Poppies.

Life is a little easier with restrictions easing here. Still haven’t been outside our ‘parish’ (Comune is the smallest administrative district in Italy). But I bought 23 metres of rope (sold by weight- 2.something Kgs now that you ask) and an incense plant, which looks like a variegated mint but with thick almost spongey leaves, and wine.

More people about, gabbing away behind their masks. It does feel very strange.

An overcast day. The soil too wet to work. Pricked out thirty celeriac seedlings which have finally germinated. They do make a lovely winter soup and seem to weather the heat of summer.

More little biting flies around but mosquitoes are still moderate. Plenty of early cicada action livening up the evenings. Fireflies up next.

Only 24 new cases in Tuscany (population 3.3m) today. The cafe by the garage is open and selling takeaway coffee. Lovely to see our distant neighbours arrive briefly from Florence.

Sylvia at the shop reports considerable boar damage to her orto (predictive text changed that to Otto). Orto as in (h)orticulture.