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
Renovating an old home and seeing it come back to life is part of the fun; however, careful planning is needed. This site is full of stories about the pitfalls of renovation. Also, it is not a good idea to buy the first ruin that comes along. It is most important to estimate final costs before you even buy.
I would say: "Drafting of the report and the proposed upgrade" What do you think?
I can't see the need for an unsympathetic response to alexcal's thread. As far as I can see,  he was not asking for any sympathy as he was just informing us of what may happen with a dormant account and I think we should thank him for the warning. In any case, what members do with their monies is not of our business and certain comments are totally out of order. Sorry, Flip, you must be having a bad day, I guess.
You will not regret visiting San Francisco, giorgiotan, as it is a great city, the most European city in America and, although I love New York, I simply adore SFO. Local food is exquisite and it has strong influences from all the different nationalities that settled in the are and Italy is no exception. A wonderful fish and seafood stew called "cioppino" is a must there and you can also eat "cacciucco" a similar dish which originates from Livorno, in Tuscany. They are all variations of the "burrida", "bourride" and "bouillabaise" adapted to the availability of local seafood. But you can have a look at the story of this dish:
Thank you, bunterboy. I do try to keep young both in body and mind; however, my birth certificate says otherwise.... Anyway, I do not think that I will ever become the typical little old lady. My enthusiasm for life will keep me young... I hope.....
I agree with your explanations and I do believe that these measures are directed towards certain nationalities within the EU. Also, health cover has a lot to do with it. A similar thing is happening in Spain with many people requiring medical assistance and this is becoming a real problem for health authorities. As we are over the age of 65 we do have our EU health card... so I do not think that the ½ûÂþÌìÌà authorities are going to worry too much about us.
As Flip says, these are all members of the cod family; however, I am wondering whether you purchased ling or skrei (for those who do not know what we are talking about, have a look at: The reason for my question is that I saw a couple of days ago a program on Spanish TV saying that this year skrei is very abundant and that the Norwegians are desperate to sell them and prices are great. Following this, I saw plenty of skrei being sold at my local supermarket. Nothing wrong with it as skrei is delicious. You can use any of the cod or ling recipes.
I had a look at the ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, Spanish and French versions and in all three they state that EU citizens "can" or "may" register with the State Police for stays of up to 3 months. They warn that if you do not do it, this may implicate that you have been staying for over 3 months.... "unless you can prove to the contrary" as stated by Fillide.
 I do not know what I am going to do this time...I do not like the idea of spending a full day on this ridiculous matter. Also, that law is quite recent, 2008 is quoted.
Thank you for the information and I must confess that I am most surprised of this requirement for stays under 3 months.... I think that it goes against the EU free circulation policy and I do not think that other EU members have similar requirements. Anyway, this time we will comply with the instructions.... I will tell you about the reaction from the Anagrafe at Bagni di Lucca.....
Some years ago, I gave this recipe in the old forum: As you said, any cod recipe would suitable, but this one could be considered an ½ûÂþÌìÌà classic. If you are using fresh molva it does not need to be soaked and you should check the salt content in the recipe.