Tuscany and Umbria - The Collected Traveler--An Inspired Companion Guide

Zusatztext “Perfect for both the armchair traveler and those who want to get up and go.” — Chicago Tribune Informationen zum Autor Barrie Kerper is the editor of numerous other books in the Collected Traveler series. For more, see www.thecollectedtraveler.com.  Klappentext This unique guide to one of today's hottest tourist destinations combines fascinating articles by a wide variety of writers! woven throughout with the editor's own indispensable advice and opinions-providing in one package an unparalleled experience of an extraordinary place. This edition on Tuscany and Umbria features: ? Articles! interviews! recipes! and quotes from writers! visitors! residents! and experts on the region! including Frances Mayes! Mario Batali! Erica Jong! Barbara Ohrbach! Faith Willinger! and David Leavitt. ? In-depth pieces about Florence and the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria that illuminate the simple pleasures of local cuisine! the dazzling art treasures of the Uffizi! the civilized wilderness of Tuscan back roads! the many varieties of olive oil! the endearing quirks of the Italian character! and much more. ? Enticing recommendations for further reading! including novels! histories! memoirs! coookbooks! and guidebooks. ? An A-Z Miscellany of concise and entertaining information on everything from biscotti to Super-Tuscan wine! from the history of the Medicis to traveling with children. ? Spotlights on unusual shops! restaurants! hotels! and experiences not to be missed. ? More than a hundred black-and-white photographs and illustrations. from the Introduction by Barrie Kerper Tuscany is without doubt one of the most visited regions of Italy and is the region many people think of first whey they think of Italy.  And with good reason:  the treasures and pleasures of Florence alone could easily hold one’s attention for years.  Umbria, often known as “the green heart of Italy,” exists somewhat in Tuscany’s shadow, but happily within the last dozen years or so many visitors have discovered that it, too, offers world-class gems of art and architecture, and its cuisine and landscapes are the equal to its neighbor’s.   Some people feel that Tuscany, Florence especially, is too clichéd and too popular for its own good, and too much like anywhere else.  (Often, visitors complain excessively about the problems tourism creates, about Italian corruption and bureaucracy; but I like to remind them of a remark made many, many years ago by Lord Byron: “There is, in fact, no law or government at all [in Italy]; and it is wonderful how well things go on without them.”) But those who think Italy isn’t exotic enough to be trave-worthy are simply mistaken: things are different in Tuscany and Umbria.  Such everyday scenes as a young woman crossing a cobblestone street in stiletto heels balancing two cups of espresso, men conversing animatedly using so many unfamiliar hand and facial gestures you’d think you had landed on Mars, widowed women dressed head to toe in black, or merchants closing up shop simultaneously for la pausa (the lunchtime siesta) on a hot summer afternoon are just as foreign to a North American as what you might experience in Asia or Africa.  Florence, like other cities throughout Tuscany and Umbria, is filled with much that is old but also plenty that is new. Unfortunately, some American fast food chains have found a foothold here and many international stores are the very same ones we find in North America; still, it is mostly the older sites we come to see. I for one will never forget the day I first saw Santa Maria del Fiori, Florence’s Duomo: as I walked down a narrow street the name of which I no longer remember, I saw a sliver of it suddenly; as I approached it and discerned the different colors and patterns of marble, I was filled with a warmth and a happiness to be alive ...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Barrie Kerper
• Con la collaborazione di: Barrie Kerper (Editore)
• Editore: Vintage USA
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 27.07.2010
• EAN: 9780307474902
• ISBN: 978-0-307-47490-2
• Pagine: 640
• Dimensioni: 130 mm x 201 mm x 30 mm
• Serie: Vintage Departures; Vintage Departures
• Categoria: Viaggi > Guide turistiche > Europa