2 July

Up early for some serious work in the garden. The combination of warm weather and recent rainfall has meant that the weeds are literally bursting out of the ground. Our vegetable patch is in excellent shape and I’m looking forward to sampling some home-grown produce, free from pesticides and other nasties. There is no argument that there is a clear connection between good food and organic food. I’ve actually read of hospitals in America that have stopped prescribing antibiotics and are instead treating patients with infusions of organic vegetables and macrobiotic poultices. Of course, the medical experts are sceptical but it’s only a matter of time before these sorts of approaches really take off.

3 July

Our dear friends Lynne and Victor Siddle arrived today, and told us of a most unpleasant experience they had a few days ago in Florence when some gypsies tried to steal their bags. Apparently, they were just coming out of their hotel when a shabbily dressed woman approached them and literally threw her young child at Lynne, no doubt in an attempt to distract her. Luckily for all concerned, Lynne does not particularly care for children and she let the baby drop to the ground (while keeping both hands firmly on her camera). Even so, it was a close shave for all concerned. We assured them there would be no such incidents here in sleepy San Cisterno!

After dinner we sat out on the vine-covered terrace beneath a canopy of shining stars, the shimmering moonlight illuminating the silver leaves of the olive grove stretching away in front of us. In such an idyllic setting, it was hard to imagine wanting for anything else. Some insect repellent, perhaps, as the local mosquito population has turned out to be both large and determined.