I first visited Tuscany in transit, driving north from the capital. I was simply captivated by the stunning landscape. You can experience a sense of scale in the ocean, when a ship climbs a wave for a long time and then plunges into the abyss.
This is especially true in the spring, when the greenery has yet to bloom, the gardens are veiled in a haze of blossoms, and freshly plowed fields trace the hills in a whimsical pattern, reminiscent of ancient petroglyphs or messages from another planet.
The majestic, grandiose landscapes of this region of Italy seem to evoke the breath of the Earth itself; nature here is sensual and primordially feminine.