Benvenuti and Welcome to all my Lovely Followers
Yes, I’m back on schedule, that is I am writing this on Sunday with the aim of getting the blog posted to you by Monday at the latest. It’s amazing how eight days away from my lovely home, along with an English virus, can put me back a couple of weeks. But no worries, here I am, having soaked up some vitamin D in the Tuscan sun, I feel ready for anything!
Thank god for morning coffee to start the day at our local caffè bar in Fiano. This morning La Dispensa was heaving with people; now it is Sunday, but there was definitely more people than usual. My man had put our clocks back an hour, so we arrived at our normal time, between 8.30 and 9am. We managed to get our usual place at the big long table and spread our newspapers out. Then my man suddenly said, “This lot usually come in an hour later, when we are leaving, they’ve forgotten to change their clocks! Ha ha….” I looked around and sure enough, I recognised a lot of the faces that were usually strolling in as we were leaving. “Don’t say anything!” He grinned, and I didn’t.
On the subject of ‘heaving with people’ avoid Montepulciano unless you want to be trampled underfoot. This stunning Medieval and Renaissance hill town in Southern Tuscany, is very popular throughout the season as it is a big producer of foods including cheese, pici-pasta, lentils and honey. Oh and wine of course, the ‘Vino Nobile’ is considered to be one of Italy’s finest. So why not visit now? Well, imagine this, you live in the town and go about your daily business, shopping in the markets and relaxing outside your favourite caffe bar each day. You are used to the summer months, when the town fills up with tourists and in some ways it fascinating to watch them walk by. Then your town is chosen as the set for the new Medici film….. Now you cannot cross your own via, or find an empty table at your favourite caffè or restaurant, because you are being invaded by over five thousand tourists a day, wanting to spot the actors at work! What a nightmare! So there’s your reason for not going to Montepulciano, there are plenty of other stunning places to go! Foto La Repubblica
Meanwhile, lets relax and look at the music scene. Now I love the Italians, after all I have chosen to live amongst them and I hope my friends here will not take offence when I say, they do not do rock and pop music very well. Now there are a handful of exceptions and into this category I would definitely include Paola Turci. Paola is a tall, striking rock singer with a strong sometimes gravelly voice, and I really like her. She is just starting an Italian tour and, if you can, you should try to get to one of her concerts. Foto La Repubblica. Visit her website at Website
Then I noticed in the paper that the Tuscan artist, Luciano Pasquini, is having a one-man exhibition in Florence between 28th October and 4th November at the Florence Art Gallery. Now I am a great fan of impressionism and vibrant colours. If you ever visit my home you will find bright colours everywhere, sometimes clashing, but I am always drawn to rich colours. Luciano produces paintings, I guess for the mass market, but nevertheless, you can guarantee there will be at least one of his land or seascapes, which will draw you in and you will want it on your wall. Visit his website at Website Try not to be dazzled by all his ranges of colours on one page, just hone in the your own favourite shades and ‘Bob’s your Uncle.’ (Try and translate that into Italiano!) Foto La Reppublica
So, how are we doing? OK, I think. Now I do want to bring up the subject of Tartufu (truffles) again. Why, because we are now celebrating this gift of the gods with a Festa. If you are not truly familiar with Tartufi, white or otherwise, you will see in the picture that it resembles lumps of volcanic rock, but the perfume gives it away. These gorgeous lumps of sometimes hugely expensive funghi, are sniffed out and found in our region, by ‘truffle dogs’ and occasionally pigs. Thin shavings of the best samples, using a special tartufu slicer, are sprinkled over pasta or fried eggs, the flavour is not lost that way. Now we are off to C’era Una Volta for lunch today and we are hoping that Paolo will have got some of these precious gems in his kitchen awaiting us. I’ll let you know. Foto la Repubblica
OK, time to make myself beautiful, I know, but my man tells me I can still scrub up reasonably well; he is such a star. Meanwhile, have you visited my new Official Author Site yet? If you are not already on my email list for updates, invites and special offers, do go the site and add you email address. I will be delighted if you do. Go to June’s website
Right then, my make-up bag awaits.
Salute June x
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