No comments about La ciudad de los ángeles caídos (Literatura Mondadori).

1 comments about Florence in Detail: A Guide for the Expert Traveler.

1. When it became known that Rizzoli and the International Herald Tribune were collaborating on a series of guidebooks to Rome, Venice, and Florence, I had great hopes. Alas, while this (and the other city offerings) are adequate, they fail to break new ground by providing useful information not already available from other sources, including the Internet.

   The visitor to Italy minimally requires at least three types of information: Sites and Attractions; Lodging; and Food. Addiitionally, rampant consumerism also mandates information on Shopping.

   The In Detail series touches all these bases, but most of the detail falls in that first category-- Tourist Attractions. In the latter two (or three) categories, In Detail provides thumbnail information on lodging choices, restaurants, shops, etc., but there are other books which concentrate primarily on food/lodging, and these cover those important decisions in greater detail.

   What I found particularly disappointing is the graphic design of the maps, which should have been this series strongest point. Instead, too many green numbered sites seem lost in the fold of the pages or disappear into the greenery of the map. Finding a particular location sometimes feels like an all-green version of "Where's Waldo?"-- you know that numbered spot is somewhere on these pages, put where, dammit, where? Suffice it to say that because of poor graphics, the maps are very disappointing and difficult to use. And far below what one expects from Rizzoli, the renowned purveyor of high quality art books!

   Another less critical cavil is that the overall quality of the photographs is noticeably uneven. Some are typical tourist bureau publicity shots, while others seemed to have been taken by your average disposable camera tourist . The composiiton, color quality, lighting, etc., leave much to be desired, and a glance at the photo credits would seem to indicate that in many instances poor snapshots instead of professional photographs were indeed utilized.

   In summary then, as an entry into the "One Guidebook" race, this series competes with Cadogan, Eyewitness, Fodor's, Frommer's, Access, Let's Go, etc., offering much of the same information-- some new, some quite familiar. None are perfect; you pay your money, you make your choice.

   At the same time, if you plan on staying in Florence (or Venice or Rome) for more than a few nights, then you might also want to seek out the more specialized guides, such as Duncan Petersen's "Charming Small Hotels" or Sandra Gustafson's "Cheap Sleeps" and "Cheap Eats," Faith Heller Willinger's "Eating in Italy," or Emily Miller's "Food Lovers Guide to Florence." These specialized guides are definitely worth considering-- and provide much more information to help you decide where to eat and sleep. (And Gustafson's maps are in legible black and white).

2 comments about Walking in Italy.

1. Just back from a trip to southern Italy, and want to caution readers about this book. While the descriptions of trips are adequate, we found the rating system and time estimates for the walks to be very misleading.
   
   My husband and I are reasonably fit walkers - we averaged about 8-10 miles a day while in Italy - but on the island of Capri, this book threw a monkey wrench into our plans because of its underestimation of the difficulty of the proposed walks.
   
   The first walk, pretty much a 3-mile paved uphill grade to the marvelous Villa Jovis they rated "easy, but lots of steps." By the time we got to the top, we raised our eyebrows at the rating of "easy" because people who are minimally fit or have trouble walking would doubtless find this difficult. We were definitely looking forward to an "easy" walk down to the Grotto di Matermania later in the afternoon. What the authors described as "steps" was a one-person-wide staircase nearly 3/4 miles long of straight-downhill steps with no banister or railing. It was not only steep, but pretty problematic for anyone who's not crazy about heights. Halfway down, I turned back because I was becoming dizzy. My husband returned the next day to complete the walk, and confirmed that the flight of "steps" was indeed very long. The authors estimated the two walks would take "at least four hours" to complete; the trip took us at least 6. On an island, where it is necessary to catch a ferry at the end of the day, a better estimate would be helpful.
   
   The book lacks substantive details about what you'll see on the trails, providing little information about the sights. More detail, and a more realistic picture of what's ahead on the trail, is a must for any book focusing on walks.



2. As the editorial review says this book covers walks in both the countryside and in major tourist towns & cities.
   Introduction
   The short Introduction covers Grading of the walks ( the walk on the island of Capri refered to by the earlier reviewer Lisa is graded easy but lots of steps),Path waymarking, Where to go in the towns and countryside, When to go where- wildflowers and climate,How to travel, Where to stay, What to take, and Warnings and Tips. There are colour photos right through the book and colour hand drawn maps showing the route.
   
   Town walks
   There are several walks described in each of the "big three" major cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice,with walks also ( north to south) in Turin, Bergamo, Verona, Padua, Genoa, Ferrara, Bologna, Ravenna, Lucca, Pisa, Perugia,Naples,Palermo, Siracusa, Taormina and Cagliari.The town maps are generally adequate. The names of the buildings etc on the walks are bolded and numbered in the text and numbered on the maps which is good. Each map also has a short list of 3 or 4 "Dont Miss" buildings on the walk.There is even a list of opening hours of the main attractions on the walk( very necessary in Italy). I used the walks in 7 towns other than the "big 3" and found them very good. There is not a lot of detail about each building so if you want more you may want a "Rough Guide Italy" too. Tourist office's street and email addresses are given along with web sites.
   
   Countryside Walks
   The main value of the book for me though was the descriptions of walks in the countryside. Importantly each area has a SUGGESTED BASE and the walks are either circular from the base , or you can get to the begining and/or the end by public transport. This is a big point of difference of this book from other Italy walk books which often assume you have a car. Almost all the walks are day walks, not multiday strenuous Treks.The 11 country areas covered ( listed N to S with base) are: Gran Paradiso ( Valnontey), Lago di Como( Menaggio), Dolomiti(Cortina),Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore- but you can easily use another village on the coast), Tuscany ( San Gimignano), Chianti( Radda), Umbrian Hilltowns(Assisi), The Maiella (Campo de Giove), Amalfi Coast(Sorento),Temples of Sicilia, and Sardegnan Wilds(Dorgali). There are generally 3 walks described in each area with maps that show the route, a total of 32 walks. Most countryside walk chapters also give a short description of "Other walks in the Region" without maps.The walks are almost all 4 to 7 hours in length. There are no 1-2 hour walks.
   
   I have completed 15 of the mapped or other suggested countryside walks and so feel qualified to comment on the book. Names of "waypoints" along the trail are bolded and numbered in the text and numbered on the maps (as for the town walks).The points are generally churches, peaks of hills and sometimes track junctions. But they are a good method of knowing you are on the right trail. Each chapter lists the relevant topographic map(s)for the area and generally I would recommend you buy it as the handdrawn colour maps in the book are really not adequate for safe troublefree walking. There are usually track junctions not described in the text or maps that can therefor be quite confusing. The text could use the simple directives to turn left or right at track junctions a bit more. Some country areas have well waymarked paths eg Gran Paradiso,Tuscany and Amalfi coast.Others like Umbria less so and book directions become more critical.The walking times given should be regarded as a minimum. If you dawdle and look around as I do you should allow longer.
   My picks would be Alpe Money in Gran Paradiso, Tre Cime de Lavaredo in Dolomiti, San Donato loop in Tuscany, Sentiero Azzurro and walk to Hill Sanctuaries in Cinque Terre, Trevi to Campello in Umbria ( but care needed in route finding) and "Above Positano" (Sentiero degli Dei - Pathway of the Gods) on the Amalfi Coast.
   With the described quibbles aside, the book is a fine introduction to the sights in lesser known Italian towns and the delights of the Countryside.Go and explore.

1 comments about Journeying: Travels in Italy, Egypt, Sinai, Jerusalem and Cyprus.

1. This book offers what most authors are afraid or fear to talk about into their books about cultural diversity. The reader has the ability to review who these people are and how the great mind of the author interpreted their social system, religion, customs. If one decides to take the long journey the author is suggesting in this book, he/she will not view people the same way he/she did in the past.

No comments about Authentic Sardinia (Authentic Italy).

No comments about Florence: Just Add Water.

2 comments about Viennawalks (The Henry Holt Walks Series).

1. Viennawalks is simply the best book of its type I have ever read. I first bought it in 1985 and have read it each time before I left for Vienna (at last count, eight!). The author's writing style is unlike any walking tour book you have ever encountered - it reads like a novel. One can tell from the descriptions and antidotes that the author is truly in love with the subject - and it shows! By books end, you feel as though you know the Author. I only wish he would write a volume II that explores the neighborhoods outside of the innerestadt (like Hietzing, Neubau, Spittelburg and Mariahilf). I would be the first in line to buy it. One word of advice to the potential reader - Reading the book before you go is certainly advisable, however, it won't mean a whole lot. But, after your return, you will not be able to put the book down! I have personally worn out 3 copies in the past 14 years! Good reading!



2. Viennawalks is a substantial book, with four detailed walking tours. It contains some of the basic information, such as transportation, eating, telephone usage, and banking (no hotel or restaurant listings). The main part of the book are guided walks around four parts of the city. The Stones of Vienna takes you through the oldest buildings, including the Jewish quarter; Vienna Gloriosa passes St. Stephen's Cahtedral, Mozart's Apartment, the Old University; Noble Vienna navigates through the Hofburg (Hapsburg's residence); and Fin de Siecle Vienna looks at turn of the century art and architecture (Otto Wagner's designs, including the Karlsplatz subway station, the museum of fine arts and the Secession). The descriptions are rich in history are are quite detailed (60-70 pages per walk). It is very readable and contains a few pictures. If you want to take one or more leisurely walks through Vienna, and have the time to go slowly enough to soak up the information from the book and the sites in front of you, then this book is highly recommended.

2 comments about Moon Metro Rome (Moon Metro).

1. This book does a great job of breaking the city into smaller maps that make it extremely easy to get around.

   The maps are very clear and easy to read. Rome is a maze of little streets and other maps that we saw had street names overlapping each other and were very hard to read. This book breaks up the city into smaller large scale maps, you do not need a microscope to read them! Also you can just focus on one page at a time instead of having a huge map that you need to refold over and over.

   Rome is so confusing that even city residents need a map. You WILL need a good map to get around the city. This book does the job wonderfully.

   The maps are also laminated which makes them tough enough to handle the lots of opening and closing, the rain or even a spilled cappucino, very nice touch!

   We will use this series next time we travel to a city that they make a guide for.

   The only reason for the 4 stars is the book is light on info about 'sights' and focuses too much on shopping, restaurants and hotels. We needed a different book to get details on some of the things that we wanted to see.




2. this handy guide is also great (see streetwise maps for maps). Be sure to review them before you leave to be sure they cover the area you will be in because they are mostly "on the beaten path" items. I suggest also doing research on Frommers.com to be sure you dont miss something not covered in these books. These books are compact and easy to carry while traveling in city. Did not use for the resturaunts that is something that you need to find by exploring or research blogs but these hit the major sites in easy to read categories with simple maps. I would buy these for all my city travels.

3 comments about Notes from an Italian Garden.

1. Joan Marble has created a work of great beauty in "Notes from an Italian Garden." She has a profound knowledge of gardening and the countryside of central Italy, of Italian history and the Italians of today, and all this is reflected in her book. From my own years in Italy I can testify to the book's accuracy; far beyond that, it reflects a rare sort of felicity and civility. I want to believe that in future centuries people will come back to this book to read how two Americans led such pleasant and productive lives in the Italy of our time.



2. I love to travel but I have never added to the sales of those memoirs of hapless outsiders who renovate a barn or farmhouse in Provence, Tuscany or Umbria. No matter how well-written, most are self-conscious narratives recycling the same ingredients: coping, making friends--and enemies--and eating well. Joan Marble's book is refreshingly different. She and her husband built rather than renovated, and in Etruria, off the touristic track; they nurtured unforgiving soil producing delights for the table. But it is the delight of armchair gardening that makes this book such a good read. There is humor and pathos in how this couple celebrate life. Highly recommended.



3. A truly delightful book about Italians, human behavior, history, travel, and gardening. The author paints a picture with her words, captures your imagination, and makes you chuckle at the unique Italian way of living. From buying land and building a house to sinister business deals, to marriage contracting, gardening fetes and disasters, this book will charm and delight you on many different levels. I enjoyed this book so much more than "Under the Tuscan Sun." This is truly a gem of a book.

1 comments about Time Out Turin (Time Out Guides).

1. My husband and I nearly wore out this book during our two-week trip to Torino for the 2006 Winter Olympics. The writing and photos are hipper and more sophistocated than the typical travel book. And it's all contained in a thin, well-organized package that practically fits in your pocket. It offers concise suggestions for hip clubs, out-of-the-way restaurants and bars and other attractions that made us feel like virtual-locals.