Next, I traveled into the Tuscan countryside.  An Australian friend of mine who I knew from LA had rented a flat in a villa approximately two hours outside of Florence.  I went to visit her for a week.  It was a welcome change.  Being on the road all of the time, as you might imagine, can get rather lonely.  Not in the sense that I’m alone all the time.  That’s not the case, especially with this project.  But what I’d been finding is that moving week after week was taking an emotional toll.  I was excited to spend some time with a dear friend.

The country house was just outside the village of Pelago,  boasting expansive views of lush, rolling hills riddled with Italian cypress trees.  We would spend  a few days touring the Tuscan wine region.  From a wine tour in Chianti to walking the streets of Montepulciano, a Medieval hilltop town, we ate and drank our way through the region.  Our time together culminated with an overnight in Cinque Terre, a string of five seaside towns dotting the country’s northwestern coast.  We stayed in Vernazza, swam in Monterosso al Mare, dinned in Manarola, hiked to Corniglia, and gelato’d in Riomaggiore.  The glistening sea provided a welcome backdrop and added to the charm of the colorful villages.

After leaving Tuscany, I headed south to Rome.  I spent my time exploring the city and took a tour through the ancient streets.  What makes the Italian capital unique is the fact that throughout the years and changes in power, the city was never demolished and rebuilt.  New rulers left the city untouched and simply built on top of what was already there.  Because of this, you can find a corner of the city with a medieval tower, a renaissance building, a baroque fountain and a contemporary boutique all in one place.  The blending of architectural marvels spanning centuries is unparalleled.  Under present day Rome lies the ruins of the Roman Empire.  Interestingly, the metro system in Rome only has two lines.  Whenever the city tries to dig a new tunnel and add an additional line, they discover more archeological wonders and the efforts are abandoned.

Walking into the Colosseum and standing in the pit was a profound experience.  You can’t help but think about how long ago the games were held and how well preserved the gargantuan structure was.  Other highlights included the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.  The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are archeological sites outside of the Colosseum.  The site is known as the first center of the Roman Empire.  Looking back on my time in Italy, Rome is a place where I should have stayed longer.  One of my guides made a comment that Rome is the only city in the world where you don’t need to pay for a museum.  The streets themselves are the museum.  With that, I ventured further south to Naples.

I’d heard mixed reviews about Naples.  Some say it's a beautiful seaside destination and gastronomic haven.  It was the birthplace of pizza after-all.  Others claimed it was a dirty, mafia-run city and urged extra caution.  I had gone there as a starting point to visit the Amalfi Coast, one of the Italian Riviera’s most storied destinations.  My verdict on Napoli was somewhere in the middle.  The food was excellent.  I never felt unsafe, but the city did feel a bit rough around the edges.

I took the ferry from Naples down to Amalfi.  The ride followed the Riviera’s stunning coastline.  Seaside villas, rocky cliffs and small villages dotted the shores.  The August sun was perfect as we cruised the Mediterranean, passing by sailboats and yachts alike. Amalfi was a town engraved in the jagged coast.  A popular watering hole and summer retreat.  I climbed to the highest restaurant I could find and enjoyed breakfast overlooking the sapphire waters.  After breakfast I wandered through town and went back on the boat to the coast’s most famed town, Positano.

The beach was adorned with colorful umbrellas.  Shops and boutiques sold everything from clothing to Limoncello.  I went for a swim, indulged in an Aperol Spritz or two and took in the stunning views.  Mesmerized by beauty, I had almost forgotten about work.  As I mentioned before, that was the energy of Italy in August.  I wrapped up my time in Positano. This was as far south as I’d go.  It was time to head north and collect the portrait.  It was time to go to Venice.

The city was as picturesque as you’d imagine.  Canals and cafes created an ambiance unlike anywhere else in the world.  I was on a quest to find and photograph a Gondolier.  Prior to my arrival I had tried reaching out to an association to help with the project with no success. Luckily, I could simply walk outside and find plenty of potential candidates.  Since I was still looking for an organization to partner with, I decided to step into the tourism office and ask if they knew of any local associations.  The woman informed me that the Gondoliers were private contractors and acted much like taxi drivers.  There were no organizations.  I was on my own.

The following morning I woke before the sun.  I packed my camera, paper and paint and took to the streets.  The only requisite I was looking for was that the Gondolier I chose was wearing a red striped shirt.  Walking in the early morning, I realized that I’d ventured out too early.  No one was around.  The gondolas laid empty and covered, docked canal-side.  I took the water taxi to the other end of town and wandered some more.  Finally around 9am I saw the first gondolier preparing his boat.  I was in the water taxi at that time so I couldn’t approach him.  He was wearing black anyway.  I decided to get breakfast and go back to my hotel and wait for the city to awaken.

In the early afternoon I went out again.  The sun was harsh but there was no shortage of Gondoliers now. I decided it would be best to approach one and arrange a ride for the following morning when the lighting was softer.  On this particular day it seemed that everyone had decided to wear their black or navy blue striped shirts.  As I walked the city, I found a handful of them wearing red.  A lot of the guys were gathered in groups which was intimidating.  I imagine most of them spoke English because of working directly with tourists but I wasn’t entirely sure. I continued walking and spotted a few more but they had all seemed overly pushy towards tourists. I had been walking in circles for hours it seemed, not knowing entirely what I was expecting to find.  I was relying on the creative process to present someone who felt right for the project.  And it did.

I rounded a corner which opened up into a plaza.  There was a small stretch of canal to the right with a few gondolas docked on the side.  Sitting next to them on a green bench was Riccardo.  He smiled genuinely and greeted each group as they passed by, occasionally asking if they wanted a ride.  He remained seated and calm, almost timid and never overbearing.  Everything about him seemed warm and approachable.  He was wearing red.  He was alone.

I walked over and introduced myself, explaining the project.  I showed him examples of past portraits on my phone and told him it was my intention to photograph a Gondolier for the project in Italy.  He was interested in being involved but couldn’t do it the following day.  I realized the shade of the narrower canal would provide protection from the sun and the lighting would be fine.  We boarded the boat and I got to know his story.  I asked about being a gondolier, details of the job and how he got involved in it.  He appreciated my interest and explained that some people used him as a prop in their instagram photos or ignored him altogether.  He welcomed our conversation and preferred a more human connection.  I chose well.  I’d stand up and take a photo here and there.  He asked if he should smile and I told him to just act natural.  He replied saying “That’s just the thing, it's natural for me to always smile.”  Again I thought to myself, I really chose well.

Towards the end of our tour we were in a narrow passage and Riccardo pulled over to the side to allow a trash barge to pass. The men on the barge made some comments in Italian and I witnessed Riccardo's demeanor change.  I could tell he was upset.  I asked him what happened and he described the carelessness of some of the other drivers in town.  They would ride too close to the canal’s edge and leave marks on the city walls.  As he explained the various levels of disrespect he witnessed on a daily basis, I could see the passion and anger in his eyes.  That's when I knew for sure I had chosen the right person.  Highlighting cultural advocates who care about their homes and heritage is what this project is all about.  

When we got back to the dock, I prepared the paper and paint.  Riccardo asked for a scrap piece of paper to practice his line on.  He gave it a few tries and after he was satisfied, painted the real thing.  We exchanged contact information so that I could send him a copy of the portrait.  I don’t think he liked the one I chose because it wasn’t one of the portraits where he was smiling.  For a moment I contemplated using the one he preferred, but that feeling inside telling me which one was the one prevailed and I went with my choice.  We remain in contact to this day, talking about life and our travels.  Riccardo has become a good friend.  My trip to Venice proved to be a productive end to a lengthy Italian tour.  I headed back to my hotel and packed my bags.  The following afternoon I would leave for Germany.