A little Italy every day
 

I just learned of a new book about bringing Italy home, ways to incorporate reminders of beloved Italy into one's daily existence. Other than participating in this forum, I wonder how you other Italophiles manage to sustain yourselves between visits. Please share!

Pam: what's the name of the book?

I sustain myself between visits to Italy by eating at Italian restaurants, drinking limoncello, saying "ciao" rather than "bye," planning future trips, and participating on this forum--which is probably the best way of all. Ciao, Pam.

The book is Italy Fever: 14 Ways to Satisfy your Love Affair with Italy by Darlene Marwitz. I first heard of it today. <BR>Ciao, Lola!

Pam, <BR> <BR>A great question... and thanks for the book title. <BR> <BR>I take Italian lessons every week with a friend, with a private teacher and we talk Italian, drink wine and munch things like Reggiano Parmigiana and olives. I eat at any Italian restaurant I can find - and practice my Italian with anyone willing to listen. <BR> <BR>I give advice to anyone planning a trip - have every trip on a spreadsheet - which I can sort by province, town, date, etc. (it's kind of sick really! LOL) I manage to get there at least once a year and love to plan it. <BR> <BR>And I'm so glad I found this Forum - I've become addicted...

<BR>What a timely question for me!! We'll be in Italy in 5 months and 27 days, but who's counting? We eat at Italian restaurants alot, and I'm not a wine snob, but we try to always order Italian or Sicilian wines, or Italian beer. I read <BR> the labels and try to figure out if I've been there. We order canolis and stuff from Ferraro's in Little Italy in NY. Also watch any movie made in or about Italy. And I try to be polite to others when they talk about how WONDERFUL a place like The Olive Garden is for "Italian" food which should be ashamed of itself! :))

I too eat in as many Italian restaurants as possible, but since I live in north-central Idaho, there aren't many good ones around so we cook Italian dishes several times a week. <BR> I also am taking Italian lessons, but in a much less formal way than Dona. Several people in the community meet weekly for a class that we hold in the student lounge at a local college. We are fortunate to have an exchange student from Croatia whose mother is Italian for our "teacher." We are made up of people who immigrated from Italy with their families, people who grew up speaking Italian at home and English at school, college students, people who have lived in Italy or those like me who have been once and can't wait to return! We are using one of the Living Language series for our text book. The group started out with 3-4 people and has grown in the past 3 months to 18 simply by word of mouth. We are a community of Italophiles. Once a week I get to return in spirit to Bella Italia! Maybe this idea will work in other places???

I think Italy will be our next European trip...the local PBS fundraising show last night was all Italy...a video of Northern Italy made up totally of aerial (sp?) from the air) shots, we caught the last hour or so and it was pretty cool. Minimal voiceover and just enough superimposed titles to let you know what you were seeing. No, I didn't pledge $100 to get the video...but maybe I'll feel differently about that after I've been there.

You said it Dona! <BR> <BR>If there's a better perpetual cocktail party than this, I can't imagine what it would be!

This thread is tutto bene! <BR><BR>Ciao.

Hi folks--Funny this topic should come up! My favorite thing is to read novels set in Italy. Donna Leon writes a terrific mystery series set in Venice. I just read two fabulous novels by Lisa St. Auban de Teran--"The Palace" set in 19th century Venice is a tour de force which absolutely transported me there; another de Teran novel I enjoyed is "Nocturnes" set in an Umbrian village during WWII. These novels are strong, powerful stories in which the setting is almost another character. <BR> <BR>Edward Skeplowich (sp.?) has written several terrific mysteries set among contemporary Venetian aristocrats. Magdalen Nabb writes mysteries set in Florence. There's a wonderful collection called "Desiring Italy" which has excerpts of writing by woman authors (Edith Wharton, George Eliot, and more contemporary writers.) <BR> <BR>I'd love to hear about other fiction/non-fiction set in Italy that you've enjoyed.

Carol, <BR> <BR>Thanks so much for the fiction suggestions. I printed them out for future reference. Unfortunately, the only time I get to really read is when I'm in Italy!! <BR> <BR>I love to look at movies that are set in Italy. I use it to plan vacations when I can. There's a "little" movie - I think it's "Only You" - with Marisa Tomei that is set in LeSireneuse in Positano - that's how I decided on that hotel. And I love "Dangerous Beauty" set in Venice. Even though it's set in the times of the Inquisition, the remarkable part about Venice is that it hasn't changed a bit!! LOL <BR> <BR>And then of course, there's Summertime... <BR> <BR>When things get really tough, I have to resort to Gidget or Troy Donohue in Rome. Scary, really!! <BR> <BR>

Dona--Don't forget "Three Coins in a Fountain", "Roman Holiday" (omigod--Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck!), and "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" (a lovely movie in Italian with subtitles, and a wonderful book in English translation by Giorgio Bassani). <BR> <BR>Back to fiction--"The Leopard" by DiLampedusa is an exceptionally moving novel written by a Sicilian nobleman (dead now) which was also made into a not-too-bad movie with Burt Lancaster who was great. <BR> <BR>And one more thing, Italian journalist Luigi Barzini wrote several extraordinarily illuminating, moving and entertaining collections of essays about his country and countrymen. My favorites are "The Italians," and "Memories of Mistresses." You really owe it to yourself to read these. Really.

Dare I mention Frances Mayes books on Tuscany? I love them for sense of place and felt (dreamed) I was living in the perfect Tuscan villa along with perfect her and her perfect fella.

I read Frances Mayes books and daydream, I also like to play italian music, may sound corny but the mandolins always make me think of Italy. I have never been, but have wanted to go since I was eight years old and watched Three coins in the Fountain. I will get there!

And do not miss " Tea with Mussolini" <BR>now available at your local Blockbuster. <BR>Great scenes in both Florence and in San <BR>Gimignano---and a good movie too.

I also enjoyed "Desiring Italy". Can heartily recommend Peter Robb's "Midnight in Sicily" for those Siciliphiles. The lifestyle sections of bookshops have some great books about making your home in an Italian style - one is called "Bringing Italy Home" and another "Italian Style". They also give tips about buying items locally that suit the Italian style (i.e. ironwork, lion and classical type sculptures from garden centres).

For Nicki--how about the names of your Italian mandolin music CDs? I love that sound also--it is so evocative.

Joanna, may I suggest you look into some Vivaldi CDs. He wrote several concertos for mandolin, which are quite beauiful. You'll recognize some them which have been used for background music on commercials. <BR>I have one called "Vivaldi:Eight Favorite Concertos" on a Classical 90s label (a CBS label). Check out the Vivaldi section is any music store that has a decent classical department.

Buon giorno, mi amici! Since returning from our trip to Rome, Orvieto & Florence last summer, we've rented the movies Summertime, Roman Holiday, Spartacus, La Vita e Bella, and Tea w/ Mussolini. I also recommend Paul Hoffman's books. He used to be the NY Times bureau chief in Rome, and has also written about Umbria. Great anecdotes and observations. I also took a conversational Italian class at a local university. Our teacher was from northern Italy and VERY entertaining! I love Jolene's study group idea. And I've cultivated a friendship with an Etruscan-history scholar at our church. (She was so proud of my black-and-beige travel wardrobe last summer.) Yes, and thank goodness and Fodor's for this forum! And thank you all for what you've written. I look forward to more ideas (it seems we could have written the book which inspired this thread).

With reference to the book "Italy Fever", I just spoke with the author. The book is in limited distribution right now but will be more widely available in the Spring. It is available right now on Amazon! It sounds like a great read. Ciao

Howard, <BR> <BR>Thank you, but I have been a classical music fan for years (since the age of 11 actually) and have about 12 Vivaldi CDs, my favourites being the series of Sacred Music with the angels on the cover. I have had the lute & mandolin CD in my collection for many years and listen to it frequently. I also love Allegri, Monteverdi, Albinoni and other early music. Not that keen on opera, though I do love a good aria.

Bringing this to top for nancy

How interesting that the first time I am seeing this thread is the night that I am having my Italian class over for dinner. I take a class one day a week, and at the end of each quarter the teacher has us to her house for an authentic homemade Italian dinner (she is from Milano). Her mother (from Napoli) is in town now, so I am returning the favor and having the class of 12 over for prosciutto e melone, rigatoni alla Norma, salmone e vedura grigliata and cantucci con Vin Santo. What better way to live la dolce vita. <BR> <BR>Another thing I like to do is rent an Italian film I have seen several times, like Cinema Paradiso or Medeterraneo and tape a piece of paper on the bottom of the screen over the subtitles. A great way to keep up the Italian between visits. Ciao tutti!

Try this site for Italian language learning: <BR> <BR>http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/langu...an/index.shtml <BR> <BR>Also, search the B B C site for other Italian-related sites, including recipes.

I buy CD's of contemporaty Italian artists when I am in Italy. That way I can relive the experience for months after my return.

I have purchased, and rec'd as gifts, several great italian cookbooks and have made several wonderful authentic dishes. I love serving them on the platters I brought home from my trip. This forum also helps keep the love alive. We're going back in Oct.

We have a great Italian deli in our town (Kenosha, WI) that I love to go to. You walk in the door and the smell of the sausages, cheeses, and food cooking is like sensory overload. At times, there are even elderly people in there speaking Italian.

Russ: is this it?

Maria, We too love buying Italian CDs. We have bought and enjoyed Bocelli ofcourse, Eros Ramazotti,Michael Zarrillo,Zucherro,Baglioni and my husband picked up MIna and Battisti and Adriano Celentano last week and so I ahven't heard them yet. Though we once bought a CD recommended by a shop assistant in Milan which was a disaster - Franco Battiato.

Thanks for the book and CD recommendations. In addition to trying any Italian restaurants we can find, we try to cook dishes that are authentic. We suggest Marcella Cucina by Marcella Hazan. My husband always buys a cologne or aftershave when we are in Italy, and it reminds us of our trip every time he wears it. I also bought several scarves while there 2 yrs ago and remember the Florence market I purchased them in. Can't wait to return in three weeks!!!

For Russ

Nancy, If you like mandolin music, get the CD 'O sole mio, Gino Del Vescovo. <BR>It's on an Ariola Express label F:RC 730 <BR> and another number on the jacket is 295 89 Enjoy it.

Sebastian, <BR>Grazie mille per il suggerimento! <BR>Molti anni prima che,sonavo (the mandolin). <BR>Domandero ordinare questa CD, a il mio negozio di musica. <BR>nancy <BR>I hope; <BR>1) I did not presume (by your name) that you speak italian. <BR>2) That I did not butcher the language *too* much!!

Try visiting anywhere else in the world. You may enjoy yourself but appreciate coming back to Venice all the more.

I'm going to Italy for my second visit in the spring. I'll re-read Barbara Grizutti Harrison's Italian Days because I consider it the best for the evocation of the spirit of the Italian people and their food and art. I've just bought and begun reading Italy, the Places in Between by Kate Simon and think it's wonderfully written and it provides excellent historical background. <BR> Keep this thread going. I couldn't do without this forum when planning a trip or, for that matter, when remembering one.

What a great thread. Add new thoughts, please.

Hi Threader, I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one who delves back into the distant threads to resurrect those with possibilities. Has anyone said that they watch "Enchanted April" from time to time? Probably so. I also try to cook a low-fat version of rigatoni with gorgonzola. (all attempts have been failures as you can imagine) J.

Just back and I'm missing Italy already! <BR><BR>Here's what I do to keep Italy on my mind: I play all types of Italian music (my mom gave me some of her old recordings- ah, the mandolins), cook Italian meals - sometimes trying to replicate delicious meals we had in Italy but more often I will cook traditional family favorites which my grandparents prepared, buy a bottle of Italian wine and have a glass while I cook, look at our photos from our trips or look at my mom's old family photos and old Italian postcards, wander through stores buying items such as flower pots, prints, towels, tablecloths, pillows, clothing, plants etc. which remind me of Italy, read books with Italian settings, try to speak what little Italian I remember whenever I get the opportunity, and take a ride into the North End of Boston to really get those Italian memories revived - sounds, smells, food - just like being back in Italy!

You Italy fans will love this book: Italian Intermezzo, recipes and music from Italian restaurants. You can buy it online at http://www.menusandmusic.com/Italycopy1.html<BR><BR>I love reading the recipes and the comments about the inns and restaurants. My dream trip would be one staying at all these places.