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.

It was very light and airy

and the floor tiles were exquisite.

The views down river

and upstream

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

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

A short walk along the river

across a footbridge

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.

Ponte a Serraglio is a gorgeous village with some interesting buildings.

The first public casino in Europe, built in 1837, was restored in 2005 after many years in ruins.

I love the old doorways

We enjoyed a delicious homestyle Tuscan meal at Albergo Corona Ristorante one evening.

There was no shortage of dining options with Bar Italia

Ristorante da Vinicio

and Ristorante Cavalier Bruno all a short walk from the apartment and with excellent food (and wine, of course).

Our last day in Ponte a Serraglio came too soon. What better farewell than lunch on the balcony, created by Michael from our remaining supplies.

We explored a few of the villages during our time in Bagni di Lucca, far too many for one post……….