2 comments about Lonely Planet Cycling Italy (Lonely Planet Cycling Guides).

1. My decidedly American husband was able feed his bicycle addition into the Alps of Italy with this book. He bonded with the local bicylists, didn't wreck and managed to find his way back to the appartementi by dark. This book has the basic phrases and a maps that will allow you to enjoy a little adventure off the beaten track. You might even ride with a fleet of people that share a love of life, filled with riding into the anoxic elevations and descending with gusto to a glass of wine. He saw a magical bit of Italy that most tourists never see.



2. Lonely Planet - Cycling Italy by Ethan Gelber it is a very useful guide even for an italian like me. The guide it is also a good introduction to the general world of "cycle touring".
   The limit is, for a long distance rider as me, the guide does not suggests a complete uninterrupted tour of italy. This guide in Amazon costs less than in the italian book market(importation tax included). Bye.

No comments about A Marriage Made in Italy - Area Guide 1: The Amalfi Coast.

No comments about AAA Greece Deluxe Series: Better Scale for More Detail, Easy Use Index, Points of Interest, City Insets: Deluxe Road Maps European Series 2008.

3 comments about Sardinia, 3rd (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

1. Cadogan's guide to Sardinia is filled with history and practical details. The guide doesn't have pictures, just simple illustrations and some useful maps. The recommendations for hotels were also very good. We stayed in Cagliari, Arbus, and Nuoro. We were looking for hotels which were charming and not too expensive, and the book definitely met that need. The beach descriptions were also useful. Sardinia has many of them. :-) It's not necessary to go to the more expensive Costa Smeralda region in order to have a wonderful holiday in Sardinia. As a side tip, if you are going to Sardinia via Cagliari, drop by the tourist office. The people there were very nice, and they had a plethora of good information on Sardinia.



2. It is tough to find guides to Sardinia. This one (Cadogan) is the best available. The Insight Guide gives you interesting information about the island, but it doesn't tell you where to stay or eat. The Eyewitness Guide gives a limited amount of information about hotels and lodging, but does offer helpful explanations of the local food, including pictures. This is great since we do not speak italian. My Cadogan Guide is well worn, the mark of a truly useful book.



3. I bought this book because I am actually moving to Sardinia in a few months - and, believe it or not, I've never been there - so I needed a book that encompasses absolutely everything about the island. From food and wine to history, from beaches to the nuraghi, this book definitely has it all! It's a fairly easy read and I've learned so much from it. I feel like I've already been there. Even if you've never thought about visiting Sardinia, you'll want to after reading this guide. It has my highest recommendation.

1 comments about Sister Wendy's Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums Tour (Artineraries).

1. This time (the third time) when I visited the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, I had my narrated tour in my pocket (actually on my iPod) and could take my time and see what I wanted to see and linger for as long as I wanted without having a guide shoushing me and 20 others along on a tight schedule. Sister Wendy's description of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is wonderful. I even enjoy listening to it as I look at a picture of the ceiling. Audio tours are the way to go!

No comments about Let's Go Pocket City Guide Venice, 1st Ed. (Let's Go Venice).

5 comments about Inside the Vatican.

1. This is a lovely book. The pictures are beautiful and there were lots of them. But it is not just a picture book- it is full of information about The Vatican that I had never heard before. I didn't know that there were pinball machines and kiddie pools there-- for the families who live and work there. I thought that was an interesting facet of life behind Vatican walls. I especially liked the maps- they gave me a greater sense of how big Vatican City really is. The book certainly captures the granduer and splendor of this wonderful place.



2. Absolutely gorgeous and chock full of fascinating information written from a very personal perspective. Well done.



3. Well, I guess part of the problem is that I expected to see more of the "inside" information and pictures in this book. It is more of a picture book with a few notations and some small feature type articles, but nothing really mind-blowing. I thought there would be more pictures of the "never before seen", but it was not meant to be.
   
   Still, it does have beautiful pictures of the Holy See. Not a total loss, it is very aesthetically pleasing.



4. Having been to the Vatican in person, I know how hard it is to take (good) pictures of all the things there. The Vatican city with its myriad of art collections, museum, and antiquity-filled storerooms has something for everyone who likes art or history.
   This book does a great job of capturing the feeling of the city, and hits every major masterpiece in the place. Unfortunately, there are some masterpieces that could have used more explanation or exploration, in particular, "La Pieta," and "The Last Judgement." This, for me, warranted the loss of a "perfect" score. Both of these works have a fascinating history, and tell volumes about the artist (Michaelangelo) himself.
   If you can't make it to the Vatican yourself, this book is the next best thing.



5. I bought the book because I am interested in Italian Renaissance art. In this aspect it is a little bit disappointing. There should be far more interesting art objects than is covered. It was very nice to read about the history of the Vatican, to get a feeling for every day life in the Vatican. The knowledge in this book is important to better understand the position of art in relation to the ruling popes during the Renaissance.
   I very much liked the photo's. They show the real craftmanship of James Stanfield. The three star rating is because the description seems to promise more about the Renaissance art than is given.

No comments about A Venetian Bestiary.

No comments about Berlitz Florence Pocket Guide.

1 comments about Islands of Italy.

1. I found this book quite by accident while doing research for an upcoming trip to Italy. This was only one of many books I looked at and I didn't expect it to be anything more than a resource. Instead, it turned out to be one of the most beautiful and satisfying books I've ever read.

   I really cannot say enough in praise of Barbara G. Harrison's writing. She tells anecdotes, expresses odd thoughts, describes scenarios, but the impact of her words goes far beyond a simple travelogue. Never mind the excellent photography featured in this book; Harrison's writing is reason enough to seek out this book.

   Meditative, thought-provoking, occasionally disturbing, and at times quite challenging, The Islands of Italy isn't simply a book about Italy.

   It's so much more...