Bruno’s chestnuts

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Autumn is chestnut gathering time in the Garfagnana. I went with Heather from Sapori-e-Saperi to visit the chestnut forest and metato (drying hut) belonging to Bruno Bertoncini in the Garfagnana, the mountain area near Bagni di Lucca.

Bruno’s chestnut forest is beautiful, and it shows what the cultivated chestnut forest looked like. These days they are mostly wild and not cleared as they used to be. Obviously if the trees are cared for they will give better chestnuts.

It has been a difficult growing season this year. Some of Bruno’s trees have blossomed 3 times instead of just once, as they should.

This tree has new growth and flowers at a time when the fruit should be ripe….strange.

There are many types of chestnuts, some are better for flour, some have better keeping qualities and some are good for roasting.

Before chestnuts can be ground to make flour they need to be dried. Bruno has a gorgeous metato which was busy drying chestnuts when we arrived. The nuts are dried for about 40 days. The fire has to be kept burning at just the right temperature for all this time.

The fire burns on the ground floor of the hut and the chestnuts are above the fire on a slatted floor.

The delightful Bruno told us lots of interesting things about chestnuts. He is a man who clearly enjoys his work.

The trees are pruned regularly. Here is a tree which has been pruned and has regrown.

I think Bruno has a delightful office. I’m sure the work is not easy, but imagine going to work here each day.

Bruno has a wonderful agriturismo called Collettino, near his chestnut forest where guests can stay in comfort and immerse themselves in this beautiful area.

www.collettino.it

www.sapori-e-saperi.com

And now for a few more chestnut photos.

Lunch at Ristorante Silvio La Storia a Tavola

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Ristorante Silvio La Storia a Tavola came highly recommended, so on lovely autumn Sunday we headed out of Bagni di Lucca on the Brennero road. The tiny hamlet of Pianosinatico is not far past Cutigliano, on the way to Abetone.

When you see this memorial to fallen soldiers, you know you have arrived in Pianosinatico.

It was a hazy autumn afternoon, but you can see some of the colour in the mountains.

The entrance to the restaurant doesn’t give much of an idea of the delights to be found inside.

We thought it was just a bar, but we went inside and asked for a table for 4 and we were directed through to the restaurant.

We left ourselves in the hands of the very helpful waiter and were delighted with the dishes that arrived……and kept on coming. We began with antipasto.

The next one doesn’t look much and the photo is a but fuzzy, but the potato with a truffle sauce was heavenly.

Best of all were the fresh, raw porcini mushrooms. We were instructed to squeeze lemon on them, followed by a little black pepper……perfect.

Next came porcini mushroom soup.

Then rice with capsicum and a light and delicious pecorino sauce.

Crepes with ragu.

Gnocchi with truffle sauce.

We were fairly full by now, so much so that I forgot to photograph the next dish…..pasta with eggplant and 2 types of onion….ooops.

Despite being stuffed we managed dessert…..pannacotta with fruit.

And tiramisu.

Take a drive through the gorgeous mountains around Bagni di Lucca and stop for lunch at Silvio la Storia a Tavola….you won’t be disappointed.

www.ristorantesilvioabetone.com

Visit Pisa

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Pisa is only about 1 hour by car from Bagni di Lucca. It is also reachable by bus and train.

Pisa is of course famous for the leaning tower. The campanile (bell tower) of the Duomo began to lean shortly after it was built in 1173 and has survived several attempts to straighten it. It has now been secured and it is possible to once again climb the tower.

Everybody knows that the tower leans, but what may come as a surprise is that it is beautiful. The Piazza dei Miracoli is one of the prettiest squares in all of Italy and the buildings there are spectacular.

It is possible to visit the Duomo, the Baptistry, the tower and the Camposanto (walled cemetery). Head straight for the ticket office where it is possible to buy a ticket for one or all of the buildings.

The Duomo was begun in 1064. It was designed by Buscheto in the Romanesque style with Byzantine influence. The magnificent bronze doors were made in the workshop of Giambologna.

The shiny bits have been lovingly rubbed by visitors.

The round Romanesque Baptistry is the largest in Italy. It was begun in the 12th century.

The interior is quite stark except for the mosaic floor.

The Camposanto was all but destroyed in WWII, but has been beautifully restored.

There are photos of the destruction, making the restored frescoes seem even more amazing.

It is worth the €15 to climb the tower. You can actually feel the lean as you climb the narrow marble stairs. Be sure to go all the way to the top, as our friends did.

Take the time to look at the beautiful detail on the tower.

The Piazza dei Miracoli is popular with tourists with good reason. Go early and book your time to climb the tower at the ticket office. Only 35 people at a time are allowed to climb because the steps are narrow. It is actually very well organised and climbing the tower is fun, don’t miss it.

Take the Lazzi bus from Bagni di Lucca and change in Lucca for Pisa. Ask the driver to let you off at the tower. Take note of the stop. The bus stop back to Lucca is on the opposite side of the road near the entrance to the Piazza dei Miracoli.
For the train, either take the bus or the train to the station in Lucca and catch the train to Pisa. There will be a walk from the station to the tower, but it is not too far.

A day in Florence

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Florence is an easy day trip from Bagni di Lucca. Here are some suggestions for things to see and do in fabulous Florence.

I always begin my day in Florence with coffee and a snack at Giacosa, the gorgeous caffe behind the Roberto Cavalli shop on Via Tornabuone. Click here for more on Giacosa.

I then head to the Palazzo Davanzati in Via Porto Rosso. It is a beautifully preserved Florentine house from the 15th century, full of exquisite decoration. Click here to see this gorgeous house.

You simply can’t go to Florence without seeing the magnificent Duomo. It is also possible to climb the campanile for a view over the cathedral and the city. Click here to see more.

Say hello to Neptune in Piazza Signoria….and David (not the real one) and friends outside the Palazzo Vecchio.

Step inside to see the little Cupid.

Find the little fisherman in the Bargello Museum. Click here for more on the museum.

Cross the Ponte Vecchio to see the jewelry shops and Arno river.

The beautiful Ponte Vecchio.

The Arno from the Ponte Vecchio.

Have lunch at Trattoria Bordino. Click here for more on the restaurant.

Or visit the amazing food market. Click here to see more on the market.

Wander in the Boboli Gardens.

Go up to the exquisite San Miniato to see the church and the gorgeous views over Florence. Click here to see more on this amazing church.

The church is not far from Piazza Michelangelo and is overlooked by many people, which is a crying shame as it is lovely…..and take a look at the view of Florence from here.

Go back to Piazza Michelangelo for more.

Try to fit in a gelato at Grom or Venchi. Click here for Grom and here for Venchi.

You may need more than one day.

Take the bus to Florence

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Florence is an easy day trip from Bagni di Lucca. It is possible to drive there in about 90 minutes, but driving in the city is difficult and parking is scarce and expensive, so I usually catch the bus. CTT (usually blue) buses go regularly in the mornings from Bagni di Lucca to Lucca and from the bus stop in Piazza Verdi (there is a bus office here where you can get timetables) take the DD (direct) bus to Florence. Once again, it is the blue CTT bus. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the centre of Florence.

UPDATE! The bus no longer drops you near the station, but just outside the centre. You will need to cross the road and look for the tram stop. Take the tram one stop to the station. I believe it is free, but I am not completely sure about that.

The bus trip is very pleasant. I always sit on the river side of the bus to Lucca to get good view of the spectacular Ponte della Maddalena. The bus follows the Serchio river to Lucca and the scenery is gorgeous all the way.

Ponte Maddalena

The bus trip from Lucca to Florence is also interesting. The direct bus takes the autostrada and the scenery along the way is delightful. My favourite part of the trip is the area around Pistoia, where on either side of the road there are plant nurseries. Row upon row of perfectly manicured shrubs and trees are grown to be sold all over Italy and beyond. The photos are taken from the bus so there is a bit of reflection.

Please check the timetables before your travel, but here are the best connections I have found. Take the 7.45am bus from La Villa which gets into Piazza Verdi in time to catch the 8.55am DD bus to Florence. You should arrive at about 10.10am. On the way home I catch the 3.40pm bus from Florence which arrives in Lucca in time to catch the 5.10pm bus to Bagni di Lucca which will get you home by 6.00pm. Or there is a bus from Florence at around 5.15pm which will have you in Lucca to catch the 7.00pm bus to Bagni di Lucca.

If you catch the 7.45am or the 5.10pm bus from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca say hello to Massimo, he is almost always driving these buses.

You can buy bus and train tickets at Tabacchi and some bars. There is also a bus ticket office in Lucca and Florence. Don’t forget to validate your ticket as you enter the bus.

It is also posible to catch a train from Bagni di Lucca to Lucca. It leaves from Fornoli. Local buses will take you to the train station, but probably won’t actually coordinate with any of the trains (don’t ask me why). The road to Fornoli has no footpath for some of the way, so be careful. If you catch a train from Lucca to Florence try to catch an express, which takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. The regular trains take about 2 hours and stop at every station along the way. Validate your ticket before you enter the train at one of the machines on the platform.

The website for the bus is www.vaibus.it

For trains go to www.trenitalia.com

Have a great day in Florence.

Click here for another post about getting to Bagni di Lucca.

Lovely Lucca

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Lucca is one of the loveliest towns in all of Italy, and it is just 25 kilometres from Bagni di Lucca. It is our nearest large town.

Lucca was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 180BC. The rectangular grid system of the roads in the historical centre preserves the original Roman plan. The town is surrounded by a wall which expanded with the growing town. The current configuration dates from the 16th century. It remains intact and now is the outstanding feature of the town.

The wall is 4.2 kilometres around and it is possible to walk or cycle along the top. It is beautiful at any time of the year.

If you are lucky enough to be in Lucca in mid March you will see the beautiful magnolias in bloom in the Corso Garibaldi.

Later in spring the huge white magnolias arrive.

Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca and there is a long history of music in the town. There are concerts on almost every night and there are several music festivals throughout the year.

Puccini sits in the Piazza Citadella in front of the house where he was born. It is now open as a museum.

Lucca is a city of churches. At one time there were 100 churches…..quite a lot remain, including the beautiful San Michele on the site of the original Roman forum.

The Piazza Anfiteatro was left behind when the amphitheatre that once stood on the site was removed, leaving and oval space surrounded by houses. Now the beautiful space forms a town centre filled with outdoor dining and several festivals throughout the year.

From Bagni di Lucca to Lucca is a pretty 30 minute drive beside the Serchio River on the SS12. It is also possible to take the Lazzi bus which leaves from La Villa and stops at Ponte a Serraglio and Fornoli along the way. The trip takes about 50 minutes to the last stop inside the walls at Piazza Verdi. There is a train from Fornoli which takes about 25 minutes.

Meet Paola and Massimo (and Toby) from Anchiano

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

This is Toby.

Anchiano is actually part of the nearby town of Borgo a Mozzano, but lovely Paola and Massimo are regulars at Il Monaco at Ponte a Serraglio, so I have made them honorary Bagni di Luccans.

Paola invited me for lunch recently with a promise that she would show me her pretty village. I know that Paola is a great cook (she also gives wonderful cooking lessons) so I was delighted to accept the invitation.

I’ll show you lunch first, then their beautiful house and the village.

Paola at work in the kitchen.

They have done a wonderful job renovating 2 old houses in Anchiano. They live in one and rent the other occasionally.

After lunch we headed off with Paola as our guide to discover Anchiano. I shouldn’t have waited so long to go to Anchiano, it is quite lovely.The village is not far off the road which goes between Lucca and Bagni di Lucca.

It is a very pretty little village with beautiful views of the surrounding area from some of the higher parts of the town.

We wandered through the town, heading slowly up to the church on the top of the hill.

First stop was the old washing area which once would have been a very busy part of the village.

The water pressure is quite something.

It is a fun place for the children to play.

The streets are narrow and winding, but mostly flat so the walking is easy.

As is the case in all of these villages, there are always interesting things to discover.

Toby met a friend along the way.

The church looks quite impressive from below.

The war memorial near the church.

The village from the church grounds.

Just below the church is a part of the Gottica Line, with fortifications left over from WWII.

The cemetery below the church is beautifully kept.

The residents come regularly to tend the graves and water the plants.

Everyone has their own water bottle.

Soon spring will come and fill the village with colour.

The wisteria vine will soon be covered with gorgeous lilac blossoms.

If you would like to arrange cooking lessons with Paola email her at …..paola.mori@alice.it.

Paola is a lot of fun and her cooking lessons are great. If you greet her in English don’t be surprised if she responds with a lovely Scottish accent. Her father was born in Barga, the most Scottish town in Italy.

Paola’s ducks said goodbye as we were leaving.

Information for locals…. There is to be a dinner dance at the Hotel Milano on 23rd March. That sounds like fun!

Carnevale at Viareggio

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Viareggio is only about an hour away from Bagni di Lucca, so it would be silly not to go to Carnevale. It is a mad crush of people, strollers, dogs, the occasional cat and the most wonderful floats. Here is a small selection.

As you can see politicians come in for some pretty fierce criticism. Berlusconi still features heavily and Mario Monte made a few appearances.

People love to dress up to come to Carnevale.

It starts early.

I was covered with confetti at one stage and a large bird was making for my head in this photo.

Carnevale is on again next Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th March. The parades start at 3.00pm but you can go to the area earlier to see the floats before they start to move. Tickets cost €15. Go early to get a car park.

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

Category Archives: Nearby towns and villages