Raphael’s work is astonishing! Born in 1483 in the Marche (possibly Urbino) to a court painter at the Dukes of Urbino, he lost his mother when he was 8 and his father at 11, but supported by an uncle, he took over the family workshop and by 15 he was acknowledged in Perugia as a … Continue reading And what will early July 2022 bring, I wonder? Raphael at the National Gallery

We arrived home from Cyprus at the start of the extended platinum jubilee bank holiday, to a garden that blew us away! As you will see…. First the foxgloves! Wow! The very sunny May, and some conscientious watering by Hugh while we were in Italy has resulted in bright colours, strong plants and fantastic colour… … Continue reading And what will June 2022 bring, I wonder? A staggeringly beautiful garden!

A trip to Cyprus to see Rob and Joanna married on Tuesday 31 May (after a two year covid wait) The ceremony took place in the little court yard of the church used by the monks of the monastery on whose land the extraordinary Menthis Resort is now being built. The last monk died only … Continue reading And what (else) will May 2022 bring, I wonder?

Sunday 8 May :  taking leave of Canavese Dressed for church, Antonino drove us in the vineyard 4 x 4 around all 45 hectares of Tenuta Roletto. His wife, equally gregarious, joined us briefly at breakfast. We eventually left at 10.00 and I tackled the quiet drive to Gattinara. We stopped for coffee and fuel … Continue reading Piemonte 10: Gattinara, Ghemme and Domodossola: May 2022

Sunday 1 May : all about travel Unusually, it was a car journey to Gatwick on a quiet early morning to leave the car; the charge for a fortnight is less than two return train fares - and there were no trains early enough! We had an anxious if short delay on floor 4 of … Continue reading Piemonte 9: wine regions around Turin: May 2022

Well - for us it’s VinItaly : Italy’s vast wine fair, based in Verona, returns after a two year absence Despite being in Italy in the autumn for a month, I still felt apprehensive about travelling, but having had covid, it was perhaps less alarming than it might have been. The news was doom-laden; as … Continue reading And what will April 2022 bring I wonder?

This will be brief! COVID….. I am getting weary of medical matters. After a couple of months feeling less than 100% largely owing to aching joints and muscles, my bloods revealed a puzzling combination of issues. The good news: last year’s op has not compromised my absorption of vitamin B12 nor rendered me anaemic; my … Continue reading And what did March 2022 bring, I wonder?

An exciting few days in Lyme Regis for one thing!  As a place it’s hard to beat for sea-loving foodies. In May 2021 it provided our first real respite from the demands of covid lockdown and working from home, and did so again this month. Our journey here was surprisingly slow, and as neither of … Continue reading And what will late February bring I wonder?

Well - a very hard frost on one or two mornings - and frequent bright clear sunshine to gladden our hearts. January had the most sunshine on record, and 60% less rain than average… This means the allotment is workable ! The soil isn’t sticky so onion sets and garlic cloves are going in. At … Continue reading And what will early February bring, I wonder?

Week three begins on 16 January 2022 Mid January has moved on from the dull damp days of the New Year and high pressure has delivered a week of bitterly cold nights and some very clear days - once the morning mist has faded as the low sun has got to work.  Walks with picnics … Continue reading And what will late January bring, I wonder?