One of the recurring topics of conversation over the summer months has been the continuing saga of just where it is possible to park your car in Barga close to your house without getting a parking ticket. The large influx of visitors to the city has meant that car parking spaces close to Barga Vecchia have been at a premium.
The few parking places still available inside the walls are sought after and protected as jealously as if they were family heirlooms. This week comes the news that the problems may soon be over with plans being made public of a proposed underground multilevel car park to be constructed outside the city walls at Fosso some time in the future. In the meantime, the situation at least in Piazza Fontana, has just got slightly easier for one or two residents.
In 1982 Quinto Lazzurri bought himself a car – a Fiat 127 Panorama for the then princely sum of ten million Lire. He used it for a number of years to move his gear for his passion – fishing. Ten years ago a new smaller door erected whilst restructuring his cantina made it impossible to keep his car inside and so it has been parked in the piazza ever since. For the past 6 years it has hardly ever moved and been covered with plastic sheeting to keep out the elements – the engine lovingly started at regular intervals to keep it in running order. All that changed today as Quinto finally decided that enough was enough and he was never going to ride in his car on the open road again.
Paolo Gas who runs the parcel delivery service in this area is now the new owner and as he explained this afternoon, the Panorama is just perfect for delivering parcels in Barga Vecchia during the winter.
Paolo gas was one of the first people from Barga on line way back in 1996. He arrived to be photographed with a gas cylinder painted pure white so that it would show up better on the screen ……he put in appearances on barganews ever since Paolo was one of the founding members of the now disbanded WINE BOYS and also a founding member of the very successful Barga Vespa Club. His site is here
Bets are now on to see just who will be first to discover the new free parking space in Piazza Fontana. Watch this space.