by Penny | 27 Aug, 2016 | Architecture, Chateau, Films set in Italy, French Odyssey by Bicycle, Religious History, Social History
Saturday, August 27th – Day Eleven – San Jean d’Angely to Angouleme We leave our little Restaurant Hotel in San Jean d’Angely early this morning but before dawn I made a second tour of the old town, padding past the early risers at the...
by Penny | 19 Jul, 2016 | Comedy, Films set in Italy, Ricotta cheese making, Saints, Social History, Wine tasting
Well this makes a change from Blogging about the stories of the Saints! – From 19th to 25th June Lisa Clifford, Conrad Williams, Morag Pringle (aka Emma Fraser) and I were out in the Tuscan Sun again with the Art of Writing. Another hugely enjoyable...
by Penny | 28 Aug, 2015 | Books, Cooking, Films set in Italy, Music, News, Opera, Renaissance Art, Social History
This tour sounds wonderful – I wish that I had time to join it myself – a combination of most of the great joys of Italy in a small but select group heading for the the food capital of Italy, Emilia Romagna. Food designer and writer John Carafoli will...
by Penny | 14 May, 2015 | Cooking, Feature, Films set in Italy, Tuscan gardens
Artichokes and Ambiance – Tuscan Cooking class with Lisa Banchieri Tuesday 12th May – we held a class specialising in Artichokes – a vegetable not frequently featured in other parts of Europe but adored by the Tuscans. Lisa promised to show us...
by Penny | 30 Nov, 2014 | 1966 Flood, Architecture, Films, Films set in Italy, News, Renaissance Art, Social History
Florence 1966 flood on film Today I had the privilege of joining a large group of Florentine residents and Expatriates who packed the huge Odeon Cinema in the centre of Florence to watch the black and white film shot by Mario Carbone – during and just after the...
by Penny | 8 Oct, 2014 | Architecture, Exhibitions, Feature, Films, Films set in Italy, News, poets and poetry, Sculpture, Social History, Tuscan gardens
The “English” Cemetery in Florence is , despite it’s name , in fact owned by the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church, which bought land outside the medieval wall of the city in 1827 from Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Their intention was to...
