Barga Chocolate Festival

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Debra Kolkka

If yoy love chocolate you will want to go to Barga this weekend! I have been to this wonderful event in past years and I loved it! If you go have a hot chocolate for me.

The Barga in Chocolate event is on this year, 6th, 7th and 8th December. It is on each day from 10.00am until 7.00pm. You will find artisan chocolate shops along the streets and squares in the historical centre.

There will be entertainment as well…

Barga’s Befana meets children to receive their letters.

Live music

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Stalls with handcrafts and Christmas products

Chocolate workshops and activities for children

For more information please phone +39 331 3526137

Email…bargaincioccolato@gmail.com

Chocolate in Lucca

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Debra Kolkka

There is a small chocolate festival in Lucca this weekend. It opened today so I dropped by to see the chocolate delights on offer. The stands are in Piazza San Frediano, in front of the magnificent church.

For those of you who like chocolate…and who doesn’t?…head to Lucca this weekend.

Verde Mura Lucca 2025

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Debra Kolkka

Yesterday was the first day of the excellent garden show on the wall of Lucca. It is on today and tomorrow.

There is a great selection of plants and other things to explore.

If you are going and intend to buy a few things, it might pay to take your own wheelbarrow. There are very few on offer and you are not permitted to take them off site to get them to your car.

Saturday 5th April…9.00am – 7.30pm

Last day Sunday 6th April…9.00am – 7.30pm

Entrance on the wall near Porta Elisa.

Christmas delights

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Debra Kolkka

There is a Christmas decoration heaven in Fornaci di Barga right now.

Come inside and take a look.

To find Christmaslandia take the road to the right after Brico, drive about 100 metres and look to the right.

Saint Zita festival in Lucca

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Debra Kolkka

There will be flowers everywhere in Lucca for the annual festival to celebrate the life of Saint Zita, one of the saints of Lucca. It is on from today until the 28th April.

These are photos from past years. It is a lovely time to visit Lucca

Festival of flowers for Saint Zita

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Debra Kolkka

Every year at this time Lucca celebrates the life of one of its patron saints, Saint Zita, who has her own space in San Frediano church.

The Anfiteatro is filled with flower displays and options to buy.

The piazza in fruit of San Frediano also has flower displays.

We thought it fitting to have coffee at Caffe Saint Zita.

The festival last for a couple more days, until 27th April. It is a colourful time in lovely Lucca.

Il Mulino Vecchio in Fabbriche di Valico

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Debra Kolkka

There is an excellent restaurant in the small village of Fabbriche di Vallico, about 30 minutes from Bagni di Lucca. The food is good, local fare served by cheerful people…what more could you want?

The village is beside a small, but fast flowing river. We parked in the central car park and wandered through the village

The restaurant takes its name from the still operating flour mill, which is beside the restaurant building.

The mill dates from 1726. It still uses flowing water from the torrent to drive the machinery to make flour from chick peas, chestnuts, farro and wheat. The water flows under the mill.

We were given a tour of the mill before making our purchases. Grains are ground in different rooms.

On the ground floor is the shop where you can buy the flour.

After selecting our flour we walked next door to the restaurant. It was a cool day so we sat inside. There is an open area which would be lovely in summer.

The food is typical of the area. We enjoyed our delicious lunch and mill tour.

Fabricche di Vallico is a pretty drive from Bagni di Lucca, well worth a visit.

Autumn festivals

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Debra Kolkka

It is great to see festivals reappearing after the 2 years of Covid restrictions that prevented them from happening.

I particularly like the autumn festivals, chestnut, pumpkin and, a new one for me, a polenta festival.

I attended the Festa di Polenta in Gallicano on the weekend. A good crowd gathered in the town square, which was closed to traffic, to sample delicious polenta, bacala, necci, rosticiana and other delights.

There was entertainment and the fun of watching children have a great time.

One of my favourite local festivals is the chestnut festival in Cascio, which I believe is on next weekend. I have been twice and I suggest getting there early to get a park nearby. It attracts a large crowd.

No reflection at Ponte della Maddalena

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Debra Kolkka

The river is as low as I have ever seen it under the Ponte della Maddalena at Borgo a Mozzano, on the way to Bagni di Lucca. I have been coming here now for almost 20 years.

This is the view I usually see.

This is what it looks like now.

From the other side.

From the top.

On a brighter note the vegetation is growing back on the site of the landslide.

We have had some rain recently but it will take a lot more to bring the river back to its usual level.

A nearby festival

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Debra Kolkka

Most festivals in Italy have not happened over the last 2 years because of Covid. It is encouraging to see this about to change this year.

We dropped in briefly to an olive oil festival in Valdottavo on Sunday.

We were there early and wandered through the pretty main street of the town to see lots of stalls set up.

The first stand had a familiar face. This family also runs the wonderful fruit and vegetable shop in Ponte a Serraglio. We picked up a few supplies on the way out.

We gathered a few other things on our walk through the town, including olive oil, a fennel disgestivo and some locally made sausages. It is a good way to get to know local growers and producers.