My Lucca , My Tuscany: Just a week away

Yes, Saturday next week we will be on our way to our home in Montecarlo. The weather in Moscow has not been, as I can see it is in Lucca area, and in Montecarlo. When we have some rain showers and between 15 and 25 degree in Moscow, I can see the weather in Italy is 30 degree plus and a big warm sun.

Weather forecast Moscow next week

Weather forecast Lucca next week

Compared to other years, this year will be one suitcase and not two. Less and thinner T-shirts, bathing shorts and as little as possible of any other clothes, what will be heavy is the books, the Russian lessens to keep us up and running on that so we can prove to our nice Russian teacher that we did what we promised.

Our Russian schoolbook

The way technology are today make us feel that we are hands on the project with refurbishment. When Pasqual sending us pictures either it is for my corner in his warehouse so we can see how all we wanted to keep are stored or it is the progress on the house, what more can we ask for. Pasqual is the head of the family. It is his company, LIMPRESA that do the main contract work on the house. He could be at our age, but I know that if he had been working in Norway he would be challenged to work in his age. He is fit as a fiddle and keep his touch on the work and make us feel even more part of the family.

Kjetil corner

Kjetils corner

Pasqual have a son, Samuele, yes the chef at Gli Orti as I have mentioned, who again is married to Silvia, who have a sister, who is married to our architect. Did I say we kept in the family? Samuele have this fantastic great restaurant where I have seen the food transform over the last 15 years from a Tuscan food, presented as any grandmother from Lucca would do and in a family setting. Today 15 years later it is almost the same menu, but the presentation has a signature of Samuele that is quite different, the family setting and atmosphere is the same. The reason why I cannot avoid mention it again and again.

We have changed location compare to where we used to stay for our vacation. All the years before it has been Hotel Ilaria in Lucca, a good quality B&B that I would come back to had it not been for the house. This time it is Casolare dei Fiori, just 100 meters away from our home. I know I will have some work to do too, so this short walk make it very convenient to stay there. Plus it has a pool that we can relax with if we do not want to head for the sea 20 minutes away.

Casolare dei Fiori

TripAdvisor is a page I have been looking at lately too. You can call me proactive, I prefer to be so, and special to have a good idea of which restaurants and pizzerias we are to visit on our list. We love to walk so a km or two away will just make us extra hungry for what any of these places has to offer. To us it important as well to find out which place can serve us Pizza with Prosciutto and Rocket along with our Saturday drink Prosecco.

So what have the progress on our house been? Scaffolding up, crane up for dismantling the roof, the electricity should be there so all work can be done. Look forward to be across to do my own pictures as well find the grass cutter we bought to enjoy cutting 5000m2 with land.