Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Italy: A Photographic and Cultural Tour to Florence and Tuscany

Extend your stay in Venice with Ron Rosenstock Photo Tour

This departure is limited to a maximum of twelve participants. It is intended for people of all levels of interest and accomplishment in film, or digital photography. While the emphasis will be on photography, this is also a cultural journey, which we believe will enhance your ability to capture the essence of Tuscany in your images. Your photography expert and leader, Kathy Adams Clark, has been leading photo tours for years. Along with the local guide, Kathy will take you to photo locations you could not access on your own, including monasteries, churches, and vineyards. In Florence, there will be quiet, pre-dawn photo walks. She will take you to premier photographic locations to capture the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Corridor, and the Duomo. While we have specific itineraries, we have the flexibility to take advantage of photographic opportunities we find along the way.

Kathy Adams Clark is a professional nature photographer and owner of a stock agency representing fifteen photographers. Her work has been published in a variety of national and regional publications including National Geographic Books, the New York Times, and Sierra. Kathy teaches over fifty photography workshops and classes each year.

Kathy enjoys traveling with people new to photography as well as with folks with advanced skills. She has an ability to explain complicated photographic terms in an easily understood language. She likes to teach those hungry for new information, but also understands that photography can be a solitary task. Each person traveling with Kathy is treated as an individual, but the group always has fun. She is skilled in all makes of digital cameras. www.kathyadamsclark.com

Tuscany has perhaps produced more accomplishments in art and science than any other place in history. It is the birthplace of the Etruscan civilization, the Italian language, and the age that shaped modern history, the Renaissance. Imagine a small region that can claim Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Botticelli as its native sons! The first part of our trip will center on Florence, the capital of Tuscany, the city where the Renaissance began. It is a living museum of art and culture. We will explore its streets, piazzas, and great works of art and architecture in the company of excellent guides.

A short drive from Florence transports us into the beautiful Tuscan countryside. We will stay in Chianti, among the best-preserved landscapes in Italy, some virtually unchanged since artists depicted them five hundred years ago. The region has large areas of woodlands, interspersed with vineyards and dotted with medieval towns high on hills and ridges. The quality of light here has inspired generations of artists. Our journey will explore this glorious land in depth. Everywhere there is something of compelling beauty, curiosity, and interest — brilliant architecture, classic Tuscan landscapes, the daily life of the people themselves, providing continuity between past and present.

We always welcome tour companions who are not photographers. There are interesting aspects of Italian life waiting to be explored in every location. In Florence, the countless museums, churches, markets, restaurants, and stores within walking distance of the hotel, make the city a desirable destination for any traveler. The quaint Tuscan villages offer wonderful landscapes, local markets, piazzas, and small shops to be enjoyed by all who might like to sketch, write, or simply appreciate the culture of Italy. The trip’s leisurely pace will provide ample opportunity to wander through medieval hill towns, and feast on the renowned regional foods and wines.

Itinerary

September 12: Home

Depart on your overnight flights to Florence. The group tour will begin tomorrow at the Torre Guelfa Hotel.

September 13: Arrival in Florence

You will meet today at the Torre Guelfa Hotel for an orientation and welcome reception, providing your first taste of Florence’s exceptional food and wine. Overlooking the city, the hotel terrace sits atop a medieval tower. Afterwards, if you wish to explore, there are restaurants and snack bars nearby. Overnight Torre Guelfa (Evening Welcome Reception)

September 14 - September 16: The Magic of Florence

The next three days will be spent exploring Florence. After breakfast each day at the Torre Guelfa, the local guide will outline the daily activities. Prior to breakfast, a sunrise walk may be planned for those who want to walk through the deserted streets to photograph the city before it awakens.

Being in the heart of Florence, our hotel affords us a perfect location so that daily excursions can be done easily on foot. The famous Ponte Vecchio, the most popular and oldest bridge that spans the Arno River, is within fifty yards. Just beyond the bridge are the massive Pitti Palace, originally built in the fifteenth century, and the Boboli Gardens, a maze of gardens and sculptures that covers acres. If you are looking for a good view, take a brisk walk up the hill, or take a taxi to the terrace coffee shop or the ramparts of Forte Belvedere, located just behind the gardens.

We will take some time to photograph Florence’s Duomo, a magnificent cathedral whose massive dome was designed by Brunelleschi. The cathedral offers endless facets and details to explore. If you feel adventurous, climb to the dome’s cupola or to the top of the adjacent bell tower — the four hundred steps are truly breathtaking!

Florence’s town square, the Piazza della Signoria, has been the heart of political life since the fourteenth century. The spacious Piazza and adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi contain numerous sculptures that hold an important place in Florentine art. Among them are the Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune that commemorates Tuscan naval victories, and Cellini’s Perseus. The Piazza also is home to the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), built in the thirteenth century, and the Uffizi Gallery, where many of the world’s great art treasures are housed.

We will also visit local markets and artisan shops, and spend time photographing sunsets from the hotel tower terrace or the streetlights lining the bridges across the Arno. Our last day in Florence you can choose to do additional photography with your photographic leader or perhaps wander on your own, visiting one of the city’s numerous museums, cathedrals, or attractions. Each day we will have lunch at one of the many restaurants, trattorias, or bars in the area. In the evening, you can go to a restaurant with the group, or go out on your own. Overnights Torre Guelfa (Breakfast daily)

September 17 - September 21: The Tuscan Countryside

The next five evenings will be spent at the Villa Rosa di Boscorotondo, located in the heart of Chianti, twenty-one miles south of Florence. The contrast between the city and the Tuscan countryside is striking. The narrow city streets are replaced with vineyards, woods, and rolling hills. The borders of the Chianti region are almost exactly those that were established in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. For the first time in history, the boundaries of the Chianti wine production zone were limited by the Grand Duke’s edict. Today, more than sixty percent of Chianti remains forested, as there are strict limits on how much land can be cultivated.

Villa Rosa is situated at the base of a hill. The front looks out across the road to a forested hill and the back opens up to a hillside covered with vineyards, stone farmhouses, and olive groves. We will walk along the paths through the groves and follow a dirt road to the village of San Leolino. We will stop at a beautiful little church that has a commanding view of the town of Panzano and surrounding countryside. The hamlet of Monterenaldi is nearby on a quiet country road that winds through vineyards and farms. The area around Villa Rosa offers exceptional photographic opportunities of the Tuscan landscape. We will spend a morning here to photograph at leisure.

Day trips allow us to visit a number of Tuscany’s most picturesque towns. Radda in Chianti is a small village set high on a hill that retains its medieval town plan. Seven kilometers north we come across Volpaia, one of Chianti’s most beautiful fortified villages. Volpaia was built out of honey-colored stone and boasts a castle from the tenth century. Montefioralle is a fourteenth century hamlet, perched on a ridge that overlooks the town of Greve in Chianti. We may have time to walk the circular main street and the enticing alleyways, where you may see a few electric cables, reminding us that we are still in the twenty first century. A bit further south is Castellina in Chianti, a charming town, featuring a tunnel street that served as a soldiers’ walk back in the days when the town was a Florentine bastion. Another destination is Monteriggioni, one of the most perfectly preserved fortified villages in all of Italy. Dante mentioned its vantage points in the Inferno, as the circle of Titans guarding the lowest level of Hell.

About an hour away from Villa Rosa is San Gimignano, one of the most picturesque of the Italian hill towns. It is known as the “city of the beautiful towers”. Fourteen of the seventy original towers remain, giving the town a striking appearance. Historically, San Gimignano was very prosperous back in the Middle Ages when important pilgrim and trade routes passed through its center. It also was a strategic site in the political struggles of the region. San Gimignano’s narrow streets and alleyways, courtyards, churches, Duomo, and stunning artwork provide a wealth of opportunities for you to explore with your camera. Near Pienza, we may visit the Monastery of Sant’ Antimo, a splendid Romanesque abbey and church built around the year 1100, set in quiet, unspoiled surroundings. There we can explore the Monastery itself as well as the olive groves, vineyards, and natural areas that surround the ancient buildings. Overnights Villa Rosa (Breakfasts and dinners daily, one lunch is included at a local vineyard)

September 22: Florence – Onward Destinations

After breakfast you will depart for home, or travel with Kathy to Venice to join Ron Rosenstock’s photo tour of that historical destination. Four evenings in Venice $1795pp double occupance. (Breakfast)

Accommodations

The accommodations we have chosen combine simple elegance with excellent location. In Florence, we will stay at the Torre Guelfa Hotel, one of the city’s best-kept secrets. This small, family-run hotel is in an ideal location, just a block from the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. The hotel offers us a special treat, from which it takes its name; it contains the tallest privately owned tower (torre) in Florence. It is worth the climb to the tower’s terrace to enjoy the stunning panorama of the city. This is a feature that we will take advantage of, especially at sunset. In the Tuscan countryside, we will stay at the Torre Guelfa’s sister hotel, the Villa Rosa di Boscorotondo, a meticulously restored country villa. Situated in the famous Chianti region, Villa Rosa is set among rolling hills that are dotted with vineyards, forests, olive groves, quaint villages, and stone farmhouses. It provides an absolutely perfect location for country walks and day trips to Tuscan hill towns and villages. We will have a light breakfast before departing for the day and return to a traditional Tuscan meal in the evening.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Lunches will be informal, taken in one of the many shops that sell delicious sandwiches, pizza, pastry, and other delights. This will allow maximum flexibility, the cost can be reasonable at $15 or up to $25-30 depending what is ordered. Dinners will be slightly higher or ranging from $15, cafeteria style or sit down restaurants can be $30 or $35. Your guide will give you ideas where to eat if you wish to dine on your own, or you can go with your leader to a local restaurant s/he chooses.

Notes

You can attend the complete Photo Tour of Venice, led by Ron Rosenstock (see tour listing) or the first five evenings of the same tour along with Kathy. Estimated land cost $2095 double occupancy). See tour brochure for details.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $3,995 US Dollars based upon minimum of 9 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $400 if 6-8 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $795; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)