

Speaking of Fiano, our local village, the senior villagers called a crisis meeting last Friday, to decide what to do with the recently abandoned coffee bar attached to the barely used old cinema.  It is called the cinema, however, the only things that happen there are the occasional concert and electoral days.  This last week the village was dead.  Laura’s Alimentare (grocery)/bar was closed again and so there was nowhere to get a coffee!  The butcher, baker, chemist and Milko’s Cartolibreria remain open, but we wonder for how long?  I was unable to attend the meeting and wait to hear the outcome.  Something must be done to bring the village back to life again, it’s all very sad as we are more likely to be found in Certaldo these days.

Rallies for Paris. La Nazione.

Rallies for Paris. La Nazione.

Down in Certaldo last Wednesday, like thousands of other towns and cities in Italy, a rally took place in memory of those murdered in Paris.  All the communities came together including the migrant population.  We have a small Muslim community and many North Africans, and the numbers are rising.  Finding work is hard enough for the italians, so we can only see a difficult time ahead.

Castello di Oliveto La Nazione

Castello di Oliveto
La Nazione

But on the bright side, A local landmark and popular place for weddings is The Castello di Oliveto.  High on a hill between Certaldo and Castelfiorentino, it is very beautiful indeed. A renowned professor has just confirmed that the 15th century architecture is attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi, the famous Florentine architect.  So this will now lift the status of the Castello to even greater heights.

The local police chief and two carabiniere. Photo - unnamed paparasa.

The local Commissario and two carabiniere. Photo – unnamed English woman.

Finally, I have slipped in a naughty photograph.  No not that kind!  The local Carabiniere do not like having their photos taken.  When the new Commissario arrived in Certaldo he was walking across the main Piazza in his very smart uniform with ribbons and lapels flapping, flanked by two lesser, but impressive colleagues and I asked if I could take a photo.  No, not allowed said one of the lesser ones!  Then this morning the three of them came into the cafe bar Il Solferino and I sneaked a photo by pretending to search for a signal on my phone.  Now, I don’t think they can arrest me because you cannot see their faces, but you never know.  Watch this space!

Well, must get on.  I may have some good news on a new home by the weekend; I’ll keep you posted.

have a great week.

Salute June x

Visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

Read Full Post »

Cobwebs in Mist, Porcini, Autumn Vines, Daniel Craig and Aperitivi in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2015| 2 Comments »

Buon Giorno to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Wet misty morning viewed through cobwed to the lower terrace. Photo P Finnigan

Wet misty morning viewed through cobweb to the lower terrace.
Photo P Finnigan

My man and I woke early this morning, despite the fact that it is Sunday, and found thick fog obscuring our view down to the valley.  We got in the car and my man said, “That’s interesting, we are one minute earlier than yesterday and four minutes later than the day before.  Oh, and we have done eighty-eight thousand miles!”  “Well, thank you for that….” I smiled.  Don’t you just love him?  Desperate to find sunshine, we drove further uphill to Fiano for our morning coffee.  Hurrah, there was the sun, smiling down on this little hilltop village, so we relaxed, read the papers and greeted the locals, who were all dressed for Sunday, mostly in fashionable track suits.  On our return to our little villa, we were still fog bound, however, my clever man noticed some incredible cobwebs and took a misty picture for you.

autumn Vines through Paolo's window. Photo J finnigan

autumn Vines through Paolo’s window.
Photo J finnigan

Wood fired grilled Porcini mushroom. Photo J Finnigan

Wood fired grilled Porcini mushroom.
Photo J Finnigan

Earlier in the week and before visiting a possible new property, we popped into Paolo’s Ristorante C’era una Volta, where Porcini Grilliata was on the menu.  The larger Porcini mushrooms are really delicious if cooked over an open fire, which is how Paolo grills all his food.  Yummy….  It was a lovely warm sunny day and we sat in the picture window where we could see the Autumn vines stretching away in all directions.  My man glowed with contentment as his Pici alla Pecoraia (thick spaghetti in a pecorino cheese sauce with sweet baby tomatoes) arrived.  I just love to see him enjoying himself!

Daniel joins us for coffee. Phew! L Nazione.

Daniel joins us for coffee. Phew! L Nazione.

Then yesterday, Saturday, we dropped down to Certaldo and Bar Solferino for coffee where we were joined by Daniel Craig, looking absolutely gorgeous in Armani and flashing an expensive watch.  Yes, I know, not really, but a girl can dream.  We then went to see another potential country house that turned out to be an apartment with a shared garden; I don’t think so.  So far I have viewed seven possible new homes, and we may have found the ideal place not far away from where we are now.  Watch this space!

Meanwhile, I am currently working away on an exciting ghost writing project.  It is a thriller based on a real life story and is a fascinating and topical subject.  But do not worry, you will not be forgotten and my weekly blogs will go out without fail.  Also my monthly column in Expat Focus, the on-line magazine for, not surprisingly, expats!  My book, ‘The Italian Connection’ will now hopefully be published by the summer of next year.

Pre-lunch drinks on the upper terrace. Photo J Finnigan

Pre-lunch drinks on the upper terrace.
Photo J Finnigan

And finally, it is so important to have that relaxing aperitivo in the early evening.  Also a nice drop of wine before lunch in the garden.  We have been lucky enough to enjoy several lunches outside this week.  When the sun comes out the middle of the day is quite hot, despite the chill in the air.  I know, we are so lucky!

Well must get on, more writing to do, places to go and people to see.

Have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

PS Do visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

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Two Old Broads, Olive Picking, Blondes, Via San Martino, Carabiniere and a Praying Mantis in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 26, 2015| 4 Comments »

Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers

Well, I hardly know where to start, it’s been such a busy week!

The Two Old Broads, taking Italy by Storm! Jane and Nubby.

The Two Old Broads, taking Italy by Storm!
Jane and Nubby.

Last Thursday was the absolute highlight, due to ‘Two Old Broads who were Taking Italy by Storm’ arriving for a visit.  Now these were their words not mine, but don’t you just love that description?  So who were these ladies?  I am delighted to tell you that they were my distant American cousins and this was the first time we had ever met.  Whilst both in their seventies, they were doing a driving tour from north of Venice down to Tuscany and back, and getting thoroughly lost on the way.  The hire car SatNav did not work, so it was luck rather than judgement that got them here!  We had great fun talking about our ancestors.  Theirs went over to the Americas from Plymouth back in the sixteenth or seventeenth Century, whilst mine became landed gentry in Devon.  I will miss you guys and hope you found your way back safely!

Aleesandro and his team collecting the olives next to our villa. Photo J Finnigan

Alessandro and his team collecting the olives next to our villa.
Photo J Finnigan

Meanwhile the local Olive Picking, Raccolta, is in full swing.  Brightly coloured nets are spread out under the trees and with the weather being dry and sunny at present, we expect a good quality crop.  I just love that fresh Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil drizzled on bread and over fettunta, which is old toasted bread rubbed with garlic.  Yummy…!

The lovely Laura and her new blond hair colour. Photo J Finnigan

The lovely Laura and her new blond hair colour.
Photo J Finnigan

Meanwhile, Laura’s bar/alimentary is now very busy due to the Bar Piazzetta in Fiano being closed, after a ‘visit’ by the Carabiniere.  It’s all very hush-hush, but there was definitely something fishy about the owners of that place.  Anyway, happily ensconced at Laura’s enjoying our coffee, I notice something different about her.  She had gone blond!  Then I noticed two more local ladies who had also been at the peroxide; is there some sort of conspiracy going on?

Via San Martino 26 at night. Photo P Finnigan

Via San Martino 26 at night.
Photo P Finnigan

But what about yesterday? Well, my man and I had a really good Saturday evening, returning to that fabulous ristorante I have mentioned before.  I am, of course, talking about Via San Martino 26 Ristorante in San Gimignano. http://www.ristorantesanmartino26.it

Inside Via San Martino 26 Ristorante. Photo J Finnigan

Inside Via San Martino 26 Ristorante.
Photo J Finnigan

This was our first visit for cena (supper/dinner) and to see this ancient city of towers at night is a joy to behold.  Via San Martino is a street dedicated to Artisan shops and the hand-made stuff is to die for.  I could not resist buying a hand-woven woollen scarf from Stefano Stampa at number 8.  My man paid the bill, bless him.  Stefano does not appear to have a website, however, he can be found on Facebook.

Oh yes, I must mention, that earlier and on the way to San Gimingano, we were waved down by the Carabiniere and asked for our identification papers.  The police woman was quite typical; very pretty with dark curly hair tumbling out from under her cap and one hand on her pistol.  My man could not stop grinning and she could not help but smile back.  He has a way with the girlies.  He wasn’t concentrating and he had not registered that she had asked for his driving licence.  He finally managed to get a grip and she was happy to send us on our way.  Phew, thank god for my man and a pretty face.  It’s not always that easy.

Posing Praying Mantis Phoot P Finnigan

Posing Praying Mantis
Photo P Finnigan

Back in our beautiful terraced garden my man spotted a Praying Mantis on our outside table!  Fabulous creatures that move so incredibly slow, you can barely see the movement.  But we fear that it may be towards the end of its little life as we found another one in a poor state of health, so we gently put it out-of-the-way of Farty Barty the cat.  We also have a couple of Locusts starting to nestle in on the window ledge.  They often winter in with us behind the shutters.  No, we do not get swarms, just the odd one or two paying a visit.

But enough of that.  We are now stepping up our search for a new home.  More flyers are going out in all the bars and other places we frequent.  Our landlady came yesterday and said that she would be happy to rent to us for anther one to two years, however, we are already in the mindset of moving to a larger property.  So if anyone in the Commune di Certaldo knows of a large country house (Un grande casa in Campagna) do let me know.  Send an email to june.finnigan@virgin.net.

Well, must get on.  I need to make myself beautiful for lunch at C’era una Volta in Lucardo, after thirty minutes exercise as instructed by my Health and Fitness Coach Alexandra.

Have great week and do visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Salute June x

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

 

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A 90th Birthday, Coffee, Chestnuts, Australians in Shorts, a Log Fire, Jude Law and Silvio Strips in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

My lovely mother-in-law all dressed up before her birthday lunch on her 90th. Photo J Finnigan

My lovely mother-in-law all dressed up before her birthday lunch on her 90th.
Photo J Finnigan

Well, we snuck out for a brief visit to Somerset, England last week to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 90th Birthday.  I’m not sure if she fully registered what was going on but she thoroughly enjoyed herself. The following day I asked her if she had enjoyed her birthday.  She said she thought she had, but could not recall it, bless her.  What a good thing we took some great photos and videos!

My caffe latte at Strangers with Coffee. Photo J Finnigan

My caffè latte at Strangers with Coffee.
Photo J Finnigan

Whilst there, we made a point of calling into ‘Strangers with Coffee’ in Wells as it is the only place I know where you can get real coffee as the Italians make it.  We went back for lunch on the Friday.  I have already written a five-star review on Trip Advisor.  Do visit, if in Somerset.

As you can imagine, we were so glad to be back in our little bit of Chianti last Saturday.  It was twenty degrees and the sun was shining.  Farty Barty the cat was delighted to see us and has not left his cosy kitchen chair all weekend.  On Sunday we dropped down to Certaldo for coffee and discovered a huge market filling the main piazza, the main high street and all the little side streets.  I bought some smoked ricotta cheese and yet another scarf.  Scarves are my other love, like handbags and shoes.  I mostly wear black with a bit of scarfy colour around my neck and/or colourful junk jewelry.  I also have a weakness for necklaces!

Chestnuts for sale in Certaldo market. Photo J Finnigan

Chestnuts for sale in Certaldo market.
Photo J Finnigan

Oh yes, very important, this is the time of year for Castagne or chestnuts to you.  No, I wasn’t being rude, that’s the English translation!  As we drove back from Pisa airport, across country towards San Gimignano, loads of cars were parked alongside the road, their owners having disappeared into the woods on Chestnut hunts.  In the Sunday market we spotted this huge stand selling the tasty morsels that will be taken home and roasted in fireplaces and pizza ovens.

That same day, we popped up to Lucardo, near Fiano, for Sunday lunch at ‘C’era una Volta’ where a big Italian family were celebrating the Nonno’s (grandfather’s) 80th birthday.  The family had framed a big black and white picture of the eighteen year old Nonno posing on a beach back in 1953!  As is traditional, we joined in singing ‘Tanti Auguri’ as Italian restaurant goers always do when a celebration is going on.  The tourists are now thinning out, however, on that rather chilly day a family of Australians arrived in shorts and t-shirts who asked to sit out on the restaurant’s balcony.  Unfortunately, tourists still come to Tuscany without warm clothing this time of year and October can be quite cold.  They were back inside for their desserts and I felt quite sorry for them being all shivery and glum!  In fact it was so chilly that we lit the log fire for the first time that evening!

Jude Law to play the young fictional Pope X111. La Nazione

Jude Law to play the young fictional Pope Pius XIII.
La Nazione

Silvio does a mini-striptease for an admirer in Rome. Daily Telegraph.

Silvio does a mini-striptease for an admirer in Rome.
Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, catching up on the news here, I read over coffee that sex symbol (not my words, but I have to agree) Jude law is going to be playing the young fictional Pope Pius XIII in a new television series!  Also that the handsome and hugely popular Valentino Rosso has once again won the motor cycling championships at the age of thirty-six!  Not much mention of the super rich Silvio Berlusconi, but word has it that he is firmly back on the political trail.  Three of his local representatives came into Bar Solferino and everyone was speaking in low voices saying “O Dio, sono Forza Italia!”   But wait, what is this?  My man has just thrust the Saturday Daily Telegraph under my nose, and there he is!  Hurrah, he’s doing a mini striptease for an admirer who said “I’m in love with your brain!”  This was bound to set our man off as he replied “Now I’ll make you fall in love with my body too!” Phew!

Well, its time to get on with another busy week.  No, contrary to popular belief, we do not spend our time swanning around, we have a business to run and books to write.  However, life eeez good, we cannot deny it!

Have a great week, do drop me a line and we’ll speak again next weekend.

Salute June x

PS Visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

'My Father, The Assassin'. Book one in the series.

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

'The Bolivian Connection' Book two in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

 

Read Full Post »

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