“I loved Mayes first book, Under the Tuscan Sun. I read it before the movie was even thought of and personally, Diane Lane and cast don't hold a candle to the people I imagined while I was reading it. I wanted desperately to move to Tuscany and camp in her garden, even in its infant stages.
Bella Tuscany took me a bit longer to finish. I think the lack of recipes threw me. That and the traveling. I enjoyed the sojourn to Sicily and Venice, but got lost among all the churches and small villages. I felt like I needed a map in front of me so I would know where I was.
The descriptions of the gardens more than made up for the traveling confusion. I want to definitely camp in her garden now, year round. I will help pick and press olives, cut wild fennel, even chip in and help dig the septic ditch, just to spend some time in the terraces and beyond. It is a gardener's dream, and I wanted to go and look up every plant she mentioned then send away for them to put in my garden.
I loved the contrast between her life during the academic year and the 2 months of summer she spent in Tuscany. The way life slows down to a natural rhythm, with less distraction of the electronic kind (although I love my laptop), and more time to just live. I want that in my life. To walk to the village every morning for bread and a cappuccino, where everyone knows the score of the soccer game last night and which craftsman to contact for various jobs and needs. Life the way it should be.
If you have ever wanted to visit Italy, have Italian ancestors, or just like Italian food, read Mayes' books about Tuscany. You will be booking a flight!”
PeggyMSU wrote this review Wednesday, August 20 2008.
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