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
And I heard on an American radio that Berlusconi is getting more and more popular as he is promising to lower taxesÂ
An interesting article, Anne. Thank you. It is quite common, in times of crisis, to look at the past and compare. Populist movements always gain adepts at times of crisis. A typical example would be the victories of Peronist candidates in Argentina. And Peron was a confessed admirer of Il Duce. He also based his power on the workers... So modern voters, who were not alive at the time of these dictators, keep on cherishing their myths.Â
Best wishes to everyone for a great 2013!
I agree with Badger, PVC windows and doors are expensive in Italy, particularly if we talknabout top-of-the-range, double-glazed ones. On the other hand, they are great and you will save lots of money on your energy bills. Try to get three different quotes to compare prices.
We have a great pet shop at the Brico Io store at Fornaci di Barga and they sell all kinds of seeds and food for birds. I always buy and give it to them. In our case, the birds are quite friendly, but my neighbour has been feeding them for years as well and they also have a few nests in the area, one right at the entrance of our loggiato. As Flip says, cats can be a problem.... upon our return from a short trip, we found a real carnage. Not a pleasant sight...
You are right, buttermilk is the big unknown in many EU countries. I add some lemon juice to milk...but it is not the same. Anyway, I wish that everyone will be enjoying Christmas Day. Raining in San Franciso and I have to nurse a nasty coldÂ
Yummy, in San Francisco we had Roasted Tomatoes and Leek soup, boned leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, braised Brussels sprouts with coppa, "gratin dauphinois" , red cabbage braised with balsamic vinegar and red wine and a Christmas compote with a variety of dried fruits cooked very slowly in red wine, sugar and spices. Delicious!
Very sorry to hear the sad news. My condolences.
Great links. Thank you, Lisa.
I have received 149 messages from "Andrea" and I am positive that it is spam/phishing or whatever. The link is very suspicious and some of the messages were saying that I had become a member of a group I had started.....
 Do not open the link, it is a trap.