Where gardens are very rare in medieval hilltop towns and villages in Italy, the only way you can dry your washing is by hanging them from your window by various pulley methods. In summer, they dry quickly especially if your window gets some sun but many houses do not get the sun, the buildings being so close to each other but the washing eventually gets dry. But come the cold winter, washing must takes days to dry. In Liguria they put plastic sheets over the washing to stop the rain but never seen this method in Barga. On the French Riviera very little washing is hung out - maybe they think it doesn’t look good but I like the washing out. At least you know someone is alive and living behind those closed shutters!
Today I had the opportunity of visiting Pruneta di Sopra, www.pruneta.com just outside Castelnuovo. Run by Allessandro Guaspari and his family, the location of this country villa, surrounded by open parkland and woods is magnificent and a swimming pool makes it a perfect place to stay and relax.
Our daughter Mariella has been doing some work experience at the museum of the poet Giovanni Pascoli (1855 - 1912) in Castelvecchio just outside Barga. This late afternoon we went for a private guided tour taken by Mariella and her friend Veronica, both excellent and very professional! This gave me a chance to do a quick sketch of the beautiful garden and stunning distant mountain views.
Electricity went off yesterday, only got it back on this morning so uploading yesterday’s sketch now! A lovely summer day and a clear warm night, summer has arrived! This sketch was done just after the sun had set behind the distant mountains. A reminder of a beautiful day.
This afternoon I went to see the editor of The Grapevine Magazine, Norma Jean Bishop to chat about featuring my daily sketches on the front cover of the magazine together with an article. Norma lives several kilometres south of Lucca, a very different landscape to the area around Barga. Lots of vines and especially olive trees which produce the famous Lucchese olive oil.
About a half mile walk past the hospital of Barga, the landscape opens out to pasture land with some terrific views of the distant mountains. I liked the reddish coloured rendered house with the telegraph poles leading the eye to the building.
Many people in this area keep vines, making wine mainly for personal use. You have to go to the central region of Tuscany where wine is produced on a grand scale. I liked this building on a terrace nestled within vines.
