Jean Varraud Terme has been one of the reasons visitors come to Bagni di Lucca for many years.
Here is how it looked in years past.
…and now.
A car park never adds much to the ambience, but at least Terme is operating and popular.
Don’t forget the amazing azalea festival this weekend in Borgo a Mozzano.
Next door to our place is an apartment that has been empty since the old lady who lived there died. It was shortly after I arrived in Bagni di Lucca, probably about 12 years ago.
The roof is clearly leaking and the external walls are damp.
It is a perfectly good apartment. I have seen the inside. It is large, with good sized rooms. It needs a complete makeover, including a kitchen and bathroom. The balcony overlooks the river and is a good size. It would have great views up and down the river.
The puzzle is…why haven’t the owners done something with it? It could have been rented. It could be sold. Instead it is just left there to rot, no doubt endangering the apartment below it as well. At the very least they should be made to secure the roof.
Any suggestions?
Last year a mini tornado ripped through some of the villages of Bagni di Lucca. Some lovely old trees were destroyed in the the park in La Villa.
New trees have been planted in time for spring growth. Several Magnolia Grandiflora are in place.
The existing trees are looking good.
The magnolias have almost finished flowering and the leaves are beginning to appear.
Luckily, the little tower and the fountain were not damaged.
The children’s playground is well used. The weather has been lovely and it is great to see children out and about.
The grass needs cutting, but I love to see the tiny daisies growing everywhere.
Well done! I don’t know who is responsible, but it is excellent to see that the park is being taken care of.
It wasn’t great weather for the first day of Verde Mura, the garden show on the wall of Lucca, but it didn’t stop the crowds.
We went in search of peonies and hydrangeas for our mountain house, but it also fun to wander to see all the gorgeous plants on offer.
There are other things to see and buy too, not all garden related.
It wouldn’t be an exhibition without food.
Verdemura is on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of April as well. Don’t miss it if you are in the area. http://www.verdemura.it
We found peonies, georgeous hydrangeas, aquilegias, daphne, and some acanthus…which will all be planted today.
La Villa has a delightful new addition to the shopping scene. Shelley House is an art gallery and book shop. It packs a lot into a tiny space.
They stock a good range of fiction, poetry, Italian Art, Opera, Italian recipe books, local history…in several languages. There are also books about Shelley, Keats and English poets who visited Bagni di Lucca.
Shelley House is a special place where you can find and buy works of art by painters and sculptors. If you are an artist they can organise and exhibition for you.
Meet Luca Guidi and Rebecca Palagi…drop in to say hello.
Shelley House is at number 78 Via Umberto I. It is open Thursday to Saturday 9.30 am until 6.00pm.
The Lima River is a perfect spot for rafting. The Aguarja Rafting Company is based at the Tennis Club in Bagni di Lucca.
They offer rafting and canyoning rides and calm river trails for the more sedate amongst us.
My friend Farah shared these photos of a recent outing.
It looks like great fun. To find out more, go to their website…www.aguaraja.com
The rivers and streams are full of fast flowing water at this time of year. It is heartening to see that it is clean and clear.
The colour of the water changes, depending on melting snow and the amount of rain. There are some amazing colours in the river on the way into the Garfagnana.
I pass this river every time I go to our mountain house. It is always beautiful.
It is raining today, more water to fill the rivers.
There is a neglected magnolia in the neglected car park of the neglected Villa Fiori. It still manages to look beautiful.
With a bit of luck a buyer will turn up in April when the building goes on sale.
The exhibition celebrating women has opened at the Casino at Bagni di Lucca. The opening ceremony was very well attended.
There were too many people there last night to allow me to get reasonable photos, so I went back this afternoon. The theme for artists was The Dreams of Women…interpreted in many ways.
A highlight was Maureen Halson’s white horse. The animal is huge and very impressive.
In another room was the photography area.
As well as current photos there is a lovely collection of photos put together by residents. It is fun to see scenes from times gone by.
The exhibition continues until Sunday.
