Scarlett, or a shade of pink?

Today at lunchtime we were chatting about movies, classic and recent. At a certain point someone mentioned Via Col Vento (Gone with the Wind) and its leading character.
Waiting for the mention of Scarlett, I missed a little the thread of the conversation.
"Wait" I asked "What are you talking about?"
Gone with the Wind (Via Col Vento) was the reply.
"But what about Scarlett?" I asked.
Everyone started laughing.
No, no, her name is Rosella they told me, little Rose.
Unbelievable, Dubbing films is one thing, and I can even understand Principe Carlos for Prince Charles, but Rosella living at Tara ranch is something else.
The word 'rosa' also means pink, so it could just be that Via Col Vento is a tamer version of the flaming scarlet in the original flick. Either way it seems sacrilegious to me.

Lunch back at the residence

A Sunday without any plans, and it was a nice surprise when the phone squealed with a message. Marco and Cris, two of the guys that are here at the Company this year, doing internships with us were inviting me for lunch at the residence where I used to live. Marco was the chief cook and bottle-washer and Cris and I tucked into the grub, and the wine, with a vengeance. The meal was almost Chinese, with pork rice and vegetables, and it was a blast from the past sitting looking at the kitchen-drobe and the carpark outside.
Following lunch (yum! well done Marco!) we went for a wander around the city, passing on the way this rather sad-looking just married couple wandering through the streets alone, and arriving at Piazza della Signoria. Whereupon the bride, in the style of one in newly wedded bliss, tucked her large blue hat under her arm and lit up a cigarette - looking more like someone in the local in their jeans that someone who has just got married in such auspicious surroundings.
The day ended with the arrival of Cris' friend from Paris and a few aperitivi / sundowners at Moyo near Santa Croce, where, amongst the various free nibbles on offer, I can recommend the chicken!

Fabulous Figs

The balcony doors are open this evening and the gardens below are in full bloom beyond. This morning I went to the market and picked up my usual armfuls of fruit and veg, before meeting Cristiano, from this year's edition of the MBA course, for lunch. By the time I got home, in the late afternoon, the figs - ripe this morning, were now on the point in which I had to eat them, or chuck them away in the morning.
So eat them I did, for tea with some San Danielle ham and a glass or two of wine.
It is the first time this year I have eaten figs and chose some of the small green ones that are local and others that are black and tear-dropped shaped and come from Puglia. The black ones are slightly sweeter, but, either way, they are both divine with the ham and wine.

Dedicated to a 'sconosciuta'

When I unexpectedly bumped into Federico, the guy who promised to write me a note in a bottle left outside the Palazzo Strozzi, it made me realise just how small the city is! He recognised me and asked if I ever had received the note - a song that he had adapted to include my name - I hadn't.
He went on to tell me that he is an artist and the fact that I never did get the note he wrote has a certain poetic characteristic. (The fact that he said it was, in all likelihood taken by the bin men kills the poetry somewhat!) but he did keep a copy of the song, and is planning to use it in his next exhibition, framed and entitled 'Dedica a una sconasciuta' - Dedicated to an unknown girl.
If I bump into him again, I might ask him where the exhibition is - its the first time - at least that I know of - that someone has done something like that for me - and I'm curious to see the message in a bottle.

Gardening in the time of MMS

Big thanks to my gardener David, who not only looks after the garden in Sarnano, but this week sent me a picture of how the place looked in my absence! The roses are in full bloom and thanks to the wonders of TIM mobile, I was able to log on and see a picture of them in all their glory. Now I just need to get back and enjoy them in person, but in the meantime, thanks to David, I can at least enjoy them from here.
My terrace in Florence is barren - I did buy some jasmine a while ago, but with the traveling I have been doing of late, and the hot spell in June, they only lasted a week or two. Perhaps a few cacti are the answer, or what I do at the moment - simply enjoy the greenery in the gardens down below.

Garden Party

Sitting on my sofa writing this, I suddenly had a flash back to Hong Kong.
My terrace doors are open, and from outside I can hear the birds singing and the music blaring from a radion that is playing downstairs in the garden. When I look down I can see the Phillipina helper from downstairs with her friends under the sun shelter. It suddenly reminded me of sitting on my parent's balcony at Mansfield Road on a Sunday afternoon and looking down onto the country park below. I can feel homesickness coming on - it could be time for a trip home...

Overcoming writers block

It's been way too long since my last post. I have been working a lot, and travelling a fair bit too, but I miss the blog - and thanks to those who have written to say they miss it too! I am going to put on some post-dated comments now, and will make a renewed effort from here on in.
It's been a fantastic weekend, with a little bit of Trieste here in Tuscany. We organised a reunion weekend, and, although we were down on the numbers in comparison to last year, it was wonderful to catch up with the people who made it for a weekend in Florence and Mugello.
Last night, at the restaurant Da Giorgione (it says its in Vicchio, much to the confusion of us and the SatNav - its not!) when the waiter asked us where we were from because he was having trouble placing the accents, we explained, Slovenia, Trieste, Udine, Pordenone, the US and Hong Kong - poor bloke - he stood no chance of guessing that lot!
Unsurprisingly for this area, we ate antipasti (crostini) and some steak, albeit the latter with a twinge of guilt as the Agriturismo Francini where we were staying had 400 lovely looking Chianina cattle grazing outside our bedroom windows!
Yesterday afternoon was spent at the pool messing about in the sunshine and playing with the footballs that were laying nearby. It was the perfect end to a day that had started with prosecco and truffle rolls for breakfast!
Chris did a wonderful job with the almost mini-bus that we had hired, driving around like a pro whilst Ale DJ's and interpreted the SatNav and the rest of us drank cold beers and ate rubbish food - like on any good road trip!

This morning started slowly with coffees and brioche on the lawn outside the agriturismo, followed by a stop at the market garden shop down the road, and a tour of a cheese factory, shuffling around the factory in blue plastic shoe covering - just like old times during the MBA! Eventually we dropped the bus back at the car hire place, then had a bite to eat at Boccadama in Santa Croce - heaving with tourists in the restaurant and nearby - making it much less tranquil than normal.

Ale and Massi left at 1740 on the train back to Udine, and I grabbed a cab home, already thinking about how we can get together again in the near future. Weekends like this one make me realise how much I miss everyone when they are not here - but the bright side is that its a good incentive to get together again soon.
And will also give me something to write about on the blog in future!

Monday night movies

Tonight an unexpected treat. I noticed that Sex and the City was on in English at the Odeon original sound cinema in Florence, so with Marco, Emilia and Cris, currently doing internships at work, we set off at the early hour of 1800 to head downtown in order to be there in time for the 1930 showing.
I had checked the time twice on the internet, but, knowing now how these things work, had also tried to call the place. No success.
Predictably, when we arrived the 1930 showing was now at 2100 - so we had some time to kill. We ajourned for a touristy drink on the terrace at La Rinascente, overlooking the Piazza della Republica, then scoffed down some mugello pasta at the Birreria Centrale before making our way back.
The movie was very enjoyable, daft, but what a treat to watchingon the big screen in English! The guys especially enjoyed it as, in the interval, they realised that the cinema was full of young, single american women!
The cinema closes soon for its summer holidays (unbeliveable but true!) but I might try to squeeze in another movie in original language before then.

Lenny Live

Lenny Kravitz live in Pistoia was a must-do event. I've been listening to Lenny since I was about 15, and the thought of seeing him live in the open air surrounded by ancient buildings at the end of a hot summer's day in Italy was too good to miss!
I don't know the ratio of women to men in the crowd (high, to few) but there were many of us who appreciated Lenny's very obvious musical abilities alongside his other obvious qualities! It was a heck of a performance, about 2 1/2 hours and frying hot, but worth it all - even the dash from the plane where I had just landed after my cousin's wedding, and the 1/2 hour search for parking.
Even without lovely Lenny, I suspect that Pistoia would be worth a visit - and ancient town with a beautiful town centre, I have put it on the list of places to return too - although maybe it would have a totally different atmosphere without the African market, selling knock-off cds and Che Guevara t-shirts to drinking and smoking passers-by. It was full of young people and had a great atmosphere - really lively - although that might have been just the festival effect.
Back at the concert, Fly Away, I'll be Waiting, and Are You Gonna Go My Way rang out and reverberated around the Piazza Duomo - and later in the cars as we made our way back to Florence.
Fabulous.

Saving tourists with the SatNav

Finally, after months of getting perpetually lost around the streets of Florence, and needing to 'use the force' to figure out where to go, I have succumbed and purchased a SatNav.
It's already proved useful, and not just for me!
I went to dinner tonight in a new place, near the Porta Romana, and the voice coached me right to the place in which I could dump the car - mere paces from the door of the trattoria. But it was after dinner that it really came into its own.
As I was heading back home in the Panda, I saw an Indian family, in a people mover with Swiss plates. Even from within my car, I could see the stress as they attempted a 5 point turn in a narrow street. Someone got out and approached the window, pleading for directions to the Best Western.
I didn't even know there was a Best Western in Florence, but, a few touches on the screen later, we were off in a small procession, ending up at the hotel (near cascine, hidden away). The family were so happy the man came out and took my hand in both of his to say thank you. He told me that they had been driving around for 2 hours at that point and would never have found it without my help. (He was right - they didnt even have a map!)
From there I made my way home - knowing the way, but anyway following the signals. My only concern is that I will now lose the ability to exist without it - especially as teh satellite reception is rubbish here in Florence. But its pretty addictive stuff- and especially useful when it points out the location of the AutoVelox (speed cameras.