1 comments about Portuguese: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. Lonely planet never fails to provide the best travel books. This tiny book provides a wealth of useful information. What I like about this book is that it focuses specifically on communicating in Portugal, rather than Brazil. It is well organized into several handy cagetories such as directions, shopping, lodging, etc. The front contains standard info such as numbers, days of the week, and survival phrases, while the back contains a mini-dictionary.
   
   The best part about this book is the fact that it not only gives the Portuguese phrase with its English equivalent, it also provides a spelled-out phonetic pronunciation. Out of all the study material I have, these simple phonetic spell-outs have been the greatest help in my pronunciation, and I now have nearly perfected my portuguese accent.
   I've seen similar Portuguese pocket books, and they just don't compare to this one.

5 comments about City Walks: Rome: 50 Adventures on Foot (City Walks).

1. A splendid concept: Fifty 6.5 x 3.75 hard cards, each with a little map on one side, and on the other descriptions of the area's sites, even with dining suggestions. Most guides lack adequate maps; this one provides mapping with a vengeance.
   
   Why then only four stars? The Porta Maggiore, Santa Croce, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, San Paolo fuori le Mura, The Borghese Gallery, the Villa Giulia, and The Vatican (Museums and San Pietro) are omitted. Well, I suppose something had to be left out, but why the Vatican? Every schoolboy knows the two poles between which Rome revolves are the Forum and the Vatican. If there's a card for those born to shop (#4, The Via Condotti), then why not one for Christians? I had suspected at first Cultural Marxist PC crime, yet the author's laudatory use of B.C. and A.D. suggests otherwise. Yet A.D. comes before the year, thank you, not after.
   
   There are factual errors that a good editor should have caught; e.g., The Aurelian Walls were built after A.D. 270, not 270 B.C. The site descriptions are very brief, needing as they do to fit on the back of a card. So pilgrims (religious, historical, aesthetic, gustatory) would need another guide for the detail. _The Blue Guide Rome_ in its latest edition, _The Oxford Archeological Guide to Rome_, and _The Companion Guide to Rome_ (A.D. 2003 ed.) would serve all purposes except for shopping, eating, and sleeping.
   
   For those who wish not to lug a book, a commendable job.



2. The deck is made of heave paper board. We will not be taking it with us. I did enjoy the recommended paths. Have made a choice of several routes that I scanned on #24 paper to take with us.



3. We recently spent 4 days in Rome, staying in a wonderful apartment we found on the internet. While we had a number of tour books and information we downloaded from the internet, we mostly used our City Walks: Rome cards to organize and follow a daily walking tour. Rome is quite compact and you can walk to most sites, or take a quick cab ride if pressed for time. We often did two or even three walking tour cards in one day. They are clear and useful while walking from one point to another, and if you work it well, you can start one where another ends. We stayed near Piazza Navona, which we found very convenient for The Villa Borghese, The Vatican, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, The Spanish Steps and some of our favorite restaurants. We have now given these cards to several of our friends that where going to Rome, and they loved them as well.



4. This is a fun deck of cards. Having been to Rome a couple of times, I know that a first time visiter will also need a more detailed street map to go with this set. I look forward to using them on my next trip.



5. I didn't find the cards too useful for information. They do provide a simple route to follow though which is good. Rome has so much to see and these cards provide some info but not enough for a repeat visitor looking for more to discover. The cards would be easy to carry and also you can combine more than one card to allow a longer walking tour of an area.

2 comments about Time Out Stockholm (Time Out Guides).

1. If you can only buy one guide to Stockholm, this is the one. I bought a couple and found this one to be the most helpful by far. However, if you can spring for 2 or 3 books, you will probably be glad for it. Biggest disappointment with Stockholm, by the way: The food is really not very good. I was willing to pay pretty much anything for a meal, I tried so many promising looking restaurants, but in 10 days' visit the only truly good meals I had were at a Texas Burger place that had a chef from San Antonio, Texas. The food was significantly better at the Helsinki airport! Yikes! I don't really want to visit Stockholm again for this reason.



2. No wonder it is the shining star of the north, and Stockholm does not cease to amaze me.
   
   This guide is more towards the visitor and not the tourist as it covers off the beaten track areas that are worth experiencing.
   
   So far, Stockholm is my favorite capital of Europe.

1 comments about Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece (New York Review Books Classics).

1. I first encountered Fermor in his riveting accounts of his walk across Europe as World War II began descending. I was fascinated by his encyclopedic and poetic narrative. He made you feel you were walking alongside him. Now, his travels take us to Roumeli, the old name for northern Greece and Macedonia. Again, Fermor takes us on a poetic and detailed odyssey through villages and rugged Greek countryside, meeting interesting people and telling their tales. He has an uncanny ear (and eye) for the temperament and culture of the Greeks and one can sense his affection for the people he helped defend while a British commando on Crete during WWII. This is a travelogue of the old sort: careful attention to detail, wanderings off the well-trod tourist paths, and vivid description of the sounds, smells and history of this fabled land.

1 comments about Netherlands - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1. This is an amazing little book; wish I had purchased it earlier. It is factual, interesting, and a quick read. It is especially helpful for those who are going to travel in the Netherlands, but also a good book for those who want to know more about where they may have already traveled. Great little reference.

5 comments about Italian Survival Guide: The Language and Culture You Need to Travel with Confidence in Italy.

1. This guide is as practical and useful as Bingham's German Survival Guide. While the vocabulary lessons are helpful, the culture notes are priceless. This is a great introduction to both the Italian language and to Italy and the length is just right so that the traveler with little time to prep should not be overwhelmed.



2. Bingham's book Italian Survival Guide is a must-have resource to pack in your travel bag for Italy! This book is practical; including pronunciation guides for many of the common phrases used to interact with native Italians. I particularly appreciated the Culture Note sections interspersed through the book. I visited Rome and Florence last year, and found these sections accurate and insightful--a big help to the traveler who does not want to look like a tourist!
   
   This book is invaluable and I plan to have a copy stuffed in my handbag when I return to Italy in 2009!



3. I read the cultural insights on Italy first. They are great! The practical hints are superb. Even though I speak Italian, I will take this book with me when I go to Italy.



4. Elizabeth Bingham's Italian Survival Guide is clear and concise in its presentation of the most important information a traveler needs to use while traveling in Italy. The guide is organized well; therefore, finding the information one wants is not difficult. The pronunciation guide is invaluable. The book itself is not so big that a person gets lost in it when trying to find a specific piece of information. The cultural notes are short and to the point, so that one can read them quickly and gain important information about interacting with the people of Italy. I would be apt to photocopy the information on the inside front and back covers to carry along on daily excursions. Overall, this guide would be extremely helpful to take on a trip to Italy!



5. I have bought just about every book on Italy and this is one of the best! It has great tips and information! Unlike other books, I find this information to be truthful! I lived in Italy and now take students on exchanges every year. This book has really helped them! I think it's a must! :-)

No comments about Michelin Red Guide 2008 Great Britain & Ireland: Hotels & Restaurants (Michelin Red Guide: Great Britain and Ireland).

3 comments about One Hundred & One Beautiful Towns in Italy: Food and Wine (101 Towns).

1. It is a beautiful book with excellent photography. I was disappointed in the fact that there were no recepies associated with the towns. I was anticipating a great cookbook/winebook, but had to settle for a coffee table book instead.



2. Wonderful book full of color photos, the only disappointing thing is that there were no recipes provided.



3. This book was a birthday gift for a dear friend who has visited Italy several times and who thoroughly enjoys its delicious cuisine. She loved it! The book is filled with beautiful photos and interesting information on the little towns of Italy. My friend has it on her coffee table for all to enjoy. A great gift!

2 comments about Adventure Guide Naples, Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast: Capri, Ischia, Pompeii, Positano (Adventure Guides Series) (Adventure Guides Series).

1. Naples and nearby coastal areas offer much in the way of different travel experiences, from fine resorts to street theatre and fishing villages - and Naples, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast makes the most of the entire region, offering plenty of unforgettable adventures and covering not only walks and places to stay, but night life and historic sights. An excellent travel planner, it can't be beat.



2. ADVENTURE GUIDE TO NAPLES, SORRENTO, AMALFI COAST BY MARINA CARTER is another of Hunter Publishing Company's excellent travel guides. This one has a fascinating introduction which gives not only the history, but also breaks down and explains the art and architecture into specific periods of history, which gives you a thorough appreciation for what you will see and experience on your trip. There is a section of where to go, what to see, places to eat and shop, and sporting activities and entertainment in each area, including phone numbers and websites to contact for each. The book explores Naples with its history and art, then the 60 mile Sorrento Peninsula as a base for exploring other areas and famous for luring sirens to the treacherous rocks, and finally the less accessible Amalfi Coast with its gorgeous scenery one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. Reading this guide will tempt travelers to Italy to venture South of Rome.

3 comments about Paris: Wish You Were Here.

1. Great book!
   Fascinating stories as well as interesting facts.
   Bought one for me and one as a gift and it was warmly received.



2. This is an adorable little book; not your typical travel book. There are facts and places to see, lists of museums, etc., but there is more: a list of Americans who lived in Paris, charming illustrations, song lyrics about Paris, Quotes, history, a detailed description of each Arrondissement, where to shop and eat.....selections from David Sedaris, Julia Child, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, Mark Twain, Ludwig Bemelmans, and more...it would be a great send-off for anyone going to Paris for the first time, or going for the fifth time.....every time I flip through it, I see something I hadn't before. Perfect size (not huge), so you could even pack it to take along on your trip. Recommended.



3. Paris - one of the most famous cities in the world. "Paris: Wish You Were Here" is an examination of the city's history and image in the eyes of the world throughout the centuries, from ancient Gaul to modern France. Enhanced with writing from countless famous authors such as Hemingway, Twain, and a guide to more traditional aspects of Paris tourism (the food, the museums, the monuments, and more), "Paris: Wish You Were Here" contains almost everything anyone would want to know about the city, and is essential reading for anyone thinking of planning a trip to Paris, or for arm chair travelers worldwide.