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.
We have just had heavy overnight rain. “So what?” I hear you say. The UK has virtually had no summer and we are excited about the arrival of rain! Yes, I know, large parts of the World have been deluged with terrible storms and our thoughts are with those people struggling with loss of life and property. But, here in Tuscany, it has been over three months without a drop of the refreshing stuff. Now the countryside smells wonderfully damp and the vines are sighing with relief. The crazy thing is, until today it has been too hot to work outside, now it is too wet! But lets move on…. Foto Storms clouds arriving, J Finnigan.
Last week I mentioned the Certaldo Red Onion and was disturbed to hear a tourist guide beside me telling a group of American tourists all about the onion, whilst standing next to baskets of red onions that were, in my opinion, the Statina variety and not the bright red Vernina as she was indicating. You really do need to know your onions in Certaldo and it’s important to ask the vendor if they are ‘The Certaldo Onion’ and which variety they are. Now I am not trying to be clever here , and I would be very happy to have one of you knowledgeable readers put me right, if you think I am wrong! See Foto. Also, you cooks out there could tell me, which are the best varieties for the various cooking methods. Grazie Mille! Foto J Finnigan.
It is also the season for Fichi (figs to you and me) and at Ristorante C’era Una Volta in Lucardo, they were on the menu last week. Paolo the owner, grows all his own fruit and veg and the freshly picked Fichi were not going to last long. So I had my fill on two separate days in the week! Yummy. Foto J Finnigan.
about food! Back in our local village of Fiano and over coffee, I read a fascinating article by Paolo Pejrone in La Repubblica, about ‘walking’ Olive Trees. Well, you only have to see the pictures to understand why, and amazing to look at they are too. As olive trees get older they can take on the most amazing shapes and characters! Fotos Alejandro Chasklelberg.
Meanwhile, the Regional Election in Sicily is hotting up and it seems that the Rock Star of Politics, Beppe Grillo’s Five Star party, is currently slashing its way through the front-line. I love this magazine cover that depicts his rivals as either blind or struggling to see. But I am glad to see Silvio on the hustings promoting his Forza Italia party, it certainly puts the colour back in. I’ll just go and check when the elections actually take place, so don’t go away, I’ll be back in a minute…. OK, that didn’t take long; the election is on 5th November and the winning party will be found using some kind of complicated ‘proportional representation’ system. Whoever wins, the current President Rosario Crocetta will go, as he has not been candidated by his own party due to lack of popularity! I won’t go any deeper than that! But I’ll keep you posted.
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