Tuscany by Photocat, Part 1 (Cortona)
Tuscany, the first week of October 2006
We left on sunday the 1st of October, and I was lucky enough to have a window seat. The only thing that makes flying bearable for me is the fact that I can snap.
Much to the amazement of my fellow passengers, who don't understand why I am glued with my camera to the window.
I know why though, the world from upthere looks magical. No sounds, no traffic, only the low roar of the plane, we are floating into white fluffs of cotton.
A huge ferry looks like a lost insect on the sea. Seemingly lost, it drifts off to far shores.
We are on our way to Fiumicino, Roma Airport, where William Taxis will await us and take us to his farm in Tuscany. They labored for four years now, and turned an old, run down farm into some splendid self catered holiday appartments. The family lives in one wing of the old farm house, the guests stay in the appartments.
We are in Tuscany for a week, staying with Michael Dunne his daughter Miranda and her family, and we are there to learn. Michael has been a photographer for his whole life, used to work for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, name any fashion magazine and he will have a past in it.
Now retired, he uses his time to teach, and I was one of the lucky ones who could join him in this Tuscany adventure.
It is a two hour drive from Rome airport to Il Pero, and it is dark by the time we arrive. We only get a good glimpse of the farm in the morning, when we have breakfast outside in the sun. October, and we have breakfast outside... Yippeeeeee...
After breakfast, I decide to explore the house a bit, before we leave for Cortona. We are near Arezzo, and surrounded by bunches of old villages, most of them in old antique walls, medival cities high on hill tops. Perched for eternity.
Tuscany is new to me, I have yet to discover all the weathered wooden doors and windows, little do I know that I will see thousands of them. And snap them all as eagerly as the first one.
Our first visit of the week is to Arezzo, to a Cantina. The cantina is busy right now, it is the time of year where the farmers bring their grapes to the plant, harvest is at high peek point!
This is what it is all about, GRAPES!!!!
The farmers get up early in the morning, and all come in with their own personal harvest, the smell of grapes is overwhelming. They have to stand in line for quit a while, and patiently sit on their tractor. I taste some of the grapes, and they are the sweetest I ever tasted.
Like an angel peeing on my tongue, as my old grandmother used to say.
The major part of the grapes is for red wine, so they need red grapes, a percentage of 10 white grapes is allowed, as long as the sugar level in them is high enough.
The cellar has some very nice wooden barrels, all made of special oak wood, they are made in France, and then send to Italy, after getting the fiat of the Cantina that the wood is good enough.
Anybody knows Italian????
After the visit to the Cantina we take off to Cortona. Home of the well known writer Frances Mayes, who made the area popular with her book "Under the Tuscan Sun". Say Tuscany and I will see laundry hanging out of high rise buildings.
No single story houses in the cities, only four or five stories high old buildings, leaning towards each other, armed with blinds against the summer sun.
They know how to stay cool here...
By the time we come to the main Piazza, it is time for lunch. We find one cafe that is still open, and order some pancetta with tomatoes and salmon.
At one o'clock, all the shops and stores close for the siesta. Italians are smart, they have a good way of life, they know that taking a break on an otherwise too hot day is not healthy. Life stands still at one and takes off again at four, till eight in the evening.
La Dolce Vita is the name of the game.
Life is good.
What I like the most is walking on my own, camera in hand, alleyway in and out. I love the little through looks, with their own mysteries just around the corner.
Most of the towns have a circular pattern around the main Piazza, little streets connecting upper parts of town with the upper parts.
The principal market place is usually on the top of the hill.
Whenever I saw a door open, I sneeked in and took a quick look.
You wonder where the little stair cases would take you...
You hear italian voices coming from above and next to you, nobody in sight, yet the sound of cutlery on plates gives away that this is the time where the family sits together for lunch...
Stair up, stair down, orange, yellow, grey, the colors are there. Everything seems to be in old pastel. Even the old vespa's.
No exeption for an old fiat. I remember my aunt driving one of those sardine cans. It is a cute little one that stands on his own in a deserted little street. I give it a pat on the hood. Courageous little thing.
I walk on to the edge of the village, and look out over the city walls, darn it, I don't have my 300 mm on me, so I can not go in closer to what seems to be like a cemetary.
This is the closest as I get:
I decide not to go in the Diocesan Museum, as I have a hate for all that is religion, I hate it with a passion. The hours are of no importance, but I like the color of the sign.
A ceramics store is more my appetite. I loose myself in the blue blinds of the mini store. It is only two square meters, but this is Tuscany, so the tiniest space is of importance.
More little streets, I soon realize that I am lost. I need to get down to the parking lot again, where the group will be waiting for me.
It is close to four by now, so the sleepy town is waking up, stores are opening up. Time for the little cockrels to walk outside all dressed up and impress the girls.
La vita e bella...
The sun is hiding behind some clouds.
I might need to look nicely up to the Mother Mary, so she can guide me to where I need to be...
Enough of those! Little altars hidden between windows... You have to look up to discover them.
I pass a nicely red colored Trattoria, the local dining place. Only for locals. Where you can get the REALLY GOOD FOOD!!!
Only silly tourists sit on the street under the umbrella's. Locals visit the Trattoria, and get a scoop of real Italy.
OK, when I pass the Trattoria for the third time, I know that I need help...
Shall I try this direction? Oops, here is the market square lower level again, I am going in the right direction...
Why did I not see this alley on coming up?
Bugger, I don't have time to go up and look and see what is behind the bend... Torture.
Little birds in a cage, all that lives needs air...
La Mamma looks down on the street life...
As I am lost totally, I need some mental support in the format of a chery icecream. Hmm, to die for...
I can see how the light is changing, the red hues of the evening are there. Here I am, lost in a little town in Tuscany. A group of 7 people are waiting for me in a certain parking lot, with a fuel pump.
I finally see some italian police, they know some french, so do I, and they take me to the right parking spot.
Time to go home now, time for our crib...
To be continued (unless stated that content is too boring)
Catherine
We left on sunday the 1st of October, and I was lucky enough to have a window seat. The only thing that makes flying bearable for me is the fact that I can snap.
Much to the amazement of my fellow passengers, who don't understand why I am glued with my camera to the window.
I know why though, the world from upthere looks magical. No sounds, no traffic, only the low roar of the plane, we are floating into white fluffs of cotton.
A huge ferry looks like a lost insect on the sea. Seemingly lost, it drifts off to far shores.
We are on our way to Fiumicino, Roma Airport, where William Taxis will await us and take us to his farm in Tuscany. They labored for four years now, and turned an old, run down farm into some splendid self catered holiday appartments. The family lives in one wing of the old farm house, the guests stay in the appartments.
We are in Tuscany for a week, staying with Michael Dunne his daughter Miranda and her family, and we are there to learn. Michael has been a photographer for his whole life, used to work for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, name any fashion magazine and he will have a past in it.
Now retired, he uses his time to teach, and I was one of the lucky ones who could join him in this Tuscany adventure.
It is a two hour drive from Rome airport to Il Pero, and it is dark by the time we arrive. We only get a good glimpse of the farm in the morning, when we have breakfast outside in the sun. October, and we have breakfast outside... Yippeeeeee...
After breakfast, I decide to explore the house a bit, before we leave for Cortona. We are near Arezzo, and surrounded by bunches of old villages, most of them in old antique walls, medival cities high on hill tops. Perched for eternity.
Tuscany is new to me, I have yet to discover all the weathered wooden doors and windows, little do I know that I will see thousands of them. And snap them all as eagerly as the first one.
Our first visit of the week is to Arezzo, to a Cantina. The cantina is busy right now, it is the time of year where the farmers bring their grapes to the plant, harvest is at high peek point!
This is what it is all about, GRAPES!!!!
The farmers get up early in the morning, and all come in with their own personal harvest, the smell of grapes is overwhelming. They have to stand in line for quit a while, and patiently sit on their tractor. I taste some of the grapes, and they are the sweetest I ever tasted.
Like an angel peeing on my tongue, as my old grandmother used to say.
The major part of the grapes is for red wine, so they need red grapes, a percentage of 10 white grapes is allowed, as long as the sugar level in them is high enough.
The cellar has some very nice wooden barrels, all made of special oak wood, they are made in France, and then send to Italy, after getting the fiat of the Cantina that the wood is good enough.
Anybody knows Italian????
After the visit to the Cantina we take off to Cortona. Home of the well known writer Frances Mayes, who made the area popular with her book "Under the Tuscan Sun". Say Tuscany and I will see laundry hanging out of high rise buildings.
No single story houses in the cities, only four or five stories high old buildings, leaning towards each other, armed with blinds against the summer sun.
They know how to stay cool here...
By the time we come to the main Piazza, it is time for lunch. We find one cafe that is still open, and order some pancetta with tomatoes and salmon.
At one o'clock, all the shops and stores close for the siesta. Italians are smart, they have a good way of life, they know that taking a break on an otherwise too hot day is not healthy. Life stands still at one and takes off again at four, till eight in the evening.
La Dolce Vita is the name of the game.
Life is good.
What I like the most is walking on my own, camera in hand, alleyway in and out. I love the little through looks, with their own mysteries just around the corner.
Most of the towns have a circular pattern around the main Piazza, little streets connecting upper parts of town with the upper parts.
The principal market place is usually on the top of the hill.
Whenever I saw a door open, I sneeked in and took a quick look.
You wonder where the little stair cases would take you...
You hear italian voices coming from above and next to you, nobody in sight, yet the sound of cutlery on plates gives away that this is the time where the family sits together for lunch...
Stair up, stair down, orange, yellow, grey, the colors are there. Everything seems to be in old pastel. Even the old vespa's.
No exeption for an old fiat. I remember my aunt driving one of those sardine cans. It is a cute little one that stands on his own in a deserted little street. I give it a pat on the hood. Courageous little thing.
I walk on to the edge of the village, and look out over the city walls, darn it, I don't have my 300 mm on me, so I can not go in closer to what seems to be like a cemetary.
This is the closest as I get:
I decide not to go in the Diocesan Museum, as I have a hate for all that is religion, I hate it with a passion. The hours are of no importance, but I like the color of the sign.
A ceramics store is more my appetite. I loose myself in the blue blinds of the mini store. It is only two square meters, but this is Tuscany, so the tiniest space is of importance.
More little streets, I soon realize that I am lost. I need to get down to the parking lot again, where the group will be waiting for me.
It is close to four by now, so the sleepy town is waking up, stores are opening up. Time for the little cockrels to walk outside all dressed up and impress the girls.
La vita e bella...
The sun is hiding behind some clouds.
I might need to look nicely up to the Mother Mary, so she can guide me to where I need to be...
Enough of those! Little altars hidden between windows... You have to look up to discover them.
I pass a nicely red colored Trattoria, the local dining place. Only for locals. Where you can get the REALLY GOOD FOOD!!!
Only silly tourists sit on the street under the umbrella's. Locals visit the Trattoria, and get a scoop of real Italy.
OK, when I pass the Trattoria for the third time, I know that I need help...
Shall I try this direction? Oops, here is the market square lower level again, I am going in the right direction...
Why did I not see this alley on coming up?
Bugger, I don't have time to go up and look and see what is behind the bend... Torture.
Little birds in a cage, all that lives needs air...
La Mamma looks down on the street life...
As I am lost totally, I need some mental support in the format of a chery icecream. Hmm, to die for...
I can see how the light is changing, the red hues of the evening are there. Here I am, lost in a little town in Tuscany. A group of 7 people are waiting for me in a certain parking lot, with a fuel pump.
I finally see some italian police, they know some french, so do I, and they take me to the right parking spot.
Time to go home now, time for our crib...
To be continued (unless stated that content is too boring)
Catherine
0
Comments
Oh those textures, those shadowed alleyways, the old stairs.... and I love your commentary too!
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Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Thanks guys, just posted part two.
Thank you for the comments. It is good to do this, I am doing it for you but am reliving it myself, and at the same time am making a nice journey blog for my archives.
Thanks for looking!
http://photocatseyes.net
http://www.zazzle.com/photocatseyes
Love the photos
Fred
http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
I am heading there (along with Florence, Siena, Venice) and then up into Austria and Germany next week. It is nice to see what awaits. Thanks
Bring it on!
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Step 1) Buy a SLR
STep 2) Bring it with you to a Medditerrainian town.
James
Langford Photography
http://www.langfordphotography.com
james@langfordphotography.com
Thanks guys... don't know what brought up my Tuscany trip again, grin...
I went in october of 2006 and had a GREAT time... There is more about my Tuscany trip in the archives, and I have also started to write up about all my travels on my blog. (That one has become sort of a travel blog more or less)
Thanks for the compliments, it is very much appreciated!
http://photocatseyes.net
http://www.zazzle.com/photocatseyes
Italy is my favorite place - would love to go and spend time in Tuscany like you did!. Thank you for your posts - I really enjoyed the portrait of the grandmother looking down at you. Beautiful shot.
quote=photocat]Thanks guys... don't know what brought up my Tuscany trip again, grin...
I went in october of 2006 and had a GREAT time... There is more about my Tuscany trip in the archives, and I have also started to write up about all my travels on my blog. (That one has become sort of a travel blog more or less)
Thanks for the compliments, it is very much appreciated!
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com