Barga Spoke by Khara Bromiley

Occasionally you find a place that speaks to you through all your senses. Barga was precisely such a place for me. Visually every view was an artist’s dream come true. Colours old and new blended in rainbow hues. Buildings stacked in a mind bending array. Alleyways whisper their secrets from times long past, as they beckon us to explore those mysteries. My sense of smell was rewarded by the locals cooking for their families and for visitors like myself. Wood smoke and garlic blend in with the fresh mountain air, stimulating my appetite for more.

Barga introduced me to the muscles in the backs of my legs as I wandered down from Piazza Angelio to New Barga. I now know for sure that what goes down must come back up. The feel of uneven stones that at first threatened to trip me up soon became wonderfully familiar to navigate.

Colour and texture from every corner of Italy and the world. The people of Barga spoke volumes to my heart. Laura, whose beautiful smile heightened the experience of my morning cappuccino. Ricardo, who introduced me to foods from the region and whose warm hospitality will be well remembered. A soft spoken Italian-Irishman with knowing eyes who allowed me to see his Barga. Happy young students from Australia, Scotland and England, as well as Italian girls, full of enthusiasm for life, physical beauty and exuding charm as they brought us delicious plates of pasta along with pitchers of local red or white wine and also gave us glimpses of their private, exciting and sometimes poignant lives.

I loved the evenings when the squares became the living room of the community. All generations gathered together. Friendly nods of the head from older people talking about times past. Watching the children eating their gelato and playing noisily and happily. Music breaking out from a group sitting around a table; an opera singer displaying her range. A sax player there for the jazz festival. Sights, sounds and people I will not forget, and I set my internal GPS to get us back again to Barga before too long. Thank you all above for the wondrous escape.

• A coffee in Barga Vecchia ? – 3 years later – no change