Is Marlena De Blasi still in Orvieto?
 

She is one of my favorite authors! She and her husband used to have a small touring company in Orvieto. I have searched all over and can't seem to find her. Anyone know?

I loved her book and gave it to friends. Hope someone knows her whereabouts.

Looks like she took down her website, but is still in Orvieto. Check out this article from last May:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-17102,00.html

Oh thanks, I could not find a word on her. I am now reading her Lady in the Palazzo, which I love. I see she has another book now, An Umbrian Love Story. I would have liked to have taken one of her tours.

Thanks again. I will keep my eyes peeled.

Ididn't realize she had a new book out. Thanks for the heads up SeaUrchin-I really enjoyed her first two.

After a little more research I think Lady in the Palazzo may be the same book as Umbrian Love Story, but I do love Lady so far.

She is a very hard person to keep track of, even the sale of her books are confusing! I love her writing style and she makes you think. I will keep checking and let you know.

Hi Seaurchin,
You probably already know about the existing threads on tripadvisor, slowtrav, and I think one other site dealing with others looking for her.

on on thread, someone said she gives her address a couple of times in Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria , and on another, someone had met her husband because the ate in the restaurant in the ground floor of the building in Orvieto
(Is it Il Badio?)
Anyway, I had a copy of a list of her beiricordi tours and here's the link to that (it's probably from an archive):

http://www.foodevents.com/tastetours..._ricordi.phtml

Maybe she still does a couple of these per year through word of mouth, but I read recently she was in Sydney, Aust. at a Writer's Festival (maybe promoting this latest book?)

I'm always interested to read how many people think she was "on vacation" in Venice when her Epic Saga began, when in fact she went there on a writing assignment! She is a fantastic writer, and I share your enthusiasm!

Thank you. I have searched around and found all these people looking for her. I am just happy to have found the Lady in Palazzo book. Yes, she gives a few hints at her address. I remember her first book and it is one of the few tourist meets local and lives among the locals books that I admire.

If you have time, The Lady in the Palazzo is the current book to be discussed in the Book Club on Slowtrav, I think thiy will have an online chat on Sept 15th or so...

I'm reviving this thread because I JUST read Lady in the Palazzo and loved it. Reserving the other books from the library.

Never saw her on TV but her writing is pretty lyrical. Dare I say more inviting than Ms. Mayes? Anyone else know about this author? Is she retired from tours?

topping-Any one?

One more time. Perhaps she has retired? The last book I found was fiction so I didn't take it out.

Google reveals that she made a book tour here in the states in 2008. Also, she published a novel last year. Other than that..... nada.

I have loved all her books too and tried to find out what happened to her. I wonder if anyone has any info out there. Was recently in Orvieto again and tried to picture where she might have ended up there. All the threads seem to be really old except for the more recent ones on this site.

Was at Borders yesteday and noticed she as a book on her travels in Sicily that seems to be her most recent...

Loved her earliest books most. We were in Venice last March and thought of her constantly. I've thought of taking trips to follow her early books (Venice, Tuscany,Sicily)but haven't done it. Much prefer her non-fiction to fiction.
Just to shake this up, anyone who loved those early ones might like the current Blood, Bones and BUtter, by Gabrielle Hamilton. Similar sensibility, cooking obsession and talent.

swalter518, if it's the same book, the Sicily one starts out travel and turns into a novel. Then Amandine is more recent I believe and it's fiction.

Agree with swdob and like the non-fiction more but I don't like romance novels so much.

I re-read "lady in the Palazzo" 7 times, so I sought out more of her work. Unfortunately, the book I bought via Kindle was "Amandine". I could taste the flavor of her style, but finished it very disappointed. I will be going back to her non-fiction again. Her work makes me wish I knew the Italian language so I could pronounce the words and names correctly. Just another nuance I crave.

I just finished "The Lady in the Palazzo" loved the book. I will be looking for her other novels, this is my first from this author. The last quarter was wonderful, it was like being at the table with all the mis-matched chairs. I enjoyed the dinner immensely.

Received an email from Amazon that she has a new book releasing in September

http://www.amazon.com/Antonia-Her-Da...5549565&sr=1-2