Photos

For months before my trip to Italy, I had dreamed of waking up at sunrise to drive through the countryside and photograph the legendary morning mist over the legendary rolling hills, cypresses, and hill towns of Tuscany. However, when I smacked my rental car into a stone wall while attempting to navigate a 270-degree turn down a 30%-grade hill my first afternoon in Montepulciano, I decided to limit the amount of driving I did. That meant no sunrise drive. :(

I still decided to wake up at sunrise, however. Montepulciano is the highest-altitude of the Tuscan hill towns, so the views from all sides of the town were tremendous. I got some decent pictures, but nothing particularly special. Then I saw this old stone farmhouse and this view. It took some unique positioning of my camera over a thorny hedge and through a thin line of trees, but I think I pulled it off.

What a heavenly view. The only thing that marred it somewhat were the 3 bubbly American college girls also up taking photos. Not my idea of a peaceful sunrise--but I have to respect their determination to get up at the crack of dawn.