Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 05:07

 A fairly comprehensive list of words related to food and wine has been prepared by a few of us. It still needs revision, corrections, additions and you may be able to help as it is a Wiki.

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 04:31

 It is official, the old Casino in Bagni di Lucca is reopening its doors after many years; however, it is going to be a modern version, more "little Las Vegas" style than its elegant and exclusive predecessor.

Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:04

A few weeks ago I started a thread in the old forum about this topic. I still think that it would be great if we could all share our favourite recipes which our families and friends enjoy.

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 05:29

 I think that there are quite a few members who have married overseas an Italian citizen; however, I am not quite certain whether they have registered their certificate of marriage before the nearest Italian Consulate.It is advisable to do this an

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:43

 It is most important, if you own a property, to have a clear description for it. That is possible through the "visura catastale" which gives you and confirms many facts regarding your title.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 05:21

 Polenta is one of those Italian dishes that you either love or hate. Considered in the past as the poor people's staple diet it is nowadays served in the best restaurants. 

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 17:53

I have just seen on TV some images regarding the Treviso tornado. I sincerely hope that any members in the area have not suffered from this disaster.  

Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:44

 The base for many Italian sauces and dishes is the "soffritto" (sofrit in French, sofrito in Spanish), a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fa

Sat, 06/06/2009 - 05:37

 Hi everyone, this is a warm invitation to joint this group and discuss Italian food, wine, regional cooking, recipes, tips, cooking utensils, history of cooking and any related subject you may wish to talk about.And welcome, Mimosa, glad to see t

Fri, 06/05/2009 - 08:28

Comments posted

Answer to: House Insurance
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 04:24

After the first year, we transferred our insurance policy to our bank as they were offering better value for money. Check with them.

Answer to: New Year's Eve
Tue, 12/07/2010 - 15:02

Don't forget the lentils. They are an important part of the celebrations. From our old Forum.... http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/general-chat-about-italy/11274-best-wishes-new-year.html Enjoy!

Tue, 12/07/2010 - 03:48

Obviously, not everyone is affected by the current crisis!!!!

Answer to: Lucca
Sun, 12/05/2010 - 13:30

Jan, we have not used the train to go to Siena from Bagni, we have always gone by car. Anyway, I think that you would have to go from Fornoli to Lucca and catch a train to Siena from there. Check the timetable: www.trenitalia.com We generally go to San Gimignano as well and you need a car to do that.

Sat, 12/04/2010 - 04:34

Italy cannot maintain all of its artistic and archaelogical treasures. Something will need to be done very soon or many of them may be lost.

Wed, 12/01/2010 - 05:54

It is good to know particularly for those looking for property in the area.

Tue, 11/30/2010 - 07:30

Further to my previous post, this is a sample of the figurines that my lovely neighbours have been making since 1900. One of their sets has been selected for the Museum in Bethlehem. http://www.artebarsanti.it/en/presepio-60-cm/

Tue, 11/30/2010 - 07:23

I have to agree with you, Flip, as in Naples the presepi are a true art form rather than a craft. The ones at Bagni are very beautiful, but they are plaster figurines made by using moulds, although they are hand painted one by one. In Spain, we have a magnificent XVIII Century presepio from Naples brought to the Madrid Royal Palace by King Charles III who was also King of Naples. It is considered a masterpiece and it is on display around Christmas. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Palacio/Real/acoge/belen/napolitano/135/figuras/elpepucul/20021204elpepucul_1/Tes

Mon, 11/29/2010 - 06:45

It now makes sense, Anne, as Bologna was under Papal control for quite a few centuries.

Answer to: Lucca
Mon, 11/29/2010 - 04:15

It usually takes us between 1 and a half and 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there from Lucca. Parking is a bit of a problem, so it may take you some 15 minutes to park the car. Definitely, for us it is a day trip and a very enjoyable one.