La Villa

Posted on February 24, 2016 by kathy

A leisurely walk from the apartment in Ponte a Serraglio is the village of La Villa, the commercial centre of Bagni di Lucca. The houses along the way were intriguing, I would love to have seen inside them.

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They had great views of the green hills and the river flowed just outside their windows.

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The delicate wildflowers were putting on a show.

The main street wasn’t too busy

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and we found just what we were looking for.

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The park had a lovely fountain.

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The view downstream from the town bridge was serene.

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I don’t know who this gentleman is but I think he has kind eyes.

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We were a little early for lunch and were forced to endure a beer at the bar next door, complemented by bowls of olives and potato crisps, to pass the time.

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Lunch at Ristorante Del Sonno was well worth the wait. I discovered my favourite pizza – ham, artichokes, olives & egg. I returned to La Villa a week later with the ‘wives’ while the men were busy building guitars. We lunched at Del Sonno,

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overlooking the gorgeous facade of Teatro Accademico

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and the cute dog waiting outside.

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We then walked off our meal along the river path dedicated to Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. They lived most of their lives in Florence and had a summer house in La Villa from 1853-1857.

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No wonder they wrote such beautiful poetry with inspiration like this.

Territory Wildlife Park

Posted on February 19, 2016 by kathy

On a perfect winters day in Darwin, we set off to discover Territory Wildlife Park, situated about 60km south on 400 hectares of natural bushland. We spent a few hours wandering through woodland, wetland and monsoon habitats.

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Along the Monsoon Vine Forest Walk is one of the largest domed walk-through aviaries in the southern hemisphere.

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Birds weren’t the only creatures in the aviary.

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The surroundings were stunning

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with the occasional surprise at ground level.

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Some of the trees had created fascinating designs of their own.

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The Park is well set out with a shuttle train continuously travelling the 4km loop, a welcome service as the temperature rises. Each exhibit entrance is adorned with cute critters and clever decorations.

The display of free-flying birds at the Flight Deck was amazing.

The eagle trying to break open an emu egg with a rock showed the innate behaviour is still strong in these birds in captivity.

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Neil, the bush stone-curlew stole the show.

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Just when you think you’ve seen everything there is something new to surprise.

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Kent

Posted on February 17, 2016 by kathy

After five wonderful days in London, we caught the train from Charing Cross to Tonbridge, Kent, and picked up our hire car. We drove to Tunbridge Wells, where Michael grew up, and explored the town.

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The Pantiles is a Georgian colonnade, named after the pantile paving on the Upper Walk in 1700. Now lined with shops, galleries and cafés

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the area was created following the discovery of a chalybeate spring in the early 17th century.

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After lunch at The Duke of York

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we visited High Rocks, which weren’t as high as they seemed to a young Michael. The drive was scenic

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and the pub inviting.

We found our way through the back lanes to our B&B, The Duck & Drake, just outside Rolvenden.

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The room was lovely

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with a gorgeous view to greet us the next day.

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We stuck a pin in the map and headed for Hastings,

where the ruins of the castle, built by The Normans in 1070, sit proudly above the town.

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We took the easy way to the top

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for a closer look at the ruins

and the magnificent view.

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Back in the car park, this young gull had made himself comfortable.

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We drove on to Eastbourne

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and after a leisurely lunch, we started back to The Duck & Drake, discovering Bodiam Castle along the way.

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Built in 1385 as both a defence and a comfortable home, the castle was used in Monty Python & The Holy Grail as Swamp Castle.

There were no curtains, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utuchVE_56M, but I think they would have obscured the scenery.

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One last stop for a quick beverage at The Elephant Head

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where we made a friend

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and we finished the day with a fabulous meal at The White Lion in Tenterden.

Gunns Plains

Posted on February 12, 2016 by kathy

Gunns Plains is a rich, fertile valley in northwest Tasmania. Named after botanist and early explorer, Robert Campbell Gunn, the Leven River winds through pastures, grazing stock and rich, red volcanic soil. Forty minutes drive from our house is George Woodhouse Lookout where George and his wife, Lurlie, are resting with a view of their beloved plains.

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The view is breathtaking, even on a cloudy day.

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It is a place we like to take visitors, building them up to this astounding vista as we get nearer. It was a little disappointing, one clear June day, to find the valley under heavy cloud. Still beautiful but not quite the same.

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The scenery is just as captivating once down on the plain.

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I love the poplar trees as winter approaches.

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Beneath this gorgeous landscape lies over 150 caves. The second largest was discovered in 1906 when a possum hunter’s dog fell into a hole. It was opened to the public three years later. The formations in the cave are magnificent, particularly the calcite shawls

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and the flowstones are so varied.

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Stalactites, stalagmites, columns and young shawls abound.

This cute little fungus caught my eye.

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The underground river still flows and is home to the endangered freshwater crayfish, platypus and eels. The delicate display of the glow worms can be appreciated when the torchlight is dimmed. We look forward to returning to the caves, maybe with our next visitors….

Ponte a Serraglio

Posted on February 10, 2016 by kathy

When we decided we had to travel to Italy in order for Michael to make another guitar, I wanted to know more about the area of Bagni di Lucca where we would be staying for that two weeks. I discovered that Bagni di Lucca is a collection of 25 villages in the Lima Valley, Northern Tuscany, known for its thermal springs since Etruscan and Roman times. I stumbled across a wonderful Blog, bellabagnidilucca.com and contacted Debra, the maestro of the site. Long story short, we rented her gorgeous apartment in Ponte a Serraglio for a week prior to the course. The one on the corner with the balcony.

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It was very light and airy

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and the floor tiles were exquisite.

The views down river

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and upstream

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were stunning and the piazza opposite was a hive of activity.

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The balcony was the perfect setting to watch the world go by, surrounded by beautiful flowers.

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A short walk along the river

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across a footbridge

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is Villa Fiori, one of the many 19th century noble villas in the area. Sadly, it is in need of some restoration, I’ve added that to my list when the lotto numbers come up.

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