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A review by alba_marie
See You in the Piazza: New Places to Discover in Italy by Frances Mayes
4.0
“Italy is where you taste time.”
I enjoyed this and it definitely gave me the urge to travel again! I'm very glad I didn't read it last year when we were stuck in a 5k radius. However, it would have been better in book format - the audiobook isn't great for noting down places to visit in Italy as I was usually doing something else at the same time (like chores or walking or cycling or garden work - no pen and paper to hand!). So sadly I couldn’t go and look them the places mentioned with any ease.
The author reminds me of my mother, who recommended the book to me in the first place. They have a lot on common and I can see why she might be drawn to this book. I think I might appreciate this travelogue if I were a bit older - I don’t have the same tastes or budgets as the writer.
One critique I do have is that I'm not a massive fan of her present tense writing style. I did get used to it by the end - at almost 15 hours long, it's not a short audiobook! But I can see how it would be a useful guide for someone wanting to spend more time in or even moving to Italy.
Mayes delves into certain aspects of culture and history but like many others (esp. in the travel arena), her idea of culture and history barely leaves the 20th century with just short forays into the ancient past. I am not all that excited by present or recent Italy and would be more interested in the Romans, Umbrians, Etruscans, Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Venetian Republic.
The cat, Tabitha, (love it!), but I don’t get it.
I did wonder what's holding her back from just moving to Italy year round. She really seems to love Italy, has staked her career on the travelling country and its culture and food in Italy. She speaks the language. The weather is far nicer. And the lifestyle is better, as is the food, medical system and quality of life. I fail to understand why one would ever return to America... (I certainly never will!!). Italy is a great base for European travel, too!
“Growing old in Italy seems nicer than in America. They aren't isolated and don’t get the not to subtle hints that they should be.” I love this, and agree, though I will say that this is true all over Europe, although it is less and less of the case.
All in all, it was a nice taster and an easy listen to get me excited about going back to Italy but you really should read it in physical book format where you can google the names, make notes in the margins and dare I say fold the corners down (or add stickies) to relevant pages.
I enjoyed this and it definitely gave me the urge to travel again! I'm very glad I didn't read it last year when we were stuck in a 5k radius. However, it would have been better in book format - the audiobook isn't great for noting down places to visit in Italy as I was usually doing something else at the same time (like chores or walking or cycling or garden work - no pen and paper to hand!). So sadly I couldn’t go and look them the places mentioned with any ease.
The author reminds me of my mother, who recommended the book to me in the first place. They have a lot on common and I can see why she might be drawn to this book. I think I might appreciate this travelogue if I were a bit older - I don’t have the same tastes or budgets as the writer.
One critique I do have is that I'm not a massive fan of her present tense writing style. I did get used to it by the end - at almost 15 hours long, it's not a short audiobook! But I can see how it would be a useful guide for someone wanting to spend more time in or even moving to Italy.
Mayes delves into certain aspects of culture and history but like many others (esp. in the travel arena), her idea of culture and history barely leaves the 20th century with just short forays into the ancient past. I am not all that excited by present or recent Italy and would be more interested in the Romans, Umbrians, Etruscans, Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Venetian Republic.
The cat, Tabitha, (love it!), but I don’t get it.
I did wonder what's holding her back from just moving to Italy year round. She really seems to love Italy, has staked her career on the travelling country and its culture and food in Italy. She speaks the language. The weather is far nicer. And the lifestyle is better, as is the food, medical system and quality of life. I fail to understand why one would ever return to America... (I certainly never will!!). Italy is a great base for European travel, too!
“Growing old in Italy seems nicer than in America. They aren't isolated and don’t get the not to subtle hints that they should be.” I love this, and agree, though I will say that this is true all over Europe, although it is less and less of the case.
All in all, it was a nice taster and an easy listen to get me excited about going back to Italy but you really should read it in physical book format where you can google the names, make notes in the margins and dare I say fold the corners down (or add stickies) to relevant pages.