Bagni di Lucca and Beyond has reached a bit of a milestone. We have had 100,000 hits. I know this is not a lot by blog standards, but I am most impressed. When we started the blog we didn’t really know what a blog was, much less what to do with one. Liz’s son kindly set it up for us and after a very tentative beginning it started gaining momentum and now gets lots of hits every day.
It has opened up a whole new world. I have made friends through the blog. Some I have actually met and some I feel as though I know through their lovely comments. The interaction is something I did not expect, and is the most fun part. One of my posts has been “freshly pressed” and received 4,000 hits in 24 hours. I find it amazing that there are so many people out there who find our blog.
Lots of people have shown an interest in Bagni di Lucca and some have even come to visit as a result of the blog. One lovely reader came and bought her own little bit of the village. I look forward to getting to know her better when she moves in to her apartment later in the year. I hope she loves it as much as we do.
Thank you to all our readers. Some seem to read every post and others stop by occasionally. I hope you all continue to find something of interest. Please leave a comment occasionally – we love to read them. I look forward to the next 100,000 hits.
Thank you to all our readers
Hi Deb,
I have never left a comment but always enjoy reading your blog. As you know my family is from Bagni Di Lucca and I have been showing my mother (who is now 89) some of the fantastic pics you put up on your blog. She has not been back to Italy since migrating to Australia over 55 years ago and its amazing how she remembers Bagni Di Lucca so well.
We all love your blog you do a wonderful job, it brings back very fond memories for us all. keep up the good work.
cheers, roberto pierucci
By: Roberto Pierucci on May 21, 2011
at 4:02 am
Hi Roberto, Nice to hear from you. I have met your relatives in Bagni di Lucca. I tried to get a photo of one of them, but she declined, saying she was to old to be photographed. I see her at the bar regularly. What a pity you mother has not been back. It is a beautiful place, especially now in spring. It was very difficult to leave.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 4:25 am
Well done Deb!
By: mary D on May 21, 2011
at 4:27 am
Thank you.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 4:29 am
Congratulations on reaching 100,000 hits! I am not surprised that people have been inspired to visit Bagni di Lucca after reading your blog.
Keep posting and I’ll keep reading! 🙂
By: lisa@notesfromafrica on May 21, 2011
at 4:27 am
I find it incredible that so many people read our blog – I love it! Thank you for following.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 4:30 am
Hello Deb, it’ll be nice to see you at home again. I rarely leave a comment – but I do read every one of your blogs and enjoy them.
By: Anonymous on May 21, 2011
at 4:50 am
Thank you, now if I only knew who you are.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 5:39 am
Congratulations! I think about a 1000 of those hits are mine. I enjoy my morning read of BdL, so keep up the good work!
By: Richard Tulloch on May 21, 2011
at 4:52 am
Thank you for your 1,000 hits. I always read yours too.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 5:40 am
Congratulations! And well deserved. You say it’s not much by blog standards but to me as a beginner blogger who is lagging a long way behind this it certainly seems amazing, and for a blog that is based on a small town in Italy I think it’s doubly amazing. The dedication, time and effort you put into this blog is so impressive. Well done!
By: From a Tuscan Villa on May 21, 2011
at 5:08 am
Thank you, no doubt you will catch up soon.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 5:40 am
Fantastic Deb! I was waiting for the milestone…….we love your blog and you are an inspiration to us all. Your photos are fabulous and keep doing what you are doing.
By: Moira Drexler on May 21, 2011
at 5:19 am
Thanks Moira, your blog is great too.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 5:41 am
Hearty congratulations, Debra, on reaching a milestone on your blog; also so nice of you to share your journey with us. You’ve certainly encouraged me to consider that taking those first tentative steps can lead to all kinds of interesting possibilities. I look forward to reading more of your stories and admiring your photography skills. Will leave you with a quote from Berger Paints: “Keep on keeping on” with your blog!
By: Sandra H on May 21, 2011
at 5:51 am
I remember that ad with Rolf Harris. I hope you did the bit with the paint can.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:34 am
Congratulations, that is amazing. I can’t imagine that I’ll ever has many readers as you do, but this is encouraging. I’m so happy for the two of you.
By: Charlotte on May 21, 2011
at 5:59 am
Your blog is great. I read every post.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:28 am
good onya love!
we should have a coffee when you come home!
xx
By: darylbutler on May 21, 2011
at 6:15 am
We will do exactly that when I get home.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:29 am
Proud of you Debra! Your blog is very special and unique.
I am so happy to have found it. I can’t even remeber how I did it anymore, but it did play a very important role in my life and you know why!
A big warm congratulations hug!
Rose
By: Roslay Palma Tornes on May 21, 2011
at 6:56 am
I’m glad you found us. See you in October.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:29 am
Congrats Debra, All plaudits well deserved! We have a place round the corner from you and you do a great job in capturing the spirit and beauty of Bagni. We haven’t been able to get over much this year as moving house in UK (soon to be RyeinBagni) so your posts are like food parcels from home to an expat!
By: balhaminbagni on May 21, 2011
at 8:01 am
I hope to meet you at Bar Italia one day.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:30 am
Congratulations! What a milestone and how lovely that people have actually come to visit there as a result of the blog!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on May 21, 2011
at 8:16 am
We love our village and are happy to have new visitors.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:31 am
Congratulations on your wonderful blog. I read them all & love them all. Am sorry I don’t comment. With each posting you share the experience… big or small. Thank you. I was hoping to meet you before you left but it did not work out. Hopefully someday. But please keep blogging wherever you are.
By: w m lange on May 21, 2011
at 8:59 am
No doubt we will catch up one day. I hope you enjoy posts from other places as well.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:33 am
Congratulations on reaching 100,000 hits. I introduced my neighbours to the blog prior to them travelling to Italy to see their son in Umbria. They spent an enjoyable week in Lucca and caught the bus to Bagni di Lucca for a meal and coffee.
Cheers Judy
By: Judy on May 21, 2011
at 9:02 am
Lucca is a gorgeous place. I hope they enjoyed Bagni di Lucca.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:36 am
Hi Deb I dont often leave a comment but this milestone is great. I get up each morning hoping there will be one there. Your Blogs are enticing me to expand my trip to england next year so we will see. Catch up soon when you are back in Brisvegas. PS I love the ring in Moira’s message
By: chris on May 21, 2011
at 10:28 am
See you soon. I’m sure Moira would love you to have that ring. You might even find one at Kellies.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:32 am
100 000! Wow!
You are so popular.
Love your blog!
By: Liz Golding on May 21, 2011
at 10:44 am
Who would have thought? See you soon.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 11:32 am
When i was a kid growing up my mother used to talk about the village she was from and the small town of Bagni where she would shop. Back then no one knew where Tuscany was much less Bagni di Lucca. Due to the computers and blogs now everyone knows about this well kept secret . Deb you have done a great job communicating to the world about this wonderful little place and it’s surroundings. Congrats on all the hits!
By: Ida on May 21, 2011
at 12:05 pm
I love sharing stories about Bagni di Lucca. It is a tiny place where not a lot happens, or so it would appear. It is actually a busy little vilage. I could spend my day sitting on my balcony watching the piazza and be constantly amused.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:18 pm
This is a very special corner, a very warm one. I’m so glad you are sharing this with us. I’ll certainly visit Bagni di Lucca when I have a chance.
By: maru on May 21, 2011
at 12:14 pm
I hope you come while I am there and I can show you around.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:18 pm
You definately have inspired me to visit Italy~ and hopefully Bagni di Lucca. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona and thoroughly enjoy reading and seeing the lovely photographs on your site, I look forward to it every day. It is on my calendar for 2012 – 50th bday!! Thank you Debra
By: Christine Altmayer on May 21, 2011
at 2:30 pm
I first set foot in Bagni di Lucca on my 50th birthday in 2003. We have never regretted our decision to buy an apartment there. I hope you enjoy your birthday there.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 21, 2011
at 2:36 pm
Congratulations Debra! As I told you my sister is reading your blog regularly every day (sometime twice a day) and she asked me to thank you about your wonderful photos. Your style of writing is something special – warm and interesting and …..
Heli
By: Anonymous on May 21, 2011
at 3:18 pm
Thank you. See you in Helsinki.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:21 pm
Congratulations for a well deserved milestone! Soon you will reach 1,000,000 hits!
By: Mulino Dominillo on May 21, 2011
at 4:03 pm
I think that may take a while.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:21 pm
Tanti auguri! Great job you did!!!!
By: Anonymous on May 21, 2011
at 4:50 pm
Thank you. It has been fun.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:21 pm
I’m glad to have found my way to your blog, to Bagni di Lucca and to you,my new friend! Thank you Debra and here’s to the next 100,000!
By: paninigirl on May 21, 2011
at 5:32 pm
It was great to meet you. See you in October.
By: bagnidilucca on May 21, 2011
at 6:22 pm
Congratulations and well done ..:-) I came via Pannini girls blog 🙂 love Italy .. just been to the North East near Trieste .. fabulous.
By: anne on May 21, 2011
at 10:06 pm
Thank you. There is a lot to love in Italy.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 3:28 am
Congratulations! I love your blog, every little bit of it.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on May 21, 2011
at 10:13 pm
Thank you. I love yours too. It is full of great information, photos and is a great read.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 3:30 am
I love your blogs Debra. On many occasions I find great humour but always great beauty. Enjoy your trip back to Brisvegas. As you know winter is the perfect time. I hope to catch up with you on your return regarding my own little visit to Italy.
Warm regards, Kaye
By: Kaye on May 21, 2011
at 10:14 pm
Thanks! I love winter in Brisbane. We’ll catch up soon.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 3:32 am
Debra has always been articulate, witty, an engaging conversationalist. The blog readers may not know that she is also artistic (not just with a camera), an innovative clothes designer, a brilliant cook and hostess and and her decorating skills are awesome. Debra can pick a few seemingly insignificant weeds and arrange them beautifully in a vase then looking like a work of art.
Well done with the blog – many enjoy it even if we don’t regularly post comments.
Nifta
By: Anonymous on May 22, 2011
at 1:19 am
Blog readers may not know this, but Nifta is my sister – a touch of bias perhaps. Thank you Nifta, now let me at those weeds.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 3:34 am
Follow that!! I think it’s a huge milestone – 100,000 times people have been motivated by your blog to click and visit again. All the plaudits above are well deserved Deb. Along with everybody else I enjoy my adventures through BDL; gazing into your photographs, chortling at your wry humour and bouncing off into other people’s worlds via links to their blogs. It was you who first introduced me to the world of blogs via Celia’s blog and I’ve had so much fun, interest and motivation in blogland. I have to, just have to, get to that bar and fill my little cheeks with a sfoglia before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
By: Jan on May 22, 2011
at 2:16 am
Why not give each cheek it’s own sfoglia? You won’t be sorry.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 3:35 am
That’s amazing in itself Deb, but doesn’t surprise me in the least. I’m not even sure how I came across your blog, but I love to visit & dream of places I’ll one day visit, sometimes I even imagine I’m there with you checking out your fabulous life. Well done & congrats Lovely 🙂
By: Anna Johnston on May 22, 2011
at 11:19 am
I read all your posts too and can’t wait to try some of your recipes when I get home.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 5:03 pm
Congratulations, that’s great!! I really love reading and following your blog, it is one of my favourites!
By: Minna on May 22, 2011
at 11:27 am
Thank you, going to new places and old ones we love is fun.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 5:04 pm
Well done !!!
I am only a new reader to your blog but can I say I look forward to your wonderful travel stories and Photos.
Thank you x
By: Lorraine on May 22, 2011
at 11:33 am
Thank you for following the blog. I hope you find it interesting.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 5:04 pm
Deb and Liz, congratulations!!! That’s a fantastic milestone, and can’t wait to join you in the next 100,000 hits worth of posts! 🙂 xx
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on May 22, 2011
at 11:39 am
I know it isn’t a lot really, but I am fairly pleased with it. Let’s hope there is anohter 100,000.
By: bagnidilucca on May 22, 2011
at 5:05 pm
well done, love reading them everyday. for some reason the last 2 went into my anti-spam folder, but I found them………….
see you soon
By: kirsi sade on May 22, 2011
at 9:43 pm
Thanks, I wonder what happened with the spam thing.
By: bagnidilucca on May 23, 2011
at 10:50 am
Congratulations! I am in awe (and maybe a little envy, too!). What is freshly pressed, I wonder? I’m glad it’s something good and that it brought you so many hits. You deserve it all, because you do a lovely blog.
By: farfalle1 on May 23, 2011
at 8:37 pm
If you go to wordpress.com you will see that they have featured blogs at the top of the page. These are freshly pressed. Bagni di Lucca and Beyond had a post freshly pressed in February. It was a lot of fun. Thank you for your kind words.
By: bagnidilucca on May 24, 2011
at 5:07 am
A very professional job. Having taken 2 weeks to read all of the blogs right from the start, your milestone comes as no surprise. I feel as though I know you and Bagni di Lucca very well. Of course, I now have to wait patiently for the next post!!!! Actually, I will re-read them again and gaze at all those amazing photographs. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
By: Nadya Tuxworth on May 31, 2011
at 4:35 am
How amazing that you have gone back to the beginning. Thank you for taking the time. I post something new most days. I hope you don’t get bored.
By: bagnidilucca on May 31, 2011
at 6:09 am
My husband and I are relaxing in our home here in Lammari. While he is reading, I am enthralled with your blog and so excited that I found it! I plan to relish every entry, reading and rereading, enjoying the lovely pictures (which give me good ideas!), and taking notes for our upcoming visit. So creative, so well written, adn so informative. Better than any tour book on BDL or Lucca! Keep blogging. Thank you for such entertaining reading!
By: Gayle Wilbert-Paoletti on September 28, 2011
at 7:32 pm
Thank you for following the blog!
By: bagnidilucca on September 30, 2011
at 7:14 am
Well done ! After ten years in the area I also have an affection for this valley and the people.
By: Celia Prosecchino on December 11, 2011
at 8:51 am