January 20th 2007
I have been going running in the mornings outside, something I never really did in England, but it’s so beautiful here. We live on an old estate, on rolling hills so typical of Tuscany, a place that is rich with woods and fields and wildlife, and it feels like being on a protected island. The quiet tracks are irresistible to someone with restless legs and calories to burn. Every time I go I think of my old running buddies back home, pounding out the miles on machines in the gym. On my route is an old stone Madonna, she’s falling apart but often I’ll find that someone has left some flowers there. I call her the ‘Madonna of the Morning Run’ and when I pass her these days I sometimes stop to take a breather and look at the view.
I hope the running machine (when it arrives) doesn’t become redundant. Mio marito ordered one off the Internet before we left, but the seller’s trail’s gone cold and he suspects foul play…
Running tracks within the estate
Best thing I ate today;
Focaccia - home made - straight out of the oven, the smell alone will drive you mad.
Where to get it;
Any 'forno'.
I decided to try and make it myself and,rather than boring you with the recipe and after lots of failed attempts, I found that the Carluccio's recipe works best - I just tweaked it a little by adding brown sugar to the yeast mix. All the kneading is great for toning the upper arms and it makes the kitchen smell like heaven.
The Madonna
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