The distinctive ‘click’ can be heard as the button is pressed. A moment later, a small image pops up on the digital camera; just a bit distorted by the glass of the car’s window is a tall building sitting regally atop a hill. Down one slope, the image shows a seemingly endless line of grape vines, and you can just barely make out the age of the dark stone of the castle.
It can be a hard task to find someplace really good to take pictures from if you’re traveling abroad. Trains are always an option, of course, but trains don’t see every sight. For more casual vacationers, a
luxury villa can be the perfect place from which to take Drive By Photographs.
In particular, European locations such as
Italian villas offer a great home base from which to drive out, see the countryside, and take photographs of what you see. Unlike modern hotels, which are usually placed in locations most convenient for tourism, villas tend to be homes out in the countryside that have been converted to serve as rentals for travelers. In some regions that have been settled for a long period of time, these villas can include places originally constructed by noblemen or other individuals of importance who were looking to build hunting lodges or vacation homes for themselves… and, practically speaking, this means that many villas are located in particularly scenic areas expressly chosen because of how beautiful they are to start with. The local agriculture often makes a beautiful accompaniment to villas, particularly just before things are taken off trees and vines. With many locations far away from modern cities, it’s easy to drive for hours through Europe’s beautiful terrain from a private villa, taking pictures as you go.
Of course, the terrain isn’t all there is to photograph. Rental villas themselves make excellent material for casual and serious photographers alike; whether it’s a castle perched atop a hill, an ancient town nestled snugly in a lush valley, or even just a home in a modern neighborhood, villas come in many shapes and sizes, and quite a few of these old world wonders can make outstanding images for someone passing by. For a journey to take the best images you can as you pass them by, there’s no place quite like an Italian villa to take a snapshot of your life.
