Today is blustery and rainy here on Whidbey Island with a definite autumn nip in the air. It's the perfect sort of day to curl up in a comfy armchair and indulge in a good book. I have some interesting volumes in my "to read" stacks but I am inclined to find one of my favorite "life in Italy" books and lose myself in la vita bella for an hour or two.
If you are looking for something like that check out my Amazon book store. The link to all the recommendations is on the left hand side of the blog, only a few of which actually appear at any one time. I have included all our favorite books about expats living in Italy as well as some Italy-oriented fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks and a few odds and ends. Some are perfect for a rainy afternoon but others make excellent reading in preparation for your next trip to Italy.
One of my absolute favorites is Kinta Beevor's A Tuscan Childhood. It is an enchanting look at the life of an English girl whose artist parents buy and renovate a castle in the Italian Lunigiana (just over the hills from where we are). Although the author only lived there full-time for a short while, she spent holidays there from 1916 until after World War II. Her insight into the lives of the British expat community in Florence and her view of the daily life of the local Tuscans are glimpses into fascinating worlds that no longer exist. At the same time, the Italian countryside she loved remains largely unchanged.
Another book I enjoy is R.W.B. Lewis' book The City of Florence. It is a very readable history of the city but it is also interspersed with descriptions of the two extended sabbaticals this American university professor and his family spent there. I still cannot go into Piazza Santa Croce without looking up at the building he and his wife stayed in and imagining their daily life amongst the stones of Florence.
If you are looking for something lighter, any of Donna Leon's mysteries set in Venice are highly recommended. Her Inspector Guido Brunetti is an honorable policeman trying to navigate his way through the shifting moral sands of the Italian law enforcement and judicial systems. Almost more interesting is his interaction with his family--his university professor wife and their two teenage children.
All of these, and many others I recommend can be found via the Abbastanza Buono Book Recommendations link to the left.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
TGI September!
August was an INCREDIBLY busy month. Unfortunately, it was mostly business issues that kept us occupied. Nonetheless, we managed a lot of fun as well. Here are the highlights:
Soon after our weekend at the races in Wenatchee, Dom's brother John, his wife Vicky and their daughter Schuyler came to visit for a week.
In between conference calls and too many emails we managed to take in quite a few of the local sights.
One of the booths at the Bayview Farmers Market.
One of the decommissioned guns at Fort Casey
Dom and John on the boat tour at Lake Diablo in the North Cascades.
The Seattle City Light tour of the lakes and dams was something we have wanted to do for some time. Guests in town is always a good excuse so off we went one day (with reservations and a picnic) to Newhalem on Highway 20.
The boat travels up Diablo Lake to the foot of Ross Dam.
Really spectacular scenery but almost no wildlife sighted.
After we got off the boat we walked back across the dam where the bus picked us up to take us back to Newhalem. The tour was well done and well worth the long drive there and back.
We also took our guests to Deception Pass. Dom and John walked out on the bridge while Schuyler, Vicky and I admired the view.
I spent one weekend with my brother's kids. We went to the acquarium in Seattle, had fish and chips at Ivar's and explored Pike Place Market.
Last weekend I helped sister Patty celebrate the big 5-0! 
Here she is with the birthday cake.
It was the wild and crazy women celebrating at Alpental.
The next day some of us hiked to Snow Lake.
It was a brilliant day but the hike sure seemed easier the last time I did it.
Soon after our weekend at the races in Wenatchee, Dom's brother John, his wife Vicky and their daughter Schuyler came to visit for a week.
In between conference calls and too many emails we managed to take in quite a few of the local sights.
One of the booths at the Bayview Farmers Market.
One of the decommissioned guns at Fort Casey
Dom and John on the boat tour at Lake Diablo in the North Cascades.
The Seattle City Light tour of the lakes and dams was something we have wanted to do for some time. Guests in town is always a good excuse so off we went one day (with reservations and a picnic) to Newhalem on Highway 20.
The boat travels up Diablo Lake to the foot of Ross Dam.
Really spectacular scenery but almost no wildlife sighted.
After we got off the boat we walked back across the dam where the bus picked us up to take us back to Newhalem. The tour was well done and well worth the long drive there and back.
We also took our guests to Deception Pass. Dom and John walked out on the bridge while Schuyler, Vicky and I admired the view.
I spent one weekend with my brother's kids. We went to the acquarium in Seattle, had fish and chips at Ivar's and explored Pike Place Market.
Last weekend I helped sister Patty celebrate the big 5-0!
Here she is with the birthday cake.
It was the wild and crazy women celebrating at Alpental.
The next day some of us hiked to Snow Lake.
It was a brilliant day but the hike sure seemed easier the last time I did it.
I have to say I am glad September is finally here. The business stuff has calmed down some so hopefully this month will be a tad more relaxed before we leave for Italy on September 29. However, the calendar is awfully full so maybe in October...
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