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
Questions Asked
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
 It took us a couple of years to find the right home for us. We were about to give up and suddenly.... it was there. Worth all the waiting for. Good luck!
 If you are "importing" your pets into Italy from another EU country under the "Pet Travel Scheme" they will come with their microchip so the vet and the comune will enter those details.
Have a look in Simply enter ASCOLI PICENO and your bracket price.Warning! It is all in ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, but it may give you some ideas.Â
 Cages are not needed unless you are using some form of public transport, but you will need a dog guard. I can confirm that it is OK to transport them on the ferry. They do need their "passports", call DEFRA or look at their website.
Jacquie, go to your profile, then My Account, then Edit (on your left), then Picture, delete the green bloke and upload your new avatar. Â
 We started with washing machines and ended up with various other small appliances and gadgets. Regarding the potato masher (ricer) I agree, it makes an excellent puree, but I find it a bit heavy. I always use the small hand-held potato masher, the one that has a flat base with many holes in it, and I get very good results. Â
I had white Carrara marble worktops made to measure and with grooves so that water will go straight to the sink. This was the most expensive item in the kitchen, but it is an easy to clean surface and it does not require as much maintenance as Travertino - which is also porous - or granite. The cabinetmaker had to make special reinforcements to hold the weight of the slabs, but he did it very well. Don't try to fit one of those slabs on top of one of those kitchen kits. They do need a special structure as they are very heavy.I do not have a single tile in the kitchen. Â
 Moxie, it is quite possible that they will also have a CD to raise more funds. Please let us know if you hear anything.
 Hi Sprostoni, I found this old thread from 2006 which may give you a better picture. I do not think that there has been too many changes in the ½ûÂþÌìÌà system since then:
 Citrus trees are prone to to white wax scale when the warmer weather sets in. There are special sprays for that. Does it look like this?Â
 As for the sun, the Australian conditions are extremely hard. I lived there. Lemon trees like sunny positions and I do not think that you would have a situation similar to the Australian one in Le Marche. I have not seen a special oil for Citrus trees sold in Italy. P.S. I could not insert the photo, but have a look through Google and you would find several photos of the damage caused by white scale.Â