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.
We were invited to an event to mark the closing of Morena Guarnaschelli’s art exhibition at the Bagni di Lucca Terme. Who could resist another chance to see the gorgeous salon in this historic building?
The Salon is where the game of roulette was said to be first played. The room became too small and Europe’s first Casino was built beside the river at Ponte a Serraglio.
Morena was there to greet us.
We had some time to look at her beautiful art exhibition. Click here to see more.
We took our seats and Dr Vito Valentino spoke to us about the history of the room and about Morena’s art.
Anna-Livia’s harp looked perfectly at home in this lovely setting.
Anna-Livia Walker studied at the Luigi Boccherini school in Lucca. She played a delightful selection of music for us, from classical compositions to the more recent Scarborough Fair and Moon River.
To make the morning even more special, we were treated to chocolate brownies, strawberries and cream and sparkling wine. What a delightful way to spend a Sunday morning.
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.
My friend Heather and I were waiting for a train at the Fornoli station the other morning when we spotted a small herd of goats, with their owner and their dog, having breakfast beside the tracks.
They were a very handsome family of goats, with impressive horns, and lovely beards…obviously well looked after.
Just as our train pulled into the station the little group wandered off after enjoying some tasty new spring leaves.
I do love these little rustic scenes that happen occasionally in Bagni di Lucca.
Last night in the beautiful Sala Rosa del Circoli dei Forrestieri there was a wonderful performance by the very talented Pellegrini Family Groove Jazz Quartet.
The room was full of eager jazz lovers.
The quartet performed a selection in both English and Italian from the early 1900s to 1974, including favourites like Just a Gigolo, The man I love, Maramao perche sei morto and Duke Ellington’s sound of love.
The free evening was presented by the Comune di Bagni di Lucca, The Fondazione Michel de Montaigne and Fondazione Cassa di Risoarmio di Lucca.
Bagni di Lucca’s mayor Dottore Betti joined Prof. Marcello to thank the musicians.
There was an encore performance of Route 66…and we all went downstairs to the elegant Circolo dei Forestieri for a delicious dinner.
The free concerts are a regular occurrence in Bagni di Lucca. Look for notice of future events at the Information Centre, the Library, or posters around the town. Bagni di Lucca has a long history of art and music. It is an excellent tradition to continue.
Click here for more about the restaurant at Circolo dei Forestieri.
I think Ponte a Serraglio looks beautiful in any weather. I love the wet, misty days… they have their own beauty.
But when the sun shines Ponte a Serraglio comes to life. We have had far too many wet days this year. Spring is late coming, but there a finally signs that is on its way.
Canoeists and rafters are appearing in the river.
And there are flowers everywhere.
With a bit of luck our run of crummy weather is behind us and we can enjoy the delights of spring…better late than never.
The beautiful Versilia Coast in northern Tuscany is only an hour away from Bagni di Lucca, making a trip to Viareggio, Pietrasanta and Forte dei Marmi an easy day trip.
There is a long strip of sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see with a magnificent backdrop of marble filled mountains. The view from the pier at Forte dei Marmi is one of my favorites in Italy.
I have occasionally seen surfers waiting patiently for a wave at Forte dei Marmi.
Click here to see more on the beach at Forte dei Marmi.
Forte dei Marmi is a beautiful town full of stylish shops and restaurants. I love the little fort, Il Fortino, in the centre of town.
The fort was begun in 1782 for Leopoldo, the Grand Duke of Tuscany to view and defend the surrounding territory. It also served as a customs office.
Behind the fort is a restaurant of the same name. I strongly recommend you go to Il Fortino for lunch. No trip to Forte dei Marmi is complete for me without branzino ravioli with scampi sauce.
There is a delightful antique market in Forte dei Marmi once a month…every second Sunday and the preceding Saturday.
Pietrasanta also has a beach, but I prefer to visit the town, famous for its art galleries and artists’ studios.
It has a beautiful piazza with a lovely church. The piazza is often filled with fabulous art works.
There is a wonderful food market in the piazza the same weekend as the antique market in Forte dei Marmi.
I had a delicious lunch at Pinocchio in Vicolo San Biagio 5.
We also like Osteria alla Giudea in Via Padre Eugenio Barsanti where I particularly like the spaghetti with anchovies.
Click here to see more on Pietrasanta.
A great time to visit Viareggio is in February for the magnificent Carnevale parade of floats. I have been 4 times and can’t wait to see the event next year.
Click here to see more on the Carnevale.
The quickest way from Bagni di Lucca to the Versilia Coast is to drive to Lucca and take the autostrada. It will take about 1 hour to reach the coast. There is also a very pretty road through Camaiora that will take a bit longer but it can be worth it for the drive through fruit orchards and olive groves.
It is possible to take public transport as well. Take the Lazzi bus to Lucca and change there for Viareggio. There are buses from there to Pietrasanta and Forte dei Marmi. There are also trains from Lucca.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 