One of the frustrating things about travelling as a photographer is that you simply can’t be everywhere you want to be at the right time of day. We had limited time in Southern Tuscany as it was, and then we lost a day having to back track to San Gimignano. We were supposed to call in on the the way from Lucca to Pienza but we got lost in Pisa and ran out of time. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Pienza so we weren’t going to get there for either early morning or late afternoon light so it was the middle of the day or nothing. We stopped along the way to take photos of iconic sites like the Chapel of Our Lady of Vitaleta below. It was not the right light and you can walk closer but of course we didn’t have time, so I just got what I could and kept on going. I hoped I’d get another chance but it didn’t happen on this trip. I’ve already mentioned I’d return to this part of Italy and allow much more time to explore and be in the right place at the right time of day .
Sunflower season was over so there were only a few stray patches left hear and there. I did find a fabulous field of dead sunflowers which I’ll share in a separate post. One of the hard decisions would be to decide which season to return in as they all offer something different. The sunflowers would be a big draw card but the heat and the crowds would be a definite turn off.
San Gimignano - lots of character, and lots of crowds
(most of which I cropped out to retain the character)
I think we should introduce more of these little 3 wheel vehicles into Australia. They’re like a cross between a motorbike and a ute. How practical is that!
This photo looks a bit cold or austere whereas San Gimignano was quite warm and bustling. It’s just that the street was full of tourists so I cropped them out and the light was shit because it was the middle of the day and adding nothing to the scene.
A bit of a debacle trying to find an alternate route home via the Chianti region. Three times around a crazy busy roundabout before we were on the right road to find a winery for an afternoon Vino. Then a very narrow, very winding dirt road before we back tracked to this little village we’d passed through. Next time in Italy will include more time to explore the Chianti region.
