Buon anno and Welcome to all my Lovely Followers around the World,
Yes, I’m back and what a pleasure it is to be writing again after all the flus and viruses of last year. As I sit in my studio, the sun is pouring through the window, brightening up the day with all the promises the New Year will bring! But before we move on into 2019 properly, I would like to thank the lovely family at La Dispensa in Fiano, Fabbio, Sandra and Rossella, for providing that lovely warm atmosphere where we can enjoy our morning coffee and read the papers every day. In the picture, beautiful Rossella stands next to the hand-made designer Christmas Tree on which we happily hung our names like all the other customers.
So what is happening now? I hear you ask. Well down in Florence it’s the time of year for the male fashionistas to be strutting their stuff. Yes, it is the annual Pitti Uomo, when mens’ fashions are celebrated and anyone who is anybody will be proudly walking the streets hoping to be photographed. Yesterday was the last day and we went into the city for Lunch. We did not strut, but there were many that were. This foto is obviously not in Florence, but purely on the basis that they are real men & gorgeous fashion models, I shall nominate them as joint Hunks of the Month for January!
Now lunch was a bit special, because our beautiful daughter the editor of Envy Italy magazine took us to lunch at the iconic restaurant, Sabatini Firenze, which is under new management. The restaurant is about to undergo some modernisation, but limited by the fact that it is a historic building and its interiors are to be retained for posterity. It has a fascinating long history and just about every famous person has dined there from Frank Sinatra to J.F.Kennedy. A new website will be launched shortly and an exciting future awaits the new owners and staff. We enjoyed a very artistic tasting menu and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Sharon. Envy Italy magazine
Meanwhile, back in our local town of Certaldo, I finally got around to framing some pictures as a little New year treat. I just love artisan framers, the smell and the atmosphere just sends me into a heavenly bubble. Bologni Arreda, another well-established family business, are framers to the world. Eighty percent of their frames are shipped overseas. It’s so good to find a successful business in our own back yard. Here is a framed picture of Farty Barty my former writing buddy, who went up to cat heaven a couple of years ago, drawn in coloured crayons by my talented sister-in-law Jane. Framers
Back in our lovely, if rather overgrown winter garden, a stroll around revealed all sorts of colourful wild flowers and weeds. Also, what with all the damp morning mists, some fascinating fungi. It’s really cold at the moment, so gardening may have to wait a little longer. My man and I would quite like to start a raised vegetable garden, but that’s another project for another time. I would love to hear from you if you already have one!
Oh yes, lest we forget, Italy and Tuscany in particular, is also celebrating the 500th anniversary of Leonardo di Vinci’s death. So 2019 is going to be teeming with tourists visiting all the exhibitions and celebrations. Leonardo of course, was born near Florence at Vinci, just north-west of the city. We visited some years ago, a lovely place. So if you are fascinated by this historic genius, get booking your hotels ASAP.
And what of the Music Scene? You ask. Well, as you know rock music is my main passion and from that point of view I can tell you that a lot is happening. You may be interested to know that I follow D’Alessandro & Gallo’s site which is smack up to the minute with touring bands and performers. In March we will see Tears for Fears, Mark Knopler, Elton John and many more. The Lucca Summer Festival and Firenze Rocks in June/July have line-ups to die for. And, of course, my own band will be playing on 21st June near Certaldo! Watch this space. Music Scene site
OK, time to get this blog off to you and to wish you all a fantastic 2019.
Salute June x
So creative writing is out I’m afraid, and I can only send you my/our Warmest & Fond Greetings for the Festive Season.
I just love Christmas and I feel sad for those that do not. For me it is much more than a religious festival, it is a time when families get together again and to take some quiet time chilling in front of a log fire, without feeling guilty for a few days. Our kitchen is now all festive, ready for gatherings of friends or family who happen to pass by.
Here in our little bit of Chianti, we will move the TV from my man’s study to the sitting room and watch really silly DVD’s of UK sitcoms and some good films, in front of the fire. Italian TV is terrible, just don’t go there! We will get the old board games out and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. What will you be up to?
As you know I am a keen follower of Italian fashion labels and it’s been great to see models walking down the catwalk in Christmas Sweaters! It seems lots celebrities have been spotted wearing them! This is very good news in my view, the brighter the better. Try not to smile when you are chatting to someone wearing one, you can’t do it can you? Chuckle. The more reasons we have to put smiles on our faces the better. If you girlies want something festive yet sophisticated, I spotted this lovely cashmere one from Somers, always one of my favourite Italian sweater designers. 
Now you know how much I love Italian food, I harp on enough about it, but at Christmas time there are somethings I really miss. These include mince pies, sage & onion stuffing mix, parsnips, Birds Custard and Branston Pickle. But all is not lost. My man will be popping over to London for a visit before Christmas and will bring some of these things home with him. Otherwise we have Richmond’s British Food Shop, which delivers to your home in Tuscany! 
Meanwhile, back at our regular local ristorante, C’era una Volta, Paolo has done it again. He has secured a good fresh supply of Tartufo Bianco, white truffles to you and me, and we had lots grated over our pasta yesterday for lunch. Heaven! Here in the picture is his hoard, which won’t last long even at the high price these dishes demand! So whilst I miss some of the English foods at Christmas, pasta and white truffles more than makes up for that! 
But we don’t care about that! Here’s a really funny foto my man saw in the paper. Silvio was obviously blowing out such a blast of hot air again that poor Dudù is having to hang on for dear life! Ha ha!
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!
Just five days to December and it’s the time of year for colder damper weather, which in itself creates some of the most breathtaking scenery and camera shots here in our little bit of Chianti. Early morning mists fill the valleys below us and as the sun peaks through we witness shafts of sunlight breaking out from the mist and spotlighting the thousands of cobwebs covering just about everything!
Then the sun rises a little more and shines on nearby properties, but the mist has not risen yet so we get these ghostly looking apparitions. It’s important to stand still for a while and watch the vista changing as the mists start to gradually roll away. Beautiful. So then we drive to Fiano, our local village, for coffee at La Dispensa, which means going higher up still into brilliant sunshine. The drive back will be views of fog filling the valleys over Certaldo and looking like a great white lake.
We relax with our coffee and read the papers, greeting the locals as they come and go. On rainy days they joke with us saying that we have brought Tempo Inglese (English Weather) with us! But what is this? In the paper I read that there has been a miracle in Pisa; The Leaning Tower has straightened up by as much as four centimetres over the last twenty years! It seems that consolidation work carried out between 1993 and 2001 has resulted in this unexpected turn of events! Well that’s good, but if it keeps going, will we end up with the Once Leaning Tower of Pisa? All those tourists that travel long distances to have their foto taken looking like they are holding the building up with one hand, yes what of them? I guess they will instead come to see the Miracle of the Tower that moved!
Anyway, another article in the paper caught my eye, and something close to my heart or should I say waistband, Pecorino Cheese. I don’t just like cheese, I absolutely love it and it is the only thing stopping me from becoming vegan. Pecorino is the most popular cheese in Italy for everyday use. It ranges from very young and soft to a hard mature version, a bit like the texture of Parmesan but the taste is different. I love it for the fact that it is not cow’s cheese, which I avoid. When we first arrived in Italy, I had to find an alternative to English Cheddar, particularly for cooking. Pecorino hit the button and more! Can you buy Italian Pecorino in your country?
And, what about the Italian fashion scene for the run up to party time? Well, firstly chunky footwear is in, even with the most feminine smart couture! 
I was always a stiletto fan until the knees started complaining, so if you are following the younger women in the British Royal Family, you can still wear them and that can be your excuse. Otherwise, if like me you are crazy about everything Italian, perhaps not.
Firstly, I’m delighted to announce that my beautiful daughter Sharon and her friend Rosie have officially launched their new Magazine EnvyItaly. A cross between an upmarket magazine and a high quality coffee table book, EnvyItaly brings you everything you need to know about Luxury lifestyles, travel, food, wine and love in beautiful Italy. You can also read it online. I love it. Her Dad and I are so proud. Let me know what you think! 
Finally, on the way back to the carpark, we were relieved to find Olivieri Bistro open! On the outside it did not look very much, but once inside that all changed. I adore Burratta cheese (a big round soft creamy ball) and it was on the menu. Foto from Trip Advisor. Then I had a big dish of fresh porcini mushrooms with pasta. Yummy! Good coffee too. You can visit them on Facebook and Trip Advisor. This time of year ‘San Gim’ is really beautiful in the evenings, so I would recommend you go then. Have you been there? Let me know.
Also in the papers and magazines I found some gorgeous fashion. Just to remind you I only post pictures of fashion shoots that are advertising ‘made in Italy’ designs. Also where the designers are using happy models. So here is a lovely cosy outfit for winter by the lovely designer Carla Ferroni. If you go to her site you’ll find a fun video with a catchy Italian Montalbano type soundtrack. 
And finally on a much lighter note, I have pinched a picture from Beautiful Italy’s Timeline fotos as I could not resist sending you a copy. Seeing this gorgeous Italian Poliziotto is enough to make one rush out and get arrested!
Firstly, as you know, I mostly follow the Rock Music scene, my being an aging Rock singer, however, just occasionally I pick up on something else that really excites me. This time it is the amazing soprano voice of the young Martina Barreca. I must confess that what really caught my eye was the fact that she is getting together with rock musicians to do some ‘metal’ music. Now, I am not certain if a performance will be included in her up and coming stage show in Pisa, but she is such an amazing singer that I am tempted to go anyway, purely to hear her voice. 
Back in Fiano drinking coffee in La Dispensa, I read in La Repubblica a two page article about that gorgeous iconic actor Marcello Mastroianni. Brilliant actor, both serious and funny, I loved his many films alongside my favorite Italian actress Sophia Loren that we will watch again over Christmas. I’m thinking that, if you have any really favourite old films its important to get a load in on DVD. This is the only sure way of having them in your home; streaming has become hugely popular, but why risk having all your stuff in a cloud!
Funny how vinyl music records have become popular again. I have a lot of original 60’s and 70’s LPs, and as our music centre has died, I have been researching for a new ‘deck’ and speakers. I found this one, which has built-in speakers and might just buy it for a joint christmas present! What do you think? However, I need to persuade my man that the music centre really is dead; he never throws anything out, if it exists it’s repairable!
A band that beeped my radar last week, was Brit Floyd. I have to admit that I am not too keen on the idea of tribute bands, but I guess and if they are good, it does keep the live music out there. Brit Floyd have just completed their tour of Italy and I have taken the trouble to check them out on YouTube. They have their own style and have performed some of Pink Floyd’s classics really well. They sound and look good live, so why not give them a go! I sing cover songs, so who am I to cast any doubts! Their Balkan and European tour continues. 
And finally, much closer to home is the village of Marcialla, which has the lovely cosy little theatre called Teatro Communal Regina Margherita. It has lovely comfortable red velvet seats and is like something out of the vaudeville days! I have just picked up its winter/Spring performance dates and there will be evenings to suit all tastes. From comedy to children’s theatre, Jazz, opera, classical and other concerts. Even if you don’t speak Italian, you will love the atmosphere there. 
Most of you will know that early morning coffee at our local bar, is an essential start to our day. The other benefit of this is, over the years, having met some lovely locals; some very interesting and talented. One of these is the beautiful designer and artist, Gloria Campriani. Gloria was born in Certaldo and her studio is still here.
For many years Gloria worked with well-known names in the fashion sector and this experience led her to choose yarn as one of the main medias for her artistic career and the use of recycled materials now plays a big part in her creations. I love her work. Fotos provided by Gloria. Visit her website 
And, by amazing co-incidence, this weekend is the Festa de Lane (wools) di San Martino, in Florence. You will find everything you can imagine related to and /or made with wool. Don’t you just love hand-knitted stuff? I do. Did you learn to knit? I had the basics as a girl, but all my creations came out five times too big! Scarves a mile long, and so on!
Over coffee this morning, I spotted in La Repubblica, this advert for Berwich pantalone, that’s trousers to you and me, but it was the winter knits that caught my eye. I’d love to get the waistcoat for my man, but he may not like it as much as I do; I’ll have to ask him. What do you think? Visit their 
Then I saw these beautiful hand-made shoes by Fratelli Rossetti. Wow! They are just things of beauty; if you are into flats like me, there’s no need to be dull for the sake of comfort, not here in Italy! They have a shop in Florence! Yes! Here is their 
Meanwhile back at our lovely converted monastery farmhouse, we are surrounded by autumn coloured vineyards. This one is just to the left of our front gate. Some of the most beautiful views are to be had right now. despite the grey skies, high winds and rain.
And, last Tuesday we finally lit the log fire, having gone into denial for a couple of weeks, refusing to believe it was cold enough. And what a joy it is, snuggled up on the sofa with my man, gazing into those warming flames! Ah, life eeez good!
On our return, we were keen to hear about the wardrobe. Did they find a body? But they quickly changed the subject and strangely announced that they had upgraded us to the Cathedral Hotel Suite for the night! Mmmm. We opened the door and were swallowed by a massive three roomed suite, dripping in old gilt furniture and a huge bathroom with a freestanding copper bath! When I went to the toilet in the dead of night, I heard a door creaking open. When I came out, someone or something had opened the door to the old grandfather clock! Oooooooh! Photos P Finnigan. visit the 
Meanwhile, we have returned to C’era una Volta restaurant in Luccardo, to enjoy the Tartufo Bianco (white truffles). Big shavings sprinkled over buttered pasta; food of the gods! Some people don’t like the taste, so I’ve heard, but we just love it! Photo J Finnigan.
And, it’s the time for roasting chestnuts (castagna or marone)! The Italians love this season and are out there collecting bagfuls in the woodland. Unfortunately, other hunters are about, the shooting kind, so things can get a little hairy out there. The chestnuts are not just roasted, they are celebrated like so many other foods, with Festas across the country. Foto La Nazione.
Ah, and not to forget. I always keep a look out for Autumn Fashion to drool over every week and I thought you might like these ‘hand-made in Italy’ shoes, from igi & Co. Chunky smart shoes and ankle boots are all the rage here. Visit 
Yes, it has been Milan fashion week and as my man and I enjoy coffee in our local village of Fiano, the papers & magazines we are reading, are full of it. As you know I love clothes, but this year I am even more convinced that ninety percent of designers are on speed. The bulk of the designs are any old bits of mismatched stuff, draped over or stuck to miserable looking models desperately trying to hide their embarrassment. Basically, the outfits are unwearable. I will not give up on the belief that it is possible to buy wearable clothes and still be fashionable. Now, as many of you know, I am a bit of a rock chick, so I am keen on black. However, I also love Autumn colours, so I have included an Etro picture, which is a compromise and also satisfies the gypsy in me. The models at least look at ease, despite the fact they are not quite smiling. Now, I took it upon myself, to go onto Etro’s website and I was impressed. To see a video of the whole range, mostly stunning, despite the long faces and presented in Milan, go to 
Another of my loves is chunky Jewellery. To go with your autumn wardrobe, this lovely design by Angela Caputi is right up my street. You can visit her site at 
OK, now you are decked out in beautiful autumn clothes and jewellery why not pop down to a local bar for an Autumn cocktail. Now here’s a great idea, fresh strawberry juice with Prosecco and topped with whipped cream and blueberries! Mmmmm. Foto La Repubblica Mag.
Rosse e Mandorle, that’s spaghetti with Red Beetroot & Almond Pesto to you and me. Foto J Finnigan. It was a flavour so exquisite I scoffed the lot, despite having had a filling antipasto beforehand! Visit La Gramola at 
Whilst there, we bumped into our lovely artist friend Patrizio Landolfi, who has his studio just down the road. He has just recently sold a huge abstract painting of David Bowie to a Canadian billionaire for sixty thousand euros! 
Very impressive. And, to think we were considering buying it ourselves……! Well done to him and you can see more of his paintings in La Gramola restaurant. Foto from his book Antologica & cutting from the magazine Panorama. Visit his website at 
Anyway, here is some good news. With all the fashion fotos around, I have found us the September Hunk of the Month! Now I may be a Rock Chick, but I do love the Italian classic look and a handsome clean-shaven face. This is not so trendy here in Italy. Younger men are tattooed and bearded, somehow I find this unattractive, I know that most Italian women under forty will disagree, but there you go. I hope you like my chosen man and you can visit the designer Tagliatore at 
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