First of all I want to thank all of you who nominated the blog for the Italy Magazine competition, it is very kind of you to take the trouble. I will let you know of the outcome when I know something.
Barga is a gorgeous town not far from Bagni di Lucca. I need no excuse to visit. Here is beautiful Barga from behind from a slightly higher vantage point.
Here is the church from below.
…and this is the view from the courtyard in front of the church.
How clever of the town to hold a chocolate festival.
There was a little antique market set up in front of the entrance to the town.
…with all kinds of fun things for sale.
There were more markets in the tiny streets winding through the town.
And there was chocolate.
Yes, it is a chocolate chess set.
This chap had eaten enough chocolate and was busy cooking a sausage.
There were lots of people selling chocolate…look at this good looking threesome.
Luckily you don’t have to wait until the chocolate festival next year to buy their chocolate.
They have a shop in Fornaci di Barga, Theobroma in Via Della Republica, 381.
Thank you Barga, for a wonderful chocolaty day.
Baga is the most Scottish town in Italy. Click here to find out more.
Yum. Beautiful! The chess set is amazing, as are the tools. I’ve seen similar chocolate tools in a shop in Monti (Rome). I wonder how many towns in Italy now have chocolate festivals? We just had one this weekend in Modica, Sicily, and someone told me there was one in Bologna a few weeks ago, and then there’s always Perugia. Now I have to go gobble some chocolate….
By: jann on December 9, 2013
at 10:45 am
Any time and place seems a good idea for a chocolate festival.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 10, 2013
at 8:58 am
Oh goodness, does it get any better? Beautiful Italian village, great markets and chocolate!!
By: Where's Wiwi? on December 9, 2013
at 11:12 am
Everything really.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:02 pm
Love the chocolates.
By: ranu802 on December 9, 2013
at 11:17 am
I can report that the chocolates were very good.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:03 pm
Oh dear Debra, what you did now, this is exactly where I wanted to be. So beautiful, so beautiful…. I love Italian people and their creative minds… Especially I loved the knight in shining armor and dark red clothes… So beautiful. Thank you dear, your photographs, the landscapes, are all amazing. Love, nia
By: niasunset on December 9, 2013
at 11:43 am
It is a gorgeous village.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:04 pm
Debra, I am in bed with a miserable cold, your report and photos have cheered me up no end, thank you. Andrea 🙂
By: Andrea Waterhouse on December 9, 2013
at 11:55 am
A hot chocolate would have fixed you up.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:05 pm
I love the unfinished portrait. And all the chocolates of course!
By: eleanormarriott on December 9, 2013
at 12:13 pm
I would have loved that portrait.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:05 pm
A chocolate festival is one thing, but one is a beautiful setting would be too good to pass.
By: aFrankAngle on December 9, 2013
at 5:32 pm
Barga is delightful any time.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:06 pm
As IF I needed any more reasons to LOVE Barga!!! I think I will have to go raid my chocolate stash and pretend I am at the Porto Reale snacking on goodies and sipping a cappuccino……. sighhhhhhh
By: Anonymous on December 9, 2013
at 6:04 pm
There is much to love in Barga.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:07 pm
Now I’m craving a bar of chocolate. Wonderful pics of a most beautiful town. The chocolate was just a bonus. 🙂
By: anotherday2paradise on December 9, 2013
at 6:28 pm
The chocolate was a very good bonus.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:08 pm
Well…now I know we should never have come home. Chocolate of any kind is my favourite. All the stalls look fantastic and blue skies as well! Great day.
By: Jim & Kerry on December 9, 2013
at 10:25 pm
You definitely should have stayed longer…next time.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:09 pm
Super photos, Debra. We much enjoyed our excursion to Barga from Bagni di Lucca too.
By: Richard Tulloch on December 10, 2013
at 8:03 am
Luckily Barga is close enough that I can go often.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 12:10 pm
I love Barga and would have been thrilled to go to the festival!
By: paninigirl on December 10, 2013
at 2:23 pm
You would have loved it…maybe next year.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 11:32 am
This Chocolate Festival sounds like a great idea to bring more people to this beautiful, little town. It looked almost deserted when we have visited in last June. The views are indeed amazing.
By: Renata on December 10, 2013
at 4:05 pm
I would love to see more people in these lovely old towns. Festivals do help.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 11:32 am
What a beautiful range of vintage items. And chocolate too! Who can ever go wrong with chocolate!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on December 10, 2013
at 5:39 pm
It was a great little market. There were several things I could have bought, but finding room for more stuff is becoming difficult.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 11:31 am
Oh you are making me drool! I LOVE LOVE LOVE chocolate especially real chocolate. I would have gone crazy there. What a beautiful little town. 🙂
By: thirdeyemom on December 11, 2013
at 2:38 am
Barga is beautiful at any time. the chocolates werea bonus.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 11, 2013
at 11:27 am
I love the chess set idea! It motivates me to win LOL.
By: AlyZen Moonshadow on April 14, 2014
at 1:35 am
The pieces might make your fingers a bit sticky.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 14, 2014
at 8:06 am
We are visiting in December/January. Will there be ANYTHING open?
By: Leigh on July 18, 2014
at 8:26 am
No doubt the chocolate festival will be on again at about the same time. Several restaurants and shops stay open all year, but the town is fairly quiet. The newer part of Barga will be open for business. Lucca will be open and it is a great time to visit Florence and Pisa without the crowds.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 18, 2014
at 9:10 am