One of the main reasons for choosing to live here is our friends, and we count ourselves very lucky to have so many wonderful people that we can call friends. Barga is a very special cosmopolitan place, a vortex to enable and develop great local and global friendships. I consider myself so fortunate to have so many diverse and talented friends that I can call upon and share precious time with.
With autumn drawing in, friends going home after their summer here it is a time of contemplation. For me living here is like living a storybook, there are those of us who stay here all of the time being the main characters the thread through the book, whilst those who have other lives, other places and other families to share their time with, depart and return bring the drama, the excitement, laughter, fun and sometimes tears to what without them might just turn out to be a normal, maybe even a little tedious lifestyle.
But as anyone who spends any length of time here knows normal and tedious do not enter into our vocabulary and I could not list all of the amazing people who call me their friend there are just too many and each as important as the other. There are never times of sadness as we say our “Goodbyes”, knowing that we will follow their course with the aid of modern technology, the internet and for me Face book is a great way to keep abreast of all my global friends.
New friends from all over the globe continue to drop in, make our acquaintance, we hope take away something of that uniqueness, that specialness and the magic so that we can stay in their thoughts as they recount their journey after they have passed through. Barga has an energy, vibrant but most of all encompassing. You always feel apart of it and for those of us who live here we feel as if we are home, we belong. But even for our friends who have departed when they return, it is as if they had never left, they too feel they can call it home and know that they too belong.
Times passes so quickly, one day turns into a week, turns into a month. Sometimes I feel as if I am in a different zone to the rest of the world. Yes, I can read about the wars, the politics and the religions that pull humankind apart but here we are safe, we are happy (most of the time) and we are blessed. How lucky are we!
It has been a wet summer, the weather certainly hasn’t been kind to us but this has not dampened our outlook, everyone has still created a very special and unique ambiance. One that tourists and general people passing through pick up on and are lifted with the euphoria of Barga and its inhabitants, of course, when I say Barga I also bring into this all of the surrounding communities, because a lot of us don’t actually live there, we live in the beautiful hilltop towns, and villages that surround it.
Yes I have cried as I have lost friends, friends whose journey continues in other dimensions, but not for long because just as we remain in the hearts and memories of our friends who depart for the winter months, our departed friends too carry our hearts and memories with them and we too carry their hearts and memories to warm those cold winter nights as they draw closer.
There are so many memories this year to draw upon, so many wonderful and inspirational people who have left their mark, openly shown their love and friendship. For me, you all know that you are special to me, but this year a few people have really helped to bring the community even closer together and continue to do so year after year.
One of those have to be Tom who has brought Villa Libano to life; we have all spent some memorable times in this beautiful Villa, been able to spend time with old and meet new friends. Walter, Riccardo and Keane bringing Music, Art and Life, creating an ideal venue for sharing precious moments for both friends and strangers alike, Gian Luca for the best birthday party every. I have to confess to a little hangover after that one. Anne and Fiona for helping me bring more friends together for our little get togethers, all of them nights to remember.
Sally, Helen and Fiona for bring a new and fresh approach to the Operatic scene with Bel Canto, again a time for sharing. I just loved the new approach bringing in locals and laughter and on that Gala Evening, Luca with the final aria, exceptional, no words would ever be good enough for that performance, it was truly hair rising and certainly pushed all of my buttons.
I have written several times about my second family at Renaio, Diana and Sergio, Massimo, Valeria, Vanya, Lillyanna and not forgetting, Davide and Francessco who have not only opened their doors, their lives and their hearts to us, they are so much more than friends they are indeed family, I consider myself so lucky and humbled by their generosity of spirit and time.
Sharing Alfredo’s 70th birthday celebrations (my Nutty Professor, never change Alfredo we love you as you are and we know that you always “Do it your way”!) and being called an honorary Sommocolonian for the evening, meeting Bill and Solace whom I wrote about in the last article – Lest they not be forgotten.
Meeting new friends like Leigh and Diemetri who hit the national headlines when they turned Ponte di Catagnana into a city, pulling all of the local community together to clean the bridge, give it a new lease of life and then organize a plastic duck race. Read more here
The brothers and the sisters from the Villa, Via della Mura, whom we have been fortunate to join the Inauguration of museum and school for sacred arts, for the wonderful special birthday lunch of Richards, the mushroom hunting and recently the blackberry picking and poo collections. Brother Andrew you must wear darker colored trousers next time! Read more about the Brothers and Sisters here
As I have said earlier on, there have been so many shared times, so many friends that it would be impossible to write each one down, but trust me they are stored in my memory bank, who knows when they will be recounted, please don’t be offended if you haven’t been mentioned, rest assured that anytime, I have spent with anyone is cherished and will always be a part of me. THANK YOU to you all I am humbled and privileged to be called your friend.
I salute each and every one of you.
Article by Sensone
