Motrone

Strange name - strange place.  Motrone is a tiny village visible from Barga by night by its four street lights appearing impossibly high up in the mountains across the Serchio valley from us.  During the day it is hard to see the village with the unaided eye.  So a visit to Motrone has been on our list for a long time.  It is, of course at the end of an incredibly steep and winding road eight kilometres from the valley bottom.  Half-way up there is the village of San Romano.  We attempted to walk between the two, but after half and hour, the path fizzled out, so, reluctantly, we had to drive. Fortunately, not a vehicle was met with, either on the ascent or descent, so no horrible manoeuvres were necessary!  The village itself was as charming as we had expected, but there is no doubt that there are a lot of unoccupied houses ...

We chatted to an elderly woman who had been collecting vegetables from her much fenced-around garden.  She was fastening the gates with some care to prevent, she explained, the wild boars from eating all her produce ...  Later we met her again, this time barrowing wood to her house - quite an arduous life being lived high up in these villages still.

The four lights of Motrone, with Cardoso below, above the lights of the valley town

On the way, we went in to Cardoso to buy cheese and, er a cappuccino ...

Barbara washes the fruit at the medieval washing-up facility in San Romnano

Wild strawberry growing in San Romano

While up in Motrone, the streets still have their original cobbles 

Some more original than others ...

Wild widow irises growing in Motrone