Daily Sketch No.174 The Road through the House, Barga, Tuscany

Just down the hill from Barga is the local cemetery and just near it is a tiny hamlet where the road goes through one of the houses! What I want to know is was the road made before or after the house was built? Imagine if it was the latter, someone comes around from the highway dept and tells you that your first floor is going to be demolished for a road!

Daily Sketch No.173 The day before the rain arrives, Barga, Tuscany

A very quick sketch today of Barga Duomo with the impending rain brewing over the distant mountains. Rain and cooler weather expected for several days!

Daily Sketch No.172 Bridge at Castelnuovo, Garfagnana, Tuscany

Back in the Garfagnana area of Tuscany, far away from the beautiful region of the French Riviera. This is the old bridge that spans the river that flows through Castelnuovo, a nice geometric contrast with the surrounding landscape.

Daily Sketch No.171 Palm Tree, Menton, France

Palm trees are symbolic of seaside resorts on the French Riviera and this large tree framed the old town of Menton in the distance.

Daily Sketch No.170 ‘The Invisible Man’ Menton, France

This piece of ‘street art’ caught my attention as well as many passers by. Florence has people dressed as statues down by the Uffizi Museum and Gallery but I though this was brilliant for Menton - a smart dapper gent dressed in a deep red suit, white trousers and hat with a walking stick and no head! 

I imagined him coming to work in this attire (he cannot change on the street as that would give the game away) on the bus or train reading his newspaper or even driving his car through Menton. Imagine pulling up at traffic lights, you look across and see this man with no head! Maybe he is not a man but a child or even a woman, that is why I love this ‘Invisible Man’, the mystery of not knowing what is underneath this disguise!

Daily Sketch No.169 Illy Coffee, Menton, France

From this cafe in Menton you can just about see the sea - and the cafe also serves Illy coffee, my favourite although the French cannot do good cappuccinos, the milk is too frothy and not steamed but the French do better pastries!

Daily Sketch No.168 Le Brazza Cafe, Menton, France

This very welcoming shady square in Menton is one of my favourite spots in the town, sometimes spending a whole afternoon just sitting watching people go about their daily life.

Daily Sketch No.167 Glimpse of the Sea, Menton, France

Just come back from a trip on the French Riviera with limited internet access so the next five Daily Sketches (of Menton) will be uploaded together!

This is a view from the old town of Menton, just catching a glimpse of the sea between the buildings.

Daily Sketch No.166 San Romano, Garfagnana, Tuscany

Up in the lovely village of San Romano this morning dropping off some framed sketches for a customer. This sketch looking towards the village shows the large amount of trees that surround this area although the valley is more open with pasture land than around Barga.

Daily Sketch No.165 Panda Police Car, Barga Vecchia, Tuscany

The local municipal police in Barga still drive around in the original Fiat Panda, perfect for getting around narrow alleys but not great if in hot pursuit of a stolen car like a Ferrari. Although I have never heard of any stolen cars in Barga, only frozen cakes from the Gelateria a few years ago!

Daily Sketch No.164 Evening, Barga Vecchia, Tuscany

This is a classic view of Barga Vecchia, the soft evening sun shining on the warm coloured buildings with the duomo as the focal point in the sketch.

Daily Sketch No.163 The Three Umbrellas, Barga, Tuscany

These three umbrellas outside the L’Altana restaurant just within the walls of Barga Vecchia reminded myself of the three Amigos with their large sombrero hats protecting them from the hot Mexican sunshine, like these umbellas protecting their customers from the hot Tuscan sunshine!

Daily Sketch No.162 Barga Jazz, Barga, Tuscany

Every year Barga hosts a jazz festival when the first Sunday of the festival is dedicated to live jazz within the medieval walls of Barga Vecchia. Hundreds of people come to the city, walking from one piazza to another taking in the lively atmosphere.

Daily Sketch No.161 Tuscan Cacti, Barga, Tuscany

Our neighbour in Barga Vecchia has the most amazing views from his terrace including a collection of Cacti which grow very well especially in this heatwave summer!

Daily Sketch No.160 Gallicano, Tuscany

Most people would pass this mundane scene hundreds of times but through artist eyes the mundane becomes a thing of beauty especially with a bit of artistic license and colour!

Daily Sketch No.159 Bar next to Mologno Station, Tuscany

The bar next to the local train station is not in a picturesque area, modern houses and a new shopping complex across the road but as I passed this morning, the two big trees created some nice shadows and the sun shining on the bar gave me inspiration for my Daily Sketch.

Daily Sketch No.158 This Washing needs some Sun, Gallicano, Tuscany

If you live in a medieval town or village with narrow streets, you may be lucky and catch some sun to dry your washing. Unfortunately the washing on the right may never see sun. What a difference a few metres can make!

Daily Sketch No.157 Passing Storm, Barga, Tuscany

Finally the rain arrived this afternoon. A passing storm that only lasted half an hour but badly needed by not just vegetation but also myself! This view, sketch several times already shows the storm above the distant mountains.

Daily Sketch No.156 Night, Bagni di Lucca

20 Minutes drive from Barga is the spa town of Bagni di Lucca. In the 1800s the town became popular with the English aristocracy. Now it is frequented by visitors from all over the world.

Daily Sketch No.155 Tractor near Ghizzano, Central Tuscany

A trip to south east of Pisa today where the landscape is typical Tuscan - rolling hills, fields of sunflowers and Cyprus trees, very different to Northern Tuscany. Many visitors come to this area and tourism is important to the local economy but it is still a farming area, famous for wine and olives.

Daily Sketch No.154 Cafe Capretz at Night, Barga, Tuscany

Originally the undercover market hall, the Cafe Capretz is busy throughout the day but after midnight there is tranquility, just the bats flying around.

Daily Sketch No.153 Fosso Arch from Via di Mezzo, Barga, Tuscany

Via di Mezzo is the main road through Barga Vecchia although only small cars can use due to not only the narrowness but also one 90 degree turn near the Gelateria. The longest vehicle I have seen drive through has been a Volvo estate and that has been in reverse gear!

Daily Sketch No.152 Looking up Via Borgo, Barga, Tuscany

This was one of the three entrances into medieval Barga Vecchia. No archway like the other two entrances, just a very steep hill and in the summer heat not easy, although the local elderly ladies seem to jog up with two bags of shopping no problem! Maybe that is why they live for so long.

Daily Sketch No.151 Church near Villetta, Garfagnana, Tuscany

This church near Villetta between Castelnuovo and San Romano blends perfectly into the surrounding landscape. Around the church are a few houses adding scale to this large building which must have been an important place of worship in the area centuries ago.

Daily Sketch No.150 Fosso Archway and Fiat Panda, Barga, Tuscany

This entrance into old Barga always has things going on, people being dropped off, deliveries, visitors starting their journey through the streets of Barga. You could sit on a bench here all day, there is something usually to watch and observe. Maybe you could set up a video camera for 24 hours and re-run the film compressed into 24 minutes.

Daily Sketch No.149 Original Fiat 500, Barga, Tuscany

The original Fiat 500 is as iconic as the Vespa. Built from 1957, it was a cheap small car for the masses, now a classic car that many people still want to drive including myself!

Daily Sketch No.148 Ran Romano Church, Tuscany

The church tower is always the focus of any village and a very useful addition for a landscape painter. They create not just a focal point in the picture but something vertical and the sharp lines give contrast to soft foliage as in this sketch of Ran Romano village, a half hour drive north of Barga.

Daily Sketch No.147 Mordimi Restaurant, Barga, Tuscany

This little piazza in Barga Vecchia has been transformed in recent years by the Gelateria and the Mordimi restaurant and wine bar, especially at night with people eating delicious ice cream and sampling lovely food and wine.

Daily Sketch No.146 View from Da Ricardos Terrace, Barga, Tuscany

This is the view from the terrace of Da Ricardos restaurant in Barga. Not a bad view while eating your pasta with a glass of vino!

Daily Sketch No.145 The Trees of Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Tuscany

Today, a trip down to Lucca to stock up on art supplies and a wander around, seeking shade from the hot sun. These trees in Piazza Napoleone always amaze, whatever time of year. Sculptural in winter and dramatically pruned early Spring, you would never imagine that they would develop such huge amounts of foliage in summer which supply welcome shade especially for these two cyclists!

Daily Sketch No.144 Fish and Chip Festival, Barga, Tuscany

Every summer the local Barga football club hosts the fish and chip festival. Dozens of long trestle tables are aligned under a huge tent, where friends and families meet to eat this very British dish but remember we are in the most Scottish Town in Italy! so it all seems quite normal except the slice of lemon with the fish (no malt vinegar). But the setting sun behind the distant mountains reminds us we are in still in Tuscany and not Britain!

Daily Sketch No.143 Bottom of Via Borgo

Another narrow street in Barga, this is the bottom of Via Borgo, the start of an uphill climb from the Red telephone box. At least many of these narrow streets offer some welcome shade from the hot August sun.

Daily Sketch No.142 The Red Telephone Box, Barga

Blue sky, sunshine and a British Red Telephone Box! It cannot be Britain as the sky would be grey and it would be raining. In fact, it is in the centre of Barga. Yes, there is a classic red telephone box in Barga, probably the only one in Italy although I did see a red London bus in Sicily a few years ago. The box was a gift to Barga from Mauro Cecchini, a retired fish and chip shop owner from Edinburgh whose family came from Barga. The fish and chip festival is also on..... well Barga is nicknamed the Most Scottish Town in Italy!

Daily Sketch No.141 Duomo and L’Osteria, Barga, Tuscany

From most places in Barga you can see the Duomo. As the crow flies, getting from Piazza Angelio, the main piazza in Barga is not far, you can just catch a glimpse of the tower but it is all uphill and especially in the summer heat is literally an uphill task!