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The Earthquake, Certaldo Onions, Lunch with La Famiglia and Eddie Lizard in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged book, Certaldo, Certaldo Alto, Certaldo Red Onions, Chianti, coffee, earthquakes, Italy, June Finnigan, Tuscany, writer on August 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Whilst I normally try to bring you only good news and fun things, the terrible Earthquake tragedy cannot be ignored. Thank you for all those messages from around the world and to say that yes we are fine, and lucky enough to be some way north of the terrible disaster. The country as a whole has been, once again, in shock and yesterday was a day of mourning. This time, we have decided to take more precautions and have put a packed survival bag just inside the front door and parked the car away from the house. But, you know, the Italians are a resilient race and whilst an enormous amount of effort is still being put into the rescue work, everyday life continues, as continue it must.

Lovely sweet red Certaldo Onions from the market.
Foto P Finnigan

Yesterday, we were really pleased to find that the Saturday morning market in Certaldo was fully attended by both traders and customers. It’s nearly the end of August so things are beginning to return to normal after the long holiday. Everyone seemed cheerful enough and I bought some lovely sweet Certaldo Onions, which are delicious finely sliced with salads, or cooked in the oven. Then I bought some of my favourite young Pecorino cheese, delicious served with sliced sweet melon. And, as it is the season for peaches, plums and apricots, I bought a few bagfuls for our breakfast. Oops, I hope I’m not sounding like a food junky, but the market stalls look so tempting this time of year!

Buratta with grilled vegetables and Certaldo onions.
Foto J Finnigan

Last Friday, we met our beautiful family for lunch at ‘C’era Una Volta’ in Lucardo. The grandchildren love the deep-fried polenta there. My daughter and I enjoyed that great favourite Buratta cheese again with grilled vegetables and of course sliced Certaldo Onions. Today my man and I are going to revisit a restaurant in Tavernelle. We haven’t been there for years but bumped into the owner a few days ago, so I booked a table. Fingers crossed, I’ll let you know.

Eddie Lizard on our kitchen wall.
Foto P Finnigan

Back in our lovely home we had a visitor in the kitchen. A very plump Gekko Lizard was keeping very still on the wall while we had our supper. Then my man crept over and got a couple of fotos. Don’t you just love those feet? We’ve decided to call him Eddie, get it? You remember the comedian and actor Eddie Izzard don’t you, that’s right him, so we have our own Eddie Lizard. Well I think it’s funny. If you have not been to Italy, you may not know that lizards are everywhere and often provide great entertainment whilst we are enjoying an aperitivo in the garden.

Well, enough of that. Must get back to ‘The Italian Connection’ as my heroine Joanna Wilde is currently in Rome and waiting for me to write the next chapter.

Have a really good week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

PS Visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

Ferragosta, Ristorante Quinoa, U2 and a Surprise Hibiscus in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Ferragosta, Florence, Gluten free restuarant, Hibiscus, Italy, June Finnigan, Romantic thriller, The Italian Connection, Tuscany, U2, writer on August 21, 2016| 1 Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Grand Tour Ferragosto
La Terrana

Well, the streets were almost empty of traffic last Monday as the 15th was Ferragosta, the holiday that has all Italians that can, racing off to the motorways, well dual carriageways I should say, as we don’t have many three lane roads in Tuscany. The motorways came to a grinding halt yet again and one old lady went through a gap in the central barrier, took to the opposite side and started driving against the oncoming traffic! It’s a miracle nobody was killed. But whilst this madness was going on, we had the country roads to ourselves. Over coffee in Il Solferino in Certaldo, I read an article about ‘The Grand Tour Ferragosto’ and it was fascinating to see where the most of the Italian tourists and many others besides were heading, should they be on the cultural trail! Most popular for visitors was the Excavations of Pompei, followed by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. See the foto for the full list.

Ristorante Quinoa, a gluten free paradise?
La Republica

Then the next day I read about a really interesting looking restaurant called Ristorante Quinoa in Florence. This is definitely one for me and other diners who are intolerant to gluten. We will try it out in the next couple of weeks. If you happen to get there before me, do let me know! Despite our living in a fabulous area, the restaurants that we really like are few and far between. A good Italian ristorante needs three things, friendly and efficient service, very good food and sensible prices. Now we don’t mind paying a higher price occasionally, particularly if we fancy a little bit of sophistication. All the restaurants within a half hour drive provide ‘Tipica Toscana’ typical Tuscan food, but the quality of that food varies a lot. Also, the house wines are not always the best choice. So it’s worth asking for a little taste first and if you don’t like it order a bottle from ‘La Lista.’ Anyway, our local favourites are currently heaving with tourists so we may just wait until things return to normal in September.

The new U2 box set in Italian. Mag ad.

Meanwhile, U2 has been honoured by the Italians who have launched a special Italian box set of all the band’s music! Now this will sell well as the packaging is all in Italian and will no doubt become a collector’s item here. Of course, in reality, one does not need the glamorous packaging, it’s still the same music inside! Mind you, great band and the Italians love them. Rock on!

A surprise Hibiscus in our garden.
Foto P Finnigan

Now, thinking back to when we moved, we brought with us all our terracotta pots. One of those pots had a sad-looking plant in it and back in April we cut it down low in the hope that it might recover. Quite honestly, neither of us could remember what it was, so we watched and waited. Then to our absolute delight it perked up as the weather got hot and this week we have been rewarded with a beautiful reminder that it was in fact a gorgeous Hibiscus. So here is a lovely foto for you.

Finally and to update you, I know that many of you are awaiting book three of the ‘Adventures of Joanna Wilde’. Well, I am currently rattling away with at least a thousand words a day of ‘The Italian Connection’ and can confidently expect to have the first draft finished by the end of October. Whilst writing, I would like to say a big thank you for the big increase in book sales during June and July resulting in the largest royalty payment ever! Now don’t get too excited, I won’t be retiring in luxury yet! But it was very gratifying, Grazie Mille. xx

OK, time to think about lunch. I think cheesy tomato & vegetable rice bake and green beans today. Yes, Sunday lunch at home for a change! Buon appetito!

Have a great week.

Salute June x

PS Do visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

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Holiday Chaos, Jethro Again, Silvio Signs, a glorious sunset and Chilled Aperitivi under the Ash Tree in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Aperitivi, Berlusconi, Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Italy, Jethro Tull, June Finnigan, My Father The Assassin, Romantic thriller, Silvio Berlusconi, Sunsets, The Bolivian Connection, Tuscany, writer on August 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my Lovely Loyal and New Followers

Holiday crush Chaos!
La Nazione

“This is where he went on holiday or the commune ran out of money! Or, there may be a demarkation line here…” Of course my man is driving us to Certaldo and talking about the mechanical hedge trimming guy who is late trimming the roadside hedges this year, and seems to have done a bunk, as we English say. Now in my view, the most likely reason for him disappearing having only completed half the job, is the mad dash to the seaside and mountains!

Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull wow the crowd in Cortona.
La Nazione

Would you believe it, La Nazione has reported that 33 Million Italians have joined the fuga (escape) causing traffic, train and flight chaos. Now this does happen every year and the last place you want to be in the first two weeks of August is here in Tuscany. However, this seems to be worse than last year. We went to our local Osteria for supper last Friday, and all the tables and chairs had been moved outside to cater for the non-Italian visiting tourists! This was unfortunate for we locals, as we actually like being inside in the cool, without having to compete with the zanzari (mosquitos) for air space. But hey ho, life eeez good life eeez now….

But on the bright side, I read that Jethro Tull has had a brilliant concert and wowed the crowds with a whole new repertoire of tunes. It seems that Ian Anderson the flutist has gone rather political in his older years. But anyway, great to have him and his band here, performing in Cortona.

Silvio Berlusconi hands over AC Milan to the Chinese.
La Nazione

Meanwhile Silvio has officially handed over AC Milan football club to the Chinese who may change the name to AC Peking; ha ha, only joking. But god only knows what effect this will have on the team and the fans. I can visualise chinese faces filling the stands and replacing some of the team members. What do you think?

Fabulous sunset with moon last night.
Foto J Finnigan

But let’s remind ourselves how lucky we are living here in Beautiful Chianti. It’s the time of year for fabulous sunsets and aperitivi in the shade of the Ash tree. The humidity has gone and a breeze is wafting across these dolce hills. So much so that my man decided to get his fitness regime going and walked across country from Fiano via Sticciano and Bacio to home after coffee last Sunday. It took an hour and twenty minutes; Bravo to him!

Allora, time to think about getting this post to you and popping out for lunch at ‘C’era Una Volta in Luccardo’. At least Paolo and his staff are not away on holiday!

Have a great week.

Salute June x

PS Visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Chilled Aperitivi under the Ash Tree. Foto P Finnigan

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

Miss Sportivo Toscana, Jethro Tull and Renzi pressa May in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Books, Certaldo, coffee, Famous, Italy, June Finnigan, Matteo Renzi, My Father The Assassin, Romantic thriller, Teresa May, The Bolivian Connection, Tuscany, writer on August 1, 2016| 1 Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Well, thank you Chianti and all those lovely Italians who, without realising it, have really lifted me back into a happy state of mind.

Miss Toscana Sportivo.
La Nazione

How can one not smile when the local newspaper is full of the arrival tomorrow evening of Miss Sportivo Toscana (Miss Tuscany Sport) in Certaldo. Yes, she is making an appearance on her celebratory tour and that alone will give the tourists something to photograph in what is otherwise a ghost town. It is hard to believe, and I know I have said this before over the years, but from August 1st you may as well forget finding more than twenty percent of the area open for the tourists, as the Italians have all rushed off to the coast or the mountains to escape the heat. We were nevertheless still surprised when I rang our local Osteria for a sunday lunch table and was told that they were closing for two weeks, despite the fact that the area is heaving with tourists!

Jethro Tull arrives in Cortona. La Nazione

Now you may already know that I like to follow the music scene, my being part of it, and I was amazed to read that Jethro Tull was doing a return tour in Tuscany; I had no idea that the band had already been here! The flutist, Ian Anderson, who is described as ‘having a lot less hair’ is heading up the band. They will be at the Arrezzo Music Festival in Cortona (home of the writer of ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’) and you can obtain tickets at http://www.ticketone.it

May and Renzi.
La Republica.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, the UK’s new Prime Minister whatshername, oh yes Teresa May, was shaking hands with Italy’s equivalent Matteo Renzi and talking about Brexit. Interesting that they are both ‘stand ins’ not having been elected by the people to the role. Many Italians in the know seem to think that it wont be long before we have a Itexit; watch this space. Oh, I should mention that the Italian journalist was unimpressed with her shoes being flat and greyish, with a pointed toe! Image is everything here in Italy.

Well, enough of that, August the 1st tomorrow and it is a month of reflection for me and my man, as we will be here in Tuscany for the whole of the month, attempting to chill out and get our still fairly new home sorted. The storeroom needs shelving and what will be a temporary fitness room in the downstairs guest apartment, will be cleared of unpacked boxes and other debris. Yes, my man has great intentions of starting a fitness regime, after spending far too much time travelling on planes, trains and sitting at the computer. Bless him. I’ll supply the bottles of water as we are in around 35 degrees at the moment.

Finally, I have to say that we are really enjoying the display of Bee Eaters and the regular visits from a pair of Hoopoe birds and despite everything being very dry, we are still surrounded by a lot of greenery. Yes, life eeez good, life eeez now.

Have a great week.

Salute June x

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

Addio Farty Barty, Busy in Fiano, Festa in Empoli and Heat in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Cat, Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Empoli, Fancy Dress, Farty Barty, Fiano, Italy, June Finnigan, Tuscany, writer on July 25, 2016| 2 Comments »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Farty Barty on a favourite perch over the orange trees. Foto P Finnigan

Many of you will already be aware that our darling Farty Barty the cat, was gently put to sleep last Friday morning after his kidneys had failed. This all came about very fast and I write this with a heavy heart. The little lad now has a lovely spot in our garden underneath the climbing Jasmin. But he will always be remembered as the little wild thing who arrived at our door eight years ago and stayed. Amazingly, on Saturday morning as I sat sadly drinking coffee in Bar Solferino, I found myself inspired to write and managed a whole chapter of ‘The Italian Connection’ which includes Barty. So he is now immortalised as an important loveable character in my current book.

My view from the end of the long wooden table at la Dispensa in Fiano. Foto J Finnigan

Now, it’s very easy to go into a miserable state at times like this, but living here in our little bit of Chianti amongst all our lovely Italian friends, it seems somehow easier to go out for morning coffee and meet and greet everyone. So on Sunday morning I returned to Fiano and the new ‘La Dispensa’ caffè bar and alimentare. I was delighted to find it busy and bustling with shoppers in for their bread and sunday joint, whilst chatting with friends over coffee. The local character Alessandro was there too, we previously nicknamed him Signore Rotund for obvious reasons, and he enthusiastically shook my hand our not having seen each other for over six months. So the life is back in the village and has a centre for everyone to go. I watched and smiled at the comings and goings from the far end of a long wooden table, and caught up with the local news in the paper.

Fancy Dress in Empoli. La Nazione.

Meanwhile, the weekend was busy with Festas as it is the official start of the holiday season. In Empoli, a local town, the Festa attracts hundreds of locals and visitors alike, who adore parading around in fancy dress. However, this also means that sixty percent of small businesses including restaurants are now likely to be closed until the end of August, whilst the italians head off for the coast or the mountains to escape the heat! Typically, I could not buy any credit for my phone at the usual place and had to drive to another tobbacchi to get some! But hey ho, we prepare for this, the tourists do not and wander around like lost souls in a ghost town.

Well, I hope you will excuse me. I want to stroll around the garden with a glass of wine after heavy overnight rain, breath in the heavenly smell of the damp grass and plants, and visit Barty.

Have a great week.

Salute June x

PS visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

Fiano Awakens, La Mercantia in Certaldo and Hoards of Tourists In Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Famous, Fiano, Italy, June Finnigan, Mercatia, My Father The Assassin, Romantic thriller, Silvio Berlusconi, Sunsets, The Bolivian Connection, Tuscany, writer on July 17, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

‘La Dispensa’ the new bar and alimentare in Fiano. Foto J Finnigan

The lovely new family owners of ‘La Dispensa’ foto J Finnigan

Hurrah, at last, our local village of Fiano has a new Cafe Bar and Alimentare after more than six months without being able to buy a coffee! It is now called ‘La Dispensa’ which translates to larder or pantry. The Local butcher and his wife have completely refurbished the old one and yes, they have a meat counter, but you can also buy everything else you might need like fruit, veg, bread, cheese, milk, wines, beers, and frozen stuff. Oh, yes and there is a bar for that all important coffee or aperitivo manned by their lovely daughter and they told me this morning that papers will be available to read from Tuesday! They will be open every day, but not Sunday Evenings. Well, thank god for that, Fiano at last has a heart again.

Colourful pictures of La Mercantia. La Natione.

Colourful pictures of La Mercantia. La Nazione.

Meanwhile, down in Certaldo the Mercantia has been going at full swing and cars were piling into the town on Saturday evening. To avoid this massive influx of Italians and tourists, we drove in the opposite direction for supper at C’era una Volta, or ‘Paolo’s’ as the locals call it. Go to http://www.ristorante-ceraunavolta.com But even there, the new tourist arrivals were piling in even at nine-thirty in the evening, when we were leaving. Saturday is arrivals day for most hotels, villas and Agriturismi in the area and in reality, we should have stayed home! But we met some very nice Americans who obviously enjoy the good life, ordering the popular Bistecca (beefsteak) and all the trimmings. If you guys are reading this, hope you all have a great holiday.

Well, we are three and a half months into our new home and it feels like we have been here forever; it’s so perfect. But up until last Friday it was so hot and humid, it was difficult to know which doors and windows, if any, to leave open to try to get some breeze. But thankfully, Friday it rained, not a lot and the humidity broke, so the new tourists will be enjoying themselves in lower temperatures of around 26 degrees centigrade instead of 35. However, come tomorrow the temperature will start rising again! But we don’t care about that, life eeez good, life eeez now!

Last Friday night we went back to L’Osteria Casa Chianti, also packed with both tourists and locals, so it’s essential you book a table there. http://www.osteriadicasachianti.it There was a fabulous sunset that night and when the owner, Massimiliano, called the diners out of the upstairs restaurant to a balcony, chairs scraped and people fell over themselves in the rush to get photos. You would think that a UFO had landing or something! Unbelievable! OK, I guess we do take these things rather for granted being residents, but nevertheless! My man of course, thought the whole thing hilarious. I must have grumbled too loudly as he looked at me questionably and with a frown on his face. “Am I embarrassing you?” I asked. “How could you do that, I’m sat at another table!” He roared with laughter…. Oh very funny. (I still love him)

So how is poor old Silvio doing? Well, he came out of hospital last Tuesday, looking very tired and older, and is now convalescing. We wish him well. It also seems that he is now finally selling his ownership if AC Milan football club to Chinese buyers despite his earlier misgivings. His already inflated bank account will increase by 400M Euros over the next two years. “I’m selling the club to people who can bring it back to where it belongs” He said. Ah, Thats OK then.

Well, time to think about Sunday lunch.

Wishing you all a happy and relaxed week and we’ll speak again soon.

Salute June x

PS Look out for the 60% discount on downloads of ‘My Father, The Assassin’ starting Saturday July 23rd and lasting seven days. Visit http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

The Man and the Swallow Tail, La Mercantia, Pink Floyd, Matteo Renzie and Virginia Raggi in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Books, Cat, Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Famous, Farty Barty, Italy, June Finnigan, L Mercantia, Matteo Renzi, My Father The Assassin, Pink Floyd, Romantic thriller, Swallow Tail Butterfly, The Bolivian Connection, Tom Jones, Tuscany, Virginia Raggi, writer on July 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Giant Swallow Tail Butterfly with my man at aperitivo time. Foto J Finnigan

Well I’ll be honest with you, the girlies do like my man, and hone in like moths to a flame. Now I understand this completely, I still oggle him across the table over coffee every morning. But yesterday he attracted a butterfly, not just any butterfly but a beautiful Giant Swallow Tail. It had to be a female of course, well she wasn’t interested in me, and she simply would not go away. So in the man’s relaxed way, he gave in and she settled on his shirt whilst we enjoyed our aperitivo. Now of course, this is quite remarkable when you think about it, they are normally very shy creatures and flit away at the slightest movement. So we were very privileged to have such a good close-up and here is a foto for you to marvel at.

La Mercantia starts on Wednesday 13th in Certaldo.
La Nazione

Earlier in the week, I read in the paper that this coming Wednesday 13th is the start of La Mercantia in Certaldo, which goes on for five days. This is a hugely popular event that spreads between Certaldo town and Certaldo Alto, the old historical town on the hill, and is the 29th annual festival of International Street Theatre. So, as you can imagine, it’s going to be heaving in Certaldo, particularly in the evenings when most of the street theatre is going on. If you want to go, you will need to park on the edge of town and walk in! But do go if you can and enjoy this amazing spectacle!

Pink Floyd in Roma.
La Nazione

I also read the rocking continues and this time in Lucca that very popular town near Pisa. The open air concert venue is currently hosting Van Morrison and ancient rocker Tom Jones!! Mmmm, it’s too hot to go to that one! No, I’m talking about the weather silly. Last weekend, Rome rocked the night away to the sound of Pink Floyd including the original guitarist David Gilmour. Forty five years rocking with the same band and his ‘guitar’ doesn’t look a day older….. Good for them I say!!

Looking defeated. Matteo Renzi and Angelino Alfano.
La Nazione.

Meanwhile the country as a whole is grumbling about the state of the current government and the need for a complete change to the way the country is governed. Parliament failed to reach the maximum support needed for proposed government reforms, so will have to go for a public referendum in October. The Five Star Movement and the second largest party in Italy, led by radical Beppo Grillo, hope that this will oust Premiere Matteo Renzi.

Five Star candidate, Virginia Raggi, became Mayor of Rome last month. Photo: Alverto Solaro/AFP

On a lighter note, a member of the aforesaid party and the recently elected mayor of Rome, is a breath of fresh air to behold. Why? Well she is female, hugely intelligent, a mother and beautiful. Her name is Virginia Raggi and here is a picture for the guys to drool over. She nearly didn’t get elected as the other candidates objected to the fact that she was pregnant at the time of the election. Well done her I say.

Well it’s time to organise sunday lunch. It’s just too hot and humid to go out again and we’ve now got the air conditioning unit set up in the inglenook, which is sending cooler air around the place. Farty Barty the cat hardly moves in this heat, just from one bit of floor to the next. Our daughter and grandchildren have gone to the coast for a few days with all the other gasping inlanders, to try to cool off. But we are happy here, a nice glass of chilled fizz and all is well.

have a great week and do drop me a line.

Salute June x

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

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

The Rock Chick Band Rocked and the Agony of Loving a Wild Tuscan Cat in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Cat, Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Famous, Farty Barty, Florence, June Finnigan, My Father The Assassin, Rock Concert, Romantic thriller, sunset, The Bolivian Connection, The Rock Chick Band, Tuscany, writer on July 3, 2016| 2 Comments »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers

Another glorious sunset. foto P Finnigan

Gazing at the sunset.
foto P Finnigan

“I can’t believe that it’s a week ago, did it really happen?” I’m referring to our fabulous evening on the 25th June when the Rock Chick Band rocked the night away in our beautiful new setting. “My neck and shoulders still ache.” My man rubs his poor muscles. “Well you are the ‘Roady’, it’s what roadies do, carry heavy weights, put up the lighting, you know arrange everything!” I smile. “Yes, but how come I’m also staff and chief bottle washer!” He groans. “But we had brilliant family help with the catering, you didn’t do it all by yourself!” I remind him. “Well it doesn’t bloody well feel like it….” We gaze into the sunset from our lower terrazza and down a glass of chilled white. “But life eeez good, you can’t deny it.” I offer. “Yes, it is, and guess I have a year to prepare for the next concert.” He sighs, flashes that magic smile and I melt.

Rock Chick Band group hug before the concert. Foto P Finnigan

Rock Chick Band group hug. Foto P Finnigan

The band rocking. Foto P Finnigan

Our new setting really was great for the band and our guests. Always a learning curve; we might bring the band closer to the audience next time, but otherwise it was perfect. Our daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law did a fabulous buffet and set it all out under a big brolly. Thank you all those guys who bought more food & drink and presents, which were hugely appreciated. I was also delighted to meet new friends and to catch up with old ones. Make sure you all diary date for next year; 24th June 2017!

Georgous Italian Opera singers. La nazione.

Gorgeous Italian Opera singers.
La Nazione.

Oh yes, whilst we have been rocking and rolling, the three gorgeous Italian opera guys have been performing in Florence. I know that my new friend and blog follower, Odette, will appreciate this foto as she is also an opera singer. It was great to meet you and your handsome man.

The weather is now baking hot and as it is our first summer in the new house, we are having to juggle opening and closing of windows at certain times of the day to make sure we get a breeze going through.

For news on Farty Barty the wild cat, he was gone for seven days until I stood at the railing on our terrazza and called him through cupped hands. My voice echoed around the valley and ten minutes later he strolled in looking well fed and wondering what all the fuss was about. That was last Monday and since then he’s been lying around in cool parts of the house! I tell you, never fall in love with a wild Tuscan kitten and encourage it to stay around. You end up desperate to know where and how he is, agonising over whether he’s lying injured somewhere and starving! But we do love him, so there is nothing we can do about it, just fret!

Anyway, today we are going for lunch at L’Osteria Casa Chianti, which serves the best food in the area. Good Tuscan fare and just a little bit of sophistication, which we like a lot. http://www.osteriadicasachianti.it So forgive me if I pop off for another shower and make myself beautiful.

Have a wonderful week and do keep in touch.

Salute June xx

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

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

Porcupines, An Earthquake, Studio Cat, Spooky Coffee, Pooh, Fungi and Silvio in Hospital in Beautiful Tuscany.

Posted in Life, tagged Cat, Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, earthquakes, Farty Barty, Fungi, Italy, June Finnigan, My Father The Assassin, POOH, Rock Concert, Romantic thriller, Silvio Berlusconi, The Bolivian Connection, The Rock Chick Band, Tuscany, writer on June 14, 2016| 1 Comment »

Benvenuti to all my lovely Loyal and New Followers,

“I wouldn’t start from here, If I were you, and by the way I found this in the garden!” The start point my man was referring to was the beginning of my blog and the thing he found in the garden was a porcupine quill. Now our still new garden is very well fenced and has so far kept out the deer and cinghale (wild boar), but low slung animals still seem to get inside. We have only ever seen a porcupine once crossing the road, safely I hasten to add, and after dark.

But back to the blog and I always ask my man to do a quick edit. He quite rightly suggested I start somewhere else, rather than begin by mentioning that he had returned from a business trip to London on Friday feeling exhausted; so I won’t mention that. Then to change the subject I told him about the earthquake, which happened when he was away. I had spread a load of work out on the kitchen table and when the tremor started I had to hold on to it to steady myself. Fortunately, my glass of wine only shivered slightly and quickly settled down again! Has anyone else experienced an earthquake? Do let me know.

Farty Barty waiting patiently for my return to the studio.
Foto J Finnigan

We have recently had a new internet connection installed and so working on-line has become so much easier. I can definitely recommend AirWiFi to all those struggling to fund a decent internet connection in this part of the world. Thank you to friends Karin and Hans for suggesting it. Go to http://www.airwifi.it However, with a cat on one’s lap, who is needing comfort from the nasty thunder outside, it’s not so easy to reach the computer and go on-line! Everytime I get up he’s back on the chair waiting for my return and I’m too soft to send him away!

Seeing spooks and aliens in my morning coffee!
foto J Finnigan

Hurrah, we have a winner for my signed book and she is blog follower Odette, who spotted that my coffee had changed to a small black, whereas in previous fotos I always had a white one! Brava that lady! So why had my coffee changed? Well down in Certaldo I had been trying different ways of drinking espresso as I believe the milk is not too good for me. This is very sad because I love my morning caffè latte, it just no longer seems to like me! This has been very confusing for Caffe Bar Il Solferino, where they know all their customers and what they drink. So finally, I have selected caffè latte with soya milk, it has the same creamy texture but I am having to acquire the Italian liking for sweetness!

Vintage band POOH is back on stage and touring! La Nazione

Ok, at this time of year, as many of you know, we are gearing up for The Rock Chick Band’s annual concert garden party and we already have one rehearsal under our belts. I read in the paper that the original line-up of the rock band known as POOH is touring again. They were very popular in Italy in the 60’s and 70’s and in the rest of the world I’m told! It’s a great time for the aging rockers of this world, particularly in Italy where the concerts are always sold out!

Fungi in the garden. anyone know what it is?
Foto J Finnigan

Meanwhile, back in our lovely wooded garden, the deluge of rain has bought lots of interesting fungi to the surface. If any of you clever clogs know the name of these, do let me know.

Finally, we are all very sad to hear that Silvio Berlusconi has been committed to hospital with heart problems and is to be operated on today (Tuesday). It sounds quite serious and is a four-hour job!

Silvio goes into hospital.
La Nazione

There is already talk of finding a replacement leader for Forza Italia, Silvio’s political party. But let’s hope that all goes well for him; Italian politics will lose a lot of colour if Silvio steps down.

Well, enough of that, must organise some lunch, do voice exercises whilst its cooking and pour myself a nice chilled white to assist my singing practice. My man is currently occupied in his own studio, with a Skype call to England, so I had best not disturb him!

Have a really great week and do drop me a line, or visit http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Salute June x

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

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Mostra di Vino, Bomba Acqua, A Rosa Digestivo and Panacotta, 70th War End Festa and Win a Signed Book in Beautiful Tuscany

Posted in Life, tagged Certaldo, Chianti, coffee, Fungi, Italy, June Finnigan, My Father The Assassin, Partisans, Romantic thriller, Rosilio alla Rosa, Tartufo, The Bolivian Connection, Tuscany, writer on June 6, 2016| 7 Comments »

Buongiorno all you lovely Loyal and New Followers

The traditional Bullocks arrive with the first of the ‘new’ Chianti Wine. La Nazione.

Now this is the time of year when the nearby small town of Montespertoli has an exhibition of Chianti Wine in its central Piazza and it’s a lovely setting amongst the trees and flower beds. The piazza is surrounded by white tents and a couple of hundred local vineyards bring their Chianti wine for lucky people to taste. The traditional start to the festa involves two bullocks hauling the first of the ‘new’ wines into town. Then the festa goes on for a whole week and with it comes the annual ‘Bomba Acqua’ meaning a deluge of heavy rain to send everyone scurrying into the local bars.

Also during this period of Bomba Acqua, the first of the May wedding parties arrived from England and other parts of northern Europe. Tuscany is very popular for tying the knot due to its many castles and historical villas. We met four lovely people, one couple from America and one from Wales, who had arrived for an English wedding celebration and sadly could not see the swimming pool at their B&B, due to the fog and rain! We hope you nice people enjoyed the wedding despite the weather!

Rosolio alla Rosa and panacotta.
Foto J Finnigan

I’m sure you will agree that the best way to relax during unreliable weather, is to repair to a good local restaurant for a long lunch. We tend to do this on Sundays anyway, and once again returned to L’Osteria Casa Chianti, which is just ten minutes away. I was not presented with a rose this time but, even better, a bottle of Rosolio alla Rosa Digestivo with my panacotta desert. It was really delicious, tastes and smells like English Roses and can be bought locally near Barbarino Val D’Elsa! In fact the restaurant sources everything locally and in particular the tartufi (truffles). Yummy. I should mention at this point that the place was packed, so you should ring and book a table if you intend going! 0039 0571 669 688.

The 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. La Nazione.

Lest we forget, last Thursday was the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. We saw marches waving the old Partisan Red Flag, remember in Italy it was the Communists vs Fascists, and some of the old remaining partisan members of the Resitenza were presented with memorial certificates. I always find these occasions very emotional and it is hard to imagine living in this beautiful country when it was overrun by Fascists and Nazis.

On a lighter note, here is a little bit of fun. I want you to look closely at the pictures in this blog that include a photo of the local paper and my coffee cup. Then look at previous blogs and see if you can spot the difference. The first person to leave a comment on this blog with the correct answer will win a signed copy of one of my books below. The choice will be yours! Enjoy…

Meanwhile, have a great week, do drop me a line and visit my author site at http://www.amazon.com/author/junefinnigan

Salute June x

‘My Father, The Assassin’. Book one in the series.

‘The Bolivian Connection’ Book two in the series.

Read Full Post »

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Junefinnigan's Weblog

June Finnigan's weekly blog from Tuscany

Posts Tagged ‘writer’

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The Rock Chick Band Rocked and the Agony of Loving a Wild Tuscan Cat in Beautiful Tuscany

Porcupines, An Earthquake, Studio Cat, Spooky Coffee, Pooh, Fungi and Silvio in Hospital in Beautiful Tuscany.

Mostra di Vino, Bomba Acqua, A Rosa Digestivo and Panacotta, 70th War End Festa and Win a Signed Book in Beautiful Tuscany

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Posts Tagged ‘writer’

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