Transition, Sicilia to Toscana, and a surprise

The end critique session was terrific, and everyone came up with at least one dynamite image to share. We tell them that it’s not about quantity, rather quality.

Images were transferred to my computer on sticks, and some bid their farewells, off to other parts of Italy. Others stayed another night in Taormina, and we dined together. Alas, for Arnie and me, it was not like eating at Turi’s, but the remainder of the group was together, and that was the important part.

The end of a workshop is always bittersweet for Arnie and me. We revel in the strides our participants have made, but we know we will miss them. Fortunately, two of our group will be back with us in Tuscany.

Everyone loved Sicilia. What an experience for them!

We bid our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at Hotel Taodomus, and know we will return in another year or so. The drive down to Catania and the airport was uneventful except for one minor detail. The Garmin (we haven’t named the new one yet), misbehaved and wanted to take us the scenic route along the coast, through small villages and tiny streets, in spite of the fact I had plugged in “fastest.” Well, we grew up learning to drive and navigate by road map and street signs, and so we did.

The flight to Rome was smooth, and I enjoyed looking down at the long, white wakes of boats plying the azure waters of the Mediterranean.

In Rome, we picked up our cars and took the autostrada to Tuscany and the exit to our Borgo (inn).

Allessandro came out and gave a very warm greeting. BIG smile and enthusiasm. We had so enjoyed him the last time we were here, and apparently, he felt the same.

We went down to the Co-op to pick up some waters and other items and headed up into Cortona. There is a special restaurant we love, and even there, the staff remembered La Contessa Piedi Nudi y Signor B.

We were with a group the last time we were here, and one of the staff kept the checks separate by calling each couple A, B, C, etc. Arnie was Signor B.

On the last night of our last workshop here, they had also presented me with a photo of Ava Gardner, the original Barefoot Contessa, when they heard my moniker. Not only is it signed by the actress, but by the staff as well.

The food was just as good as last time. We had a lovely Brunello from Montalcino, a fondu with truffles that we shared (with gluten-free bread for me), a wonderful pasta for Arnie and a risotto with truffles for me. Pure heaven! I’m not big on mushrooms, aptly in my opinion called “funghi” in Europe, but I adore truffles. Black truffles. White truffles. Arnie quips that I would love the expensive ones. Ah well. I don’t eat them very often, and they are grown in these parts.

Drums! Drums!!! We were lucky, as the festival we had so enjoyed last time was starting. We collected paid our bill and hurried down to the piazza where everything was going on. For those who saw “Under the Tuscan Sun,” you will remember the festival with the flags being twirled and thrown up in the air. The image up toward the top was this year’s version.

People in Medieval costume played their parts well, including this handsome pair. They each had a great sense of humor, and Arnie and I had a great time photographing them.

The costumes were beautiful, with elaborate detail.

And this fellow. The original chopper, or the one-eyed jack?

And for the finale, we had a man in tights breathing fire. Earlier in the evening, he had entertained the crowd with court-jester antics.

The jester packed up his goodies, with the ghoulish face standing guard.

It was late, and we had had a long day. It was time to return to Borgo Il Melone where we are staying. Walking down one of the cobbled streets, this scene caught my attention. The off-color of the mixed lighting made it for me. As an experiment, I tried “color correcting” it, but I did not like the results.

It was a good day, with a bonus in the festival greeting us. Tomorrow there will be more, and we can’t wait. Some of our group will arrive, and we can’t wait to share this with them.

We always love to get comments.

We also hope you will LIKE this blog (just above the blog title above) and SHARE it (below) with those interested in photography and travel along with the following:

• Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures
• Facebook
• Facebook Group
• Google+
• YouTube
• LinkedIn