Giro d’Italia

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

The Giro d’Italia is a big event in Italy. There was great excitement in Bagni di Lucca today…the race came right through our villages.

My balcony provided an excellent vantage point to watch it all unfold. Our little piazza at Ponte a Serraglio was packed with people waving flags and waiting for the cyclists to appear.

Sponsors’ cars sped through first.

The first bikes appeared after endless official vehicles.

The crowds were waiting to cheer them on.

A little while later the bigger group of cyclists appeared along the river.

Here are some photos from the bar, thanks to Belinda.

A helicopter flew overhead to follow the proceedings.

More official vehicles brought up the rear.

…and it was all over. The whole event went through Ponte a Serraglio in a matter of minutes, but it was great fun and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Go to Bagni di Lucca and Beyond for a bit more on the race.

Goodbye pansies, hello geraniums

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

The pansies on the bridge in front of my apartment at Ponte a Serraglio this year have put on a fabulous show. We have had little rain or wind since they were planted and they have thrived.

They were still looking great, but they won’t last through the summer and it is now time to plant the geraniums.

This year I have had help to plant the flowers on the bridge. It has been great. There are lots of pots and dragging the bags of soil, carrying the plants and digging up the old ones takes time, so having 2 helpers made a big difference. Thank you Paul and Sheila.

Paul also cleaned out and replanted the large pots beside Villa Fiori. (Somebody pinched one of the lavender plants almost immediately, which is a bit disappointing).

We are now thinking of buying some new hanging pots for the lampposts along the river and planting more geraniums. There is a reasonable amount of expense involved in this, so if anyone would like to contribute it would be appreciated. Please email me at debrakolkka@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out.

Bluebells

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

I came upon this abandoned garden where bluebells have taken over…lovely. They can take over my garden any time they like.

Road work for a reason

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Roads are being resurfaced all over Italy, including Bagni di Lucca.

…the reason? Giro d’Italia is about to happen. The 98th running of the road race will begin in San Lorenzo al Mare on May 9th and conclude in Milan on June 1st.

Most importantly, on May 13th the race will come through Bagni di Lucca on its way from La Spezia to Abetone, and it will go right past my balcony in Ponte a Serraglio.

Whether it will match the excitement of the race between Mao and Collodi is a matter for discussion.

Click here for more on this exciting sporting event.

A few days later the cars in the Mille Miglia will go by in the afternoon ( at 16.31 according to the programme) of 16th May on their way from Rome to Parma, on the third day of the race.

The magnificent Mille Miglia began in 1927. Beautiful old cars follow a beautiful route through Italy. I saw some of the cars in Florence a few years ago.

Just as well we had the balcony upgraded last year, there may be a few people gathered there soon.

Terme…thermal baths

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Bagni di Lucca has been famous for its healing waters for centuries. There were a dozen operating spas at one time but most are no longer in use. Some have been restored and are waiting to open.

Jean Verraud spa at Bagni Caldi, above Ponte a Serraglio, is open for business as it has been for centuries.

Elisa Bacciocchi, when she was princess of Lucca in the early 1800s, liked to visit Bagni di Lucca to “take the waters”.

She built a new spa above the two natural steam grottoes and very little has changed since then. An extra wing has been added, but the rooms in the old building look just as they did back in Bagni di Lucca’s heyday.

Before the Casino at Ponte a Serraglio was built there were gambling rooms at the spa. Now they are used for events.

The small steam grotto was the personal steam grotto of Napoleon’s sister Pauline. It is big enough for just 2 or 3 people.

The larger grotto holds more people.

When you enter the steam area you are given a towel to wrap yourself in and you are lead to the grotto where you can sit for up to 20 minutes. Then you are taken upstairs to the quaint room with double vaulted ceilings where you lie in one of the beds wrapped in blankets to relax and come back to a normal temperature.

There is another room where you can rest before going on to other treatments if you wish.

It is fun to sit in the steam filled rooms and contemplate who might have been there before you.

Go to the Jean Verraud website for much more information.

www.termebagnidilucca.it

Phone (39) 0583 87221

Wonderful wisteria

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

I love it when wisteria appears in spring. It seems to bloom overnight and there are fabulous festoons of lovely lilac flowers hanging from fences and walls all over Bagni di Lucca right now.

…and the smell is heavenly.

Circolo dei Forestieri

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

I am pleased to say that the restaurant at Circolo dei Forestieri has reopened with new owners. Regulars to Bagni di Lucca will recognise the proprietor of Trattoria Borghese, a very popular place to eat for many years.

The front of the restaurant has been opened up, I think one of the problems before was that you really couldn’t see that there was a restaurant there at all. I look forward to seeing tables outside once the weather warms up a bit.

There is a new bar inside, and it looks very fresh and bright.

The food is good and very reasonably priced.

It is great to see Circolo dei Forestieri come alive again.

Almost spring in Lucchio

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Spring is a bit late coming this year and this has not been helped by the icy blast of wind blowing from the Alps.

But the trees are beginning to turn green…you can see a tinge of green on the trees framing lovely Lucchio.

Wild flowers are appearing and potted plants and fruit blossoms are springing to life.

There is always a friendly cat looking for a sunny spot in the mountain villages.

There is still snow on the higher mountains, making for some spectacular views.

The little bar in the piazza near the car park is thriving. After the death of the previous owner there was a danger the bar would close, but fortunately new people have taken over and are doing a great job…meet Franco.

As well as bar snacks and delicious sweets, there are great meals being served on weekends by Franco and his family. In summer the bar will be open more often and tables will spill out onto the terrace.

There are some excellent bargains in Lucchio for anyone looking for a house to buy.

It would be a great way to have a base in Italy without having to spend a lot of money. The village becomes quite lively in the summer months when ex Lucchio residents return to open their houses and enjoy gorgeous views and fresh mountain air.

Yellow flowers

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Forsythia is appearing all over the place in Bagni di Lucca. Surprisingly, these plants belong to the olive family.

They are deciduous shrubs growing to a height of 1 – 3 metres. The flowers are produced in the early spring before the leaves. The flowers become pendant in rainy weather to protect the reproductive parts. Here they have performed just as they should.

The genus is named after William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist who was royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.

These lovely yellow flowers are a sure sign of spring.

Don’t go there!

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Road works are being carried out between Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa. Old water pipes are being replaced…a necessary thing.

We have a multitude of signs in the piazza at Ponte a Serraglio to let us know where we can go. The road has been reduced to one way, going towards La Villa.

At some times the road is blocked completely.

The other night, a car coming from La Villa ignored the sign and drove through. By the time he got to Ponte there was a line of cars in his way. There was nothing for him to do but reverse all the way to La Villa.

You have to laugh.

You also have to feel for the road workers who have to cope with the coming and going of cars, people and dogs.

All of a sudden it seemed to be over and all the men and equipment left.

…I am expecting a return.

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

Tag Archives: Bagni di Lucca