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
If the weather is fine and you want to go to the Cinque Terre, drive to La Spezia railway station, leave your car there and catch the local train to the Cinque Terre (get the Cinque Terre Card at the railway station) and go to the northern end at Monterosso. Then you make your way down south stopping at every station and finally do the last sector from Manarola to Riomaggiore by walking along the famous footpath called "La Via dell'Amore". Here you have all the informaion you need http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-timetable
Happy to help!
You have to ask your butcher for a "coscia di maiale con cotenna" and give him the approximate wight you want, usually 4-5 kilos. Actually, some Italian families prepare a very similar type of ham. You only have to search for "prosciutto cotto fatto in casa" or "casalinga" and you will find plenty of recipes and adice, all in Italian. Here goes an example: http://www.ricette.com/prosciutto-cotto-fatto-in-casa/Give the butcher plenty of time to fill up your order.
I would then try Leroy Merlin ( www.leroymerlin.it ). They have lots of things for DIY, but they also have a list of tradesmen who install anything and do bathroom and kitchen renovations. I have seen glass splashbacks in their displays, so they must do supply and install. Or they may know someone who does it in your area. They don't have it listed in their catalogue, but ,many things that they have are missing. Just in case... in Italian it is called "alzatina in vetro". Good luck!
It will all depend on the weather and sometimes you get a surprise. I will always remember a day spent in the Cinque Terre in November. It was sunny and we enjoyed the place more than in summer...
Have a look at www.mondoconvenienza.itThey are in Lombardia, many choices and interesting prices.
The weather has been a bit... whimsical. Warmer than normal for this time of the year. A combination of fine weather and heavy rain. Right now, it is cooling down, particularly at night and it is quite windy. But... who knows? Bring an umbrella, but do not worry if you forget it at home. plety of street sellers carrying umbrellas for 5€...
I frequently travel between San Francisco and Europe with Air France, via Paris. They are "pet friendly" and each time I have seen passengers taking cats and small dogs in the cabin. I usually speak to them, because I love animals and they were all happy with their experiences. It is a good airline.
November is a quiet month. In any case, I would advise you to buy the "Florence Card", which is excellent value for money and you avoid the queues http://www.firenzecard.it/?lang=en There is a similar one for Venice. Simply Google "Venice Card" and you get the information. No problems for the other places at this time of the year.nWe went to Florence on Monday and the crowds had vanished... absolute bliss!!Enjoy your trip. Italy is great in spite of the crowds!
As I said on another thread, this information published by Italy Magazine may help http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/thirteen-things-you-can-do-start-tracing-your-italian-ancestry