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| Palazzo Gudagni's Loggia couldn't be any prettier or more relaxing |
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| a mix of locations we focused on included our hotel room, the countryside homes and Florentine design shops |
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| Bianca models (KNOCK OUT LADY ALERT!) as we style and shoot the room around her |
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| We tasted wine and local olive oil before setting off on our bikes! |
Next on our agenda was focusing on interiors/architecture and landscapes while cycling the Tuscan countryside. We shot our princess boudoirs with and without our model/tour guide Ms. Bianca. Each photographer styled the room in her own way, a fascinating take on composition and story telling. The ladies had impeccable, thoughtful taste . . . I'd hire them as prop stylists on every shoot if I could, they were that good! We moved from intimate details such as travel bag, map and scarf to composing the entire room (and spaces we visited) in the most creative fashion. People were up on chairs, down on floors, it was a sporting event to be sure!
Speaking of sporting, we attempted to put our cameras down (rather impossible at this point, the addiction had fully taken hold of our group) for a daylong bicycle ride through the hills outside of Florence. In the safe and encouraging hands of
Tuscany Bike Tours, we visited a medieval castle, tasted wine and olive oils (very spicy, bitter and fresh) and then mounted our steeds. Joy and revelry were in the air as the wildflowers perfumed our bike helmets, lilting as we coasted up and down the hills. There's no better way to see a country than on a comfy bike. I just about to burst with pride as I surmounted a final baby mountain towards the end of the day. This touring company inspired me to search for a weeklong bike trip somewhere in Europe next Fall. I rode my bike a ton as a teenager and being on two wheels just fills me with glee.
After taking in a lot of culture, shops, churches and lounging at our swank palace hotel, it was a thrill to be in the bright sunshine and quiet of the countryside. The perfect mid-week break!
Leela.. it is like I am back in Florence with everyone again. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos with us... these memories will forever be in my heart as one of the best weeks of my life.
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