‘Italian Countryside’
by Debbi Nelson
Taken in northern Italy, this was the beautiful view from an area above the actual scene. In order to really get the feel for an area while traveling, not to mention the best photographs, we always rent a car and drive around, sometimes without a specific destination. The area of Tuscany where we stayed had a lot of hills. Our hotel, for instance, was high up on a winding hill. It took forever to get up there, circling round and round. From that hill top, we could see colorful towns with stone houses atop other high hills. So we would drive down our hill and then drive up the very winding, very narrow streets of other hills. The views were breath taking beyond description. The towns with the colorful stone houses were all very old, but very well kept. The people keep flowers on their doors and in their yards. They decorate their entrances and take pride in where they live. We were strangers walking along their little, cobble streets in mostly non-tourist areas, yet, everyone was friendly. We had no fear about them and they were gracious and welcoming to us.