Now that I’ve been back from Italy for a few weeks it almost seems like a dream that I was there. Thankfully I have lots of photos and great memories of my time in my home away from home, especially the week of the Panini Girl Tour in Lucca.
May was definitely cooler than normal with a fair amount of drizzle, but there were moments of sun and we didn’t let the inclement weather stop us from any of our adventures.
Our days were varied, but they all began with freshly baked pastries from my favorite neighborhood pastry shop- Pasticceria Dianda accompanied by strong Italian coffee.
We traveled to the mountainous Garfagnana for a hands on lesson on baking bread with the ever charming Paolo.
Off we went with our umbrellas on a very early morning train to Florence for a half day tour of tasting classic Tuscan specialties- cantucci, pecorino, finocchiona salami, lampredotto, ribollita, peposo, and of course Chianti Classico-my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
It’s hard to pick a favorite activity, but a cooking class in the fabulous kitchen of our apartment with the talented and lovely Alessandra along with her assistant Tamara is always near the top of the list. I have to admit that the lesson always includes a lot of laughs and the multi course dinner we created was unforgettable.
And who doesn’t like a day of wine tasting? We traveled out of town into the gentle sloping hills above Lucca to visit Fattoria Fubbiano. The grounds were gorgeous, the views were spectacular and the wines paired with local cheese and salumi was another perfect taste of the region.
Evenings included more local wine and dinners around the table at local trattorias. A bowl of Lucca’s famous tordelli pasta is a must at least once while you’re in town.
It’s not too soon to start thinking about joining me in Lucca next year in the fall-the dates are set September 19 to 26, 2020. Stayed tuned for the details coming soon.
Contact me at paninigirl4@gmail.com with questions.
Panini Girl 
June 21, 2019 at 5:54 pm
Looks like you had a great time exploring Italy, it’s been ages since my last visit, would love to return one day 😀
June 28, 2019 at 10:20 pm
Our Crossings-you definitely should plan a trip back. No matter how much time passes Italy is always still such an enchanting place.