Summer has arrived and it is hot, hot, hot. It was about 40 degrees in Lucca yesterday.

It is time to bring in the hay. I love to see these huge rolls in the fields waiting to be collected. I spotted these on the way from Bagni di Lucca to lovely Lucca.

…or in this case, the target. Yesterday was the day of the  Palio della Balestra, crossbow competition, in Bagni di Lucca. The beautiful grounds of Villa Ada, above La Villa, make a perfect location for the colourful event. Who doesn’t love a chance to dress up and shoot arrows into the air?

When I arrived the competition was well underway.

 

There were some great faces in the crowd.

 

I particularly liked these trousers.

 

The quivers and arrows and other bits are little works of art.

 

There were some great shoes.

 

Not far from the competition, in Villa Web, there was a demonstration of chocolate making from days gone by. It was held in the lovely old kitchen in the villa.

 

We also got to taste the chocolate…always a good idea.

 

There was some very loud cannon fire.

 

What wasn’t in evidence was a large crowd watching this genuinely wonderful event, largely because it wasn’t promoted at all. In fact the canon could have been firing real canon balls and it would have been flat out hitting anyone. I found it very difficult to find out any information. I just happen to know one of the participants who told me it was definitely on this year.

The Bagni di Lucca comune tourism department really needs to do some serious promotion of this and other happenings. I am sure visitors to the area would love to watch events like this.

I attended last year as well and I thought it was fabulous enough to line up again. Click here to see last year.

There was a tug-of-war in Bagni di Lucca on the weekend as well. Click here to see the handsome fellows taking part.

We have no silver bells or cockle shells, or pretty maids all in a row at Casa Debbio, but we do have the first signs of grass.

Bardhi and his friend laid the bed for the grass a couple of weeks ago.

Just yesterday there were green shoots appearing.

This morning they have grown.

The vegetable garden has been planted.

There is a small flower garden.

The geraniums are thriving.

I haven’t decided on a permanent home for the big pots with Chinese lanterns in them, but I quite like them either side of our new path.

We had a gorgeous fine, sunny day today at Casa Debbio, so my friend and I went for a walk through gorgeous Vergemoli.

We walked past ripening cherries.

 

And growing figs.

 

Yellow flowers with bees.

Past the outdoor amphitheatre with the huge chestnut trees shading the stage.

 

Down past the cemetery.

And down the road to the old mill that I had heard about.

I called out Buongiorno, and Sisto came out of his workshop and greeted us warmly. Sisto was born and has lived all his life in the most amazing house beside a water wheel. He works with wood and his machinery is still driven with water power. He was much too shy to be photographed, but he did allow me to take photos of his house.

This is his view.

He took us through a tunnel to the water wheel. The original wheel was made of wood, but it has been replaced with a metal one.

He has a water fall which ends in a rock pool where children like to swim in summer.

Did you happen to notice the speakers under the eaves of the roof?

There are about 100 of them and when the mood takes him, Sisto likes to play classical, tango or accordion music. I can hear it at Casa Debbio and I love it. When our house was being built I would often watch the builders laying bricks and stones to a tango beat.

I told Sisto that I thought his house was wonderful and that I would be happy to listen to his music whenever he felt like playing it. I wish he had let me take his photo. He is a delightful, charming and very attractive old man.

His cat saw us out.

Later in the day we drove to Trassilico, the village we look at from Casa Debbio.

As we walked to the top of the village to the old fort high above Trassilico, we could hear snatches of music when there was a gap between the houses. From the fort we could clearly see Vergemoli and Sisto’s house, and his music was coming loud and clear across the valley.

It was quite hazy by then, so the photo is not clear, but you can see Vergemoli on the top of its mountain and Sisto’s house to the right.

My friend got a bit carried away and tried a little conducting.

I think this could only happen in Italy…how could you not love it?

A delightful weaver near Bagni di Lucca is going to make me a kitchen rug for Casa Debbio. He didn’t have any green wool so I set off with Heather Jarman to find a spinner in the mountains towards Abetone.

Down a dirt road, in a long, low building beside a stream we found a treasure trove of yarn, incredible machinery (lots of it) and a lone spinner and weaver making the most amazing things.

The building was once powered by water and some of the old structures remain.

I love the old door.

Take a look at what I thought was a door knob.

Now come inside the Aladdin’s cave of yarn treasures.

 

Here is some of the finished product.

 

…and here is my green wool.

 

Heather is hoping to organise visits to the yarn man. Contact her at Sapori-e-Saperi if you are interested.

It seems that most Italians can dance, and do so at every opportunity…old people, not so old people, quite young people and children love to get on a dance floor and enjoy themselves…and I love to watch them.

It is especially lovely to watch couples who have been dancing together for years and move beautifully together…there should be more of it. The photos are a bit blurry, these people were really moving.

 

The actual reason for being in Filecchio, a lovely village not far from Bagni di Lucca, was not the dancing, but to enjoy some delicious stinco di maiale, roast pork shank.

What a good idea to dedicate an evening to roast pork shanks. There were a few extras, potato chips, polenta, pasta and beans, but the star of the evening was stinco di maiale…I know it is an unfortunate name, but it tastes great.

 

I went with Heather from Sapori-e-Saperi…she knows all the best places. Now I just need some dancing lessons.

Filecchio holds several dinners and sagras over the summer. Call 3427599862 for information.

I came upon this peaceful scene while out for a walk yesterday.

40 years ago today, 31st May 1973, my son Brando was born in the delightful southern Italian town of Sorrento.

I was 20 years old and found myself in the terrifying position of being in a hospital, where I understood just about nothing, and about to give birth to my first ( and only ) child. It is the terror I remember more than anything else.

He was born late at night after a 12 hour labour where I was offered no pain relief and left by myself for much of the time.  I went to sleep soon after the birth after having discovered I had a son and that everything was where it should be.

I awoke the next morning to find a line of people staring at me…that funny foreign girl…from the door to my room. I was apparently called the Diabolical One, because I had predicted that I would have a boy and I had not made a sound during the birth. I didn’t really predict that I would have a son, I just wanted a boy to replace the much loved 7 year old brother I had left behind in Australia…and I do recall swearing a bit.

As well as this, my mother had sent me some white baby clothes from Australia, little dresses really, that babies were dressed in at the time at home. Italians dressed their baby boys in navy blue knitted suits…I was truly strange.  In addition, my baby was the biggest in the hospital at almost 4.3 kilos.

I was presented with my new son for his first meal. I will never forget the wobbly head and the open mouth, just like a baby bird. I was able to have a good look at his lovely face for the first time. He looked just like me. He was born with black curly hair, like I was, and had blue eyes, like my father.

When we left the hospital 5 days later ( I was supposed to stay for 10 days, lying flat on my back all the time, but I couldn’t stand it) I was presented with the dry and shrivelled remains of his umbilical cord which had just dropped off. This was said to bring good luck. I was less than impressed and threw it in the gutter on the way to the car. The nurses all said, “See you next year” on my way out. “Not bloody likely” I whispered under my breath.

I had been advised not to bathe for the next 6 weeks. I went home, placed my baby in his cot and went straight to the bathroom, where I had the best hot shower I have ever had in my life.

Anyway, Brando grew to be a delightful, sweet natured little boy and he is now a delightful, intelligent, handsome, funny and friendly man. (I am his mother)

Happy birthday Brando!  I am glad I had you 40 years ago in Sorrento.

 

To see more of my past life in southern Italy, click here and here.

In some of the medieval towns in Italy I see these wonderful arrangements positioned high on the stone facades of houses. For a while I couldn’t imagine what they would be used for. I decided they must have been there to tether your horse…any other suggestions?

Some have the rings below the faces. Each face has its own character…no mass production here.

There are others that would have been for torches to light the streets at night.

I think I need a couple for Casa Debbio. Someone is bound to arrive on horseback one night for a barbecue.

The weather this year has been bizarre to say the least. It is almost the end of May and we have had snow on the mountains around Bagni di Lucca. Sunday turned out to be a glorious sunny day and were rewarded with these magnificent views.

I was back at Forte dei Marmi and the beach situation had improved as well.

There was even some activity on the sand and in the water.

 

It is overcast again today, but we had a brief respite from the horrible weather…summer is creeping slowly towards us.

Click here to see a few more photos of snow around Bagni di Lucca on Bella Bagni di Lucca.