The Teatro Accademico in La Villa was full on Saturday night. Everyone came to hear the music of Giuseppe Verdi…the name sounds so much more exotic than Joe Green…don’t you think?
We were greeted by 2 very well dressed gentlemen.
The seats soon filled up and the curtains parted.
There were some lovely performances.
I know absolutely nothing about Verdi’s music, so I suggest you click here to read much more about him and the performances on From London to Longoio.
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.
It is late May and we have had snow in the mountains around Bagni di Lucca. There have been quite heavy falls above 1,400 metres. It certainly makes for some spectacular views, with the spring growth, blue skies and snow capped mountains.
Bagni di Lucca is a beautiful part of the world.
Gorgeous red poppies are popping up everywhere right now…straggly ones beside the road, masses of them in fields… they look wonderful with their papery petals on furry stalks blowing in the wind.
What a pity the season is so short.
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!
Yes, I know this looks beautiful, the river has turned once again into a raging torrent and the trees are green, but enough of this rain!!! It has been pouring here for the last couple of days and it has become cold again. We need some sun to make the geraniums thrive.
This little fellow doesn’t appear to be too bothered by the wet. He was out this morning for a walk.
At least someone is happy about the rain.
The time has come to take the jaunty little pansies from the bridge at Ponte a Serraglio and replace them with geraniums for the summer. The pansies didn’t do very well this spring because of the constant rain, but they still managed to put on a good show.
Geraniums are wonderfully hardy and brighten up the bridge for the summer. Now that Wendy and Darren are taking care of them they are doing especially well. The flowers are tough, but they do like a bit of water and fertiliser occasionally.
We are very excited that Bagni di Lucca will host its very first Art Festival this summer.
It would be great if everyone put in an extra effort with their flowers this year…plant an extra pot of geraniums, or petunias, or roses…anything really. Nothing makes a place look prettier than flowers tumbling from every space. What a beautiful way to welcome visitors to the town.
The festival organisers would love some potted plants to decorate the newly renovated shops where the artists will have their studios along the street at Ponte a Serraglio. If you have a spare pot or some plants please email Jaqueline at artfestivalbagnidilucca@gmail.com. All donations will be gratefully received.
The shops are almost complete and looking teriffic. I will take some photos soon to show you what a marvelous job the volunteers have done.
There are lots of lovely old stone walls all over Bagni di Lucca. They were new walls once.
We have found a great way to build a stone wall….call these men.
We called them and they arrived the next day with stones, the doings for cement, equipment and enthusiasm. I have never seen a group of men work so hard or so well. In days we had walls.
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Rain stopped play for a while, but soon they were back at work.
And our first wall appeared as if by magic.
One day it might blend in with the old one.
The long wall grew quickly.
Once they had finished the stone walls we decided we needed a wooden wall above the long stone wall.
Now the wooden wall is just about finished and we can start planting our lavender and rosemary…and geraniums, aquilegia, daisies, roses, wisteria…..
They also built us a great barbecue.
If you need a wall in Bagni di Lucca, or nearby, call these speedy wall builders.
Impresa Edile de Gazhir Ulqini…Murature in pietra. 3493158495
La Festa della Colombina…the festival of the little dove…is to be held on 19th May in the beautiful Villa Fiori Park in Ponte a Serraglio.
There was a tradition in the late 1800s to bake bread in the shape of a dove and serve it in the Ponte a Serraglio cafes. There will be an opportunity to taste Colombina in the park along with other treats.
Stalls selling local products will be there and you will be able to join in games from the time of our grandparents…adults and children together.
For a small fee it will be possible to paint your own Colombina…a small statuette designed by Maureen Halson. Here are 2 we prepared earlier.
I walked past the Villa Fiori Park a little while ago and the gardener was there preparing the park for us. I hope you will all come from about 10.00am on Sunday 19th May for what I am sure will be a fun day. There is lots of parking beside the Park.
As well as this, on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May the Croce Rossa Italiana, (Red Cross) Bagni di Lucca branch, will be presenting a health care information event.
It is to be held in the piazza in front of the Circolo dei Forestieri from 3.00pm – 6.30pm on Saturday and on Sunday from 10.00am – 1.00pm and 3.00pm – 6.30pm. It is free of charge. I think everyone should attend this…I’m sure we would all like to lead healthy lives.
From now until 18th May check what is happening at Teatro Accademico. The School Theatre Festival, which has been running for 20 years is on over the next few weeks, with performances by local school children. To see more about this step over to From London to Longoio.
I had a small complaint recently that I only talk about events after they have happened. It is not always easy to know what is going on in the area. I try to keep my eyes and ears open, but often things are not all that well publicised.
If you are organising and event, or know of something happening, and you would like to me to talk about it, please email me at debrakolkka@gmail.com and I will do my best to write about it on the blog.
The most likely way for you to arrive in Bagni di Lucca is to drive. No doubt you will be armed with maps and a sat-nav.
Be sure to know the name of the village you are looking for. Bagni di Lucca usually refers to La Villa, the administrative centre. Along with Fornoli and Ponte a Serraglio, La Villa is situated beside the Lima River. All other villages are scattered on the mountains on either side of the river.
To help you to find your way to Bagni di Lucca I have taken photos from the passenger seat of our car from Lucca, the most likely way for you to drive. It will take about 30 minutes to drive from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca.
After leaving the A11 or the A12 Autostrada you will go through the Alt Stazione and find yourself in Viale Europa. As you come over a small rise you will see the wall surrounding Lucca…and a roundabout.
You can go either way at the roundabout and follow the wall around the town.
If you go left you will drive through a beautiful tunnel formed by the huge trees lining the street.
Follow the signs towards Abetone and Bagni di Lucca.
You will come to a distinctive roundabout with 4 poles.
Turn here for the Strada Statale 12 dell’Abetone e del Brennero, which will take you to Bagni di Lucca.
After a couple of kilometres you will leave the town behind and the scenery will change and you will see our mountains.
You will come to a roundabout, follow the signs for Abetone.
You will go though a series of tunnels.
Soon you will come to a fork in the road. Take the road to the left.
Don’t panic if you are in the wrong lane and take to road to the right. It will take you to Borgo a Mozzano and you will find signs there to take back to the SS12.
You will soon come to the stunning Ponte della Madelena. It should be on your left.
A few kilometres from here you will arrive in Bagni di Lucca. You can turn left at this sign to go to Fornoli and on to Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa.
Or go straight ahead until you come to these signs, where if you turn left, you will have arrived at Ponte a Serraglio.
Cross the bridge and you will be in the piazza of Ponte a Serraglio. Turn right at the end of the bridge and La Villa is approximately 1 kilometre further on.
It is also possible to arrive in Bagni di Lucca by Lazzi bus from Lucca. Here is Piazzale Verdi where the bus station is. The bus trip will be about 40 – 50 minutes.
There is a ticket office on the corner where you can buy a ticket and ask where is the bus stop. Don’t forget to validate your ticket when you enter the bus. There are often inspectors on the bus and you may be fined if your ticket has not been validated. Ask the driver to let you off in Bagni di Lucca.
There is also a train from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca. Here is the train station in Lucca.
Bagni di Lucca is not the final destination of the train. Look for a train going to Piazza al Serchio or Aulla. It will take about 25 minutes to get from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca. Bagni di Lucca is the stop after Borgo a Mozzano. Once again, your ticket must be validated before you enter the train.
Here is the Bagni di Lucca station.
At the front of the station, near the covered bus seat, you can catch a bus to Fornoli, Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa.
The buses do not coordinate very well with the trains…don’t ask me why.
For this reason I think it is better to arrive in Bagni di Lucca by bus, rather than train. There is no footpath most of the way from Fornoli station to Ponte a Serraglio and the approximately 1 kilometre walk can be a bit dangerous.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 