I was recently asked if it is possible to rent a bike in Bagni di Lucca and I can happily report that a smart young man has begun a business to do just this. It is possible to rent an E-bike and join guided E-bike tours. Drop in and talk to Diego.
E-bike Adventure organises MTB and Pedal Assisted bike tours in our gorgeous mountains. Enjoy breathtaking views from our mountain villages and river valleys.
E-Bike Adventure Tours… Viale Umberto I, Bagni di Lucca Villa
info@ebikeadventuretour.it
Tuscany Arts and Healing is organising a yoga retreat day on 26th May. Joann Connington will conduct the retreat at the very beautiful I Romiti del Torrente in Fabbriche di Vallico. It is a former Augustinian monastery high above the River Torrite.
The class will be taught in English and is suitable for all levels of ability. A delicious vegetarian lunch will be served on the terrace (weather permitting)
The cost for the day is €75 which includes yoga instruction, all yoga props, vegetarian lunch and resfreshments.
For more details please email tuscanyartsandhealing@gmail.com
Or look at the website http://www.tuscanyartsandhealing.com
It is almost time for the next second hand market in La Villa.
The market will be held in the main street of La Villa this Sunday. There will be antiques, collectables and lots of great things.
The annual flower display in conjunction with the celebration for Saint Zita is on in Lucca right now.
As well as the display in front of the San Frediano church, the anfiteatro is full of gorgeous plants available for sale. It is a lovely time to be in the piazza.
The flowers will be in the anfiteatro until Friday this week.
Sculptures by artist Jimenez Deredia are being installed in various locations around Lucca. We found some beside the San Michele church and Piazza San Martino.
The art pieces will be on display until 10th September…plenty of time to find them.
One of the things I am most asked for about Bagni di Lucca is information on walking trails in the area. The villages that make up Bagni di Lucca are beautiful and there are old mule trails between most of them.
The trails are reasonably well marked once you find them and it is great fun to walk between the villages. The forest is not too dense and the views can be spectacular.
I visited the Information Centre and found a couple of maps.
The orange lines represent roads. The orange broken lines are unsealed roads. The green lines are walking, mountain bike and horse trails and the broken green lines are waking tracks.
On this map the coloured lines represent walking trails, the double black lines are the roads and the broken black lines are unsealed roads.
You can find the originals at the Information Centre in La Villa. It is in Via Umberto I, not far from the Comune building. The young women who work there are very helpful.
Verdemura, the annual garden show started today on the wall of Lucca. It is in a new spot near Porta San Donato and Porta Santa Anna.
There were not quite as many plants as last year. I think this cold spring has held back plant growth. There is still plenty to see and buy and it was a glorious day…perfect for some time on the wall.
Of course there is also food…cheese, salumi and a happy face.
Verdemura continues tomorrow and Sunday. Entry is €6.
Next week in Lucca the annual Verdemura will be held. It begins Friday 7th April and continues on Saturday and Sunday. It is in a new location this year, near Porta San Donato on the stunning wall of Lucca rather than Porta Santa Maria.
This is a great place to find fabulous things for your garden.
The following weekend will be the Azalea Festival at Borgo a Mozzano. The town will be decorated and there will be excellent plants for sale and much more.
With a bit of luck some glorious spring weather will accompany these 2 wonderful events.
The annual spring walk around Bagni di Lucca will take place on Monday 2nd April. You can either walk 2, 4, 10, 18 or 20 kilometres, beginning in Fornoli. You can begin the walk between 7.30am and 8.30am.
This is a fun way to see a different side of Bagni di Lucca. Get a group of friends together and chose your walk. Refreshments are provided along the way and the tracks are well marked.
For more information phone 0583 87932 or 349 6953500
Bar Italia in Ponte a Serraglio opened this evening. A large crowd of well wishers gathered early and the brand new bar was soon full.
Annalisa was there to welcome everyone.
Her helpers were all there too.
Of course there was lots of food.
…and lots of people.
I am delighted that Bar Italia is open again. The piazza has been very quiet without it. I look across the piazza to the bar from my apartment and it has been very sad to see it closed.
We will be back bright and early tomorrow morning for our first breakfast at Bar Italia.
Bar Italia in Ponte a Serraglio has been closed for extensive renovations. I can happily report that it will reopen this Saturday, 24th March.
There will be opening celebrations from 5.00pm. I hope everyone will come along to wish Annalisa and her team the best for the new start.
This an old photo. There will lots more of the new bar after the opening.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 