Tales of a Travel Photographer

Driving towards Volterra

(Earlier today, we were at the Vatican.

We visited Musei Vaticani, Sistine Chapel, Piazza de San Pietro, Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Chapel)

 

May 26th, 2009

We pointed the 159 north-east and pressed on the gas.

I had bought the Greece-Italy map extension for my Garmin 680 and was relieved to see it work without much fuss. I had imagined taking the wider, faster A1 autostrada to Volterra. The GPS seemed to find the coastal, narrower A12 a better option. I gave up my battle with the electronics after several attempts failed to get the GPS to take the route I wanted.

I was worried about finding our farmhouse “Fattoria Lisceto”. When I had tried to locate it on Google maps,  it had put us in the middle of nowhere, a few miles away from a major road and that was after I had used the lat-long.

Around 11 PM, in the middle of nowhere, the GPS made the pompous “you have arrived” announcement. We turned back a few miles to the only ristorante we had seen open for sometime now.

The owners were ready to call it a day, though welcomed us, offered a glass of house wine, (and some milk for Rhea) and then raised Lisceto on the phono who immediately offered to come pick us up.

After taking two invisible turns, I realized, there is no way in heaven we would have found the place in dark. We were thankful to blindly follow Rositta’s taillights.

The farmhouse was asleep under a big full moon. We stumbled in and promptly fell asleep.

 

(Read on: We were put up at Lischeto in Volterra)

 

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First morning at Lischeto

(Yesterday, At the Vatican, we visited Musei Vaticani, Sistine Chapel, Piazza de San Pietro, Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica  and the Vatican Chapel)

 

May 27th, 2009

Tuscany threw a warm, golden square on my face to wake me up.

One peek outside the window, and I knew our planned departure would be two hours delayed. So pretty was the view. Rhea threw on some clothes, I my Nikon and we literally ran out.

The Fattorio Lisceto is breathtaking.

Set atop a hill, it is surrounded by green pastures rolling into distant hills. Neighboring farmhouses seem miles away. Accentuating the horizon.

The farmhouse is compact and functional.  One building comprising of apartments. Every single apartment with a view. (Our bathroom has a better view than most $1 million houses I have seen in Seattle). A big central kitchen with a huge eating area – separate for breakfast and dinner. A small office and living quarters for the staff.

The place was minimalistic. Functional.  After all, like most Agritourismo, we are the secondary means of income. The primary is organic farm produce. Skin products. Health products. All of this happens invisibly while we are entertained.  Like how Disneyland gets maintained without the crowd ever noticing.

The farmhouse does not look staged – like a tourist trap and is deliciously rustic.

We enjoyed three exotic dinners at this place.

Around 8:00 PM, we would gather around the dinner table. Invariably, we would have a new occupant, a bright gleamy eyed nouveau-Tuscan.  They would serve 5-6 courses of freshly made delicacies. Each course seemingly hitting a different region of your palate. The wine carafe seemed to stay full no matter how many times we tilted it over our glasses.

Around the time the dessert was served, you would check two things. Could you eat the dolce and did you have space for the grappa?

Then grappa would come to the table. And space would get created.

A heady walk back to the apartment with a view is how it is expected to be.

The farm has its animals. Being a functional farm. Several dogs and cats. A donkey that Rhea befriended. Flocks of sheep that we saw on a different hill each morning. And even a wild horse. Two out of the three mornings we were there, Rhea would be ready and out even before I started to wake myself into sense. She would be out there, feeding the donkey grass, or tending the sheep. She would be out there, without me worrying.

Isn’t that vacation?

 
 

 

(Read on: Later today, we are headed to the town of Volterra)

 

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Lightshow in Volterra

(Earlier today, we were in the beautiful town of Volterra)

 

 
I almost missed the sunset. So busy were we eating. I ran back to the apartment to fetch me my D60. I tried to frame my shot. The Sun or the sky? That’s was my choice, unless I was willing to be suspended 20 feet above ground between a balcony ledge and a window sill with several glasses of vintage Sangiovese working on my innards,

I wish all decision in life were so easy. I stepped over the balustrade. Like Tiger Woods would say. First shoot. Then lets talk.

 

(Read on: Tomorrow we are headed to Sienna starting with Piazza ll Campo)

 

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