Then and now…our house

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Debra Kolkka

Our house at Ponte a Serraglio has had a few changes since it was originally built. Here is a photo taken at the beginning of the 1900s.

The front of the building was damaged in WWII. It was originally one house, but at some stage it was divided into 2 apartments with a shop below.

Take a look at a post I wrote a while ago, where my friend Tina talks about the Ponte a Serraglio she remembers from her youth. Click here to hear Tina’s story.

This is what our house looks like now.

I am very pleased that the little balcony was added.

I would love to know the story of the faces above our doors and windows.

From our position on the bridge I can observe what happens in the piazza, and it is just a few steps to breakfast at Il Monaco for Annalisa’s great coffee and pastries…reason enough to live in Ponte a Serraglio. Click here to meet Annalisa.

Alighiero and friend

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

We have a delightful man at Ponte a Serraglio who takes care of the wild ducks on the river. Until recently we also had a white duck and a goose. The duck has been around as long as I have been coming to the village, but he died not long ago, leaving just the goose.

Fortunately he has Alighiero to make sure he is not lonely.

I hope you all have at least one good friend like Alighiero. Have a happy and healthy 2014…see you in Bagni di Lucca one day soon.

Beautiful Bagni di Lucca in 2013

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

I have spent a lot of time in Bagni di Lucca this year. It is wonderful to watch the changes in the seasons throughout the year.

I arrived in January to blue skies and the water high in the Lima river.

Not long after Bagni di Lucca was covered with snow for a while. Even the lower villages were white for days.

A very wet spring didn’t stop everything turning green.

Heavy rain meant the river was often very high.

We did have some sunny days in spring.

Sunny enough for a walk beside the river.

There was late snow in May.

Summer brings flowers, bees, insects and delicious fruit.

I was back in autumn for more changes.

There was more heavy rain in October.

…and pretty autumn colours and mists.

December brought some cold mornings.

…another great year in 2013. What will 2014 bring?

Merry Christmas from Bagni di Lucca

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Merry Christmas to all the followers of Bella Bagni di Lucca. I hope Christmas is wonderful for you wherever you are.

We are in Lapland enjoying a very white Christmas and visiting Santa. Take a look at Bagni di Lucca and Beyond and Beautiful Helsinki for some wintery photos. I hope Santa is good to you this year.

Ponte panettone

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Panettone is a sweet bread prepared all over Italy for Christmas. Making the bread is a lengthy process, with the dough taking days to cure. The bread contains candied orange, citron, lemon zest and raisins.

Luckily for us, making panettone is not necessary. Annalisa makes very delicious panettone at Il Monaco in Ponte a Serraglio.

You will have to be quick, there are only so many she can make.

Cachi time

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

I love this time of the year when I can see the amazing cachi trees bare except for their bright orange fruit.

You can eat them of course. If they are perfectly ripe they are delicious.

But it seems a pity to spoil this great view.

The mechanical cow

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

I prefer my milk straight from the cow. When I was a child a local dairy farmer delivered fresh milk to us in a bucket. He poured the milk into bowl and when it had settled Mum would spoon the cream off the top and pour it into bottles.

I can still remember the taste…a far cry from the stuff we buy at the supermarket now. It is pasteurised, homogenised, skimmed, vitamins added etc, etc, and it no longer tastes like milk.

Luckily there is a place nearby where it is possible to buy milk straight from the dairy…the mechanical cow, or latteria as it is called.

The little hut is in the car park at the Penny Market in Borgo a Mozzano.

For 20 cents you can buy a bottle and €1 gets you a litre of fresh milk.

There is even a photo of the dairies the milk comes from.

I think it is a great idea and I have become a regular at the mechanical cow.

Picking olives

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Olives grow all around Bagni di Lucca on terraces in the mountains. Autumn is the time to pick olives. It would be difficult to find a more beautiful setting for an afternoon of olive picking.

When we arrived the nets were being set beneath the trees.

We were shown how to pull the olives from the branches…a bit like milking a cow.

It is good fun picking olives…but I don’t have to do it for days on end. I may change my mind if I had to do it regularly, or I had to climb the trees to get at the top branches, or set the nets.

It is much easier to pick olives while standing on the ground.

…and look at the view.

The best part of this is the delicious new olive oil. It is best when fresh. Look for the new season olive oil now in your favourite deli or market.

Lunch at Al Barchetto

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Not far from Bagni di Lucca on the road to Gallicano, Al Barchetto is a great place to have lunch. I have passed it many times and finally made my way there on a lovely autumn day.

The restaurant is set beside a fishing lake.

The interior is bright and cheerful, and the service is much the same.

We ordered the workman’s lunch for €10 and it was excellent.

The restaurant has a tradition of home style cooking and quality service. Their hand made tordelli has been mentioned a few times by those in the know, so I am going to order that next time. We saw some very delicious looking meals being delivered all around us…maybe a few visits are necessary.

The summer outdoor setting had just closed when we were there. In summer it would be wonderful to sit by the lake.

Al Barchetto. Via Magenta 71

0583 75773

Grapevine is 20 years old

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Grapevine magazine has been around for 20 years, helping people to find out what is happening in our area.

The first issue appeared in October 1994.

This is what was written in their first editorial.

“This is the first issue of GRAPEVINE, a monthly guide in English to what’s on in Lucca and the surrounding area. There is a lot going on in this area but finding out about it is not always easy and can depend on picking up a leaflet by chance in a hotel reception area or spotting a poster in town. Now the visitor to Lucca can find information collected together as never before.

GRAPEVINE is not just a list of events and activities. The articles reflect many different aspects of local life and news and are not limited just to items of traditional tourist interest.

We believe that a monthly of this kind, which looks at Lucca with a different eye from thatbof established local publications, will be of interest not only to people passing through this area but also to those who live here permanently.”

I have found the magazine very useful in the 10 years I have been coming to Bagni di Lucca, and still have most of the copies I have bought over the years. It is a great way to keep up with local activities.

Look out for the magazine in local newsagents and you can also sign up to read Grapevine on line.

Congratulations on the first 20 years…may there be many more.

www.luccagrapevine.com

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

Author Archives: Debra Kolkka