For many tourists the idea of Tuscany, Italy is a series of cyprus trees set in rolling hills with the occasional group of buildings with red tiled roofs and all under a perfect blue sky.
Visitors to Barga know that view is not something that they will find in this area but probably many of them are also not so aware of quite how bare looking the countryside around the city can look in the winter.
The trees in this area, chestnuts, acacia and further up the mountains, the beech are all deciduous and so all their fine summer greenery is replaced during the winter season by bare branches.
Now all that bareness and monochrome colours does not mean that the landscape is an any way boring -- in fact the constantly changing light makes for some of the most exciting dynamic views.
Don’t believe me ?
Have a look at the short (1 minute and 30 seconds) video shot this afternoon from my window in Barga Vecchia looking due North towards Sommocolonia on what was a miserable looking grey afternoon in late February.
The sound track to this video is from a work in progress -- 24 waves for piano solo by Massimo Salotti