2 comments about Barbarian In The Garden.

1. Zbigniew Herbert (died 1998) is counted among the finest poets of 20th century Poland, on a par with Szymborska and Milosz, world-famous Nobel Prize winners. This book of essays is a record of his journeys in France, Italy and the Netherlands: from the rock-paintings of Lascaux, through the medieval architecture of the great cathedrals, to the quiet consummate perfection of the Flemmish Masters. The rich meditation on art and life is your reward for joining the eccentric and humane poet with his 19th century Baedekker guide.



2. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I had never even heard of Zbigniew Herbert until I read the New York Review of Books' article on him some months ago. Milosz and Szymborska were my main Polish "experience." Herbert's poetry opened new worlds and new understanding of my own cultural past (my mother's family came from Poland). This "little book," from its charming and self-deprecating title---a boomerang, a cross-cultural, linguistic pun--to its conclusion, a genuinely new look (new to me, at least) at old "places" and cultural presumptions. He made me re-think oh so many things. He lost me a couple times (he seems to know everything and read everything), but his sharp perceptions and love of all things human soon charmed me all over again.
   This book gave me a glimpse into the person who became the poet Herbert. We all know how hard it is to find someone to go to museums with, to travel with, to talk over "what we did today." Z. Herbert is the ideal travel companion. And you get a glimpse into the mind and heart of a great poet. A charming side kick to his searing, compassionate and monumental poetry. He's not only a poet equal to any of the 20th century, he's a charming person you wish you had gotten to know when he was alive. A great read. (can think of no better small book to bring to the places he (the barbarian) finds in corners of the "garden."

1 comments about Cicerone Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: North, Central and East (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1. This is quite a good book, it was very helpful during my trip in north Italy. it should be complemented with maps of each mountain range.. The only downside is that via ferratas are represented visually with very simple schematics instead of small maps..

5 comments about From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant.

1. A friend who lives in the Lot recommended this as essential reading prior to our recent trip to visit her. Although at first I feared that this book would be another cloying American-in-Europe travelogue, I happily found that Sanders presents a balanced and gracious treatment of a place that obviously captured his heart. He resists gushing encomiums and treats his subject matter with restraint and some degree of objectivity. Having said that, I should add that he also enthuses when he feels inclined to do so, and these sections generate a warm glow without excessive sugar-coating. The book hooked us, and after we arrived in the region, we undertook a two-hour drive through the backroads of the Lot to walk through the village, visit the museum, and, of course, lunch at La Recreation. It is always difficult to reconcile the experience of a place in the flesh with one's mental image from a book, but Sanders captured the magic of the place deftly. The lunch, by the way, was magnificent.



2. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but found it poorly edited. The author mentions the same things over and over again in different parts of the book. When the same idea or scene is repeated, it is as though it is being mentioned for the first time. I found this highly annoying when I was reading the book.



3. I started out prepared to like this book, after all, I love France, having visited it many times, and my Grandmother on my Mothers side was French. However, after only a few sentences, alarm bells started to go off. The more I read, the worse it got. Basically, -here are the problems. The authors appalling use of Grammar, the tortured sentences, the overuse of adjectives, the misplaced adverbs and verbs, the use of American slang, {as in "I wanted to get the "skinny" on the matter,-meaning the inside info.}The mixed use of Ameringlish, Franglais,and slang.
   Just read it yourself, and you will see what I mean. Michael Sanders badly needs a} a good proof-reader, one who is literate as well as literary, and b}someone to edit his work and be prepared to slash many tortured sentences with a red pen.I gave up before I was even half-way through, as being a retired English teacher, it was too painful to read further. Sorry, but I cant recommend this book to anyone who is half-way literate.



4. I found a link to this book on the site of the B & B in Albas I was planning to visit during my trip to France last year. I bought & read the book and had to see for myself. Since my traveling companion & I were going to be in the area we e-mailed the owners of the B & B to make us a reservation.
   
   It was the most marvelous meal I've ever had. Three hours long and there was no sense of time having passed. The owners were lovely and I have never seen a cleaner kitchen ever, anywhere. My only regret is that we didn't have time to see much of the village he writes about.
   
   My dream is to go back & do it again. I'm so glad I read this book.



5. Sanders has captured the life in a small French village and its wonderful restaurant. My wife, best friends and I organized a trip to France around Sanders' book. It did not disappoint. La Rec was unbelievable. My friend and I could not figure out how the restaurant makes money at 30 Euros a person for a wonderful meal (five courses, including some of the most elegant dishes we had in France -- the Lobster bisque and ravioli are beyond description, for example). We took many of Sanders' other suggestions, including a lunch at the cooking school in a nearby village, and found the experience to be wonderful. The only downside to Sanders' work is that Les Arques has been bought up by northern Europeans, with virtually no French people living there.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to Crete Counrty Map (Rough Guide City Maps).

1. It contains updated information about the roads in Crete and a city map of the main harbors.



2. we used this map when we rented a car in crete for our honeymoon. we never got lost so it worked well! it is better than buying one when you are already there. I don't think we ever were on any road that wasn't on the map. we also just drove around and went to some of the monuments that were on the map - that actually were not in our guidebooks because the guidebook we had was not too comprehensive on crete, and that was kind of fun.

1 comments about Virgile's Vineyard: A Year in the Languedoc Wine Country.

1. With Bill Bryson-like humor, Patrick Moon intertwines winemaking and history with a rollicking good tale. If you're lucky enough to visit this fabulous wine-producing area of France, Virgile's Vineyard will be even more entertaining. There is a not-so-subtle undercurrent of travel guide to this superbly fun story. Spanning one year, it takes the reader through the winter Mediterranean storms, the summer heat of the South, the drenching rains of spring and the laid-back feel of the area when out of the tourist high season. Moon explores the dubious friendship of his neighbor prone to blatant crop filching, but also a master wine taster in constant search of good free samples. There is a dialogue of local repartee, a love interest (solely, on her side, it seems) who is bent on educating Patrick about the area's past, along with some characters who duck in and out as the story unfolds. If you have any interest in wine or the Languedoc region of France, you really shouldn't miss this book.

5 comments about The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro.

1. During the sixties Joe Mc Ginniss wrote about presidential campaigns and the selling of the president. He made a marvellous and unexpected comeback in 1999 with his The Miracle of Castel di Sangro. You will never regret buying this wonderful book about soccer in an isolated moutain region in Italy. Joe Mc Ginniss spends the season with this astonishing soccer team. In fact he depicts soccer as one of the pillars of communal life in this very peculiar village- like setting. But it is not an innocent setting. Innocence is definitely lost in this part of the continent and Mc Ginniss produces remarkable characters. The owner, Signor Rezza, straight out of the Sopranos, the coach Osvaldo Jaconi, "to argue with him is like throwing pebbles at a bulldozer" and the name of the team's principal sponsor, Soviet Jeans. Multiple plotlines develop in the story. The most exciting one is in the end when Castel di Sangro Calcio ultimately secures its position in the B series. The last needless game there is a smell of corruption when Castel di Sangro Calcio is defeated by 3 to 1 by Bari that thereby gains promotion. This stinking smell of corruption delivers an unhappy ending for Joe Mc Ginniss but the story is wonderful.



2. It's fitting that even after hearing about this book because of soccer, I ended up stumbing across it in the travel section. Soccer may be the glue of the book, but it's a travelogue at heart. McGinness starts with his newfound madness for soccer bringing him to Italy, yet quickly lets the game recede into the muddle of everyday life. The writing quickly becomes part Simon Kuper and part Bruce Chatwin. The book thankfully takes in as much lush description and hilarious anecdotes as it does tactical decisions and game descriptions. Instead of just an Italian version of a John Feinstein book, we get a truly unique story that evokes real and lasting emotion rather than the passing interest of locker room voyuerism.
   
   Much of criticism here seems to miss the point. It's true that McGinniss makes himself the main character, but it's not a weakness (some arrogance, maybe, but not mere narcissism). The book, after all, is mainly about the shock of the outsider looking in: on soccer, on the village, on Italian society as a whole, and especially the repulsive compromises between love of the game and its seedier elements. If McGinniss doesn't quite succeed at making some grand assessment of Italy or a master's analysis of soccer, who cares? The story he tells is fascinating, emotive, and tragic nontheless. It reaches far beyond the world of the game and its fans, and should be a must-read for anyone.



3. Even though it is written for the football novice and can be facile at times - A WONDERFUL BOOK!



4. I enjoyed this book. McGinnis was honest about his experiences and even about his own shortcomings. Just like there are no true fairy tales, there are no people without shortcomings. McGinnis portrayed himself and others in this manner.
   
   I applaud him and his book as a man who had the guts to experience something few would do and the skill to write it up artfully and truthfully.



5. This book really grasped my attention. The story throughtout the chapters captured my imagination.
   The book gave a realistic impression of an amazing country. "Joe" really explored the life of the team and the "Calcio" and every action was convincing in an unpredictable manor.
   The style of sentences and the chosen words really made up the base of an absoloutely fantastic book!!!delightful and inspiring journey through the football season.
   This is an exciting new addition to anyone's library.

No comments about Michelin Alsace, Lorraine, France (Michelin Maps).

5 comments about Rick Steves' Rome 2007 (Rick Steves).

1. I took this guide on a recent trip to Italy, along with the Eyewitness and Blue Guide books. Rick Steves' books are designed for the traveler who wants a decent overview of a particular place, and as such they're not at all comprehensive. I understand that and it's a fine approach as far as it goes, but it makes no sense in a city like Rome to leave out the Aventine Hill altogether, as Rick does. We stayed on the Aventine because it's the quietest and least hectic part of central Rome, a short walk from the ancient heart of the city, and it has some fine hotels and beautiful ancient churches. If I'd never been to Rome and had only Rick's book with me, I would have missed it altogether. Rick is very good on practical tips such as finding the best museum passes, avoiding pickpockets, and navigating the world of rail passes (he also sells some great travel gear), but I prefer to have a more comprehensive book that lets me decide what I want to see, even if that means sacrificing detail. With that in mind, I prefer the colorful and user-friendly Eyewitness Guides for broad overviews and good city maps, and Blue Guides for historical, artistic, and architectural detail.
   
   Another thing that bothers me about Rick's books is the tone and style of his writing. Many people love him precisely for that, which is fine, but I find his writing style grating and in many places his history is just plain wrong. He's particularly bad when dealing with Christian history, a very important thing to get right when dealing with Rome! Finally, the maps are not very helpful unless you're sticking with Rick's itineraries exactly.
   
   The only thing that made this book worth having on my trip was the inclusion of contact information for English-speaking doctors who make hotel visits, which unfortunately came in very handy. Everything else I could have found on his website without buying the book. Overall, I found this book unhelpful and left it behind in our last hotel.



2. We tore out the sections we needed with an exacto knife and therefore could carry them in our fanny packs for just that day of sightseeing.



3. This was a great book to have with us on our trip to Rome. If we happened to leave it in the room we were lost without it. Needless to say that only happened once. Gave a great 'tour' which included just enough commentary and even anecdotal accounts that were interesting. We really enjoyed the information on the Roman Forum...We aren't group tour type of people but don't feel we missed anything...actually heard alot of the same stuff thats included in the book. Also gave great travel hints etc that were very useful...and seeing alot of other travelers with the same book makes it a popular choice.



4. This book paid for itself with just the information about the Vatican Museum. It is dismaying to see a 4+ hour line to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine chapel. Fortunately, by reserving months in advance (as the book suggests), we just walked right in.
   
   This is just one example, because the book is full of tips on the best time to visit each attraction and how to skip the long lines. Worth every penny.



5. My husband and I honeymooned in Italy in June, 2007. This was our first trip abroad so it was imperative for us to choose a good guide book. Rick Steves' guide to Rome proved to be an invaluable tool for our trip, especially in the planning phase.
   
   Strengths:
   - Great for pre-trip planning such as locating a hotel, getting around the city, deciding which sites to visit, etc. We stayed at Gulliver's Place and L-O-V-E-D it.
   - Especially helpful is his section on planning your sight-seeing based on the number of days you will be there. His ratings of most important to least important things to see were, for the most part, spot-on. We relied upon his recommendations for our week-long trip heavily.
   - His walking tours were great fun and gave us a more in-depth look at Italian life.
   - He provides enough information on the history and development of Rome to highlight important sights to see. This was useful.
   
   Weaknesses:
   - I found his hand-drawn maps to be especially hard to use. My husband and I wound up lost in one section of the city and were not able to find our way back using his maps alone. At the beginning of the book are "real" maps but they were not as helpful as the free map we received at our bed and breakfast.
   - This book does not contain stunning photography and graphics. I was a bit disappointed in this area.
   - Once in Rome with an outline of daily activities, I would recommend using a different guidebook. We really found the Eyewitness Travel Guide to be great for this. This book present Rome by its different neighborhoods and has a 3-D map of sorts that was really quite helpful for determining where you are in relation to where you should be! Plus, it has beautiful pictures and well-presented background information.
   
   Overall, this book is wonderful for planning but not as great for actual use while in Rome. Buying this guide in conjunction with at least one other will guarantee a safe, happy and, most of all, FUN trip!

2 comments about Munich & Bavaria (Regional Guide).

1. I really like the set up of Lonely Planets Best Of travel guides. Couldn't find one for this area so tried this book. All the info is in this guide, but is difficult and time consuming to find.



2. The book has all the updated information on Munich.
   Helpful hints for first time travers.

1 comments about Insight Pocket Guide Helsinki (Insight Pocket Guides).

1. This travel guide has nice pictures of Helsinki and nice color maps. The pull out map is especially useful and colorful. The walking routes are nice and I also like the excursions section. After reading this book the full Finland Insight Guide is probably not worth the price unless you really are spending a long time in Finland.