Tuscany

As the first part of our honeymoon, we spent one week driving around the countryside in Tuscany, Italy. Our journey started in San Sano, a small village in the Chianti region famous for its rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards. Every night at dinner, we decided where to go the day after. So from San Sano, we moved on to explore several of the main towns and cities surrounding the Chianti region. We ended up in Siena, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Greve, Florence, Pietrasanta, and Lucca. I have a number of pictures (and anecdotes to go with them) lined up which I'll start posting soon. To set the stage, please find attached two pictures of the Chianti countryside.

Rows of pruned grapevines supported by metal posts and wires in a vineyard with grass and soil beneath.

Two young women sit on a brick pavement, one laughing while talking on the phone, with pigeons nearby. — Italian girls on the Piazza del Campo, Siena's main square. Built in the 13th century and famous for its Palio horse races in July and August.

A carved angel ornament with a smiling face and wings inside the Duomo di Siena. — A small ornament inside the Duomo di Siena.

A vineyard on a hillside with rows of bare grapevines and patches of green grass.

Clothes hanging on a line outside a building with green shutters and weathered walls. — Italians don't use cloth dryers. They just hang their clothes to dry in public. Combined with the 'terra cotta'-colored facades and the green shutters, it makes for a very characteristic view. I like this shot because every time I look at it, I discover interesting new details ...

Close-up of a marble statue's upper body, showing the torso and part of the arm in soft lighting.

A vineyard with rows of bare vines covers a hillside, with a stone building and trees in the background.

Marble statue of a warrior in a helmet holding a struggling figure, with intense expressions and dynamic movement.

Close-up of Florence Cathedral's marble facade, featuring intricate patterns, statues, and decorative arches.

A display of soccer jerseys featuring player names and numbers, arranged on a wooden surface.

A man with spiky hair and sunglasses smiles at the camera outdoors.

Close-up of a stone lion statue in Florence, Italy, with historic buildings in the background.

A store display with rows of designer sunglasses in various styles and colors neatly arranged on racks. — Italy is the land of designer sunglasses.

Close-up of wheat stalks in silhouette against warm light, showing detailed grains and fine strands.

A young man and woman stand close together, smiling at the camera in a well-lit outdoor setting at night.

A well-lit triangular piazza in Greve in Chianti at night, featuring an old church and parked cars. — The triangular piazza of Greve in Chianti and its 11th century church. For centuries this piazza has been used to run markets, serving nearby castle communities. Nowadays it still hosts a weekly market, and the morning after I took this picture, we attended such market ourselves. Only now they are selling dinosaurs and polli allo spiedo ...

A glass of white wine on a table reflects an upside-down image of nearby buildings in its surface.

A person wearing glasses and a jacket enjoys a large ice cream cone while standing outside.

A worn white sign with red lettering advertises rotisserie chickens at a market stall in Greve in Chianti. — Shot at a market in Greve in Chianti.

A white cross gravestone in a military cemetery, with rows of similar crosses extending into the distance.

A single worn-out shoe covered in sand lies abandoned on a wet beach. — When wandering on the beach near Viareggio (Italy), we bumped into an abandoned shoe ... The lost shoe sparked my imagination so I tried to capture that in the image.

A dusty glass door reveals a cluttered garage with parked scooters, tools, and a "for sale" sign on one Vespa.

Colorful reusable bags with food and flower prints hang closely together on display.

A window with metal bars, lace curtains, and a flower box filled with colorful flowers on a beige wall.

A wooden window with partially open shutters, revealing a dark interior and a small red flower plant on the sill.

A man lies on a red bed with his feet hanging over the edge, showing the bed is too small.

A pile of colorful plastic dinosaur toys with tags, displayed for sale at an outdoor market. — Shot at a market in Greve in Chianti.

A woman with glasses and a denim jacket leans against a textured wall, looking slightly to the side.

A person is sleeping in a bed with white pillows and sheets, partially covered by a red blanket.

A faded fresco on a damaged wall depicts Jesus on the cross with two figures below, partially peeling away.

Two pigeons flying with wings spread wide, casting distinct shadows on the ground.

A view of old tiled rooftops in a Tuscan town, showing chimneys, antennas, and weathered surfaces.

A pink children's bike with training wheels is parked in front of a carousel where a girl is riding. — Pink bike, pink girl.

Carousel horses with colorful saddles and feathered headpieces stand in a row, surrounded by bright lights and flowers.