I’ve sort of gone off Siena lately. I blame the people who call their babies after the city… or the over-the-top and endlessly gushy romantic comedies that have been filmed there.

It sure as hell wasn’t like anything out of Audrey Hepburn’s fabled movie Roman Holiday … me riding a Vespa that is.

As strange as it might sound, I get asked about gelato all the time.
For some reason my friends and family back home are fascinated by Italian ice cream and they assume I’m an expert on the subject…

“Vivamus mentre stiamo vivendo”
At the moment, we in Manciano are getting ready for the summer festival Vivamus.
Vivamus is a festival for anyone who has ever dreamt of living the Tuscan lifestyle. It’s a taste of the traditions, a chance to experience the emotions and, of course, an excuse to indulge in the food (and wine!) [...]

No, I’m not practicing the alphabet. That’s what one American tourist exclaimed as he was admiring the Leaning Tower of Pisa one sunny afternoon.
No joke, I was there admiring the tower too and I heard him… I guess some people express their love in weird ways…