By Talha Najeeb — Jul 18, 2024

Clays of Siena, Part 1 (You Don't Want to Miss This)

There are sunsets and then there is this

In the beautiful country, there is a special place. And in that special place, there is a landscape that defies description. It's not of this world.

This week I learned about the Atlas moth; it looks like this:

No words, right?

When I was thinking about how I feel about the landscape I'm about to present, I didn't want to be too hyperbolic, didn't want to get carried away. But the truth is that 'not of this world' is exactly how I feel about it. And the Atlas moth is a reminder that there are things in our world that are so wondrous they seem alien to it; as if they don't belong. They exist outside the bounds of what we consider reality.

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Editor's Note: I promise you these photos look a lot better on a screen bigger than your's phone's. If possible, check them out on a high quality screen like an iPad or a laptop.

Morning sun illuminates a distant hilltop village while an ethereal mist envelopes the countryside

At the other end of the day, the fading light works a different kind of sorcery

The good tomatoes, the good cheese, the good bread and the Chiania wasn't good enough for them

Countryside: spectacular. Hilltop: majestic. It never ends.

Home of the *Il Palio* and Toscana's finest, rivaled only by Firenze

This valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, every direction is a cardboard cutout out of a fairy tale

In most of the world this would be part of an officially designated 'scenic drive', here it's how you get to the deli

When they say 'buona giornata', they mean it

This is some of my favorite work and I have a lot more to share in future posts. Part 2 should drop soon and there's a chance there'll be a part 3. And it's not all countryside/landscape, I have some city shots lined up as well. So watch that Inbox, 14stops is staying busy.

Alla prossima.

Clays of Siena, Part 1 (You Don't Want to Miss This)

Tufa Cities

Clays of Siena, Part 2