Tuscany (May 12-19, 2012)

From an image point of view, I don’t believe it is possible to take a bad photograph in Tuscany.  Clive and Phil deserve much of the credit, but actually, the scenery is spectacular to begin with.  It is always said light is the key to good photography.  I would modify that and say morning light is the key for Tuscan landscapes.

We were up, in the field, and setup every day while it was still dark.  Our trip was in mid-May, 2012 and most mornings were very chilly.  One day I wore socks for gloves and received quite a razzing from the group – a small sacrifice given the perfect surroundings.

The Light and Land trip concentrated on one area of Tuscany called ???.  No complaints from me since there were countless photo opportunities.  We spent all week at the very nice hotel Casanova.

At the conclusion of the organized trip, my brother Greg, took me to an old walled village called Cortona ??? for a three-day stay.  On the day we arrived, the village was buzzing with activity.  It was an annual festival where the four ???.  The architecture, decorations, and costumes were colorful and fantastic.  This was not a Disney-like show for tourists.  This was the real thing.  I could easily have been convinced we had been transported back in time to the fifteenth ??? century.

Even though we experienced chilly mornings, my favorite photographs were from our dawn outings.  We spent each sunny afternoon exploring an old village, having an outdoor lunch, and shooting interesting architectural details.  If you’ve heard of the expression “golden light”, well, it was invented in Tuscany.  Some landscape images, depending upon the exact time and subject, would appear to be bathed in a warm golden light.  A picnic basket with wine and cheese is a must.

Santorini (May 28 – June 4, 2013)

Having one Light and Land trip under my belt, I was very much at ease for my next.  As a matter of fact, Dianna was joining me on this trip.  Destination Santorini.  ΩΠΑ!

As we’ve learned on our boating trips to the Bahamas, half the fun is in the preparation.  This was certainly true for Santorini. 

Fortunately, Dianna was posted in Washington, DC at the time so planning was not as difficult had she been overseas.  We spent many hours exchanging emails about our photo equipment inventory, clothes and the expected weather, electronics, etc.

We flew together from Washington, DC to Athens.  It was a great flight and we talked nearly the entire trip.

We immediately saw my father upon exiting customs, and we had about an hour to chat before my brother, Greg arrived.  Greg had arranged for a rental car the few days we were in Athens.  We all piled in and headed for downtown Athens.

Dianna and I stayed at an excellent hotel in Plaka called AVA Hotel and Suites, and my dad and brother stayed in Maria’s upstairs apartment.  They dropped us off and we agreed to meet that evening for dinner.

The hotel was simple and clean.  A fantastic breakfast too.  Although we could not see the Acropolis from our window, we must have been in it’s shadow.

We had a great meal that evening.  We ate outdoors on a cobblestone patio and could hear clinking glasses, people talking, and Greek music all around us.  It was comfortably warm and the food was magnificent.  We had another couple of days together until it was time for us to fly to Santorini. 

Flight to Santorini

Oia and Finikia

Nearly every meal was eaten outside

Labyrinth

Hotel Finikia Place [PHOTO]

We found a very nice restaurant one evening away from the tourist crowd.  As usual, Dianna and I ordered enough food for an army.  We ate blah, blah and blah.  To be traditional, we each started with a glass of retsina, but that quickly led to a smallish bottle of ouzo.  Needless to say, we really enjoyed that meal – and the adventure finding our way back to the hotel.

I think Dianna and I would agree that the meals we had on Santorini were special…

Hotel room carved into the cliff wall…  [PHOTO]

Although there was little down time, when there was, we would relax on our balcony, drinking wine, and overlooking the hotel pool and village of Finikia.

Umbria (June 26 – July 1, 2014)

Umbria is a region of Italy and adjoins Tuscany to its southeast.  I was surprised to find how different Umbria and Tuscany are.  Tuscany is characterized by gently rolling hills, villas and vineyards.  Umbria is mountainous.

Our primary draw to Umbria was La Fioritura (the flowering).  The Piano Grande (???) is located nearly a mile high as is surrounded by mountains.  Every year in that period from late May to early July, the plain explodes into acres of colors.  Because of its altitude, the plain can also play host to interesting weather events.

It seems every village in Umbria is perched on a mountain side, and depending upon the time of day, can be a photo worthy site.