Shopping
Food
There are plenty of places to find food supplies nearby, ranging from Bar Aldo in Biecina, which is only 10 minutes away, to supermarkets at Ponte all’Abate (Ecom) and Pescia (Esselunga) (around 20 minutes away), incidentally part owned by Sainsburys. Post offices, (at Collodi, Villa Basillica and Ponte all’Abate), a bank, garage and pharmacy are all nearby.
Shoes and leather goods
A really good shoe shop is Calzature Pizza in Collodi. Very reasonable and often the same shoes can be found here as in the major shoe shops in Lucca and Florence, but much cheaper. Extensive research has been done!
There is a leather shop in Ponte al'Abate, opposite Ekom, where the lady speaks no English, but can make up leather trousers, jackets etc, very reasonably and have them ready for you in a few days. It is called Pelle.
Walks
Pariana
It is possible to walk round to the village that you can see across the valley, by continuing straight on at the hairpin bend at the end of the track, then branching off left some 300 yards up the hill. It takes about forty minutes.
We have not explored all the potential walks in the woods, (never had the time!) but there is a right to roam in Italy and we would be very interested if you discover good routes. Feel free to mark them as well, we are beginning to get a number of walks mapped and they are on the notice boards in the kitchens.
Places to visit
Lucca. A stunning jewel of a walled city, you can walk and cycle around the tops of the defensive walls, takes about 40 minutes. Glorious architecture inside, super shops; a great day out.
Florence. If you have not been there before, this is a must visit place. Definitely take the train from Pescia, trying to park in Florence is a sure way to a heart attack! It takes approximately 1 hour and costs about 6 euro return.
Collodi Gardens. As well as being the home of all things Pinocchio, there are some world famous gardens there which are open for visitors for a small entrance fee.
Bagni di Lucca. If you turn left at the end of the track, you drive for miles through woodlands with stunning views all the way to Bagni. It is a taxing drive with a million bends but worth it for everyone except the driver! Bagni is OK, but a bit further on is Barga which is lovely.
Pescia. Here is the centre of the flower growing area of Italy, and the town itself is quite spread out. However, in the old part, which is divided into two by the river there are some good shops, restaurants, interesting architecture and an open market every Saturday morning.
Siena. If you are at the house for longer than a week and fancy a night away somewhere else, you could do a lot worse than Siena. In the evening the campo is fantastically atmospheric and the tall narrow medieval streets quite moody. Hotels can be difficult to find with rooms available immediately and parking again is difficult.
Pistoia. Now that the centre has been pedestrianised, this is a lovely and interesting place to walk around. It is where pistols were first made (hence their name) and you may need one to find a parking space at busy times - but it is worth it. Superb market covering 5 squares on Saturdays mornings.
Pisa. The tower and surroundings are unmissable and central Pisa has good shops and restaurants. Possibly a visit when returning to the airport, flight times permitting, but beware of leaving items in the car in view.
Eating out.
This, in our experience, is universally good in our area, we have never really had a bad meal and never had anything but excellent local red wine. Please don’t be put off by the outside of trattoria or restaurants, the Italians love their food and inside everything is normally smart and clean. Prices obviously differ, and beware fish and steak which is sold by the etto (500 grams), sometimes there is a fright when you get the bill! On the whole, though, prices are far less than the UK and after a couple of weeks eating the genuine stuff, you’ll never want to eat an Italian meal in the UK again!!
Wherever you eat, it will be necessary to book in advance in the summer (you’ll find cards for these eateries on the notice boards) and bear in mind that places in our valley are closed on Wednesdays.
The wine trail.
Apparently, the local wine which is universally drunk in all the local eateries comes from Montecarlo. It is seriously good and is mentioned as one of the wines to ‘sup’ in Hugh Johnsons guide to Italian wines. There are lots of wineries around here, who are only too pleased to invite you in to taste their wines. Another good day out!
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