I stumbled upon this photo the other day and remembered how much I am in love with Italy. It's been a while since I was there but it's got to be one of my favourite places in the world if not THE FAVOURITE. This photo was taken on a hedonistic short-stay in Siena a couple of years ago. We stayed at the Campo Regio Relais, Residenza d'Epoca Siena, an intimate hotel adorned with gorgeous antiques, breathtaking views and wonderful staff.

You know when you're in love because you feel all tingly when you think about whatever it is that you're in love with. I feel like that about this beautiful country. Maybe I was an Italian in a former life? I simply adore the Italian way of life. The fact that they appreciate the finer things in life and have no time for anything cheap, tasteless and of poor quality. I try to live life like this but somehow I haven't quite nailed it... more training needed.

In Italy, if you order a glass of red wine, it will be Italian, probably made locally and more than likely be delicious. In Italy, if you buy some bread, it will have been lovingly baked by a passionate pannetierre. The chocolate will be of the finest quality, the olive oil to die for, and the parmesan out of this world. I spent a brief stint teaching in Italy and cooked many Italian dishes regularly. When I returned home I tried desperately to recreate those dishes but they just didnt come close. The ingredients were exactly the same but the QUALITY of the ingredients was entirely different. Why have we become so obsessed with cheap, quick and poor quality food in this country? it baffles me. In order to eat well we have to pay above the odds.

I love the fact that every town in Italy looks like it was plucked out of a medieval fairytale. Once I went on a little roadtrip through Italy to the city of Ferrara. My Italian friends assured me that Ferrara was nothing to get excited about. They said it was dull and had little interest compared to Rome or Florence etc etc. When we arrived I was blown away. We entered the gates of the walled city and there appeared the most magical fortified, architecturally spectacular place in the world. The cobbled streets spilled out into huge Piazza's lined by rows and rows of huge windows with blood red external roman blinds on each window. The castle was breathtaking. I was shocked that the beauty of such a place could be overlooked. Maybe the Italians are just so used to everything being so stunning they have to categorise things into "very stunning', "a bit stunning", "a tiny bit stunning" and "a teeny bit stunning"?

We had a drunken night in Ferrara which to my surprise involved an awful lot of coffee. Between pubs, the Italians like to nip into coffee shops and have a shot of espresso... a way to glamourise the excessive drinking in my opinion and very sensible too.

I really can't wait to go back.....I really need a new handbag.