chateau

We made it back home in about 30 hours…  Wow!  Very tiring, but happy to be back.

The day before we left, a local gave us a tour of a private castello (castle) that dates back to the 10th century.  Parts of it were destroyed and/or damaged and reconstructed over the centuries and it was at the center of a farming community.  It sits on the highest point between Florence and Siena, which made it a strategic location throughout history.  One can see for miles in all directions from the top of the high tower.  The current owners’ family purchased the property in the late 1800s.  They make their own wine, olive oil and honey.  Also on the grounds was a Romanesque church from the same time period- I thought the old wooden doors and stone walls were beautiful with the dappled light coming through the adjacent oak forest.

Ciao!

Join us November 10th for a special evening where Joel will take you on a tour of Italy.  He’ll show some of his favorite images on the big screen.  During the presentation, Joel will share stories and techniques behind the images providing useful tips on how to take your own stunning travel photos.  Time will be allowed for a Question and Answer period after the presentation.

Location:  Scottsdale, AZ
Date:  November 10th, 2010

$10 per person for reservations made by Nov 1st ($15 per person after that or at the door).
Light refreshments will be served.  Advance reservations are required.
Proceeds from this event benefit the Arizona Art Alliance and the Sonoran Arts League.

Contact us now to secure your place
Payment by check only
For more info, visit the website.

Click here for a sneak preview of some of the Images of Italy

Ciao!  Hope to see you there…

After doing an art show within days of our return from Europe, I think we’ll take a day off!  Then, this will be our week to “catch up.”

In this post is a mid-day shot of our home base village for our Villages of Provence workshop in September.  In fact, the view from our hotel is very similar to this- pretty spectacular!  They have a wonderful open air market here that we will photograph with our group, as well as beautiful nearby villages, an abbey, vineyards during the harvest, a winery, oh and did I mention the food?  The list goes on…

Because of the drop in the euro, we are able to offer a discount of $500/couple (or $250/person) off the total price of the trip through June 15th.  So now is a great time to sign up!

A tout à l’heure!  (See you later!)

Here are a couple shots I couldn’t get on the blog while we were in Provence. They are in the same village in the Vaucluse. The blue doors are within the old walls, the other is part of a ruined chateau at the top of the village.

We also had great fresh croissants here!

Ciao!