This photograph is from my visit to Tuscany in 2014.This old cobblestone lane is in the medieval town of Barga. The hill town of Barga lies in the northern part of Tuscany known as the Garfagnana region. The old town of Barga is built into a steep hillside and a bit off the beaten path. It is a joy to explore.

This photograph is from my visit to Tuscany in 2014. This old cobblestone lane is in the medieval town of Barga. The hill town of Barga lies in the northern part of Tuscany known as the Garfagnana region. The old town of Barga is built into a steep hillside and a bit off the beaten path. It is a joy to explore.

This photograph is from my visit to Tuscany in 2014. This quiet little lane is in the town of Montisi. The hill town of Montisi lies in to the southeast of Siena and is a bit off the beaten path. It was pleasant and quiet little Tuscan hill town.

This Tuscan still life captures the fruitage of the autumn harvest. I spied this display in a little piazza in Pienza. The photograph was taken during a visit to Tuscany in 2014.

This old well in the hill town of San Quirico was photographed during my 2014 trip to Tuscany. We stayed in an agriturismo a few miles from the town but only visited once and enjoyed a great dinner there. Wells were an important feature of the Tuscan hill towns and many are still found in the piazzas.

I visited Monticchiello in 2014 and photographed in this quiet little piazza. Monticchiello is a little off the beaten path, it was quiet and we had lunch at an excellent on a terrace overlooking the valley.

This old well was in a courtyard in the hill town of Montalcino. It was photographed during my 2014 trip to Tuscany. Wells were an important feature of the Tuscan hill towns and many are still found in the towns today. Montalcino is renowned for the wine produced on its slopes. It bustles with tourists but one can still find some secluded spots.

I captured this scene of dramatic clouds moving across the landscape over Montepulciano in 2014. The view is deceptive as Monteculciano, a hill town renowned for its wine, spills down the hillside. It looks like a gradual slope but is much steeper than it appears.

My visit to the hill town of Radicofani was part of my 2014 trip to Tuscany as well. Radicofani sits high above the plains at the south end of Val d'Orcia. It is most definitely off the beaten path.

This view over the hill town of Montalcino was captured in 2014. We visited the town during the medieval Thrush Festival, a community event where the neighborhoods compete withvarious events.

This photograph was taken on a visit to the hill town of Cortona in 2005. Cortona was put on the map so to speak by Frances Mayes with her book "Under the Tuscan Sun". It is a pleasant little village perched high above the plains with a commanding view.

One of the most defining foods of Italy is arguably gelato. I photographed this gelateria on my 2014 visit to Tuscany. The town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is in the far north of Tuscany and sees very few tourists. It was certainly off the beaten path.

This old well in the hill town of Pienzawas photographed during my 2014 trip to Tuscany. Wells were an important feature of the Tuscan hill towns and many are still found in the piazzas. The well in Pienza is prominently situated in the piazza in front of a former pope's palace.

This Tuscan still life captures the fruitage of the autumn harvest. I spied this display in a little piazza in Pienza. The photograph was taken during a visit to Tuscany in 2014.

This photograph is from my visit to Tuscany in 2014.This old cobblestone lane is in the medieval town of Barga. The hill town of Barga lies in the northern part of Tuscany known as the Garfagnana region. The old town of Barga is built into a steep hillside and a bit off the beaten path. It is a joy to explore.

I visited Monticchiello in 2014 and photographed in this quiet little piazza. Monticchiello is a little off the beaten path, it was quiet and we had lunch at an excellent on a terrace overlooking the valley.

A view over the Tuscan hill town of Montefioralle.