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
 I particularly like the king-size bed bit. And the comparison with kids....
 Thanks for the explanation Bill, I will have a look at Facebook.Â
 And if you are travelling with pets, this website is also useful to find places which accept them:
 Hi and a very warm welcome. Tuscany is a wonderful place. I do agree with the others, trains from Florence are excellent and do not miss Lucca. The train station is only 200 m away from the San Pietro gate which takes you through the walls into the most magnificent town you can ever imagine. Magic!
Hi Tinacara and great to see you in the new community. It takes a bit of time to get used to the new format, but you will manage.Â
 Hi Mike and Terry and a very warm welcome. Perhaps you would like to join our "Gardening" group which is open to everyone.
 DEFRA is very helpful if you ask them beforehand what needs to be done. My daughter communicated a lot with them when she was moving her pet rabbit from Singapore to Spain (transit) to finish in the UK and two years later to move him again from the UK to Spain. Email them and ask all the questions you need them to clarify. Then, keep a copy of their answers for future reference.Dogs travel very well by car if you get them used to it and you do regular stops every two hours to give them water and so that they can walk around, etc. Our little dog travels to Italy from Spain twice or three times a year, with an overnight in Antibes and she loves it. The minute she sees her "luggage' being sorted out and organised she gets very excited. Take small treats for the dogs while travelling. They really appreciate that. Good luck!
 Here is some information regarding events in the area: http://tuscanevents.com/?page_id=33
 I cannot answer that one as I do not have a status either. We are "statusless" people
 The address is