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:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/
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 Italian 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 may be a bit difficult to find Cabernet vines in your area. I found that these people accept mail orders and they seem to be specialists. They also have both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc varieties. http://www.vivaistefano.it/vivai_italiano/produzione_portainnesti_ordinazioni.html Good luck!
Oh Patz! I think that you are talking about "la cioccolata in tazza" and it is a cardinal sin to even mention it as it has millions of calories! But I agree, it is delicious and you can become addicted. And I confess that I am a sinner
Hi Dougal and welcome. As you have seen the "recatastamento" is unavoidable. We also had to submit new plans showing some very minor internal reforms made by the previous owner. I think that the fees are pretty much what we ended up paying, even if my husband - a retired architect - had already drawn up all the new plans reflecting those slight changes.
A couple of years ago, I was given Polaramin, both the tablets and the cream, but if you realise that you have an allergy problem it is better to go to a specialist and have some tests done. They can identify the allergen(s) and give you a proper treatment.
You will find that most hotels belonging to the "Stars" and "Campanile" chains accept pets.
There is a full glossary in the "IL BUONGUSTAIO" CERCLE, a group which is open to everyone. If you have a look under the letter F you will have a list of different types of "farine". You will also find that bicarbonate is called "bicarbonato di sodio" and baking powder is "lievito in polvere". Many useful words there and if you know any that do not appear, you can add to the list. It is a "wiki".
Have a look at Northern Tuscany, particularly Lucca Province, two airports within easy reach: both Pisa and Florence, good train connections, good roads, within easy reach of large cities such as Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Siena and even Bologna, Modena. We can include as day trips Lake Trasimeno, the Versilia Coast, the Cinque Terre, Arezzo.... Prices are still reasonable and we find it extremely convenient. You do not get bored at all.... And the region is beautiful, with interesting microclimates. My advice: go there and spend some time looking around until you find the right spot for you.
I would suggest that you rent something in Italy first for a few months before deciding to sell property in the UK. Not everyone adjusts to retirement life in a different country, even if you have Italian ancestry. There are family and friends that you may miss, or perhaps that place that you thought was perfect for you proves not to be so "perfect". We do not live permanently in Bagni di Lucca, but we go to our home there two or three times during the year. The rest of the time, we live in Spain, where I have family and friends and we also visit the USA where our daughters live. I would not have problems living permanently in Italy, but this is the way things are at the moment and we enjoy going from une place to the other.
Hello and welcome Graham. Sorry to hear about your predicament. You certainly need to get together and work with a good lawyer to sort this out. Good luck!
Tinker is right, take your time. We had to make several trips to Italy before finding exactly what we wanted. And then... there it was. The agent was not convinced and kept on showing us other places, but we had fallen in love with the old watermill and the river that we could see and hear from all the windows. We bought it immediately! Actually, I think that the house decided that we were going to be its owners....