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
Plenty of them around our house in Bagni di Lucca. As we are on the river, I think that there is plenty of wildlife to observe, including some weasels. Â
 Frost and altitude may be a problem, but the Purple Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea magnifica traillii or B. glabra) is quite hardy. And you are right, I've seen them growing in Granada (Spain) at 800 m altitude, so I think that it could survive. I have also seen a few growing around Bagni di Lucca (LU) and they looked great. I would give it a go. Just let us know how it works.
Hi Conrad and welcome. Enjoy your search for the perfect place. That will be a difficult one.And keep us posted about your progress.Best wishesÂ
 I have been thinking about the problem and, jokes apart....very funny Gerbillo, sometimes severe hailstorms can trigger a fungus or bacterial infection in plants and trees. Hailstorm damage is easy to detect but an infection is more complicated. There are some excellent copper based treatments. Talk to the garden centre people particularly if you see the leaves turning yellow or brown and falling.Best luck!
No problems here and the new group is appearing. I joined it. See you there.Â
 We have at least a couple of weasels in our watermill in Northern Tuscany. A friend of us who knows a lot about wildlife identified them. No problems with them up to now....
Are the leaves falling off? Are the spots just plain brown or are the leaves loosing their colour and becoming yellow? If they don't I would not be too worried. Take a couple of the affected leaves to the garden centre if you notice any of those signs. It could be a fungus and they will be able to give you a treatment.
 Hello Chris and Jacqueline and welcome to the Community. I trust that somebody will be able to give you accurate information about the state of the roadworks as a 4 hour detour in summer is no fun at all.Enjoy the concert and the holidays!
I am not so sure about that mention. To me, it sounds as if that particular passport is only valid within the EU and to transit through non EU countries (i.e. Switzerland). Just check its validity as the US Immigration is not easy to deal with if something is wrong. I have checked my EU passport (Spanish) and there is no restriction or mention regarding the countries it is valid for.Â
Great to see you here, myabruzzohome.Â