As you probably know, we are Cool and Green at the Watermill. Our hidden array of photovoltaic cells, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions from conventional power stations, makes…
When we put the new roof on the 17th-century part of the Watermill at Posara in the next month or so, we are going to take the opportunity to create…
When putting the finishing touches to the first draft of my new historical detective story The Illusion of Reality, I marvelled again at the extraordinary vivacity of Donatello’s incredible bronze…
Lois and I were in the vibrant Sant’Ambrogio food market near our apartment in Florence on Saturday on a marvellously warm and sunny morning, enjoying the shops and stalls, buying…
An atmospheric photograph of a spider’s web in the Walled Garden, from Watermill painting course guest Bettina Winkler, And another of a sparkling morning dew on the lawn. Bettina says:”Morning…
The Watermill bedrooms and public rooms are stuffed to the gunwales with original artworks, most of them paintings of the Watermill and of the unique splendour of the surrounding countryside…
Travel in time and space! Come and meet a cool 1960s girl in a mini-dress in Toulouse-Lautrec’s Paris studio (in a Watermill bedroom!) What would Fra Angelico, the Dominican…
Panzanella: a classical Florentine salad with painterly associations…. Panzanella is a famous Florentine salad, also popular in other parts of Tuscany (notably Posara!). Its basic ingredients are bread and…
Our girls have always loved this dish, and usually request it when they come to stay. It’s great for dinner parties because you can prepare it in advance right up…
Lois uses a mix of mascarpone and ricotta for a lighter version of this heavenly pud. Ingredients (serves 6) 3 large eggs, separated50g caster sugar125g mascarpone125g ricotta24 sponge fingers…
Lois loves this dish because it just blips away while she’s doing other things in the kitchen, and then transforms from something merely hearty to something utterly delectable at the…
This is a sublimely tasting, vibrant green soup, bursting with Italian flavour with its basil, garlic and olive oil. It can be served chilled in Summer. Thank you for the…