Let's talk about Italian travel
It's drawing close mid-March and I don't assume I've ever had this many plates spinning at the same time. That's not a grievance at all and oddly enough, I'd welcome a couple extra activities. I recognize I can not keep up this pace all the time and holidays watch for.
So the other day a new travel book fell into my lap. The book is Susan Van Allen's 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. Though Susan's targeting a female audience, her subject matter transcends gender. 100 Places is a terrific insider's guide. It's full of off-the-beaten-path treasures and fresh perspectives on old standbys. Whether it's the Piazza Barberini in Rome or Oplontis in Torre Annunciata, an insider's guide that lists places where I've already been gets an instant nod of approval from me.
More than that though, Susan Van Allen makes my long to see the places I've yet to see. 100 Places is daydream fodder for me right now, but mark my words. I will see her 100 Places and add 100 more. You can read her table of contents (and buy her book) here.
In an interesting twist, 100 Places has been turned into an iPhone app . Pretty great stuff all around.
Saxon Henry is a great friend and contributor to this blog. She launched a new site a couple of weeks back called Roaming by Design. She is running a contest right now and the prize is the iPhone app version of 100 Places. All you have to do is leave a comment after her post and chapter excerpt on 100 Places . Poke around on Saxon's site while you're over there, she does a great job of combining her loves of travel, design, writing and everything else that catches her eye.
My image of the Villa los angeles Terrazza as seen from the Marina Piccola in Sorrento.
Of course all talk of Italy brings me back to my incredible stay at the Villa la Terrazza in Sorrento in 2008. It's fast approaching two years since I looked out over the Mediterranean from the patio of the villa and I am dying to return.
Photo from the Villa la Terrazza. This changed into our residing room for one of the most idyllic weeks I've ever spent.
Andrea Azzariti a fifth era member of the Gunderrode own family to own and keep the Villa. He has a new website for it and it simply launched. If you are ever searching out the ultimate escape, this is it. I can not recommend the six residences of the Villa La Terrazza and Andrea's hospitality strongly sufficient.
It seems like a dream now, but there was once a time when I padded through this dining room every morning to get coffee and greet the day. The old marble counter in front of the window was the spot where I stood to chop tomatoes for bruschetta. I'll never be the same. Really.
Included in Andrea's new website is the subsequent video. Watch this and then tell me that the Villa l. A. Terrazza isn't paradise discovered.
Villa Terrazza - Our Incredible Trip! From Demir Gjokaj on Vimeo.
Check out Villa la Terrazza's new site .