Candlelit dining on the vine verandah

[It really is Bill writing this blog!]

I never use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my Watermill blogs, believing that la voce narrante, the narrator’s voice, should be individual and idiosyncratic: personal communication is all-important. But as a writer by trade, I have to say that the power of our new AI tools is phenomenal — and rather scary!

For instance, AI will soon be putting antique dealers/assessors out of business, according to an article in The Spectator by Sean Thomas, which shows that AI programmes are much better at spotting fakes than the dealers. And what’s more, they can do so with just a couple of photographs to go on.

Lydia: an intrepid AND relaxing week’s adventure.

Introducing our Taste of Tuscany Week

When I started writing this blog about our amazing Taste of Tuscany week next year (from Saturday 18 July to Saturday 25 July 2026), invented by my daughter Lydia Breckon, I wanted to point out that we’re not only going to give you a taste of delicious Tuscan food, but we’re also providing you with a ‘taste’ of the glorious, unspoilt countryside surrounding the Watermill.

We’ll be taking you for walks in the high mountains, spending time on the beach at the Italian Riviera and visiting the stunning fishing villages of the Cinque Terre and the quintessential walled Italian city of Lucca. Lydia will always be on hand to look out for you and organise all the events.

A little experiment with AI

So in an idle moment I asked my free AI programme, Microsoft Co-Pilot, to tell me about ‘taste, but not involving food.’  The results were extraordinary: in an instant some 800 words of cogent (though rather dull) prose arrived, entitled Essay on Taste (Beyond Food).

It began: “Taste, in its broadest sense, is one of the most subtle and powerful forces shaping human life. Although the word originally described the physical sensation of flavour, it has long expanded into a metaphor for judgment—especially in art, culture, behaviour, and values…”

Furthermore. my Co-Pilot told me: “If you’d like, I can:
• make this more philosophical, more academic, or more creative
• shorten it to a paragraph or expand to 1500+ words
• add references or quotations from philosophers
Just let me know!”

I didn’t let him (or her?) know! Amazing, but enough is enough. I can ‘show and tell’ on my own!

I’ve already made the point that Lydia’s Taste of Tuscany is about much, much more than food! This curated holiday adventure takes away the stress of planning and lets you do what’s important – enjoying yourself –  while being immersed in a true rural Italian lifestyle.

Lydia has created a week that balances intrepid activities with relaxation and tranquillity. For instance, you pair a hike in the mountains in the morning with a leisurely lunch and a nap on a sun lounger in the afternoon. You visit hot spots like the Cinque Terre one day, then sample the wares at a more leisurely paced local market the next.

Vernazza, one of the sensational Cinque Terre villages you’ll visit.

A montage of pictures of market day in Fivizzano, made by out painting course guests.

Experience Tuscany like a local

You’ll eat, shop, and drink like the locals in this activity-packed offering. You’ll savour the natural beauty of Lunigiana, the area surrounding the Watermill, exploring its history and culture, sampling its traditional foods – and meeting like-minded people to share your experiences.

And you’ll ‘come home’ everyday to the Watermill, with its elegant bedrooms, warm hospitality, convivial company, delicious food and wine, and plenty of quiet corners to chill out or read a book.

Join us next summer at the Watermill at Posara

For more about our unique Taste of Tuscany, please click here.

Join Lydia to enjoy unspoilt Italy and all it has to offer! And maybe (or maybe not) we’ll talk more about the wonders — and the worries — of AI over an evening aperitivo under the shade of the vine verandah.