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