The city of Lucca has always been my favourite. Not only because it is only 25 minutes away from our home and I go there at least two or three times a week, but also because you do not feel like a "tourist" there.
Gala Placidia's activity
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In this icy cold weather, hot drinks and comfort foods are a must. Preparing and consuming them are good ways to spend time when we cannot venture outdoors.
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 06:10
The cold weather is affecting most of Italy and creating difficulties concerning energy supplies. Russia, the most important supplier, has been reducing the provision of gas up to 30% due to increasing demand in their area.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 02:22
The San Francisco Chronicle publishes today this most interesting article:
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 12:45
Whenever we are in Italy, we love to visit antique and vintage markets and fairs, looking for that special piece that we would love to have. Sometimes, we find it...
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 02:47
One of my favourite activities in Italy is to visit those markets that sell antique and vintage items.
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 06:38
Some members may have noticed that I have been fairly quiet for the past month and a half. The reason for this was that we have been visiting our daughters who live in San Francisco (CA).
Fri, 01/20/2012 - 02:59
The new ½ûÂþÌìÌà government has been announced and it is obvious that we will have a fight between technocrats and politicians.
Wed, 11/16/2011 - 14:24
A lot has been written about the dangers of overheating Teflon coated cookware. Toxic fumes can be extremely dangerous for our health. Personally, I have never liked that type of cookware and I do not buy it anymore.
Sat, 10/29/2011 - 06:24
In another thread, we were discussing Tuscan herbs and "funghi porcini". Tuscany is a paradise for herb lovers and many varieties, such as rosemary, sage and "nipitella" grow wild.
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:23
Comments posted
 Thank you Mark for your very interesting comments. I've put it on my list of places to visit.
 My experience with forums is limited; however, I believe that there are two main types of characters, the genuine ones... no masks, no make-up, just as they are and the fictional ones. Very hard to find out who is who. Generally speaking, genuine characters are less aggressive and they tend to get along with everybody.
 Perhaps a bit far away from you, but they seem to specialise in flowers and flowering shrubs:
 Great news. The poor thing deserves a good life.
 This site may also be of help:
 I agree with Fllide's comments. We always go to the area although our home is a bit further north (Lucca). Prices are fairly high as it is popular with ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs, Dutch and German people. Renting also sounds as a sensible proposition so that you can get the "feeling" f the area.
 Thank you Anne for the moving stories. Many lives were saved by humble, ordinary peopled who risked everything to help and protect fellow human beings. Bearing in mind when all this took place, most of them will be dead by now. It is important to keep their memory alive.
 I agree with Chris, you could be put as a dependant on your wife's cover. Insist.
 There are also some test kits that you can buy that will tell you what your water needs and you can adjust chemicals accordingly. This will reduce the number of visits needed from the expert. The robot is great also, however, I doubt that it would be effective at this stage.
 Hi Danno! Thank you for your comments. The problems that you are experiencing are quite normal. To listen to different voices and accents, forms of speech, colloquial and familiar expressions, all that at high speed, is difficult and frustrating; however, it may take some time but you will gradually improve your comprehension skills. My advice would be to listen to the radio, watch ½ûÂþÌìÌà TV and films in their ½ûÂþÌìÌà version with ½ûÂþÌìÌà subtitles, as in that way you are getting both the spoken and the written word. Ask people to repeat what they have been saying and that you are not able to understand. The large majority would not mind it at all and they will help you to understand. Don't be shy!