Book Description
With the breathless anticipation that seduced her readers to fall in love with Venice and then Tuscany, Marlena de Blasi now takes us on a new journey as she moves with her husband, Fernando, to Orvieto, a large and ancient city in Italy's Umbria. Having neither an edge to a sea nor a face to a foreign land, it's a region less trampled by travelers and, in turn, less accepting of strangers. So de Blasi sets out to establish her niche in this new place and to win over her new neighbors by doing what she does best, cooking her way into their hearts. (Her recipes are included.)
Rich with history and a vivid sense of place, her memoir is by turns romantic and sensual, joyous and celebratory, as she searches for the right balance in this city on the hill, as well as the right home—which turns out to be the former ballroom of a dilapidated sixteenth-century palazzo.
De Blasi meets and makes friends with an array of colorful, memorable characters, including cooks and counts and shepherds and a lone violinist, and their stories, too, become a part of the tapestry of life that she weaves for herself in Orvieto. With a voice full of wonder, she brings to life these engagingly quirky people and the aloof, almost daunting society that exists in Umbria. Not since Peter Mayle's
A Year in Provence has a writer so happily succeeded in capturing the essence of a singular place and in creating a feast for readers of all stripes.
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Book!.......2007-10-14
Marlena de Blasi's writing just gets better and better. I loved her first two books but found this latest one the best yet. Marlena's beautiful soul really shines through in her uncontrollable need to befriend, nurture and "feed" people in her new home. Francisco still tries to hold her back and keep her within the cultural norms of Italy, but they both seem to have mellowed. Ms. De Blasi portrays wonderful characters and manages to relate something quite profound in the simple tale of finding a new home in Oriveto.
De Blasi does it again!.......2007-10-08
So many authors do one "hit" book and then start rushing out second-rate sequels to capitalize on the success of the first one. Well, not Marlena D.B. I've enjoyed all three of her books VERY much. The whole saga of dealing with Italian real estate in "Palazzo" is absolutely incredible -- and I loved her portraits of Miranda, Tilde and Edgardo (was that the Count's name?). Anyway, if you liked her other books, you'll like this one, too! Hope she keeps on writing.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO UMBRIA YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.......2007-08-11
What a wonderful book. What a wonderful lady. I read this book the month before my trip to Umbria this Spring and I've recommended it to my entire family and to all of my friends. Everyone I know who has read it has fallen in love with Orvieto! Orvieto is a fabulous place..and Marlena De Blasi has described it in fabulous detail...her friends, the countryside, the food and the wines. Not to mention what it takes to find and renovate a flat! I didn't want this book to end...and I know that its a book I'll reread every few years! Enjoy!
Her best, leaves me hungry for more!.......2007-08-08
I agree with everyone who says this book is de Blasi's best yet. She seems to have settled into marriage with Fernando. In Venice and Tuscany everything seemed tinged with a lustful haze, but now they are working things out together, caring for each other - much more seemly behavior for a middle-aged couple!
I was totally captivated by Marlena's struggle to fit in with her new neighbors. Fernando seems to provide minimal assistance. Also thrilled that Barlozzo appears in this book - he is such an endearing character!
This book brought me to tears several times. Few books compel me to keep reading without a break until they are over. This was definitely one of those books. Days later I can close my eyes and picture scenes from the book, her writing is so vivid. My guess is that Marlena and Fernando will make another move before too long - they are both restless characters. Even if they stay put for a while, surely the story will be just as riveting. I eagerly look forward to the next chapter in their journey
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover.......2007-07-08
You know what they say, never judge a book by its cover. Well in this case the photograph of the author on the inside of the cover led me to some judgemental thoughts.
It should be said that am drawn to books on Italy and I enjoyed my visit to Umbria several years ago. But I almost didn't buy this book because of the picture of Marlena De Blasi. Well I took a chance and I have to say I was wrong. There is no doubt that De Blasi is a free spirit, bohemian, and different. That is her charm and you can read about it on every page.
It is a wonderful story that she tells of her integration into to the conservative Italian life of Orvieto in Umbria. She mixes her quixotic lifestyle with the down-to-earth inhabitants of this city on a hill for delicious results. She is exuberant and her story is redolent with her passion for life and total disregard for the Italian class system. Despite this all turns out well in the end.
I highly recommend this tale of life in Italy. It is a completely different perspective
Book Description
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
--Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
--The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:
* A complete planner to Florence, Rome, and the highlights of Tuscany, Umbria, Latium, and the Marches
* Honest advice that lets you feel safe and comfortable in the heart of Italy--whether you speak Italian or not
* Insider tips on finding the most charming hotels for the best price
* Hundreds of restaurants reviewed and ranked for quality and value
* A complete guide to the region's cultural and historic sights--with helpful hints for making the most of your time
Sample Rating
The Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente)
Appeal by Age Preschool Grade school Teens Young adults Over 30 Seniors
Campo dei Miracoli; # 050 560 547; www.torre.duomo.pisa.it
Type of attraction Icon of Pisa. Admission ¿15 at ticket office; ¿17 for online bookings. Hours Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., guided tours every 40 minutes. When to go This site is always mobbed. Reservations Required. Special comments Local superstition has it that seeing the Leaning Tower before an exam will guarantee a bad grade. How much time to allow 30 minutes. Author's rating
Customer Reviews:
Extremely useful!.......2007-10-04
My husband and I used this guide on our first trip to Rome and Florence. It was well written and well organized. The book contained some great tips about getting around using public transportation in both cities; the included maps were helpful.
Sights were rated based not only upon how interesting they were but on what age groups would be interested in them, from children through senior citizens. The restaurant reviews and recommendations were right on target. Everything from "inexpensive" to "very expensive" eateries were included.
This book was obviously written using input from a variety of real travelers, not some "high-brow" travel critic! The book included information on many smaller towns, too. The only drawback was that the book was a bit on the large side. It fit into a backpack but with the other things we commonly carried, (water bottles, camera), it was a little cumbersome. However, this book contains so much useful information, it was worth taking along! Read it before you go to Italy and take it on your travels. We were glad we did!
Good, Practical guide.......2007-07-25
This guide was very practical and useful in comparison to the guidebook my friend had with her. Hers had a lot of pictures but less practical information. We tried several of the restaurant recommendations - one in particular in Florence was one of our best meals and one of the best prices - half of the cost of any other meal on the trip. One recommended wine shop though was no longer open.
I was also dissappointed that the information on the galleries was not specific about how difficult it can be to get in on certain days - for example, The Uffizzi in Florence is quite difficult to get in to without an advance reservation on a Tuesday because it is closed on Mondays. This was the day I had planned to go and the line was 5 hours long just to attempt to get in.
I think it would also be helpful to include some information on the "after hours" touring options. While pricey, several of the Galleries, including the Vatican Museum have services that can provide a tour after the normal hours of the Museum when all the crowds are gone. This would likely be well worth it if you can afford the option or want to treat yourself to one special tour.
Overall I thought this was a good guidebook and easy to use.
Fun and Well-Rounded.......2007-01-13
I was pleasantly surprised with this book.
The way the attractions are organized, with star ratings for different age groups (apparently culled from tourists at each site) as well as the author's rating (sometimes the same, sometimes better or worse) helped give a better picture of each option, since not everyone likes the same thing.
The mini-history lesson for each town is also a bonus in my opinion. I really enjoy knowing a little background on where I'm going, as I feel it leads to better understanding of the things I see & people I encounter.
It is a little heavy on Rome & Florence, but is also sure to include some really unique spots.
I would definitely buy another one of these guides, but be sure to check the publication date to be sure it's within the last couple of years.
I don't rely on guide books too heavily for lodging or restaurants (I use internet research for that) since even a most recent edition takes some time to come to press and things change. I generally see that section of guide books as a starting point or fall back if needed but not as the primary source. Also, various attractions can vary widely in hours (sometimes they just change or are closed/limited due to constant renovations - just the nature of things in Italy), so be sure to double check directly with the attraction (by phone, e-mail, or on the website) before you go to avoid unexpected dissapointments.
It is also well written (although the editors missed some major typos in page headings and the like, but nothing that detracts from the book) - engaging but still informative, not fluff or personal opinion.
Details, Details..........2006-08-30
This book details each and every inch of Rome and Tuscany. In addition to this, the book was easy to read and follow, complete with excellent hotel, eating and shopping suggestions. I would reccomend it to anyone traveling to Italy!
Awesome, especially restaurant picks.......2006-08-16
My husband and I took this book on our honeymoon to Rome and Florence. We especially enjoyed the restaurant recommendations..every place we tried was excellent. Some things were a bit exaggerated, for example, the book indicated that we needed to be dressed in evening wear at some places, but the other patrons were wearing jeans! Also, it said that English was not spoken at some of the restaurants, but we found that all menus had an English translations and servers were mostly able to communicate with us.
We found the information regarding sightseeing to helpful and accurate as well.
Book Description
An annually updated road map of Central Italy, covering the main and secondary road networks across the region. Scale: 1/400,000 - 1cm=4km Legend/Key in four languages (Italian, French, English, German)
Customer Reviews:
This map is too big!.......2007-05-17
These Michelin individual maps are really too big to be of much use unless you have a navigator who can fold it up on their lap. Michelin sells spiral bound volumes. If they have one for where you are going it's the best. This map would be OK for planning for travel by car. Not much help for train travel.
Book Description
Everything You Need to See the Best of Tuscany & Umbria by Car!
Let Frommer’s Take You To:
- Medieval walled cities, majestic alpine slopes, and lively festivals
- The Etruscan treasures and hidden hot springs of The Maremma
- David, the Birth of Venus, the Duomo and other stunning masterpieces in art-rich Florence
- The vineyards of the Chianti region and the quaint Western Hill Towns
- Northern Umbria, home to ancient churches and basilicas, valleys of olive groves and brilliant frescoes
- And much, much more!
Inside You’ll Find:
- 25 distinctive, easy-to-use itineraries—all fully illustrated with beautiful full-color photos
- Recommendations on the best hotels and restaurants along each route
- Exact directions, distances, and driving times for each route
- All the sights along the way—with highlights for history buffs, nature lovers, and families traveling with kids
- Scenic side trips, special moments, and recommended walks
- Detailed, accurate full-color route-planning maps—plus a new atlas section
Customer Reviews:
Frommer's Tuscany & Umbria's Best-Loved Driving Tours.......2007-03-23
Great book with good ideas. I wished it had been a little more detailed, especially as it relates to places to stay and eat along the way. More detailed road directions, with numbers, would also be helpful. A distance chart from city to city would give us a better idea of time to allow. But, it did give us ideas of places to visit that we hadn't originally thought about when we first started planning our trip. We look forward to driving several of the various trips the book describes. You definitely need to have an Italy road map to follow the trips.
Book Description
Beyond the magnificent Renaissance cities is a rolling landscape crying out for exploration, whether it's bustling markets and medieval hill towns, drowsy piazzas and ancient vineyards, or frenetic festivals and thermal springs. With detailed regional coverage, this definitive guide to Tuscany and Umbria is the key to your perfect getaway.
TREASURE HUNT - tracking down fine art or hunting great espresso, our in-depth descriptions ensure you find the region's hidden gems
ESCAPE - leave the crowds behind with detours to local haunts and insider tips for getting off the beaten track
WINE & DINE - from family-run trattorie to truffle festivals, seek out the regions' outstanding cuisine with over 250 refined restaurant reviews
KNOW YOUR WAY - inspirational itineraries and comprehensive maps help you plan ahead and get the most from your holiday
Customer Reviews:
Lonely Planet Tuscany & Umbria, 4th Edition, 2006.......2007-03-02
My partner and I used this guide for our trip to Tuscany (Toscana) in June 2006, and we found it very serviceable. The places we visited were Siena, Florence (Firenze), Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, and Volterra, among others.
Lonely Planet's guide gave us all the options available for getting to and from each city and town in the region. Whether by train, car, bicycle, or foot, it provides enough information to help you get there and back without too much trouble. This is in contrast to the Let's Go guidebooks which provide more information about staying in the towns themselves than about how to get there. This guide helped us with taking the train from Rome (Roma), and renting a car in Siena and making daytrips to Assisi, Perugia, and Orvieto.
The information on hotels is sufficient but I'd recommend doing a little research online about places to stay BEFORE you leave. LP guides give you a sampling of hotels and inns and a little blurb about each, but don't expect too much information on them. The quoted price ranges can be a little off, but LP assumes one is travelling during the peak season (July-August).
The information on restaurants is okay, and LP provides a decent listing of places to eat in whatever town you may be. It was either hit or miss for us. A few of the places LP recommended turned out to be duds but a few were spot on. One of the hits was a little taverna in Assisi that served linguini with black truffle sauce--yum!
As far as sites and attractions go, don't expect a wealth of information. LP gives a brief history/description for all the major sites but a lot of minor ones are either only touched upon or passed over altogether. One would be better off using the Michelin Green Guides for more detailed information about specific sites and attractions, as those provide a plethora of names, dates, and events that make them more akin to history books than travel guides.
The maps in the book are really good; they are accurate and easy to read. For all the major cities and towns covered in the guide, LP plots out the locations of all the hotels, restaurants, and attractions they mention. In this regard they are exactly like Let's Go (and all other guides, I imagine).
In my opinion this Lonely Planet guide is not the definitive book on Tuscany, but when used with other guides it can be an invaluable resource for your trip to this wonderful region of Italy. Pack it with you when you go--and don't forget the sunscreen!
Amazon.com
Cookbooks about Tuscan cuisine abound, but the food of its easterly neighbor, Umbria, remains mostly unexplored. Mary Ann Esposito's Ciao Italia in Umbria meets this dearth handily. A "traveling cookbook," it showcases the region's healthy, rustic food while providing a first-person look at its restaurants, home cooks, and singular occupations, like truffle hunting. The core of the book--an offshoot of Esposito's PBS series Ciao Italia--is its 60 easy-to-do recipes, which feature the area's most notable and delicious products, including olive oil, black truffles, farro, and wine. If the relatively few formulas provided leave readers hungry for more, those offered, such as Carp with Rosemary and Fennel and Fava Beans with Olive Oil and Pecorino Cheese, couldn't be more inviting.
The recipes grow from Esposito's narratives. For example, her truffle hunt chapter yields the traditional Penne with Truffles and Cream as well as the more singular Veal with Black Truffle and Strawberry Sauce. Similarly, a section on local female chefs leads to two unusual gnocchi recipes--prune- and zucchini-filled--while one on Umbrian flatbreads offers formulas for oil-fried brustengo, spinach-filled torta sul testo, and a luscious prosciutto pie. Seafood is well represented, as are recipes for the pork delicacies of Norcia, including the delicious Sweet Pork Sausages with Grapes. Readers will also enjoy making sweets like Chocolate Spumone, exemplary strufoli (honey balls), and addictive mezzalune, almond crescent cookies. With an "address book" of outstanding Umbrian restaurants, the book provides a compelling culinary tour of a region too often neglected by cookbooks but, happily, celebrated here. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Known as the Green Heart of Italy, the central region of Umbria, just to the east of Tuscany, is largely unspoiled by the modern world. Mary Ann Esposito loves the foods, traditions, and people of Umbria so much that shes devoting the entire 2002 season of Ciao Italia to it. In this intimate, passionate traveling cookbook, Esposito takes readers through this lush, mountainous, and tradition-filled region, with 60 recipes for its healthy, rustic food, profiles of its welcoming people, and an intimate tour of its food markets, home kitchens, vegetable gardens, wineries, and restaurants.Fans of Mary Anns show as well as anyone who loves the top-notch Italian olive oil, wine, black truffles, vegetables, and country breads will be transported in this very special book.
Customer Reviews:
Ciao Italia.......2007-01-10
I bought this book after seeing Mary Ann Esposito's TV cooking show. We had also recently been to Umbria and had had many great meals. I was disappointed in the book. Not that many good recipes. Some of the items she prepared on the show are very good but the majority are not appealing. I am still looking for a better book on Umbrian recipes.
Amazon.com
Tuscany and Umbria are famous for both their glorious scenery and their superlative cuisines--could there be a more perfect vacation than walking through the countryside, stopping to dine along the way? In Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria authors James Lasdun and Pia Davis offer readers 40 itineraries ranging from half-day walks to routes stretching over several days. There are written directions for each walk as well as a map. There is also a chart for each itinerary outlining travel alternatives such as buses, trains, or private automobiles and a list of restaurants along the way. Each itinerary describes the sights and terrain in charming detail, and though you might want to supplement this book with other guides specific to each area, this one does a nice job of balancing the demands of cuisine and countryside in a single volume.
Book Description
James Lasdun and Pia Davis offer forty walks through the spectacular countryside of Tuscany and Umbria. Arranged for the utmost flexibility—from half-day outings easily accessible from a city base to day walks that can be linked together in a series—the itineraries combine the pleasures of walking and eating with one of the most enchanting landscapes in the world. Calling at medieval hill towns, secluded Benedictine abbeys, spring-fed pools, and Etruscan ruins, Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria enables travelers to discover ItalyÂ's finest delights in a singularly rewarding way.
Featuring:
• New and revised walks
• Clear, easy-to-follow maps
• Suggestions for local food and wine and the best restaurants, hotels, and family- run accommodations
• Half-day, full-day, or overnight itineraries
• Practical tips, including information on climate, what to take, what to wear, and much more
Customer Reviews:
Great walks!.......2007-07-07
The walks in this book are great!
With this guide, you can truly get off the main tourist routes and into the Tuscan back country for a very different experience of Tuscany.
In mid May 2007, we did the walk from Greve in Chianti to Radda, and a walk from Pienza to Montepulciano. On the Greve to Radda walk, we hiked in the woods, saw wild boars, and spent a most enjoyable two days in Volpaia, a little town of 50 people, some hundreds of years old, surrounded by vineyards in the Tuscan hills.
The walk from Pienza to Montepulciano was beautiful. The classic Tuscan views of hills, cypress, winding country roads.
If you enjoy walking and want a non tourist view of beautiful Tuscany, I do strongly recommend this book!
New Updated Edition Available Now.......2004-12-08
The original edition of this book, written nearly ten years ago, needed
updating, so we went back to Italy, this time with two young children.
We've updated the original walks and restaurant reviews and added some new
walks and locations. If you are thinking of buying the book, make sure you
have the newer edition (both editions are available on Amazon, and the newer
one is also cheaper). To order the new edition type "walking and eating
2005" (without the quotation marks) into Amazon's search box.
If you have any questions about the book, please feel free to email me at:
walkingandeating@aol.com. Over the years we have had so many letters from
people about the book, saying what a difference it made to their holiday. We
hope you enjoy it.
Don't forget Umbria!.......2004-12-02
We used this book for a trip to Umbria with our children ages 9 and 12 this September and thought it was great, both for the walking and the eating. We have been to Tuscany several times and wanted to branch out to Umbria on this last trip, and can only say we wish we had done so sooner. We stayed in the lovely town of Norcia, and did the "san Eutizio" walk: an amazing adventure with children! Norcia was an easy place to be with kids, the hotel recommended in the book was extremely friendly, the town had such a safe feeling and enough of interest (particularly the gelato bar) to the kids to keep them busy. The walk - one of the longer ones in the book - was an ambitious one for kids, but gave them an exceptional feeling of accomplishment at the end, and they loved the beautiful abbey at San Eutizio, especially enjoyable on our visit because as we ate dinner at the tiny restaurant next door (the only building in the immediate environs) there was a wedding going on, which spilled into the outdoors. While my husband and I lingered over our "vino," the kids went inside the abbey and mingled with the wedding party stragglers, a few of whom - along with our kids of course - crawled through an ancient tunnel behind the altar, an action that is supposed to cure all ills.
We also went up to Castelluccio, the mountain village about 15 miles from Norcia, which was stunningly beautiful, remote, and virtually deserted. There is a small restaurant there which was fabulous, and the sunset behind the austere Sibillini mountains was a stunning backdrop to our outdoor meal. Next time we would plan to stay in this tiny village overnight.
Note: we had the 2005 edition, and the friend who recommended this book says the san eutizio walk wasn't in the original.
Finally a new edition of this classic!.......2004-12-02
I first discovered this book on a trip to Italy in 1999, and after my first walk I was hooked. The walk (Lamole Ring walk) took me to a place I never would have found on my own, and the experience of visiting this lovely off-the-beaten-track hamlet and its beautiful surrounding countryside on foot turned out to be the highlight of my vacation. The restaurant recommended (the only one in Lamole) was also one of the best I've ever eaten in, and was at the same time friendly and not terribly expensive.
I used the book extensively when I returned in 2003, doing seven more of the walks (mostly in the "Southern Tuscany" section) and they have all been splendid. However, I encountered several changes (more on the restaurant side than the actual walking side, though there were also some of those), and was hoping the authors would do a new edition by the time I was next lucky enough to be going to Italy. I think I was probably one of the first people to use the new edition when I went this September (2004) and I am happy to report it was excellent! I drove first to Lamole (where - in spite of another reviewer here who must have been looking for an American-style parking garage - there is no problem whatsoever in parking your car: it's just a tiny hamlet and you can park anywhere you like) and found the restaurant to be still at the top of its form, still friendly and unpretentious. The walk has been improved in that formerly there was a stretch on the road (admittedly untrafficked, but road nonetheless) which has now been replaced with a shortcut through the woods. After my walk I drove up to hotel/hostel/restaurant on top of San Michele, and spent the night there, amidst the sighing evergreens there at the top of the mountain. Sublime!
One further observation: Don't buy the old edition! Amazon only shows the old edition unless you type "2005 edition" into your search!!!
Not if you have a car..........2004-10-21
My wife and I just returned from a two-week trip to Tuscany and Umbria where we had planned to do several walks in this book. Although the book does not even pretend to address tourists traveling by car, we assumed that would not be a problem, and we were wrong. For example, we set out from Lucca to do #13, a walk in the Garfagnana. Naive American drivers need to know that the road to the trailhead, while beautiful, is a heavy industrial corridor with a large number of trucks as well as cars driving to defy death at high speed on a road that is often only wide enough for one vehicle, usually with no shoulder, often skirting sharply around mountain switch-backs with steep drop-offs. Traffic frequently stops as truck and bus drivers try to figure out who is going to back up, and how, to let the other go by. If you have a car, absolutely only consider doing this walk on the weekend. Also, we attempted #2, the Lamole ring walk. On a typical mid-October day, overcast and drizzling, there was absolutely no place to leave the car, which was very disappointing considering the effort to get there. The one walk we did do, #23, the Monteriggioni ring walk, was ok, but a very long stretch of it, from just after Abbadia a Isola to C. Giubileo, is continuously up a steep grade on a gravel road, mostly with minimal views, and gets to be a real drag. Also, and possibly not the authors' fault, the directions fail near the presumptive end when you encounter CAI signs with different numbers than the authors indicate, and trail options that don't quite fit the description. We got lost and went much further southeast than we should have, adding a pleasant enough but unplanned hour to the trip. Also, the Montauto spur access is completely overgrown now with thick, high thorn bushes at least 20 to 30 feet deep behind the well near the beginning. In sum, I was left wondering how big the target audience for this book is. Although we had a car, we were told that bus schedules are not particularly reliable outside the larger cities. After spending two weeks in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, it appears to me that, with the amount of time typical travelers have, the hassle and waste of time taking (and waiting for) busses to and from trailheads away from the major centers would just eat up too much precious time. Although there is a lot of good information in this book and it's obviously an earnest effort, we did not find it very useful. If you want to hike or, per the authors' distinction, walk, in Tuscany and Umbria, and have a car, this can be one source of many to help you out, but you need other resources. We got some good info at an information center at the base of Orvieto that led to the best hike of our trip, but note that information centers seem to be closed for unknown reasons frequently. Next time, we plan to do more research, learn a little more Italian, learn more about the CAI system in general, and buy more maps and resources before we go.
Customer Reviews:
Personal Tour Guide.......2007-01-16
We just returned from Tuscany & Umbria and used a friend's Rough Guide to Tuscany & Umbria 5. It was indispensable! User-friendly and entertaining - plus great recommendations for restaurants, pizza, gelato, etc.
Book Description
The region is broken down into Northern and Southern sections, and features such famous towns as Assisi and Orvieto, as well as the region's many wonderful and unspoiled national parks, its culture and history, plus all the usual detailed and practical information needed to visit Umbria.
Book Description
Now available from Chronicle Books, this classic volume is a glorious tribute to one of the most beautiful regions in the world. Thousands of Americans visit Tuscany and Umbria each year, and the timeless charms of the hill towns of northern Italy are impossible to forget. Anyone who has wandered the cobblestone streets of Siena or Orvieto or basked in a sunny piazza of Assisi or Montepulciano can attest to the enchanting power and romance of these ancient villages. The Hill Towns of Italy, capturing in luminous photographs the very special feeling of this region, serves as an evocative memoir for those who have had the good fortune to visit the hill towns and an irresistible lure for those who have not yet made the pilgrimage.
Customer Reviews:
Not enough pictures.......2005-09-08
While the information in this book is very interesting, we had hoped for a few more pictures of the Tuscan countryside.
Hill Towns of Italy.......2005-09-02
The book is in good condition, and provides the information I need. It came very quickly. BUT -- it was supposed to be a paperback book and it is hardback. I wanted paperback so that I could take it with me when I travel!
Biased but you will be too!.......2001-06-28
OK, my grandfather, Richard Kauffman (now deceased), spent 12 years photographing the eternal beauty of the hill towns of italy and all of the photographs in this book, now in its second reprint, were lovingly color-separated personally by him in his garage. He wouldn't even trust another printer with the quality of his images, being a printer by trade himself. Family bias aside, having since travelled to the towns, he captures Sienna as if you were there. Enjoy it as we do...
Light on depth.......2000-06-09
This book is mostly a picture book (and the pictures aren't that great) with little information. Having spent time in all of these towns, the pictures do not do justice. Also, the author concentrates on towns that are full of tour buses and very unpleasant - especially during season. There are so many more hill towns in Umbria and Tuscany that are more out of the way and charming. I guess I should be greatful that they weren't disclosed so that they stay less touristy!
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Books Index
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General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure
A Thousand Days in Venice (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
A Taste of Southern Italy: Delicious Recipes and a Dash of Culture
Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy
The Reluctant Tuscan
