This week La Collina del Sole your favourite Lucca Villa Rental hosted several bridal shoots for Wedding Magazine it was chosen because of the awesome scenery surrounding the best Villas for rent in Tuscany It is perfect to mirror the amusing and diverse aspects of a wedding with Italian flavour, and while considering other Holiday villas in Lucca the editor at Wedding Magazine chose La Collina del Sole as it stood out among all the villa rentals in Tuscany due to its stunning views, the charming villages that surround Lucca Villa rental and the character filled local shops that you expect to find when you rent a villa in T uscany This choice was an endorsign mark of the Luxury Villa as many fabulous photographers have been inspired by the area surrounding Lucca Villa rental . Last week we brought to you the best recipe for a Pizza Experience and while we await to bring to you the action shots of the week long fashion shoot we concentrate on the beautiful photos of Rebecca Jensen and give you the link of this week’s pick of her amazing body of work. We would like to introduce this lovely old working dog, he is old and has gone nearly blind, he is Gina’s Dog and has done a lifetime worth of service as a shepherding dog This is Gina she is the last of the older generation of Shepherds in Fosciandora she wanted Rebecca to take these pictures of her dog so she might remember him when he dies.

Gina and her husband were both shepherds and they lived in the house just over the hill from La Collina del Sole they walked every day along cobbled pathways, verdant paths and roads to reach their grazing fields between the historical villages of Fosciandora. Gina’s husband died a few years ago.

Gina has a dry and witty sense of humour honed from many hours spent alone and reflecting on the stunning view around her, she has an unfailing directness about her and will not flinch at informing you that you have put on too much weight at the top of her voice, in the middle of a crowded room, a fabulous frankness that only comes with freedom from conventional modes of behaviour. Gina knows the area of Fosciandora like the back of her hand, she lives simply and would wake up to beautiful views every morning, she is now retired and lives on state pension she often goes into Castelnuovo to do her shopping as this affords human company. We remember the early morning tinkling bells of the goats that belonged to Gina walking behind La Collina del Sole in the “ sentiero “ behind the Villa, very early in the morning and then late in the afternoon back home again. It is these gentle routine happenings that make life at La Collina del Sole so idyllic, relaxed and peaceful with regular punctuations in the day like church bells that let you know what time of day it is, or if there is wedding happening. Every cloud has a silver linning and in rural Italy and Garfagnana in particular the new economic climate and social awakening in Italy has meant that a new generation of shepherds and land workers is emerging striving for a self-sufficient and organic way of life an example of these is Francesco who with his fiancée Alina are our guides of the region a trip out with them is a real treat as you can learn many of the innermost secrets of the region. Would you like to take a step back in time ? visit La Collina del Sole the most beautifully situated and appointed Lucca Villa Rental