Welcome and Benvenuti to all my Lovely Followers around the World,
Yes, it’s that time of year again, Easter Weekend and the Tourists have poured in from every part of the globe. Cars and mini-buses are cruising past our Old Monastery Farmhouse with big-eyed faces staring out of the windows. Then there are the walkers. As we are surrounded by agriturismo places to stay, it’s normal to hear the sound of footsteps on the gravel track and wondrous voices in many different languages. But, we don’t mind, as this weekend heralds the run up to summer and it’s a pleasure to see and hear visitors enjoying themselves. Anyway, we have our giant spider guarding the gate; just in case.
Now the tourists will have found ninety percent of shops, bars and restaurants closed on both the Sunday and Monday. This includes our usual haunt La Dispensa in Fiano as Fabio, Sandra and Rossella have taken a well deserved two-day break. The Italians like their festa days and most will have gone off to the seaside or mountains. But if you know where to go it’s not a problem. On both days we dropped down to Certaldo and Jam Caffe where you will find the best pastries in the region and of course very good coffee. The weather is beautiful at the moment so you can enjoy sitting outside on the big terrace. We like to be inside looking out.
On the subject of coffee, which the Italians serve up so much better than anywhere else in the world, on Saturday I spotted this advert for illy coffee. Yes, I know, the hunky guy in the advert did draw me in. But look at his face; which look do you like? Clever advertising this; Classico, Intenso (intense) & Forte (strong). I must say I do rather like the Intenso look; that hint of danger in the eyes….. Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes, I was about to mention that I do buy the tins of illy classico coffee. I like the tins, they look great on the sideboard and the coffee is seriously good too!
On Saturday morning, the Mercato in Certaldo was heaving. We stocked up with fruit, veg and Cheese, but our lovely plant lady had not turned up again. I asked one of the neighbouring market holders and was told she had not been there for months. But the good news is, I suddenly remembered a flower kiosk at the top of the hill next to the old cemetery, where our old friend Simon Moody rests in peace, bless him. The kiosk was busy, but to my delight I found lot’s of plants for sale as well as flowers. I bought quite a few, but will need more, so will go back next weekend. I’ll send you some fotos of the finished pots next time.
OK, what else. obviously the National news has not been too good this last week, what with the Notre Dame fire. Here in Italy we have a Joint Deputy Prime Minister who likes to dress up in various uniforms, depending on where he is appearing, so it was inevitable that one of our Italian cartoonists would come up with this cartoon of Matteo Salvini. We quickly move on….
Meanwhile, the various Leonardo exhibitions and festas continue and for a change I will mention Prato, which is a rather attractive town between Florence and Pistoia, where there is an Ingenuity & Textile Exhibition going on at Il Museo del Tessuto. I’ve always been fascinated by machines, big and small. I love steam trains and the workings of clocks and watches. In fact anything that is not dependant on electricity or technology. Prato is also good for historical buildings and excellent restaurants! website
Anyway, today is Monday Bank Holiday, as the Brits say, and we must make the most of it and enjoy the remaining sunshine. The hedgerows are bursting with Poppies, Acacia blossom is just peeking out, the Cuckoo is back and life eeez very good indeed. So, take the time to read a good book, preferably one of mine, and relax.
Have a great week.
Salute June x
PS do visit my website at My site
NB. Newspaper fotos are extracted from La Repubblica. Other fotos J Finnigan.
Yes, it’s that time of year again; the run up to Easter or Pasqua as we say here in Italy. Florence has experienced a big increase in tourist bookings for the Easter holidays so you can guarantee the city will be heaving. But don’t worry about that, it’s all part of the Florence experience at this time of year! Park your car south of the river and walk or telephone Taxi Firenze on 055 4390 and they will pick you up in no time! The shops are full of giant chocolate eggs and it will be a weekend of family festivities whether you are religious or not. In the foto you will see an advertisement for Quinoa Gluten Free Restaurant, which is my absolute favourite place to eat. Don’t be put off by the ‘gluten free’ thing, they cater for all diets and you will love their freshly baked bread. 
Whilst in or near Florence, there are some really interesting museums and exhibitions to get your teeth into. The Stibbert Museum is one place I will be going to in the next few weeks. I have been promising myself a visit for ages! It is easy to reach on the tram, which you can pick up outside Santa Maria Novella train station. The museum has a vast personal collection of military and lots of other collections, from around the world. Frederick’s English father came to Italy after fighting against Napoleon in Spain. He came to Rome and then Florence where he met and later married Frederick’s Italian mother. After Frederick’s death, his home and museum was opened to the public in 1909. It’s a fascinating story, do read about it and try to visit. 
Now I love the work of the Italian artist Marcello Scuffi. You would be forgiven for thinking his art was from the art deco period of the 1920’s or 30’s. But no, he was born in 1948 in Pistoia, near Florence and his medium is sometimes described as GrecoArte here in Italy. I am mentioning Marcello because he currently has an exhibition at the Florence Art Gallery, which ends on 27th April. If you like his style, do drop in for a visit. I would love to own one or two of his paintings. Let me know what you think!
Again, on the subject of museum pieces, we may think of Archimedes, his being one of the most famous historical mathematical geniuses of all time. Hang on a minute, I hear you say, but he was Greek not Italian! Yes, yes I know this, I was just testing. Well actually I was leading up to introducing Italy’s very own modern-day Archimedes, eighteen year old Valerio Pagliarino! It is a reminder that many of the most intelligent mathematicians and inventors were Italian. And still are. This is not just a land of wine, olives, pizza and pasta, oh no. Valerio’s innovative new technology, the LaserWan project, is able to transmit data with light and has been recognised as Industrial Patent of Invention! Unsurprisingly he was one of the winners at ‘Intel International Science & Engineering Fair 2017.’ So bravo to Valerio and all the other young brilliant Italian techno designers rising to the surface! Foto La Repubblica magazine.
Now what else did I have to tell you? Oh yes, the Chianti countryside is currently having a deluge of rain. It’s also cold. But the coming week is looking better and I know that many of you will be travelling here during the next couple of weeks and will be glad to know that. I can see the beautiful Hoopoe bird trotting around the wet garden at this moment, easily finding worms that have come up to the surface. There is nothing like spring in Tuscany. Foto Pininterest.
No, I don’t have a personal assistant. I was asked this the other day and it got me thinking, perhaps I need one. The thing is, I work out of a private studio and I like the privacy and quiet. Having finally finished typing up the lyrics of my repertoire for The Rock Chick Band’s concert in June, which has taken weeks due to my hectic schedule, I am beginning to wonder. However, each song needs a lengthy period of concentration as I note every beat and bar, as well as the lyrics themselves. So passing this to an assistant just would not work. Then there’s the current book I’m writing, the Expat column and this weekly blog, it is all hands-on stuff. Oh and the day job! Enough already. But life eeez good, life eeez now! Foto P Finnigan – The Rock Chick Band.
Now, I’m just preparing for one concert, whereas Vasco Rossi is about to embark on his ‘Vascononstoplive2019’ tour! The Italians can’t get enough of this aging gravelly rocker. Looking at his site, it was interesting to look behind the man and to check out his band and back up team. He has two Americans in the band. Matt Lang is a very good singer and guitarist; you will find him doing his own thing on You Tube. And, Stef Burns is a really good rock guitarist. Since 1998, Vasco has also been fortunate to have the support of Italian trumpeter, Frank Nemola; what an amazing sound he makes. Whilst I am not a great fan of Vasco’s voice, his band is second to none. Foto from Frank’s website.
But what about the guys. Have you noticed how men wearing shoes or trainers without socks, can look a little err unstylish? This is not the case with Italian men, it suits them perfectly. In fact I have yet to find a nation of men who can better the Italians for wearing their clothes well. I recently read an article which declared the results of a world pole proving that Italian men were the best looking and the country was voted the most beautiful in the world! Well, I’ve been here for fifteen years and am in no rush to leave! Say no more! Foto La Reppublica.
Meanwhile, back in our lovely Tuscan garden the Ash tree has taken centre stage. This year its new leaves are looking particularly lovely. It is a big tree and offers shade during the summer months and a nice vantage point for the views across the Chianti hills. If you enlarge the picture you’ll be able to spot our English park bench hiding underneath the tree! Today, Sunday, it is raining so we have not been able to get back out there to finish tidying the pots. Also, our favourite plant lady was not in Certaldo’s market yesterday, so we will have to get the new plants next weekend. The rain was needed of course, we’ve had weeks without it, and the countryside certainly looks a lot greener and fresher now. And, it is the start of the tourist season so everything is looking good for the visitors. Foto J Finnigan – from kitchen window.
Sunshine, smiling happy locals in Fiano and the smell of cut grass. Yes, the joys of Spring and the first of April, what a wonderful morning to start the day here in our little bit of Chianti. Even the Poison Dwarf stopped me to wish me a ‘buona giornata’; she usually glares at me!
And, in the garden, what a wonderful weekend! All the wintering pots came out of the cantina. They needed some TLC and thankfully we only lost two plants. The sun was hot yesterday, so much so that I eventually gave in and wore a hat as I tidied and pruned all the plants on the garden table. Still lots to do and we will be down to the market in Certaldo next Saturday to buy more plants. Really looking forward to that!
Meanwhile, back at La Dispensa, our local shop and bar in Fiano, I found a newspaper article about a female politician who has given up politics in favour of being an entertainer. Yes, I know. Well, I think the lovely Nunzia De Girolamo does have a certain something, but I’m not too sure about the outfit. The former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has taken to the stage. She is a forty-three year old lawyer, but it just goes to show that ‘you can do anything, if you want to’! So, perhaps Theresa May should think about this as a new career. Theresa, if you are reading this and would like an introduction to Nunzia, do let me know. PS Song lyrics above from Thin Lizzy’s ‘Do anything you want to,’ which I will be performing at my next concert in June. Theresa, if you would like an invite email me at june.finnigan@virgin.net
Now here’s something to make you smile. An Italian handbag so beautiful it is being promoted by the stunning Penelope Cruz. Yet another excuse to visit 
You may have come across his ongoing TV series Don Matteo, where he plays a priest, who is friends with the hapless Carabiniere, in a remote Italian hill town. He goes about cycling madly from a. to b. on his bicycle, cassock flying and black beret hairgripped on, solving crimes and rescuing the helpless. I love the series, you can get it on DVD or stream it! 
Anyway, to move on, in the same paper was this foto of some gorgeous jewelry and a handbag
And on the subject of love, apart from food, the Italians adore football, calcio. After Italy’s sad failure in the Rugby Six Nations, their national football team is doing well in the European Cup! Bravo to them. Calcio is what the Italians breath; the sports pages in the caffè bar are the most sought after for football results.
As regards Italian newspapers, I particularly like La Repubblica. Yes, OK, it is a little to the right and there is still a strong communist following here, but it features a lot of the things I am interested in. Saturday is for listings of all the latest published books, in Italian of course. Last weekend there was a superb article about children and books and today one about encouraging board games. A friend in Fiano suggested that I get my books translated to Italian and he would arrange for a grand book signing event in the village. The problem is, costing at least 3,000 euros a book, I’m not sure it will be worth it! I would need to sell around 600 copies of each book to come out even…..What do you think?
And what about the arrival of the Chinese President Xi Jinping! At least he left the Red Army behind, you know what I mean don’t you….. No, it seems that the Silk Road is the thing he is bringing and the hope that Italy will benefit from substantial investment and trade deals. I have to say that there are masses of Chinese tourists here every year, so the country already benefits. Mind you, there are also a few Chinese vineyards in the area…! PS I couldn’t help but notice his first lady Peng Liyuan has great styling, probably influenced by Italian designers.
Then I turned the page to find another brilliant piece of street art by Tvboy, which depicts the Prime Minister Conte as Pinocchio, you know the puppet whose nose kept growing every time he told a lie, and the two Deputies Di Maio & Salvini as a cat and a wolf! Don’t you just love it!
Anyway, on a much lighter note and what with all the fashion parades going on, I did spot this rather lovely outfit in La Repubblica. But, as I was about to take this foto at La Dispensa this morning, I was approached by a very sweet local Signora who loves to talk about her one and only visit to London a quarter of a century ago. So, I’m trying to take the foto for you, and she is pulling up a chair and kissing me on the cheek. She is about four-foot-ten so she did not think much of the outfit I was photographing. Anyway, I listened for at least ten minutes and understood about eighty percent, which is a way of helping with my language skills I guess. Eventually, she must have seen my eyes glass over, as she finally stood and went about her shopping. Bless her. Anyway, I finally got the foto!
Where was I? Ah, Sock Shoes. Now these seem to be the latest thing here in Italy. They look very comfortable, but methinks you need slim ankles or long legs and preferably both to set them off. But then I also feel the same way about the fad for trainers with everything. If you are short or dumpy, they are so unflattering! What do you think?
Back out there in the world of politics, which I have not talked about recently due to the confusing nature of everything, we are about to have the European elections. Now my man and I are allowed to vote, but what or whom do we vote for? Look at these two Joint Deputy Prime Ministers that make up the head of the coalition government. They are like a couple of cry baby siblings, with completely opposing views, no wonder things are all over the place! Listening to the rumblings over coffee at Fiano, there is a big desire to return to the Lira, which to me also smacks of wanting out of Europe. At least by watching the way the Brits are cocking things up, there will be a lesson learnt on how not to do it! Watch this space.
But enough of that, I saw this interview in the paper and whilst you may not recall her name, Giovanna Ralli, you will remember her beautiful face. This Italian actress was hugely popular in the 60’s and at the age of eighty-four, still looks stunning. There have been many Italian actresses who graced the cinematic screens over the years, more than you may realise. Giovanna made her first film in 1942 at the age of seven and her last one in 2013. She was nominated for numerous awards and was awarded the Golden Globe for her career in 1975. Recently asked if she would be making any more films she retorted I’m eighty, why not?
And, here is another thing of beauty and made in Italy, the new Ferrari F8! But what’s this, I here you say, they’ve painted it blue! Now I always thought Ferrari were traditionally red, but my man who knows about these things, says not. Anyway, methinks that whilst I need a new car it is too low slung for our dirt track roads, so perhaps not.
Yes, Spring has sprung early this year, hopefully we won’t get another nasty cold snap and kill things off. Bees have been buzzing for the last couple of weeks and I learnt recently that they take nectar from dandelions if there is nothing else available, so don’t dead head those weeds yet! Other insects are appearing as are small creatures like lizards, which is a little worrying as animals are starting to come out of hibernation a tad too early. Our resident Viper will no doubt appear soon; she had a big nest of swirling babys last spring. Our resident pheasant Phil, is sending out mating calls from various perches around the garden so we look forward to seeing one or more hens arriving.
This is also the time of year for finding Wild Asparagus. These are not the big thick stems you find in the supermarkets, oh no. They are lovely thin stems often missed growing amongst grasses that resemble them and under brambles. Well, you know me, I let other people hunt them down and then I buy and cook them. I was delighted to find a big fat bunch in a pot of water, just waiting to be grabbed by me at La dispensa in Fiano. There was enough for me to eat them three days running. Now, most of you know I am not the greatest of cooks; I like to do things the easy way. I snapped off the tough bits, then steamed for about five minutes, dropped them on to some baking paper, drizzled with olive oil, topped with pecorino cheese & pine nuts and baked in a hot oven until the cheese had browned. And, hey presto! I know you are out there clapping, which I appreciate. I just hope my friend and neighbour the celebrity cook 
Today is Sunday and the forecast is for temperatures up to 17 degrees centigrade! Well, I braved it this morning, popped on some thin tights and flats, so glad to have my feet out of boots. Meanwhile, I have been thinking about spring jackets and coats. Why is it that on every change of season, I find myself with nothing to wear? My man is horrified when I say this, he says I have a wardrobe full of stuff, how can I have nothing to wear? But you girls understand, don’t you? Then I saw this rather lovely coat in a magazine at Sandra’s hairdressers, perfect for the cool to warm weather, what do you think? I love it. And, the bag too! But I could only find the bag on the website, which is a rather nice one, 
OK, enough of my fashion indulgences and time to go off for lunch at my daughter’s home between San Gimignano and Volterra. Meanwhile, here is another sunset picture; it’s the time of year for fabulous skies every night. Enjoy.
Just a short distance away and closer to us, Dominic Miller’s concert tour hit Empoli last night. Now Dominic has been around for years, a lesser known but brilliant guitarist who is best known for supporting Sting (our neighbour) on many world tours. I have only just spotted this in the paper, so too late for me to go, I am a little annoyed with ‘Bands in Town’ who are supposed to notify me of these events! But anyway, look out for Dominic’s new album being released on the 1st March called ‘Absinthe’. Visit 
And what else is happening in Tuscany? I hear you ask. Well, whilst enjoying coffee in Fiano this morning, I discovered an article about The Orient Express. Now I never travelled on this rather intoxicating sounding train, I would have loved to mind. But this reminded me of a much more local steam train excursion which takes you through gorgeous Tuscan countryside stopping at towns and villages along the way. You can take a whole day out just indulging in the ride and stopping for events, festas and wine tastings. The train company is based in Siena and is called 
Also in the newspaper, as in most papers around the world, it was addio to that unique fashion designer and celebrity, Karl Lagerfield. As you know, I follow Italian fashion closely, and whilst Karl was based in Paris and associated with Chanel, since the sixties he worked closely with Fendi and became a director of the company, which is based in Rome. Fendi dedicated it’s show in Milan last week to the great man. Well I had best get my orange handbag out again as it is obviously back in vogue!
And staying with the subject of fashion I couldn’t help but fall in love with another 
In February, It is possible to fill one’s diary with events, particularly Art Exhibitions. I love galleries, they have a sense of calm away from the madding crowds, unless you go on the opening day, which I avoid. Whilst drinking my morning coffee in Fiano and reading La Republica, I noticed an article about finding Italy, that is historically, in Art form. Just look at these fabulous pictures by Italian greats that include Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Francesco Hayez and Federico Zandomeneghi painted between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They really bring the era alive. This Grand Exhibition is open now through to June. Visit 
Then I saw another article and a completely different medium; the modern work of Maurizio Monti. What draws me to his paintings is the intense colour and the combining of the beauty found in the female form and flower petals. A sort of fairy like fantasy that reminds me of book illustrations done in the 1930’s. His exhibition is at Florence Art Gallery now until 23rd February. Do try and go!
Meanwhile, this past week has been all about the Sanremo Music Festival. Yes, it happens every February, a ‘so very Italian’ music contest to find the best singer of the year. You either love it or hate it. However, this year it was co-hosted by Claudio Baglioni who is celebrating 50 years crooning at the microphone. I have to say, he has aged rather well, despite the white hair he is looking and sounding rather good. If you hang on a minute, I’ll pop onto his website to get you some more info. OK, I’m back. Now to be honest, whilst he is hugely popular here in Italy, his music is not quite up my street. Despite that, I think we can award him the longevity medal and nominate him aging Italian Hunk of the Month! Google Sanremo 2019.
Anyway, this time of year in Tuscany is great for sunsets. Also the air is cold, but clean and fresh. And, when the sun shines it’s possible to sit outside in direct sunshine, as long as you are in a sheltered spot protected from the wind. So life eeez good, life eeez now! Foto J Finnigan
Junefinnigan's Weblog 