You don’t really need an excuse to stop and admire this gorgeous bridge, but there is another reason apart from the sheer beauty of it.
Catia from Giocondo has opened a wonderful shop where you can buy products from her agriturismo in Lugliano. It is opposite the bridge and there is parking beside the bridge.
Click here to see more about Catia…she is a very busy woman.
Al Laghetto sits beside the river on the way to Fabriche di Vallico. We were there not long after the disastrous storm which caused lots of damage in the area, so it the setting wasn’t as picturesque as usual.
The restaurant was full for Sunday lunch when we arrived. Fortunately there was room for us. I love the rustic setting.
You need to have a big appetite with you…take a look at the delicious food.
Al Laghetto is a great place for Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is lively and a lot of fun.
Not far from Bagni di Lucca on the road to Gallicano, Al Barchetto is a great place to have lunch. I have passed it many times and finally made my way there on a lovely autumn day.
The restaurant is set beside a fishing lake.
The interior is bright and cheerful, and the service is much the same.
We ordered the workman’s lunch for €10 and it was excellent.
The restaurant has a tradition of home style cooking and quality service. Their hand made tordelli has been mentioned a few times by those in the know, so I am going to order that next time. We saw some very delicious looking meals being delivered all around us…maybe a few visits are necessary.
The summer outdoor setting had just closed when we were there. In summer it would be wonderful to sit by the lake.
Al Barchetto. Via Magenta 71
0583 75773
It is funghi porcini time in Bagni di Lucca.
There are stands beside the road where you can buy these delicious mushrooms.
As you can see they come in all shapes and sizes. I prefer the smaller ones. When they are very fresh I like them best raw, thinly sliced, with a squeeze of lemon. They can be deep fried, or added to pasta or risotto…just eat them while they are available.
Look for them in local restaurants and fruit and vegetable shops and markets right now. If you are brave you can hunt for them yourself in the forests. Go with an experienced gatherer…you don’t want to pick the wrong ones.
Il Biribisso in Granaiola has an outdoor barbecue in summer…an excellent reason to go there. There is a lovely outdoor terrace, the perfect place to sit on a warm summer night.
The outdoor barbecue was not operating the night we were there, but we enjoyed our mixed grill just the same.
They also serve great pasta.
Fried seafood.
Our desserts were delicious.
The restaurant is great in all seasons, so even though summer is almost over Biribisso is an excellent place to eat.
I can’t resist the views of Ponte a Serraglio and other Bagni di Lucca villages from Granaiola.
As we were leaving the restaurant the moon peeped out from behind a cloud for us.
Il Biribisso, Piazza Nicola Dorati (opposite the car park)
0583 831081
I love butter…I probably shouldn’t…but I do. When Heather from Sapori-e-saperi told me of a place nearby that makes the most delicious butter, I had to visit.
Azienda Taufi is in Melo, just outside Cutigliano…on the road from Bagni di Lucca to Abetone. Their butter, ricotta, cheese and yoghurt (all excellent) are made from the milk of their gorgeous cows. They were all indoors on the day we visited, but in better weather they get to graze on the lush grass of the dairy farm.
Meet some of the girls…and the lone sheep…and the cat.
We also met Daniela in the little shop attached to the dairy.
She showed us through the production and store.
If you like quality dairy products it is worth the drive up the mountain to buy direct from the producers. It is possible to buy Azienda Taufi products from some local outlets…keep an eye out for them.
It is no secret that I am a big fan of Paolo Citti. I am delighted that he has opened a new bar and cafe in Fornoli. I am even more pleased that his gelato making is fully operational.
Now the biggest problem is which flavour to have.
I find it difficult to go past nocciola and pistachio, but I was also tempted by chocolate and coconut…life can be molto difficile sometimes.
Say hello to lovely Paolo at Catene Cafe in Fornoli for me next time you go.
One of the things that people love to do when they come to Italy is to have cooking lessons with an Italian cook…with good reason. I was very lucky to be included in a lesson with the delightful Gabriella Lazzarini, organised by Heather Jarman of Sapori-e-Saperi.
The lesson took place in beautiful Casabasciana, so I went a litttle early to enjoy some late afternoon views of the mountains.
Gabriella had prepared a wonderful menu for us. We all put on our aprons and got ready. The first course was antipasti consisting of crostini con stracchino e salsiccia and crostini con fegatino di pollo…crostini withh soft cheese and sausage and chicken liver.
Primo piatto, first course, was delicious chestnut ravioli with a filling of ricotta and nettles, with a butter and sage sauce. We all got to play with the flour and make our own pasta.
Zuppa followed…a very special soup called garmugia. It is cooked only in May when the last of the winter artichokes combine with the spring fava beans, peas, asparagus and new onions.
Secondo piatto was faraona ripiena, stuffed guinea fowl, served with insalata mista.
Dolce was castagnaccio con ricotta, a crispy chestnut cake served with a delicious fresh ricotta which Heather brought directly from the cheese maker.
Gabriella is a lot of fun. She doesn’t speak English, which was all part of the fun and Heather was there to translate anything we couldn’t follow. The very best part of cooking lessons is that you can eat the results.
Gabriella will also prepare a meal for you to have at home. For lessons, or a delicious meal using the freshest local ingredients, contact Heather at info@sapori-e-saperi.com.
Paolo was the first person I met when I came to Bagni di Lucca. He is one of the reasons I came to love the village. It was great to see his happy face every morning at the bar across the bridge, and I missed him when he left.
He has just opened a brand new bar/cafe in Fornoli called Catene Cafe, named for the nearby bridge.
Call in and say hello to Paolo…have a coffee, lunch or an aperitivo. As soon as he has his gelateria up and running I will be back to get some more photos. Paolo makes the best gelato. I can’t wait to sample some of his pistachio, or nociola, or caramello…..
Good luck Paolo in your new venture!
Last year I went with Heather Jarman of Sapori-e-Saperi to the finals of the Disfida della Zuppa…the local Slow Food soup competition. The soup is a speciality of the area, zuppa all frantoiana, a type of minestrone, based on 4 ingredients…beans, cavolo nero, olive oil and toasted bread.
Each family would have their own recipe handed down through generations, each with its own extras, which should be of the season. Last year there was much discussion about the addition of zucchini, which doesn’t grow in winter. A couple of soups were criticised for adding zucchini…I told you this was serious.
This year I attended the first heat of the competition in Pieve di Compito, close to Lucca. There were 6 soups vying to go forward to the next stage.
The room was still being prepared when we arrived.
The numbered bowls were stacked and ready.
People began to gather.
Tasting and voting instructions were given.
…and the first soup arrived. Heather and I really liked this one, even though is was a little salty. The aroma was excellent, the texture good and it had a good balance of beans, vegetables and bread.
The next one was also good, with quite a different taste. It is amazing how different the soups can be using similar ingredients.
The third one tasted very good, but there was a little too much bread.
The bowls began to stack up.
Number 4 was good, we liked the whole beans.
The fifth one looked quite different, but the taste was good.
The final soup arrived and we had to make some serious decisions.
The first soup was my favourite.
Last year the discussion became heated about zucchini. This year it was tomatoes. It was agreed that tomatoes are not in season in winter, so perhaps should not be in the soup, but finally most people agreed that they could be there because it would be usual to bottle tomatoes in the summer and most households would have a good supply of passata to be used over the winter months.
People often ask me why the food is so good in Italy. I think the story above goes a long way to explaining why. Food is a serious business here. Everybody has a strong opinion, tradition is respected and people demand good food. They expect to eat well at home and in restaurants and will have their say if what they are served doesn’t come up to expectations…and rightly so.
Heather and I left before the judging was completed, so I don’t know which soup was chosen as the winner. I will let you know if I find out.
Click here to see the exciting finals from last year.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 