Welcome and Benvenuti to all my Lovely Followers around the world,
To be honest, when the month of June arrived I felt a little deflated. As many of you know it is my birthday month and I normally celebrate with a live Rock Chick Band concert in my garden. But, for obvious reasons, we had to cancel. Then I had an inspiration! Downstairs we have a guest apartment which is only used occasionally and always when we have concert guests. One room houses our old upright piano and nothing else but a tapa cloth hung on the wall, which we bought back from Fiji in 1984. I know, the tapa cloth is just incidental, but it’s rather beautiful. Anyway, what I was about to say was, I decided to make better use of the room and turn it into a sound studio! Yes! But I need all the right 
equipment microphone and speakers etc. So I decided to spoil myself and thank you to our good friend John for his advice, I have ordered a PA System, a PreSonus PX-1 Large Diaphragm Microphone and a TC HeliconVoice Tone C1 Hardtune and Correction Vocal Processor. Unless you are a musician, you will now be as confused as I am. I am just a singer who is struggling to learn the guitar. I have always left the technical side to the guys in the band and turn up when Stefano shouts ‘June, soundcheck!” So now I am really excited, this wretched virus may have opened a whole new world to me, the real confusion will start when all the equipment arrives in about ten days time! But I will have the help of my ‘long-haired lover from Bristol’ which is the name I have given my man who is looking like a long-haired rodie from the seventies!
OK, so what next? Oh yes, so what has been happening in Tuscany this last week? I hear you ask. Well, the borders are now all open and it is a huge relief for those in the tourist industry. Second homes owned by northern Europeans, who will be driving across the border at this moment, will soon be occupied. It also brings with it a certain amount of risk as the virus here is by no means over. But, at the end of the day, we must continue to be vigilant and the rules are still mask wearing and distancing, which the Italians have mostly supported without argument. But how I long to see everyone hugging and kissing again, it’s been especially hard in Italy as Italians are a naturally demonstrative and warm. We currently greet old friends by tapping elbows together or blowing kisses through our masks! Hey ho.
But you would never believe that there has been a lock-down in our little bit of countryside on the edge of Chianti. Everything looks the same, from the land changing with the seasons to the wild life finding mates and reproducing. The male toads in our pond have been incredibly noisy over the last few days and fascinating to hear, even if we can’t manage to spot one! The number of birds in our garden, which has lots of mixed trees like our ancient Oak, has been incredible this year. Just about every european species imaginable. Bee Eaters have been gathering on top of the bare branches of an Acacia tree, woodpeckers, a pair of Jays, masses of tits, finches and redstarts. Wood pigeons and Doves, I could go on but I am not an expert and could get some names wrong! So we sit under our sun brolly every evening, with a nice aperitivo, to watch and listen. Needless to say, it’s an absolute joy living here.
Now, I hope to venture out a little further next week. I have so far stayed close to home and getting supplies from our local village of Fiano, where la Dispensa (translates to The Larder) has been fantastic support to the village for groceries. Now the coffee bar has reopened too, but with the usual restrictions. So I am going over to Tavernelle and the Co-op to get a few things we can’t get locally, but if there is a queue I won’t hang around, I’m not starting that lark! Oh no.
Meanwhile, my man who miraculously ‘mostly’ enjoys my cooking at home, has agreed to go to the restaurant twice a week. Now for some reason, during the last couple of weeks I have gone brain dead over cooking and have found it an absolute chore. But I seem to have taken the pressure off myself by reading and writing again! Yes, ‘Assassin’s List’ my fourth novel is flowing like a bubbling brook as my heroine Joanna Wilde goes off on another exiting covert mission!
So I guess I can honestly say, life in Tuscany is once again very good, not that it has ever been bad! I will keep you posted on the progress with my Sound Studio and my writing. And, don’t forget, I love to hear from my readers so do drop me a line.
Have a good week and stay safe.
Salute June x
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