"When the moon hits the sky like a big Pizza Pie, that's amooorreeee" It's always good when a song gets in your head in a truly unshakeable way - even better when you can warble it at the top of your voice in the middle of the Tuscan hills, annoying only your 5 or 6 other companions - them, and possibly a small population of wild boar... My affliction was no less abated by our visit to the aptly titled 'Pizza Pie' pizza shop, where the pizzas were as wide as my legs are long. No joke. This did not necessarily mean we had problems polishing them off.

What more a wonderful way to break myself gently into a four month stint abroad than hauling five/six (day depending) good friends off to Tuscany with me. Lucie, Ben, Annabel, Sam, Jonboy and Rupes all came along for the ride, staying in the hillside house in Albola, near Radda in Chianti.

Highlights included:

Food - oh how we dined like kings: truffle pasta, rabbit with truffle (I swear I nearly died and went to heaven), boar pasta, tagliolini with truffle and artichoke, fried vegetables, stellar bella mozzarella, pear & gorgonzola risotto, pecorino & asparagi linguine (chefs: Annabel & Lucie), pizzas to die for, vinsanto & cantuccini, gelati, tiramisuuuu

Wine - the hamlet of Albola, where our house is located, produces its own Chianti - Fattoria di Albola. Need I say more? I am sure Pa Pinchbeck will thoroughly appreciate the 3 litre bottle left in the house for him...

Antics - the laughter circle (WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME - participants lie in a circle with heads on tummies. Theory - a laughing tummy causes head to bounce up and down, hilarity ensues. Reality - the very act of trying to logistically work this out causes uncontrollable hysterical giggles, and damage to one's abdominals); Air Guitar Nation - prize to Mr le Rog, who won hands down, though not without substantial competition; team introduction to the wonders of opera.

Culture - floated round Florence, sashayed round Siena - to the duomo and the amazing, amazing city panorama. Quite simply astounding.

General - walks in the hillsides, daily hugs, carsickness, winetasting, film watching (sadly, the rain followed us from the UK), intellectual debates (recycling, politics, fate and determinism), significantly not-so-intellectual debates (I confess I started the one about teamugs...), coffee drinking, TEA drinking, toast crunching, water fights. Did I mention wine drinking?

Simply glorious. At least I stocked up on my carbs before I hit Japan, as I have a feeling I may be going somewhat hungry in the land of dainty nibbles...