In the Heel of Italy


Book Description




Head Over Heel


Book Description

"Gets right under Italy's skin. Few books about living in foreign climes are written as entertainingly, beautifully or romantically." -- Sydney Morning Herald WINNER OF THE GROLLO RUZZENE FOUNDATION PRIZE When Chris travelled from Sydney to Dublin, he never dreamed his life was about to change forever. There he meets Daniela - one L, smile as you say it to pronounce it correctly - and it's amore at first sight. Before he can say si, he's uprooted to follow her to her sun-kissed hometown of Andrano, Puglia, tucked in the heel of southern Italy. The whitewashed houses, olive groves and cobblestone lanes are beautiful, but soon Chris is getting to grips with everyday Italian life. There's infuriating bureaucracy, an anarchic road system and - biggest challenge of all - Daniela's mamma, who's determined to convert him to the Catholic faith and build an extension on her house where the couple might live la dolce vita.




Frances Mayes Always Italy


Book Description

"This lush guide, featuring more than 350 glorious photographs from National Geographic, showcases the best Italy has to offer from the perspective of two women who have spent their lives reveling in its unique joys."--Publisher's description.




A Journey By Car in The Heel of Italy


Book Description

This small book describes a fifteen-day car trip you can take in Apulia and the neighboring regions of Basilicata and Abruzzo, passing through important archeological, artistic, and cultural locations. The itinerary starts from the town of Ortona a Mare in Abruzzo. It goes through several Apulia cities and then to Matera, a stunning city in Basilicata, vibrant with history, cave hotels, and authentic Italian food. The time to visit Matera is now. The ancient town, 2019 European Culture Capital, could be Italy's next great attraction. The itinerary then returns to Apulia and touches other several cities, to arrive in Alberobello, known for its Trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs - the hilltop Rione Monti district has hundreds of them. It continues with other towns in Apulia and the Gargano peninsula, with its National Park, home to the last remaining part of the oak and beech Forest Umbra that once covered most of central Europe. It passes through Termoli to end up again in Ortona al Mare. It also describes a possible visit to the Tremiti Islands from Termoli and how to get there. There are several ferry companies providing transportation services to these islands, the service is available from different ports, with or without the possibility of bringing your car with you. Finding the right solution for your needs using Google is at least confusing if you don't understand Italian; you can spend a full day to figure out what is available and when. In the guide, I present you with the outcome of my research. The guide includes a chapter on the food and wine of Apulia. A list of local recipes is present; the original recipes' links are active in the digital editions.




Salento by Five: Friendship, Food, Music, and Travel Within the Heel of Italy's Boot


Book Description

Salento by 5 is a collection of richly woven Italian stories, written by three local Italians and two American travelers. A friendship begins in the Rome airport, migrates to Salento, the southernmost Italian region of Puglia, blossoms over food and wine, and culminates in a narrative filled with nostalgic and personal recollections of Salento's unique history, culture, and people. Enjoy the book's watercolor sketches, the local recipes, and off-the-beaten path travel hints that only the Salento by 5 authors can provide. Whether you are an armchair traveler or looking for a new Italian adventure in a not so well known region, Salento by 5 has a little something for everyone.




Social Media in Southeast Italy


Book Description

Why is social media in southeast Italy so predictable when it is used by such a range of different people? This book describes the impact of social media on the population of a town in the southern region of Puglia, Italy. Razvan Nicolescu spent 15 months living among the town’s residents, exploring what it means to be an individual on social media. Why do people from this region conform on platforms that are designed for personal expression? Nicolescu argues that social media use in this region of the world is related to how people want to portray themselves. He pays special attention to the ability of users to craft their appearance in relation to collective ideals, values and social positions, and how this feature of social media has, for the residents of the town, become a moral obligation: they are expected to be willing to adapt their appearance to suit their different audiences at the same time, which is crucial in a town where religion and family are at the heart of daily life.




Venturing in Italy


Book Description

Italy is the top tourist destination in Europe. But while the pleasures of Tuscany, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome are well known and well documented, Puglia remains relatively undiscovered. Venturing in Italy collects 30 true stories that explore every aspect of this fascinating region. The book’s 19 writers, including Linda Watanabe McFerrin, Joanna Biggar, and Laurie King, find stories everywhere they look, greatly helped by Puglia's rich history: everything from Neolithic cave paintings to ancient Greek cities and temples, from houses built in caves to medieval castles and fortresses. Seen here, Puglia is vibrantly alive with unique local wines and cuisine, thermal spas in Santa Ceasaria, and mussel farming in Taranto. Maps and sketches show Puglia and the surrounding areas at their most enchanting.




An Armchair Traveller's History of Apulia


Book Description

An Armchair Traveller's History of Apulia is the story of the heel of Italy - Puglia - as told by past and present day travellers. It has beautiful landscapes, cave towns and frescoed grotto churches, wonderful old cities with Romanesque cathedrals, Gothic castles and a wealth of Baroque architecture. And yet, while far from inaccessible, until quite recently it was seldom visited by tourists. This portrait of Apulia concentrates on the Apulian people down the ages. Conquerors, whether Messapians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Lombards, Byzantines, Normans, Angevins, Germans or Spaniards, have all left their mark on the region in a cultural palimpsest that at first sight bewilders, but which hugely repays investigation. Arranged in short chapters, the narrative travels from north to south, making it an ideal companion for exploring Apulia by car. The Gazetteer, which is cross-referenced to the main text, highlights cities, churches, cathedrals, castles and sites of historical importance to the visitor. For travellers on the ground or students at their desks, this elegant, cloth-bound book will prove invaluable.




Meet Me Under the Northern Lights


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The brand new romance from the author of Duvet Day. Escape to the Arctic Circle and fall in love under the Northern Lights . . .




Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo


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The bestselling author of "Italian Neighbors" returns with a wry and revealing portrait of Italian life--by riding its trains.