Italian Country

This very hard to find book on Italy is a gem. If you have been to Italy you will relive the experience through this book and if you have not visited the country, you will want to go. This is not exactly a travel book, but a trip from region to region during the seasons of the year. Enclosed are sumptuous photos of the different villas, farmhouses and countryside and the wonderful people of Italy, along with some recipes. This book is truly Italy at it's best.

This beautiful book takes the reader on a tour of Italy's countryside by looking at regions when they are at their most alluring. In the Autumn, Tuscany and Umbria are highlighted. The reader experiences the local colors, the wine harvest, the artisan tradition, food of these regions, and country houses, gardens, and vineyards. When Winter arrives, the Alps are at their peak season, so the tour goes to Cortina D'Ampezzo and Courmayeur. There, the viewer see the Alpine beauty, local colors, skiing, the cheese of the Valle D'Aosta, painted furniture, mountain fare and houses. Spring is when everything is in bloom, a welcoming time. The reader goes to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore to view the lakes, local colors, experience water sports, see the silks of Como, relish spectacular rod iron at the lakeside villas and gardens, and enjoy light meals by the lake. The Mediterranean is almost Mecca to travelers in summer. The reader walks along the Italian Riviera, escapes to the Almafi Coast and Sardinia to fall in love with seaside views. Boating is a way of life in summer. Sardinian cloth, tiles, and seafood are abundant and savored. Seaside villas, terraces, and gardens are a breezy way of life for summer tourists and residents. Each area has something wonderful and special. This gorgeous book will help the reader fantasize about some of the most beautiful places on earth until you have your chance to go there.