http://www.barganews.com/daily/2005/12/09/the-mutande-of-barga-exhibition-opens-in-florence/
I think this artist is so clever. He has gone around this medieval Italian town (it's an artsy nature loving town) painting the underwear hanging outside people's windows. And his show of pantie paintings is now in Florence. He made a calendar of these photos (and I'm trying to order two). Very few people use clothes dryers in this town like we do in the US, so in this town (and I suspect much of Italy) you often see underwear on clothes lines hanging outside the 15th century old buildings, along with the begonias, geraniums, and other flowers. And you often see shoes airing out on the window cills (sp?) as well.
In some ways, I see many similarities between this old Italian town and SoWal -- the natural beauty is wonderful, there's an effort to find the balance between the old and the new, there's an effort to balance tourism with the peacefulness of the town (yet tourism is one way the locals are bringing income to their families), there's an effort to balance striking natural beauty and growth. It is turning into an artists' community (the photographers on this board have counterparts in Barga -- you all should meet someday). There is jazz and outdoor opera in the summer as well. Hmmm, it would be interesting to be sister towns...
I guess our version would be "beach towels of SoWal" unless we can convince association boards in SoWal to let people hang underwear from their porches (we're not supposed to hang towels from our porches, so panties would be a stretch).
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
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100Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticAuthor
I fold it neatly and hide it!
So far, the hypothesis holds up... I do the same (except for the folding neatly part)
Teresa
TeresaSoWal GuideSouth Walton, FL30,983 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Guide
Uhhh, those are the men's underwear... Haven't you ever seen Italian men's bathing suits? Their underwear is the same style. Now, of course, I only know that theoretically :oops:
As for where the not-so-pretty underwear is, I don't think there is any not-so-pretty underwear in Italy.
oh!!! I thought those were pretty big panties for women, but still not granny panty style... so, they are men's underwear???????????? :shock: I gotta go back and take another look...
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticAuthor
oh!!! I thought those were pretty big panties for women, but still not granny panty style... so, they are men's underwear???????????? :shock: I gotta go back and take another look...
Look reaaaaally carefully at the shape of some of those panties... nope, some of those aren't for women...
Allifunn
AllifunnFunnChef - AlisonCooks.comSt Petersburg13,635 postsJoined View profileMessageFunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
The town is lovely -- just google "Barga" and see what comes up. It's near Pisa, Florence and Lucca. It is tourist friendly, but most people don't know about it unless they hear about it word of mouth because it's not in many tour books (except some off-the-beaten-trail tourbooks). The tourists tend to be Scots or people from the U.S. who have relatives there. It's a thriving town in the summers because of the many festivals and everyone gathers outside. We're going there this summer and I'm sure the panty paintings will be everywhere and I'll definitely look for the posters!let me know how the vacation goes..and where to stay. I plan on lots of travel in the next years...by myself, and I would love to go to Italy...somewhere that is good for US citizen alone
Allifunn
AllifunnFunnChef - AlisonCooks.comSt Petersburg13,635 postsJoined View profileMessageFunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
also found a great drawing of the town
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticAuthor
let me know how the vacation goes..and where to stay. I plan on lots of travel in the next years...by myself, and I would love to go to Italy...somewhere that is good for US citizen alone
This town would be fine alone. It would be so relaxing. I think it would be quite safe (I wouldn't think twice about safety, but I haven't been there alone in a long time). And enough people probably speak english there. The town is very easy to navigate once you get there (it's very small) and is a "walking town". If you go in the summer, there are a lot of little town festivals and activities and everyone is outdoors. You can also take a bus from the town center to Pisa, Florence, Lucca or Viareggio (a beach). You can stay in old Barga (inside the medieval wall with the old church at the top of the hill) or New Barga (outside the medieval wall with some newer construction) -- if you stay on the outskirts, you'd need a car to get into town (and I don't like to drive there because of the small winding roads that hug the mountain side with deep cliffs). Both old and new Barga have restaurants and stores and are within walking distance of each other. Old Barga is amazing though you can't really drive up and down the streets and it's all uphill/downhill (great exercise). New Barga is near more stores, grocery stores, bus station, parks, etc. We're staying in New Barga near the town center this year -- next to the ice cream/coffee shop with the outdoor patio where they hold dances and other activities (or at least they used to -- it may have changed over the years). The kids are old enough to walk there on their own and they'll love that. This looks like a good place to stay in Old Barga:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...4002393-Casa_Fontana_Tuscany_B_B-Tuscany.html. You can also see places on VRBO (that's how we found the place we're staying in).
There's a resort nearby too called Il Ciocco. We used to go dancing there and swim in the pool. I think the dancing and pool are still open to people not staying there (for a fee). I think the town center or old Barga would be best for people-watching and meeting people -- more variety: http://www.traditionaltuscany.co.uk/ciocco.html
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticAuthor
I have that poster framed in our home in Michigan! Where did you find it on the Internet?
When I was a teenager, I had friends in Barga (I still see some of them when I go back) and they'd get guitars and we'd sing on the lawn on the grass around the old church that you see in the poster late late at night into early morning. So nice...
Here's a great description of the town and area. The town is listed as part of the slow food's movement recommended places to go (I recently read about the slow food movement - grow food in environmentally respectable ways, cook slowly, eat slowly, enjoy the company...) http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/notes/central/kb_barga.htm
We'll be staying near the Piazza Giovani Pascoli (that is described in the description of the town) this summer. He was a well-known Italian poet from the area -- very melancholy poems. Someday, my dream would be to spend part of the winters in SoWal and parts of summers in the Barga area.
Here's a link to a web page all about Barga (like www.graytonbeach.com): http://www.barganews.com/index.html
Here's a link to an online guidebook: http://www.barganews.com/information/guide_english.html
When I was a teenager, I had friends in Barga (I still see some of them when I go back) and they'd get guitars and we'd sing on the lawn on the grass around the old church that you see in the poster late late at night into early morning. So nice...
Here's a great description of the town and area. The town is listed as part of the slow food's movement recommended places to go (I recently read about the slow food movement - grow food in environmentally respectable ways, cook slowly, eat slowly, enjoy the company...) http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/notes/central/kb_barga.htm
We'll be staying near the Piazza Giovani Pascoli (that is described in the description of the town) this summer. He was a well-known Italian poet from the area -- very melancholy poems. Someday, my dream would be to spend part of the winters in SoWal and parts of summers in the Barga area.
Here's a link to a web page all about Barga (like www.graytonbeach.com): http://www.barganews.com/index.html
Here's a link to an online guidebook: http://www.barganews.com/information/guide_english.html
Allifunn
AllifunnFunnChef - AlisonCooks.comSt Petersburg13,635 postsJoined View profileMessageFunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
I fold it neatly and hide it!guilty as charged...whew...glad to know I am a woman
Allifunn
AllifunnFunnChef - AlisonCooks.comSt Petersburg13,635 postsJoined View profileMessageFunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
I have that poster framed in our home in Michigan! Where did you find it on the Internet?found it here....Great picture!! Amazing that you have it! I am going to keep all your sites and explore them...I am very interested in this little town!
When I was a teenager, I had friends in Barga (I still see some of them when I go back) and they'd get guitars and we'd sing on the lawn on the grass around the old church that you see in the poster late late at night into early morning. So nice...
Here's a great description of the town and area. The town is listed as part of the slow food's movement recommended places to go (I recently read about the slow food movement - grow food in environmentally respectable ways, cook slowly, eat slowly, enjoy the company...) http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/notes/central/kb_barga.htm
We'll be staying near the Piazza Giovani Pascoli (that is described in the description of the town) this summer. He was a well-known Italian poet from the area -- very melancholy poems. Someday, my dream would be to spend part of the winters in SoWal and parts of summers in the Barga area.
Here's a link to a web page all about Barga (like www.graytonbeach.com): http://www.barganews.com/index.html
Here's a link to an online guidebook: http://www.barganews.com/information/guide_english.html
http://tuscanyrentals1.com/
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticAuthor
You'd love the town and the people. As you can tell from the art exhibition of the panties of Barga (they also have a "best public toilet in town" contest), they have a good sense of humor.
Smiling JOe
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
Very nice...this is how stupid I am..I actually thought the artist painted the panties as they were hanging on the line...like a cat burgler...striking in the night to paint peoples panties... :floor: then I saw the light and the paintings OF the panties :funn: The town sounds wonderful in your description...have you been there? Is it tourist friendly?You were not alone in your thought.
I adore the paintings and think they capture a great and real life moment. Makes me wonder -- If one hangs underwear in Alys Beach, does it have to be white? I could paint the Mutande Bianca of Alys Beach Series. :funn:
Teresa
TeresaSoWal GuideSouth Walton, FL30,983 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Guide
guilty as charged...whew...glad to know I am a woman
me too! I may not fold it neatly, but I bury it beneath my clothes!
Jdarg
JdargSoWal Expert18,040 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
me too! I may not fold it neatly, but I bury it beneath my clothes!
I spend more time neatly stacking my clothes and hiding my underwear than the doctor actually spends with me. I have also mastered the art of making a pareo out of a paper gown. ;-)
Allifunn
AllifunnFunnChef - AlisonCooks.comSt Petersburg13,635 postsJoined View profileMessageFunnChef - AlisonCooks.com
You were not alone in your thought.:clap_1: :cool:
I adore the paintings and think they capture a great and real life moment. Makes me wonder -- If one hangs underwear in Alys Beach, does it have to be white? I could paint the Mutande Bianca of Alys Beach Series. :funn:
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