A special Sunday in Bagni di Lucca

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Sunday 2nd June was Italy’s Republic Day…and Corpus Christi.

The beautiful 12th century church…Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Pietro…in Corsena, was decorated with flowers and candles for the First Communion fo several local children.

It is an excellent opportunity to see some of the beautiful religious art in the church.

The chapel at the side of the church was open…a very rare occurence.

Families gathered for the celebration.

There was a little procession from the chapel to the church.

The ceremony went well.

A special day needs a special haircut.

I’m sure everyone who took part enjoyed their day.

For more on the ancient church, click here.

An evening at the theatre in Bagni di Lucca

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

A cooking lesson with Gabriella

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Some late snow for Bagni di Lucca

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Poppies everywhere

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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 opens a new bar in Fornoli

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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!

I am completely sick of the rain!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Time for a change

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

How to build a stone wall quickly

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

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

Doves in Villa Fiori Park

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

Tag Archives: photography