For those of you who may have not heard the tragic news, the Cinque Terre was devasted by a raging flood and landslides on Oct. 28th 2011. Vernazza, everybody's favorite, was covered by 8 feet of mud at the harbor. The train system was destroyed so there was no way to get in or out. Residents were airlifted out. Monterosso was also heavily damaged. Since their economy is dependent on tourism, it couldn't have been worse. Now that they need us tourists more than ever, we can't get there. My initial thought was to wait and see if we could still go in May. The more I watched the videos, I realized that it is going to take a very long time for them to rebuild.

I now am looking at changing the tour, tour itinerary etc. to compensate for this tragedy.

Bella Tuscany  … Everywhere throughout this sublimely beautiful countryside you will find the sentinel cypress trees always perfectly placed to provide focus for a wonderful photograph. As the Tuscan twilight approaches, the landscape becomes luminous with vivid skies reminiscent of an Italian masterpiece.

One of Italy's loveliest and best preserved medieval cities is Siena. Sharing both Etruscan and Roman roots, it experienced its greatest prosperity between the 12th and 16th Centuries. Today it enjoys a remarkable community spirit with its own flags, constitutions and cultural traditions. The highlights of this grand city are the Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful plazas in the world and its famous Siena Cathedral that is described as one of the most brilliant works of Italian art.

Within a 60 mile radius of Siena, there are gems of small towns and villages, each one set in a sweep of folded hills blanketed with brilliant red poppies and wildflowers. San Gimignano is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. From afar it appears mirage-like perched on a hill. Fifteen of the original seventy towers still remain giving it its striking appearance. San Gimignano represents a step back in time to imagine what life was like a thousand years ago. Narrow streets, courtyards, stunning art work and spectacular views of the countryside await us. Other treasures are the villages of Pienza, Montepulciano, and Monteriggioni.

  Painterly skies, misty sunrises and villas perched on distant hills, reminiscent of an Impressionistic painting, can be found right outside the door of our hotel.

Click here to view photos taken by previous Tuscany/Cinque Terre attendees on our Client Photo Gallery.

"You are an excellent teacher, and that is a high compliment from me who has seen lots of bad teaching in her experience and has been on photo tours where the teaching has not been good." B. Wisecup, MD

"Gale put us into the right settings and the right time allowing the entire group the opportunity to capture memorable, high quality images. The tour organization and quality (lodging, food, locations, etc.) reflected Gale’s desire to make this a rare and valuable photo experience." Tuscany/Cinque Terre '06. J. Johnson, Fl

"You go the extra mile in making a workshop work for clients and you put "light" which is the magic of photography high on your list of priorities." Tuscany/Cinque Terre '06, Jo. Johnson, CA

"A well-planned and delightful experience, as have been your other tours that I have attended. In every case, it would have taken me an untold amount of time to find the subjects and the locations that you consistently put us in front of. I consider your tours to be a very cost-effective and efficient use of my time…and a lot of fun to boot." Tuscany/Cinque Terre '06. J. Dickerson, CA

"Thanks again for all you did to organize and lead our trip to Italy. I've learned a lot about photography from you." Tuscany/Cinque Terre '10, J. Schwartz, CA

"I loved the trip! Learned a lot. It was such a nice escape. I hope to take some tours with you next year." Tuscany/Cinque Terre, '10, A. Lenz, CA

"Excellent organization; optimal number of participants; to the point but not overbearing instruction; carefully selected locations.", Tuscany/Cinque Terre '10, V. Naiman, CA