I read about ellagic acid and its anti-cancer effects about three years ago. And that is why I brought back to Italy a couple of half dead shoots from my parents’ enormous raspberry bush in the States. Those shoots not only survived, but THRIVED in my back yard. I guess they like their new home in Florence. Every spring, there are new shoots all over the yard. But the best part is that we have raspberries from the end of May until October. And raspberries are full of ellagic acid, which will be discussed in Part II.

Yesterday afternoon I took a break from work and walked around our back yard, checking all my herbs and flowers. I stopped to take a closer look at the still unripe fruit on my raspberry plant and felt something tap my foot. Something warm and furry. I looked down, a bit startled, and saw the front part of my neighbours’ cat sticking out from under the bush. This handsome long-haired male cat looked so adorable that I rushed to get my camera. So here is Poldo, escaping from the heat under my raspberry bush.