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Posts Tagged ‘Silvio Berlusconi’

Acacia Blossoms, Marigold Gloves and Mafia Man in Beautiful Tuscany.

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

Male and female Bee Eaters Photo National Geographic

Male and female European Bee Eaters
Photo National Geographic

“My nose must be the fittest part of me, because it keeps on running!”  My man is trying to keep his sense of humour as he grabs another tissue.  The beautiful Acacia trees are dripping with blossom at the moment,  but  this does not help those with a tendency to pollen allergies or those with bunged up noses like my man.  There must be thousands of these trees growing wild in our area, and what with the heavily blossomed lilac and horse-chestnut trees, its like walking or driving through heavily scented temples.  However, pollen problems are forgotten as we watch a flock of gorgeous  Bee Eaters winging their way across the valley towards us.

Milko outside his Cartolibireria showing my books for sale! Photo J Finnigan

Milko outside his Cartolibreria showing my books for sale!
Photo J Finnigan

The other day, my man opened a new packet of Marigold gloves, to do the washing up.  Yes, we have a dish-washer, but it conked out after I put the wrong salt in.  The gloves were pink, which he does not mind as his view on life is that real men can wear any colour.  What he was not happy about was that the packet had two right hand gloves.  “Jesus Christ” he cursed, “We’ll have to go back to Milko’s and change them.”  My hands are not so sensitive; I never wear rubber gloves, so I offered to do the washing up.  Now you may remember that Milko runs the cartolibreria in our local village of Fiano and he has a lot more than just books and postcards.  Outside the door are rows of washing liquids, floor cleaners, mops, brushes and rucksacks.  “When we returned the gloves the next day, my man asked him if he had any boxes of left hand gloves, which really confused the poor sensitive man.  But then he laughed when he was shown the two right gloves and put an order in for some more.  It is rare to get what you want locally on the same day.  This particularly applies to the farmacia (chemist) where they only order one item of everything, everyday.  But you can be certain that the following day your order will be there.

My man went to visit his mother in Somerset last Thursday, so did not fly back until Sunday morning.  However, it was perfect weather and timing to enjoy an aperitivo in the Piazza and then on to lunch at C’era Una Volta in Lucardo.  This ristorante is very good for families as the kids love the fritters and pastas.  Our grandchildren can attest to that.  However, we have been invited to go to a newly opened vegetarian restaurant near San Casciano called Villa del Roseta tomorrow night, which will be interesting as we are always on the look out for new places to go.  I’ll let you know.

Last Sunday week, we see Montespertoli’s local octogenarian ‘Mafia Man’ leaning on his walking stick, his beige overcoat hiding probable armoury and staring down at the minions that were either bowing to him or picking up coins that he may have thrown casually to the ground.  He pulls his wide brimmed black hat down over his dark sunglassed eyes, and looks thoroughly bored.  Gone are his younger days when the women would rush to his side, just to be seen with him, now its just the local peasants that hang onto his coat tails.  He would make a brilliant extra in an Italian film.  The sun is hiding behind threatening clouds and we decide to head off to lunch.

Silvio in disguise Photo Reuters

Silvio prepares to go undercover
Photo Reuters

Meanwhile, the dashing Silvio Berlusconi, who has never met a mafia man in his life, forges on.  He has been scrubbing his fingernails as he is about to start his community work at an old people’s nursing home.  This was his choice of venue, after being sentenced for fraud.  Right now, all the female inmates and some of the men, will be having their blue rinses touched up and face packs slapped on.  We wish them well, and its a chance for Silvio to see how the rest of his generation lives……

Well, must forge on with ‘The Bolivian Connection’ and then back to the office tomorrow.

I  hope you all had a great bank holiday weekend.

Amore June xx

PS  Don’t forget to check out my Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

 

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Easter Day, Stylish Outfits and the Invasion Starts in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to all my Loyal and New Followers

Fiorentino in strange crouching position. Photo Official Website

Fiorentina in strange crouching position.
Photo Official Website

Easter morning in our local village of Fiano and like every other self-respecting Italian, Laura has closed her bar/alimentari for the Festa.  So we repair to the other bar, Caffe La Piazzetta, in the piazza where it is sunny enough to sit outside and watch the world go by.  The village was very quiet, even subdued, then the man reminded me that the Fiorentina (Florence) football team lost their match the day before.  The football results always affects the mood in the village.

The tourist invasion starts at Easter and the advance guard were five Russian men at a nearby table.  I studied these characters and noted that the leader was a bit of a loudmouth.  The others consisted of a humorist, a silent old boy, an idoliser and a bored one.  The latter went into the bar and came out with some hair of the dog to try to liven things up.  I gazed around the piazza, which is really a car park.  The big horse-chestnut trees were sprouting their first blossoms and what with the wintered in brollies now being up, it was all very relaxing.  Then I saw my man stiffen as four aliens arrived in bright skin-tight dayglow outfits and oval hard hats, floating on bicycles.  Their strangely clad feet made tapping noises as they walked into the bar, to check which planet they had landed on.  They did not stay long, and left sucking on tubes stuck into plastic bottles.  My man shook his head, “Ha, look at that, only pansies have mudguards on the back of their bikes….”

Buratta con Verdura Grilliata

Buratta con verdure Grilliate

Later, over lunch at ‘C’era Una Volta’ in Lucardo, the ristorante is full.  Paolo had saved us our favourite corner spot so that we could people watch again.  “Gosh, look over there, the last time I saw an outfit like that it was worn by  a member of The Who Band in the early 70’s,” my man hooted.  He was right; a beautiful purple trouser suit with flared trousers, black shiny cuban heeled ankle boots and a matching scarf thrown around the neck.  Make-up had been carefully applied and the hair was big and sprayed carefully into place.  The eighty plus year old Nonna was stunning.   “To your left June…” my man was nudging me, “Those two are the Italian version of Absolutely Fabulous!”  I tried not to laugh out loud, as he was spot on again.  Patsy and friend (please remind me of the friend’s name) were posturing two tables down to my left.  Hair and faces were almost identical to the TV stars and the clothes were so seventies.  I was starting to really enjoy myself.  I dug into my wonderful dish of Buratta con verdure Grilliate and sighed with contentment.

Earlier, over cocktails in Montespertoli, we had spotted a thirty something male with a pony tail in silver lame suit and black silk scarf, several smart jacketed ladies in tight jeans, leopard skin stilettos and matching handbags.  And the Crew-Cut Family, all ladies and three generations walking in twos, arms linked with matching black crew-cuts.  The parade from church is always fascinating.

Easter Monday, the family invaded and our granddaughter stayed on for two nights.  The grandson was recovering from a bout of asthma, so went home with Mum and Dad.  He is fine now.  My Man went to London on the Tuesday so my beautiful nine-year old granddaughter and I, had some quality girls time and far too much chocolate!

Silvio gaffes again photo Huffington Post

Silvio gaffes again
photo Huffington Post

Oh dio, Silvio has gaffed again.  SB has provoked outrage, in suggesting that Germany did not acknowledge the existence of World War Two concentration camps!  Some say it was a swipe at his old foe Martin  Schulz, the German president of the European Parliament and the centre-left candidate to lead the EU Commission.  The two previously came head to head in 2003.  SB said that his own centre-right party would pick up around 20 percent support in the up and coming elections in May.  SB claimed that his original comments in 2003 were not meant to be insulting, suggesting that MS might like a part in a film, thinking of ‘Hogan’s Heros’ and the part of the stupid guard, Sergeant Schultz!  He had thought MS would have been flattered…….!  Oh Dio…….

So, its back to the drawing board for SB and the novel for me.  I would love to hear from you, so do drop me a line.  If you would like an invite to my Tuscan Rock Concert on 28 June email june.finnigan@virgin.net

Salute June x

ps visit my Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

 

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Armani Men, Easter Preparations and a Crotchity Moment in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2014| 3 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

My apologies for the lateness of this post, but I have been battling with a really lousy internet connection….

Giorgio Armani Man

Giorgio Armani Man

My man left for London on the Monday morning and the doorbell rang in the afternoon.  I hung out the bathroom window, which is above the main gate, and thought ‘Wow, one gorgeous man leaves, then two arrive  and, my god, one of them is clutching my novel!  Both men are Italian, tall, wearing Armani suits and hand-made shoes.  “Buona Sera Signora, We have come to invite you to a meeting in Certaldo on Monday.”  I am flushed with delight.  “A book signing?” I gush.  “Err, well, a book reading actually, are you interested?”  Well this all sounds too good to be true, so to check that I am hearing correctly, I ask if they speak English.  The tallest one smiles, flashing his perfect teeth.  He takes the book from under his arm and holds it up.  Hang on a minute, that is not my book, it’s a wedge of orange leaflets.  “Please to come to a memorial for Jesus Christ.”  “Jesus Christ!” I echo.  “Yes, Signora, we will be reading err, book of Mormon…”  He opens a leaflet and shows a picture of Jesus looking very American and I swallow my disappointment.  “Oh, how nice, pop it in the post box beside you,”  I say gracefully.

Would my week get better I wondered?  Hurrah, brightly wrapped Easter eggs adorn the shelves at Laura’s Bar/Alimentari in Fiano, and there are two lotteries to buy tickets for.  I would not want any of the prizes that range from a huge box containing a tea & coffee set with fruity lemon designs, to a water filter, Easter Cake and Eggs.  Alessandro our rotund friend and local sports paper reader, has displayed some ‘attractive’ glass vases and a roulette set on a separate table, as he is representing the lottery for the local football club.  So, naturally, I buy tickets for both.   As you can imagine, there is a huge following for the Easter Celebrations in Italy and Pope Francis has already been performing in Roma.  He is so hands on with the people, that I expect to see him ascend towards heaven and then do a belly flop into the crowd like a rock singer!

A flock of common Italian men, one with olive branch. Photo J Finnigan

A clutch of  Italian men, one with olive branch.
Photo J Finnigan

In Montespertoli on Sunday, the congregation poured out of church carrying olive branches, which is traditional here.  Those wanting to be a little less obvious, had them sticking out of their pockets and handbags;  some of the women did too.

Wisteria over the car port. Photo P Finnigan

Wisteria over the car port.
Photo P Finnigan

New flowery arrivals this week have included masses of wild red poppies in the hedgerows.  In the garden Wisteria, Jasmin and Night Scented Stocks fill the warm air with heady perfume.  One could almost get drunk, breathing it in!

My man returned on the Friday and the next day we are enjoying coffee in Fiano, reading Il Terreno, which is a better newspaper than Il Nazione.  However, I do quite like the reporting on visiting Bands and theatre in the back of the latter.

A crotchity moment for Silvio Photo Il Terreno

A crotchety moment for Silvio
Photo Il Terreno

Suddenly, I am roaring with laughter!  Only in an Italian newspaper will you see a photo of  Silvio Berlusconi clutching his…..well, vital bits!  I show the picture to Laura and Benedetta who laugh and say, that all Italian men do that when they are feeling insecure.  At the age of seventy-six, SB obviously still has something worth clutching, so that’s in his favour….

Meanwhile, I forge on with the ‘Bolivian Connection’ and three more chapters are under my belt.  Farty Barty is very happy with life and the grandchildren will be here for an overnight stay on Easter Monday.  So a double dose of chocolaty Easter celebrations for them.

Ok, must finish here, as the day job is calling.

have a great week and don’t forget to check out my author page at https://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Salute June xx

 

 

 

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Squeaky Tractors, Bonfires and Giant Emperor Moths in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2014| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers,

The valley below our villa Photo J Finnigan

The busy valley below our villa
Photo J Finnigan

“Did you call me to attest to your insanity?”  My man is staring up at me from the garden, whilst I am hanging out the studio window with a hoarse throat.  “No goddamnit” I croak, “I wanted you to remind me what it was you said to your London friend, when he asked you what ‘the sounds of Tuscany’ were.”  “Oh, yes, squeaky tractors of course.”  Well, it depends on the time of year, however, at this moment in time my man is right.  Ancient squeaky tractors are currently rattling their way up and down between the vines, rotovating the soil.  this goes on for quite a few weeks, whilst imported workers are trimming and tidying the vines.  Meanwhile,   the pruned branches from the olive trees are being dragged into piles and burnt.  So the air is rather smoky at present.

Last weekend in Fiano, Benedetta had gone off to the coast to celebrate her twenty-third birthday, so her mother Laura was holding the fort at the bar/alimentari alone.  Over coffee there, I told my man about the quotes I had had for translating my novel into Italian and that they were all very expensive.  I explained that I had been asked for the number of ‘characters’, rather than words, and wondered if they included the spaces.  “Ha, I’m surprised they didn’t want to weigh the book, they weigh everything else here!”  he groaned.  You may laugh, but what my man said is very true.  If you order a sandwich, the Italians slice the bread and weigh it, slice the cheese/ham and weigh it, and weigh tomatoes and/or salad before slicing.   So, back to the book, I may have to postpone the translation, until I make a lot more royalty money from the English version.

Yesterday, our beautiful nine-year old granddaughter arrived to stay overnight, whilst her big brother went down to Perugia to play rugby with his team from Siena.  Sadly, the result went heavily against Siena this time.  Our girl introduced her granddad to a new game of cards, which they are currently playing at her school.  There was a lot of shouting, laughter and slapping of hands on the table.  “What’s going on?”  I enquired.  “Oh its this game called Manaccia” my man replied, “It’s a bit like snap with attitude!”  Earlier in the morning, we had dropped down to Certaldo to buy Primula and Pansies, but were disappointed because our usual lady was not in the market with her plant stand.  However, all is not lost as  we managed to get some plants in Montespertoli this morning.

Giant Emperor Moths on Garden Lamp Photo P Finnigan

Giant Emperor Moths on Garden Lamp
Photo P Finnigan

My man called me down to the garden a couple of days ago and  I was amazed to see two, probably newly emerged, Giant Emperor Moths hanging off the bottom of one of our garden lights.  This light stays on all night, so they probably had toasty warm feet.  Fabulous, and my man managed to capture this picture for you all to see!  I must say that all the signs are here now for the end of any

The first baby fig of 2014 Photo P Finnigan

The first baby fig of 2014
Photo P Finnigan

cold weather; ants, flies, dragonflies, butterflies flitting and dancing together,  six bats emerging at dusk and the first baby fig on our tree!  However, it’s a bit chilly this morning….

Enter, the much adored Silvio Berlusconi.  Oh no, things are sadly on the downward slope for SB.  Italy’s highest appeal court has upheld his two-year ban from

Silvio swallows the pill. Photo Indiatimes

Silvio swallows the pill.
Photo Indiatimes

public office, after which he ‘auto-suspended’ himself from the ‘Federation of Knights’ ahead of a meeting, where he expected to be stripped of the title.  Described by many Italians as ‘Il Cavaliere’, he will now have to get used to being simply Mr Berlusconi!  Meanwhile, he has scotched rumours that his children will stand as candidates for his party Forza Italia in the EU elections.  What to do next, that is the question?  When you are the sixth richest person in Italy, one’s choices are very limited…….

Oh, I nearly forgot.  I promised to send you a snippet from my new novel ‘The Bolivian Connection’ to be published later this year.  I will send you a taster mid-week as I am now under pressure to get on with the day job.  Nevertheless, life eez good, life eez now!

Have a great week.

Amore June xx

PS here is the link for my Amazon Author Page:

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

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An Election, Vicious Caterpillers and 60’s Fashion in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2014| 6 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers,

Matteo Renzie on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Matteo Renzie on the cover of Vanity Fair.

last Sunday, the village hall in our local village of Fiano, was all set up to receive the voters for the election of the new Mayor of Certaldo.  Our resident Moroccan street seller had positioned himself close to the entrance, so everything was ready.  We had received forms to complete, that would have allowed us the opportunity to vote, however, life being so hectic, I clean forgot to return them.  We have no idea who the candidates were, but for sure, it will be difficult to find someone equal to the handsome and charismatic Matteo Renzie, the original Mayor of Florence, who is now Prime Minister.

the vicious Processionaria that builds nests in Fir Trees. Photo National Geographic

the vicious Processionaria that builds nests in Fir Trees.
Photo National Geographic

Back in the countryside and gardens, vicious caterpillars called ‘Processionaria’ are causing a lot of problems.  They are lovely to look at, but deadly to approach.  If they think they are being threatened they will fire sharp spines that are very dangerous for animals and humans alike.  Our poor son-in-law was trying to clear some from the garden when a spine was shot straight into his eye!  After hospital treatment, the painful injury should be OK, but be warned…..

Eurasian Jay Photo Wikapedia

Eurasian Jay
Photo Wikipedia

However, there are some good things to tell you;  particularly the sight of four Jays doing a mating waltz, directly in front of us over the steep valley below.

Back in the village, we were approached by local man Sergio, who owns a 1960’s English MG sports car and he was keen to know what an Englishman would have worn then, whilst driving the car.  My man said over coffee, “I think he needs some Clarks Desert Boots, a houndstooth or checked sports jacket, cravat and cap.  Think Terry Thomas!”  So back in my studio, I did a bit of research on-line.   I could not find any really good pictures of our Terry, but came across one of  Michael Caine dressed in perfect attire.   I then found some excellent British sites that still sell the exact same clothes.  It will be possible for Sergio to buy a new all British double-breasted navy sports jacket with brass buttons from M&S, and have it posted!  There were even sites dedicated to English cravats!  so I printed off some pictures and left them in the bar for Sergio to collect.  I look forward to hearing from him and seeing him looking like a proper English, if Italian, gent.

Meanwhile, Farty Barty the cat seems to have slowed down and, thank god, is probably over the call of the wild.  The sun is now quite hot by mid-day so he is lying on his back on the wooden bench, in a most ungainly fashion, and enjoying himself.  We have been able to throw open the doors and windows for a large part of the day and have even started some spring cleaning!

Silvio re-launches 'Forza Italia' Photo Reuters

Silvio with his party ‘Forza Italia’
Photo Reuters

And so to the undaunted and charismatic billionaire Silvio Berlusconi.  Undaunted, because he is now planning to run for a place in the EU parliament!  If he wins, he may not be able to take his seat in the legislative body, which traditionally meets in Strasbourg, France.  Why?  Well firstly, he does not currently hold a passport, handed over to prevent him fleeing the country, and secondly he maybe under house arrest when the vote takes place.  You have to admire the man though;  down, but definitely not out!  What do you think?

Well, enough of that.  Time to beautify myself and to go out to Sunday lunch with my man.

Have a great week, do drop me a line and, if you have read the book,  please pop a review of ‘My Father, The Assassin’ on Amazon or Goodreads.

Grazie Mille and Salute, June x

Ps  I must mention the fact that I have been chuckling all day over something I wrote yesterday in chapter eleven of ‘The Bolivian Connection’.  It is an exchange of conversation between our heroine Joanna and her Interpol protector and former lover, Frenchman Laurent.  Sorry, you’ll have to wait for the book to be published….ha,ha,ha!  on the other hand, I might let you have a snippet next weekend….watch this space.

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The London Author Fair, Early Spring and a Welcome Back in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

It was a delight to be welcomed back at Laura’s bar/alimentari in our local village of Fiano.  I had only been absent for four days, however, this did not stop the chorus of ‘bentornato’ from our favourite locals.  This makes me feel rather special, particularly as my man and I are English, if long term,  interlopers in a small rural community in Tuscany.

You will be aware that I had returned from The London Author Fair, where I had attended seminars and workshops with a view to obtaining some new ideas for marketing by current novel, ‘My Father, The Assassin.’  I now have a lot of following up to do to maximise the benefits.  Whilst there, I bumped into another author called James Minter.  We were both really surprised, as I was in the middle of reading his three very funny books, The ‘Hole Trilogy’ and he was reading mine!

Taglierino del Tartufo (white truffles) still on the menu! photo P Finnigan

Taglierino del Tartufo (white truffles) still on the menu!
photo P Finnigan

However, I was so pleased to be back in our little bit of Chianti last Sunday,  in time for lunch at ‘C’era una Volta,’ one of our local ristorante.  Whilst there, two Bavarian friends walked in having seen our car outside, so we were able to catch up and have a great lunch together.  We parted company with an invite to theirs for supper.  They own a beautiful villa next to our old house, which has been bought by Australians!  We are  very cosmopolitan lot in this area.

Mimosa in our garden. Photo P Finnigan

Mimosa in our garden.
Photo P Finnigan

My man had been busy whilst I was away.  Grass cutting and generally tidying up in the garden.  The temperature is up to 17 degrees centigrade today, so fingers crossed for lunch in the garden, as it smells so wonderfully spring like now.  Tomorrow, Saturday, is Festa della Donna (Festival of Women) when mimosa flowers are presented to all female family and friends.  Sadly, the mimosa has blossomed too early this year, so the blooms are a little past their best.  Nevertheless, we will cut what we can and take some over to Laura at the bar in the morning.

By the way, I am about to send out invites to my next Rock Concert Garden Party, so if you want to come and have not already sent me your email address, please do so.  june.finnigan@virgin.net

Sivio at AC Milan in happier times Photo Reuters/Stefano Relland

Silvio at AC Milan in happier times
Photo Reuters/Stefano Relland

So, what has the gorgeous, if aging, Silvio Berlusconi been up to over the last couple of weeks?  Rumour has it, that he is thinking of selling his beloved football club AC Milan!  This has been denied, however, the team’s performance has been lacklustre of late, and they could lose as much as 51.4 million euros in revenue, if they do not finish in the top four this season!  The Team is currently the eight richest team in the world.  Last year  SB’s personal wealth only increased by 1.5 billion dollars, poor thing, so he perhaps needs a little more in the bank.  Mind you, quote John McDuling of Quarz News, ‘Would you buy a used soccer club from Silvio Berlusconi?’  Now that’s a bit harsh…..

Well, enough of that.  Must go and think about lunch.  I spend a lot of time thinking about it; I just wish someone else would cook it!  But the sun is shining, hurrah!

Have a great week and see you next time.

Amore June x

PS don’t forget to check out my new author page at:

https://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

 

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San Valentino, a Musical Farewell, Mimosa and a Resignation in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 17, 2014| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my loyal and new followers

Readers Digest 1973 cookery book photo J Finnigan

Readers Digest 1973 cookery book
photo J Finnigan

As you all know, I am not the greatest cook, however, as San Valentino’s Day was looming I decided to find my vintage 1973 Readers Digest Cookery Book, which had a very musty smelling recipe page for Mushroom Strogonoff.  Now, if you carefully weigh all the correct ingredients and follow the instructions to the letter, what can go wrong?   The Basmati rice was perfect, the sauce looked creamy and delicious, I had added a drop of best quality chardonnay and the mushrooms were cooked to perfection.  Now in these old books, dried mixed herbs were in everything, however, here in Italy the dried herb mixtures are a little different.  So when I sprinkled some dried mediterranean herbs in, it never occurred to me that there might be a problem with that.  It was only when my delighted man took his first mouthful and smoke came out of his nose and ears, that I knew something was up!  “Oh my god he yelled, what are you trying to do to me!”  Well, I am used to making mistakes in the kitchen, but this was terribly disappointing.  “Never mind” I said, my face all red with embarrassment and hot spicy herbs, “I’ve made us a lovely creamy desert using the rose petal sauce that our good friend Paolo the chef gave us!”  My man is incredibly patient with me over the subject of food, however, he responded through deep gasps for air with “I love the smell of roses, but

Paolo who made the Rose Sauce, shaking a bottle of frozen crema di limoncello. Photo J Finnigan

Paolo who made the lovely Rose Sauce, shaking a bottle of frozen crema di limoncello.
Photo J Finnigan

I’m not sure about eating them…..”  So I presented the gorgeous looking rose perfumed creamy desert.  He managed two mouthfuls.  “I’m sorry June, I know you’ve tried really hard, but I don’t like it…”  I was also finding it a bit rich and realising that the lovely sauce was obviously meant to be used in tiny quantities, so I gave up on the fourth spoonful.  “Let’s open that new bottle of Vin Santo” we chorused, and then got out the game of ‘Sorry’ to take our minds off the food thing.  Well, we downed two glasses of Vin Santo each and thoroughly enjoyed the board game.  So it was a lovely evening after all.

The following morning we are back at Laura’s Bar/alimentari in Fiano , where I had bought the mushrooms, and everyone is rolling around in hysterics as my man describes my cooking.  Fortunately, I don’t really mind being laughed at, but secretly would love to be up to the amazing standards of some of my blogging friends!

Last Wednesday, we bade farewell to our friend Simon Moodie at his funeral in Certaldo.  Many of his friends are musicians and as the grave was being filled in (by a JCB!), we played and sang some of his favourite rock songs which he had particularly asked for.  He would have loved it.  Addio Simon.

Mimosa in our February garden. Photo P Finnigan

Mimosa in our February garden.
Photo P Finnigan

On a much lighter note, we are delighted to see our Mimosa tree already in full blossom.  As the mornings start to get lighter my man is looking forward to getting up at six and doing a couple of hours gardening before going out for coffee.  We do have a fabulous terraced garden and I can’t wait to bring all the pots back out from under the polytunnel.  We will wait until the 1st April though, as past experience has seen the weather change dramatically in these Chianti hills during February and March.  We have been incredibly lucky with the weather so far; quite a bit of heavy rain, however, temperatures are currently up around the 17 centigrade mark!

Henry Winkler, The Fonz and Matteo Renzie, The Prime Minister... Photo Il simplicissimus

Henry Winkler, The Fonz Vs Matteo Renzie, The Prime Minister…
Photo Il simplicissimus

You have probably picked up on the international news, that Italy’s Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned after a vote of no confidence.  Well no surprise really, everyone was complaining that the so-called reforms were not happening fast enough.  However, our friends in Fiano all seem to like his replacement, the current Mayor of Florence Matteo Renzie.  He will certainly get the female vote, and quite a few guys, as he is young and handsome and rides a bicycle to work.

Well enough of that, I’ll update you on Silvio next time and meanwhile wish you all a very happy and exciting week.

Salute June x

PS  Don’t forget, there is currently a huge discount when you download the e-book ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan from Amazon or Firstchapters!

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Paying Unjust Fines and Village Scuttlebutt in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New followers

Now there is one thing I will say for the Italian Polizia, they take their work very seriously and  no way will they let you get away with anything, because they will find you!  More than three years ago, we were in Montecatini Terme and we stopped to ask a policeman for directions.  He pointed to the turning we should take, and gave us precise directions to the address we wanted.  We foolishly did as we were instructed.  Then last week a letter arrived  telling us that we had driven down and parked in a residents only street, had not paid our fine (which we never received) and with accrued interest we now had to pay 160 Euros or else!  My man and I were disgusted and recalled the time when we were in Venice on the water ferry.  At the last-minute, a Chinese couple jumped onto the ferry without tickets, and took the seats in front of us.  They were actually from London and it was the last day of their Italian holiday.  They tried to buy tickets from the ticket collector, but were angrily told to pay a 40 euro fine!  It was obvious that they had made a mistake, however, they only had ten Euros Left.  The collector called his colleague to witness his writing out a double  fine for 80 Euros, which had to be paid that day at the local police station.  And he said “If you do not pay this today we will find you, even in England or in China.”  The poor things were terrified!  Reluctantly, I decided to pay our fine, but only after I had visited the local police station and talked to a very unsympathetic  officer there.  It does not pay to get on the wrong side of these guys!

Don't mess with the Carabinieri! Photo Il Tabloid

Don’t mess with the Carabinieri!
Photo Il Tabloid

Back in our local village of Fiano, there was a visit from the carabinieri, and some smashed glass is still lying around in the piazza waiting to be cleared up.  We are trying to get the scuttlebutt on this, but everyone is strangely avoiding the subject.  Sig Rotund arrived at the Laura’s cafe bar in the morning, with one arm of his glasses missing and promptly sent one of his ‘lady friends’ outside to our local Moroccan street seller,  for a new pair of reading glasses.  He then sat reading his paper with a paper price sticker over the lens, until I  pointed it out.  Fiano’s Piazza  changes from a quiet village backwater to a night club atmosphere in the evenings, so this broken glass incident probably happened after dark.

Farty Barty exhausted on his kitchen chair. Photo P Finnigan

Farty Barty exhausted on his kitchen chair.
Photo P Finnigan

And now for even more news.  The ‘Poison Dwarf’, a local lady who is about four feet six and equally wide, actually smiled at me the other day, which knocked me sideways!  She is usually very loudly putting the world to rights and glares at us a very time she passes….Then the national computer system at the Post Office broke down on Pension day and the oldie queue in Fiano went right down the main road….  Meanwhile, as the temperature was dropping, we had a delivery of gas and were informed that the price had gone down, yes down….while all this is going on, Farty Barty the cat calls in occasionally for food and a sleep, as he is too preoccupied with the girlies to be bothered with conversation….  And finally, the rain seems to have stopped.  So some good, some bad news.  But we don’t care about the bad news.  Life eez good, Life eez now!

Enough of that.  I have mentioned before that I am not  a creative cook, however, I do try to keep my man happy.  A couple of days ago he said, “Lunch was really nice.”  “Well, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so the saying goes”, I replied.  “Mmm, it’s also the way to his intestines…..” He responded.  The moral to this is, if you are complimented on your cooking, just smile and say something like, “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.”  On the other hand, the last time I said that he replied, “That doesn’t mean I want to eat the same thing every day for the next two weeks!”  You have to feel sorry for him though, living with an eccentric writer who is also a rubbish cook!  Thank god for amore and good Italian restaurants!

Me at the microphone. Photo P Finnigan

Me at the microphone.
Photo P Finnigan

Finally, I’m sure you will be very excited to know that official invites are shortly going out for my Garden Rock Concert to be held on 28th June.  If you will be in Tuscany and would like an invite, send your email address to june.finnigan@virgin.net  as I am very keen to attract more groupies!

Well, I must crack on with ‘The Bolivian Connection’, which is getting very scary,  and will update you on the gorgeous Silvio next weekend.

Have a great week.

Amore June x

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Amore, Searching for a good Coffee and a Little Sadness, in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 3, 2014| 2 Comments »

Benvenuto to all my Loyal and New Followers

Long Winter shadows

Long Winter shadows & Amore
Photo P Finnigan

When you have been lucky enough to have spent a lot of years living with the one you love, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the loss of that person would be catastrophic.  So as my man prepared to head for London a week ago I asked him, “If you go before me, and you may not, how can I capture the whole being that is you?”  My man looked very thoughtful and said “Feel free to lop off whatever you want!”  Now he is normally a very romantic guy, but can you imagine?    I was thinking that I would like to have my own ashes sprinkled across the Chianti Hills, this would then put back into the vineyards a little bit of what they have given me over the years.  Why am I thinking about morbidity?  Well, one of Fiano’s sweet old ladies, Iolanda, died on Friday.  She loved to do embroidery and I bought two pretty tray clothes from her a couple of years ago.  Her hands were already shaking with Parkinsons, but she persevered.  Addio Iolanda x

The Rock Chick Band

The Rock Chick Band

Personally, I hope to fade away disgracefully singing loud rock songs with the Rock Chick Band, whilst holding a nicely warmed glass of Chianti.

But enough of that.  Wednesdays, in our little bit of Chianti, is the day for making an executive decision.  Where to get a really good cup of coffee, fresh pastry (if one is not still on a diet) and a relaxing environment?  You see, Laura’s bar and alimentary is closed on that day, so we must go elsewhere.  The other bar in Fiano serves reasonable coffee, however, the ambiance has a lot to be desired.  So more often than not, we will head for Tavernelle, where there is a nice pasticeria (baker of pastries and cakes), and the locals are friendly.  However, last week we drove over and found that they had closed for a two-week holiday.  February is quite popular with the Tuscans,  for disappearing off to the Far East for a warm break.  So we decided to drop down to Certaldo, which almost completed a full circle.  When we finally got home again, my man, who is the analyst, worked out that we had travelled thirty kilometres in our search for coffee!

Things have been very busy over the last two weeks.  I have booked flights to London for the end of February, as I will be attending an Authors Fair and also for the end of May as my mother will be celebrating her 90th!  Flights are pretty easy between London and Pisa and likewise to Bristol, but prices are on the up.

Silvio addresses new young recruits to his party Forza Italia. Photo AP/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse.

Silvio addresses new young recruits to his party Forza Italia.
Photo AP/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse.

And what about the other main character in our lives?  Please put your hands together for the one and only, Signore Silvio Berlusconi!  There is a standing ovation and it takes five minutes for the devoted followers of SB to calm down.  He smiles, flashing his perfectly white straight teeth and starts to speak.  More cheers and clapping and he raises his hands in thanks,  then waves the devotees back into their seats.  It is a fact that millions of Italians still believe him to be the most dynamic leader ever, in Italian politics.  They accept his version of events, not the courts, and believe that he only has the people’s well-being at heart.  He now has the advantage of being in the opposition during a period of austerity and, whilst he will not be able to stand for election, he will certainly choose someone who will!  He may have been caught with his trousers down on more than one occasion, but he still has a good pair of legs!

I am now well into writing ‘The Bolivian Connection’ where Joanna Wilde is nervously watching the arrival of the worldwide assassins’ ring, who are being dropped off at ‘The Castle’ by various helicopters, for the reading of her evil dead father’s will.  Watch this space!

Meanwhile, have a really great week and please do leave a review on Amazon if you have read ‘My Father, the Assassin’ by J W Finnigan.  I’ll be eternally grateful!

Grazie Mille June xx

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Mick Hucknell, My Kindle and January Jobs in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2014| 6 Comments »

Welcome Ragazzi and thank you for following,

Mick_Hucknall_by_Slawek

The real Mick Hucknell
Photo Slawek

The countryside in our little bit of Chianti, is fairly quiet at present.  The sound of vines being snipped and the relentless muted conversation of the contadini (farm workers) drift up from the steep vineyards below us and some distant woodland maintenance has started, opening up new vistas that we regulars can enjoy on the way to coffee in Fiano.  Most of the land around us, other than the olive grove immediately below our home, belongs to the Fattoria Villa Bacio.  It is quite a vast area and every season offers up new jobs to be done on the land and in the gardens.  For sometime we have seen a youngish man, whom we think is the son of Villa Bacio, in charge of the workers and I have been struggling to think who he reminds me of.  Then it hit me, he is the spitting image of Mick Hucknell, former lead singer of Simply Red!

Beautiful january rose in our garden. Photo P Finnigan

Beautiful January rose in our garden.
Photo P Finnigan

In our garden we currently have a most beautiful January rose and here is a picture.  We inherited lots of English roses that are easily identifiable by their strong perfume.  This one is only slightly perfumed, so if anyone can identify it, do let me know.

I am completely in love with my new Kindle, which my man bought me for Christmas.  I would never have believed that I could be persuaded away from my beloved books to reading an electronic gadget.  However, when I tell you that I have just downloaded the complete works of Charles Dickens (60 volumes) for just £1.27p, there is no way I can argue against it.  Reading is very important if you are a novelist, not just for the pleasure, but also for plot ideas and creative writing.  I am also teaching myself chess and have beaten the Kindle several times.  Mind you I am currently on the first level, so time will tell.

My man is now on a serious diet which also means no alcohol, apart from the weekend when he enjoys a couple of nice Chiantis with his lunch and a light aperitivo before supper.  I am doing my very best to do the same, but I cannot cook lunch without a couple of glasses of wine and loud rock music to keep my spirits up.  You may have noticed, that I rarely mention food, other than when visiting a ristorante; this is because I am not a great lover of cooking.  I know, most of you will throw your hands up in horror, as my own daughter does.  However, I do cook and only because my man does not.  This is not a complaint, he does just about every other job around the house and garden, including his own ironing!  In Fiano, where we usually take our morning coffee, he is currently forgoing his sweet pastries, so his face is a little on the long side.  The poor thing has also had to contend with a sore throat, which I’m sure is due to the lack of a soothing glass of vino.  On Saturday mornings, the locals we do not see in the week, arrive at Laura’s bar/alimentari in their customary smart tracksuits and quilted jackets.  This last Saturday was also black woolly hat day, no newspaper delivery and everyone talking about the previous day’s  disasters.  (Friday 17th, which is considered very unlucky in Italy)   When the man is a little grumpy he comes out with his best gems and this time, in referring to a gossiping black hatted, grey track-suited lady in high heels he commented, ‘I bet she’s been storing up her conversation all night!’  Don’t we just love him.

Inside Bar/Pasticeria Fiorentina in Montespertoli

Inside Bar/Pasticeria Fiorentina in Montespertoli

On Sunday morning we headed off to Montespertoli for an aperitivo, despite the rain, and tucked into the corner of the tiny Bar and Pasticeria Fiorentina, where everyone was looking forward to Florence winning their latest football match.  The atmosphere in the town is always affected by the local football (calcio) results!

I will bring you an update on our idol, Silvio Berlusconi next weekend as I must crack on with ‘The Bolivian Connection’, where my heroine Joanna Wilde,  is about to check out of her hotel in La Paz and head for her evil father’s former mountain home, known as ‘The Castle’, for the formal reading of his will…..

Have a great week and don’t forget to check out Joanna’s previous story in my book ‘My Father, The Assassin’ by J W Finnigan on http://www.amazon.uk or .eu or .com.  Or for a big discount on a download, go to http://www.firstchapters.net

Ciao June x

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