Human stories never cease to amaze me...
INSIDE: The terrific treasures of Tuscany, moors of Scotland in a fabric form, and the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to support local…
👀 Last week’s top read: Redefining life at any age by
.Now for this weekend’s recommended reads…
The terrific treasures of Tuscany.
is an Australian-Japanese author of six cookbooks (her latest is Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking, which looks incredible!She lives in Tuscany and given its the summer vacation time in the Northern Hemisphere, her recommendations of little-known treasures worth visiting in Tuscany came at just the right time.
This one in particular caught my interest:
“Nearby, if you’re up for a hike through the Mediterranean scrub, drive halfway up to Populonia (beautiful views from this Etruscan village) and there is a spot to leave the car and walk about 30 minutes to the beautiful Buca delle Fate.”
How I love walking in nature! When we visited Northen Italy in 2016, I was struck by how picturesque the landscape was.
And I enjoyed how she ended with what she’s cooking at the moment. Plenty of inspiration for your own meals!
Moors of Scotland in a fabric form.
is a visual artist who lives on the beautiful Isle Of Arran, Scotland (not to be confused with the Aran Islands, which are where the knitted Aran sweaters originated.) She makes art journals, books, fiber art, and more!She’s endlessly inspired by the nature around her, and in this dispatch, she talks about how the stark beauty of the heather turned into an exhibition of her work.
It’s extraordinary art! As she mentions:
“Over the years my work has shifted around different landscapes but I always come back to the heather moorlands.”
The extraordinary lengths one woman will go to support local.
When you hear of exceptional goals, of course you want the person to succeed! And Caroline Weaver is having great success so far.
As interviewed by
in her Café Anne newsletter, Caroline Weaver wanted to visit all the locally run small businesses in New York City.All 14,000 of them! As of Jul 2024, she only has 3000 left to visit. Why?
As Anne Kadet writes:
Ms. Weaver had a good reason for this embarking on this epic retail odyssey: she needed the data to create The Locavore Guide, the city’s first complete online directory of mom-and-pop shops.
Ms. Weaver's aim: to make it easier for people to shop local.
"People have lost touch with how fun shopping can be—that just going out and buying basic things can be really enjoyable," she said. "That's why independent shops exist. You go in and you learn something, and you talk to your neighbors, and you leave feeling good."
There’s something so special being part of a community. Being known in the places you visit often, the shopkeepers calling you buy name, and the barista knowing your regular coffee order before you even have to ask!
It looks like Caroline Weaver is onto something.
If you’ve ever been to Tuscany, what was your favorite experience? Or if you haven’t, would you like to go?
Do you do visual journaling, as Fiona D does? What’s a fascinating or memorable shop you’ve visited?
Press reply or leave a comment with your thoughts.
Before you go…
What a fabulous read - and I loved your mention of the project by Caroline Weaver to shop local. That's really sparked an idea to try and do the same locally - nowhere near on the scale of NYC - just my local neighbourhood. Thanks so much.
Thank you, Jody, for sharing my post! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)