Experience a truly enchanting holiday in one of my Tuscan Villas
Burlesque Garden 2010
Cabaret, vaudeville, vintage market.
Lessons in seduction. Fire and magic show. Come dressed in 30’s, 40’s, 50’s outfits!
At the Centro Congressi Principe di Piemonte Hotel, Viareggio Promenade.
Entrance euro 20,00 – two evenings for euro 35,00
More info tel +39 347 2325304
Starts 21.00 on 12 and 13 february.
More informations on Burlesque art: www.burlesque.it
One of the less wonderful elements o fan italian summer is bug life. Even if you are staying high abd dry little creatures will find you. One summer night around midnight in a pitch-black country house i awoke to what appare to be the light of a cigarette slowly approaching mu bed. Shuddering in fear, i turned off his. What a relief to see that the silent intruder was a firefly and not a man! The next day i had my bed enveloped in a “zanzariera” gauzy white mosquito netting. Ever since, i’ve enjoyed the safety and beauty of sleeping under netting. Mosquito nets are sold in town at Texnova, Lunata.
People often ask me what to do about mosquitoes (zanzare), so i took a survey and here are some othe solutions:
Windows screens: while not 100% effective they to help. On the other hand, they collect dirt and obscure one’s view of the world outside.
Wind: mosquitoes don’t like fly against the wind, so a fan blowing across one’s bed on a hot night i san effective deterrent.
Smoke: my father, an inveterate smoker, swore that leaving a cigarette burning during barbecues would keep insects at bay.
he learned this during his years in the Navy and Coast Guard, many of them spent in the South pacific.
Citronella candles are also effective. Green chimica spirals (zampirone) work even better but should only be used outdoors.
Organic: alloro or waxy laurel rubbed on the skin in the chosen solution of my contadina neighbor, but years ago when her husband raised vegetables in the paludi he rubbed down vith winebar. Eating garlic or pesto also helps, in my opinion.
Animal friends: geco make welcome house-guests since they dine on mosquitoes and othe insects. Bats eat insects, as do sswallows.
Prevention: standing water attracts mosquitoes! So doeas the organic garbage which the city, inexplicably, only picks up two or three times a week. To avoid both odors and insects, you can freeze your organic trash if it won’t be collected for a few days.
Skin products such as Autan come in spray and stick form, but they contain chemicals. Special doseges are made for babies and small children. Wash hands after application. Anti mosquito wipes ( salviette antipuntura) containing eucalyptus and citronella are available in grocery stores. Easy to carry when you travel.
Electrical devices: with containers for chemicals work well. These diffuse low doses of poison into the atmosphere..In the old days entire towns were sprayed with DDT, but unless we are inveded by zanzare tigri probably that won’t happen here.
Electronic zappers attract bugs and suck the minto their deadly trap. Good for industrial-level usage,outdoor picnic areas, etc.
If mosquitoes become unbearble, you can head for the beach, plunge into the waves..and watch out for the medusa! But that’s another problem…
Two memorable nights in Milano ( 7 – 8 july), U2 running on time at 9.00 pm, a beautiful show without time limits, one again a time U2 surprised his fans.
The “CLAW” ( similar a big spider, in actuall fact are 4 big claws) was a Bono’s idea born in 2005 at the end of Vertigo Tour.
“The Claw is all to do with how you can play outdoors without using a proscenium stage with a big bank of speakers on the left and right,” he said in a recent interview. “Every outdoor stage show you’ve ever seen uses that configuration. This idea we’re now working on will mean more people can fit into the shows, there will be better sight lines and everyone will be closer to the action.” BONO
U2 has given two nights of pure emotions: a mix of energy, sound, video special effects and much good music!
Here as follow the songs:
1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day/ Here Comes The Sun (snippet)
6. I Still Havent’Found What I’m Looking For/ Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough (snippet)
7. Desire
8. Stuck in a Moment
9. Electrical Storm
10. Unknow caller
11. The Unforgettable Fire
12. City of Blinding Lights
13. Vertigo
14. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (remix)
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday
16. Pride
17. MLK
18. Walk On/ You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
19. Where The Streets Have No Name
20. One
Encores:
21. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
22. With or Without You
23. Moment of Surrender
More informations on : www.u2place.com
Designed by Nicolao Civitali in 1512 the Palazzo Bernardini, presently the headquarters of the Industrials Association, dominates with its imposing presence the homonymous piazza which is situated towards east not far from the S. Michele piazza.
If one looks at the first window to the right frame is curved towards the outside.
The people from Lucca calli t the “devil’s stone” according to a very old legend.
When, during the fifteenth century, the Bernardini’s, an aristocratic family from Lucca decided to build the palazzo, a holy image situated just where the frame was placed got destre. Then when the stone got walled it curved refusing to adapt to the window.
Many attempts were done to wall it again but with no success, not even when adding metal supports. In the end the same workers, scared by the event they believed to be over natural, refused to work further. So the stone remained in the same position in wich it is today and the mystery still remains:natural event or sign of God?
There is another curiosity in the palazzo: here are kept the handcuffs which tightened the wrists of the “condottiero” from Lucca Castruccio Castracani when he was imprisoned by Uguccione della Faggiola.
If you are reading this article, the chances are you are either visiting Lucca on holiday, spend some part of the year here, or indeed live here on a permanent basis. You will certainly be aware that the tourist season is in full swing.
But who visits Lucca? Some interesting information has emerged from a recent suvey conducted on behalf of the Provincia di Lucca, i.e. embracing the region around Lucca from the Versilian coast to the Garfagnana, as well as the city itself.
A sample of some 1500 visitors was polled between April and October of last year.
How Many? The first surprise lies in the volume of visitors. It is reckoned that when second houses are taken into account, the total number of person7visits over the year adds up to an amazing 12 million. This figure is far higher than previous official estimates, reflecting the additional effort that is now being made to capture data on visitors who do not use any of the formal tourist services, such as the APT offices.
Where from? Over 60% of visitors to the region are Italians, higher than the average for Tuscany as whole. This figure rises to two-thirds when confined to the coastal resorts of Versilia. The figures are reversed for the Lucca itself where over 60% of visitors are from outside Italy.
Where do they stay? Over 70% stay in hotels, while over the year, it is now reckoned that some 8 million visits are made to holiday or second homes in the region . compared to only 3 million previously reflected in the official figures.
What do they spend? When the cost of accommodation is included, the average tourist here spends a little over Euro 100 each day, slightly more at the coast, and less in the Valle di Serchio. All that adds up to an annual gross spend in the region of around Euro 1,300 million. Not to be sniffed at.
Who are they? The typical visitor to our region is a 40-something independent traveller ( i.e. not with an organised party ) with a higher than average education, travelling probably with partner and/or children, and with their own or hired car. 70% have organised their own accommodation using the internet ( especially foreign visitors ) or by word-of-mouth. The majority favour medium to upmarket hotels, with 25% in rented apartments or villas, and 11% in agriturismi.
Why Lucca? Predictably, culture and art score highly with visitors to the city itself, with 40% citing these as the main attractions. Rest and relaxation come close behind, and are more important to those who head for the coast and the countryside.
Likes/Dislikes? By and large visitors appreciate the goods and services an offer, and the quality and presentation, but find Lucca expensive and are sometimes disappointed by the level of knowledge of foeign languages and the speed of service. Clearly also there is a feeling that services for the disabled, public transport, parking and public facilities generally, especially those for children, ” could do better “.
Further studies will report in more depth on the typical visitor profileand levels of customer satisfaction. Clearly, the volume of tourism here now warrants an evergreater understanding of visitor needs.