A few days in a villa outside San Gimignano exploring the countryside and villages is a great prelude to a painting workshop.

Amanda and Gordon, our tour guides for the workshop, chauffeured us through the vineyards and olive groves of Tuscany, exploring the countryside to discover the best painting destinations, vineyards and restaurants.

Early morning in the vineyards surrounding San Gimignano.

Cinque Terre Coastline from Montorosso

Painting in Riomaggiore

Regular critique sessions were a lot of fun in the Hotel Courtyard.

Dry flowers on a San Gimignano window sill.

Washing Day – San Gimignano

San Gimignano as the sun rises

Old lady carries flowers to one of the Saints in San Gimignano

Early morning mist in the valleys

Two Cats – San Gimignano

San Gimignano before bus loads of visitors arrive.

A rare event – these little things run for years on a tank of fuel.

A window in Castellina in Chianti.

Religious ceremony in Montorosso.

Spectacular mountains between Pisa and Cinque Terre.

Castello Di Meleto in Chianti – our home for the second week of the workshop.

Castello Di Meleto

Great views of the Chianti countryside from Castello Di Meleto.

Our one shower of rain for the entire workshop as we head to the castle cellars for a wine tasting and tour of the castle.

Strange leftovers from the 12th century still dangle from walls in the bowels of Castello Di Meleto

A happy man with a nice bottle of Chianti Classico from the castle vineyards.

Fine Dining at Castello Di Meleto

In Florence, a small yellow car the width of a refrigerator.

Leonardo da Vinci’s attempt to breathe under water.

Descendants of  Michelangelo and Leonardo still decorate the walls of Florence.

Large flocks of Vespers gather in the back streets of Florence.

In Florence you can hold up your trousers with a Real Python for just 25 Euro

Pigeons fight for crumbs outside the Uffizi

Botticelli clouds drift over Florence

Two streets meet in the small town of Greve in Chianti

Castello Di Meleto vineyards

Castellina in Chianti

Castello Di Meleto’s pool disappears into the Chianti hills.

Souvenirs – Florence

Markets – Florence