Italians love to talk about food. The aroma of a simmering ragú, the bouquet of a local wine, the remembrance of a past meal: Italians discuss these details as naturally as we talk about politics or sports, and often with the same flared tempers. In Why Italians Love to Talk About Food, Elena Kostioukovitch explores the phenomenon that first struck her as a newcomer to Italy: the Italian "culinary code," or way of talking about food. Along the way, she captures the fierce local pride that gives Italian cuisine its remarkable diversity. To come to know Italian food is to discover the differences of taste, language, and attitude that separate a Sicilian from a Piedmontese or a Venetian from a Sardinian. Try tasting Piedmontese bagna cauda, then a Lombard cassoela, then lamb ala Romana: each is part of a unique culinary tradition.In this learned, charming, and entertaining narrative, Kostioukovitch takes us on a journey through one of the world's richest and most adored food cultures. Organized according to region and colorfully designed with illustrations, maps, menus, and glossaries, Why Italians Love to Talk About Food will allow any reader to become as versed in the ways of Italian cooking as the most seasoned of chefs. Food lovers, history buffs, and gourmands alike will savor this exceptional celebration of Italy's culinary gifts. Read more

If you are a fan of the 'A Rosie Life in Italy' series, you will be glad to hear A Rosie Life In Italy 6 - ‘Rosie Lets Herself Go’ is on its way!Description coming soon, but expect a lot of laughs in this one, along with new and old friends, and house renovations and gardening in Italy the Rosie and Ronan way, as they prepare the house for their first solo women travellers, digital nomads and Rosie’s women’s writing retreats in Italy.Note from Rosie: "I hope to have it ready before Christmas, but I’m putting the release date as February just in case there is any delay. The more pre-orders I get the quicker I write!" Read more

🌟Much more than a typical Italy travel guide in 2024【Lifesaver on your first trip to Italy】This book will tell youif trains really can be an hour late, whether it’s appropriate to leave a tip at the restaurant, and how to navigate those confusing Italian markets. It will equip you with the most important thing: an understanding of the country and its people.✚ useful Italian phrases with translations and pronunciation✚ museum websites where you can buy tickets at the lowest prices✚ apps to buy bus tickets online in different cities✚ phone numbers for embassies and emergency services, just in case✚ translation of Italian signs【No clichés. Personal, friendly, conversational】This book won't provide you with typical tourist routes around the Colosseum, lengthy hotel adverts, or the usual list of attractions you'd find on the first page of a Google search. Instead, reading this book is like having a conversation with your best friend who just returned from a trip to Italy and is eager to share his personal experiences【12 chapters with everything you need】1. What is Italy2. South vs. North3. Transport4. Climate5. Accomodation6. Food and wine7. Local market8. Supermarket9. Restaurant10. Pizzeria11. Bar12. ItaliansThis book won't help you plan a detailed itinerary for Italy. But it will give you more: a genuine insight into the essence of Italy itself. So that your First Time in Italy will be unforgettable — and then there will be a second, third, fifth, and twenty-fifth time. And be careful: Italy knows how to enchant at first sight :) Read more

"DAZZLING."--Time"[THEROUX'S] WORK IS DISTINGUISHED BY A SPLENDID EYE FOR DETAIL AND THE TELLING GESTURE; a storyteller's sense of pacing and gift for granting closure to the most subtle progression of events; and the graceful use of language. . . . We are delighted, along with Theroux, by the politeness of the Turks, amazed by the mountainous highlands in Syria, touched by the gesture of an Albanian waitress who will not let him pay for his modest meal. . . . The Pillars of Hercules [is] engrossing and enlightening from start (a damning account of tourists annoying the apes of Gibraltar) to finish (an utterly captivating visit with Paul Bowles in Tangier, worth the price of the book all by itself)."--Chicago Tribune"ENTERTAINING READING . . . WHEN YOU READ THEROUX, YOU'RE TRULY ON A TRIP."--The Boston Sunday Globe"HIS PICARESQUE NARRATIVE IS STUDDED WITH SCENES THAT STICK IN THE MIND. He looks at strangers with a novelist's eye, and his portraits are pleasantly tinged with malice."--The Washington Post Book World"THEROUX AT HIS BEST . . . An armchair trip with Theroux is sometimes dark, but always a delight."--Playboy"AS SATISFYING AS A GLASS OF COOL WINE ON A DUSTY CALABRIAN AFTERNOON . . . With his effortless writing style, observant eye, and take-no-prisoners approach, Theroux is in top form chronicling this 18-month circuit of the Mediterranean."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Read more

An Insider's Guide to Rome: Escape the Tourist Traps and Discover the Eternal City's Best-Kept SecretsFrustrated by endless queues at the Colosseum? Tired of overpriced tourist menus? Wondering where to find Rome's underground secrets and authentic local haunts?An Insider's Guide to Rome is the captivating third book in the Insider Travel Series. After decades of exploring every hidden corner of the Eternal City, Marco reveals the Rome that most travelers never see. This definitive guide takes you beyond the postcard views and tourist crowds to experience the city as true Romans do - from secret underground ruins to neighborhood enotecas where locals gather each evening. Written like you were chatting over a glass of wine with a knowledgeable Roman friend, "An Insider's Guide to Rome" offers practical advice, historical context, and genuine local insights that transform your journey from ordinary tourism to extraordinary discovery. Marco's suggestions will help you experience Rome like a local and sidestep the tourist traps with this entertaining guide.In this essential Rome companion, you'll discover:⭐ Where to witness breathtaking ancient ruins without the crushing crowds⭐ How to explore Rome's fascinating underground city and catacombs most visitors miss⭐ The authentic neighborhood trattorias, cafés, and wine bars where Romans actually eat⭐ Perfect accommodations for every budget in the city's most charming districts⭐ Hidden photographic viewpoints for capturing unique angles of iconic landmarks⭐ Museum strategies that let you appreciate masterpieces without the frustrationWhether it's your first visit or your fifth, this guide reveals a Rome that exists just beyond the tourist façade - a vibrant, authentic city waiting to be experienced.Don't settle for the same overcrowded Rome everyone else sees. Scroll up, click buy now, and discover the authentic Eternal City that will captivate your heart forever. Read more

Lonely Planet's Italyis our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the country has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. Relive the past at Pompeii, take a world-class Tuscan wine tour and explore the unspoilt wilderness of Sardinia; all with your trusted travel companion.Inside Lonely Planet's Italy Travel Guide: Lonely Planet's Top Picks - a visually inspiring collection of the destination's best experiences and where to have themItineraries help you build the ultimate trip based on your personal needs and interestsLocal insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - whether it's history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, politicsEating and drinking - get the most out of your gastronomic experience as we reveal the regional dishes and drinks you have to tryToolkit - all of the planning tools for solo travellers, LGBTQIA+ travellers, family travellers and accessible travelColour maps and images throughoutLanguage - essential phrases and language tipsInsider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spotsCovers Rome, Turin, the Cinque Terre, Genoa, Milan, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Parma, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Bari, Sicily, Sardinia and more!eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data chargesEffortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviewsAdd notes to personalise your guidebook experienceSeamlessly flip between pagesBookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flashEmbedded links to recommendations' websitesZoom-in maps and imagesInbuilt dictionary for quick referencingAbout Lonely Planet:Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world's number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' Fairfax Media (Australia) Read more

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The beloved memoir of self-discovery set against the spectacular Tuscan countryside that inspired the major motion picture starring Diane Lane—now in a twentieth-anniversary edition featuring a new afterword “This beautifully written memoir about taking chances, living in Italy, loving a house and, always, the pleasures of food, would make a perfect gift for a loved one. But it’s so delicious, read it first yourself.”—USA Today For more Frances Mayes, including a tour of her now iconic Cortona home, Bramasole, watch PBS’s Dream of Italy: Tuscan Sun Special!   More than twenty years ago, Frances Mayes—widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer—introduced readers to a wondrous new world when she bought and restored an abandoned Tuscan villa called Bramasole. Under the Tuscan Sun inspired generations to embark on their own journeys—whether that be flying to a foreign country in search of themselves, savoring one of the book’s dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, or simply being transported by Mayes’s signature evocative, sensory language. Now with a new afterword from Frances Mayes, the twentieth-anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun revisits the book’s most popular characters. Read more

Swim in the sparkling Mediterranean, marvel at the peak of Mount Etna, and get to know this region's timeless charm: with Rick Steves on your side, Sicily can be yours!Inside Rick Steves Sicily you'll find:Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Sicily Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from Mount Etna and the Byzantine mosaics of Monreale to the Ballarò street market and Siracusa's puppet museum How to connect with culture: Savor seafood-centric cuisine made from ancient recipes, catch an opera performance at the Teatro Massimo, or sample authentic Marsala wine Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of local Nero d'Avola Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed maps for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, a historical overview, and helpful Italian phrases Over 450 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Palermo, Cefalù, Trapani and the West Coast, Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, Ragusa and the Southeast, Siracusa, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Sicily. Expanding your trip? Check out Rick Steves Italy. Read more

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Are you worried the only things you’ll see in Florence are the massive crowds? Discover how to avoid the long lines and enjoy the city’s best-kept secrets. If you fear wasting time waiting in long lines with hordes of tourists and are overwhelmed by the number of attractions in Florence, if you’re struggling to fit in the top sights on your incredible vacation, this is the book for you. Best-selling Italy travel author and boutique tour guide Corinna Cooke has spent a lifetime studying the city’s every secret. Now she shares her expert advice for exploring the cultural wonders of this amazing destination so you can avoid the jam-packed masses and soak up each stress-free moment. Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence: Insider Secrets To The Renaissance City is the ultimate guide to uncovering the real story of this fascinating historical icon. Catering to every possible desire, from uncrowded walks through the lives of Dante and Michelangelo to the author’s favorite restaurants and specialty stores, you’ll be immersed in the city’s breathtaking heart and soul. See the hidden facets of Florence missed by so many and be invigorated by one of the world’s most beautiful locales. In Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence, you’ll discover: - Clear strategies for enjoying the big sights without the anxiety of long wait-times - Little known locations and the juicy stories behind them that bring the city to life - Palaces, piazzas, museums, and churches off the beaten track that exude Florentine culture - The best markets, shops, restaurants, and fascinating places you simply must sample - A “What’s Nearby?” section for every site to help you maximize your time, tips to fit everything into your day, and much, much more! Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence is the third exhilarating book in the Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy series. If you like genuine history, passionate guides, and being an in-the-know visitor, then you’ll love Corinna Cooke’s eye-opening resource. Read more

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Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves! This colorful, compact guidebook is perfect for spending a week or less in Venice:City walks and tours: Eight detailed tours and walks showcase Venice's essential sights, including St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Grand Canal, plus handy neighborhood breakdowns Rick's strategic advice on what experiences are worth your time and money What to eat and where to stay: Savor calamari at a cicchetti bar, mingle with locals with a spritz con Aperol in hand, and stay in a romantic canal-side hotel Day-by-day itineraries to help you prioritize your time A detailed, detachable fold-out map, plus museum and city maps throughout Full-color, portable, and slim for exploring on the goTrip-planning practicalities like when to go, how to get around, and more Lightweight yet packed with valuable insight into Venice's history and culture, Rick Steves Pocket Venice truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Spending more than a week in the city? Try Rick Steves Venice. Read more

Lonely Planet’s Sardinia is our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the region has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. Explore Cagliari’s Il Castello, find a secluded cove on the Costa Smeralda, and walk the shores of Golfo di Orosei; all with your trusted travel companion. Inside Lonely Planet’s Sardinia Travel Guide: What’s NEW in this edition?Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreakNEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of Sardinia’s best experiences and where to have them Planning tools for family travellers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kidsNEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card* with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interestsEating & drinking in Sardinia - we reveal the dishes and drinks you have to trySardinia’s beaches - whether you’re looking for relaxation or activities, we break down the best beaches to visit and provide safety informationColour maps and images throughoutInsider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spotsHonest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks missCultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, politicsOver 34 maps Covers Cagliari & the Sarrabus, Iglesias & the Southwest, Oristano & the West, Alghero & the Northwest, Olbia, the Costa Smeralda & Gallura, Nuoro & the East The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Sardinia, our most comprehensive guide to Sardinia, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s Italy for a comprehensive look at all the country has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.  'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia) Read more

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With a new roof and working electrics in place, Rosie is ready for the next phase of turning the 22-roomed derelict Italian villa into a home. It needs to be ready in time for her elderly Irish parents to move in, and her daughter to finally visit after being separated for so long. However, with renovation disasters, endless negotiations with the Shouty Woman at the bank, and the several shades of suffocating mould in every room, it seems like the house will never be a home for Rosie and her family, let alone her octogenarian parents from Ireland. The over-enthusiastic tradesmen who put water in the electrics and leave unexpected bills in the letterbox, strengthen the thought that perhaps it would be easier to leave the villa in Italy dream behind and just pack up and move back to Ireland…Some reviews of books in this series:"The best book I read this year. Comic genius.""Totally hooked. Enjoyed it from the first page to the last.""This book is now on my shortlist of favourite books EVER!" Read more

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"A wondrously joyous account of travel as it should be." –Publishers WeeklyA travel narrative that focuses on Sicily's little-known regions, from the author of Seeking Sicily and Hidden Tuscany.From Palermo to Castiglione di Sicilia to Alimena, Sicily holds great secrets from the past and unspoken promises. Tradition, in the form of festivals, the written word, photographs, and song, reverberates through village walls. Now, slowly shaking itself free of the Mafia, Sicily is opening itself up to visitors in ways it never has before.Sicilian Splendors explores the history, politics, food, Mafia, and people which John Keahey encounters throughout his travels during his return to Sicily. Through conversing with natives and immersing himself in culture, Keahey illustrates a brand new Sicily no one has ever talked about before. Villagers, eager to welcome tourism and impart awareness of their cultural background, greet Keahey for meals and drink and walk him through their winding streets. They share stories of well-known writers, such as Maria Messina, who have found inspiration in Sicily’s villages. Keahey’s never-ending curiosity as a traveler shines light on Sicily’s mythical mysteries and portrays the island not only through his eyes but also through Sicily’s heart.This picturesque travel memoir navigates Sicily today and seeks to understand Sicily’s past. In lyrical prose and vivid dialect, Keahey paints images of the island’s villages, people, and culture with careful strokes and a meticulously even hand. Keahey not only serves as a guide through the marvel of Sicily’s identity, but he also looks deeply into Sicily’s soul. Read more

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to retire in Rome?After a sabbatical in Rome, during which he fell in love with the city and its people, American journalist John Henderson spent eleven years trying to return. With the newspaper industry crumbling around him like an ancient ruin, he finally made it. He retired to Rome and found her just as beautiful and charming as ever. The Cappuccino Chronicles: An American Journalist’s Decade in Rome, is about an American expat’s life in a glamorous city few visitors ever really know. Rome is beauty, food, wine, art, afternoon break, and yes, cappuccino. But it is also sixteenth century public services and indecipherable language. With a journalist’s keen eye for detail, truth, and sarcasm, John removes the veneer from Rome with wit and thoughtfulness, telling what it’s really like to live in The Eternal City. Read more

Rosie is facing the ultimate ‘empty mansion syndrome’ in her 22-roomed Italian villa.With both her kids now living in different countries and the funds to finish renovations going AWOL, Rosie is starting to suspect that the Sighing House might be a tad too big for just her and hubby Ronan.To make matters worse, with Ronan’s pending criminal court case—following his encounters with a toupee rat pack and the anti-Mafia special police squad—Rosie may soon be the only resident in the house.As her life spins at a speed faster than a Ferrari on an Italian motorway–while dealing with grief for her Dad, her brother’s cancer diagnosis, her mother’s unexpected return and health scares galore, Rosie discovers that the festoons of red tape while trying to get into the Italian health system, is like untangling cooked spaghetti.To regain some semblance of control, Rosie throws herself into renovating the villa’s garden, but no amount of ivy whacking, weed pulling, lavender planting can stop the feeling that the house is sighing with emptiness, and Rosie can’t stave off the strong urge to escape from her safe haven and her downward spiralling life.With the Sighing House on the brink of being put on the market, can Rosie find a purpose for the villa and salvage her crumbling dream life in Italy?With more comical misadventures and unexpected revelations, get ready to laugh, cry, and maybe even dream of owning your Italian villa in this fifth instalment of A Rosie Life In Italy. Read more