“Hillsides filled with vineyards and olive groves. Tuscany was just as I had imagined it, a sheer pleasure for the senses.” – Ed Lehming

The quote for the above photo is quite simple and to the point. For years I have dreamt of visiting Italy’s Tuscany region. I’ve seen photos online and in magazines and movies. It seemed like a paradise; a place where time stood still and you could almost hear the whispers of the past echoing through the hillsides.

We finally had our opportunity last September, just as the world began to travel again in a post-COVID era. The trip had been planned for years before, but never happened, and then the world came to a screeching halt, and nobody travelled. During this time, we were determined that we’d make this our first destination. With our travel companions, and cousins, we planned what we would do in our two week vacation. Firenze (Florence) and the Tuscany region where it is situated were first on the agenda.

One of my “bucket list” items was to ride a Vespa through Tuscany, that dream happened and our three hour ride through the countryside south of Firenze provided me many opportunities to stop and enjoy the scenery, and capture some of those moments with my camera.

One such occasion resulted in this photo, looking at the rolling hills just southwest of the town of Impruneta, in the heart of the Chianti region. The view was just as I had imagined it and this image brings me back to the moment I made it. The region is filled with rolling hills, forested valleys, vineyards, olive groves, and quaint villages where time seems to stand still. Seeing it, unobscured and close up from our Vespa was simply breathtaking and a memory that I will always cherish.

We ended our Vespa ride at two local wineries where we shared a delicious meal and wine with the people we had met on the tour, learned about the history of the regions, and toured a wonderful Medici estate.

iPhone 12 Pro @ 52 mm
1/2282 sec, f/2.0, ISO 25