Annie Hawes

I just finished the second of Annie Hawes' books on her adventures in Italy, Ripe for the Picking (copyright 2003). I read her first book, Extra Virgin, years ago early on in my obsessive foray into travel narratives. It was laugh-out-loud hilarious. I loved the book, the characters, the region- everything about it. This second book is slightly more mature, with the same delightful sense of humor. It is out of print, but I was able to find it through Amazon. Now I am anxious to acquire her next two books so I can continue to share in her experiences in the Italian countryside. Wonderful!

Manor House

Photo by Mary Taitt

Lavender

Photo by Mary Taitt

Another Window, Another Country

Photo by Mary Taitt

My Travel Shelf

Inspired by Rev. Dr. Mom, here's my shelf of travel narratives (although I don't think that's the best label for the genre, as most of the writers are not travelling but living in a foreign country). This collection gets prime shelf location.

Caffe Centrale, Italy

photo by Bea Bittermann

Nicolina and Anthony with baby Ann

around 1913

Oct 21, 1982

"Although Firenze was the high-water mark as far as painting, sculpture, & architecture are concerned, my swing into southern Italy was equally rewarding in a different way, with such world-famous attractions as Pompeii, Sorrento, & Capri, not to mention Naples itself on its bay, Vesuvio, Herculaneum, & Monte Cassino. Moreover, our bus passed through Caserta, and Ann, you wouldn't believe it, in plain sight, there was a sign with the name 'Caiazzo' on it, & an arrow showing where to turn off! It gave me a bit of a start seeing that come at me, in white & green, just like any old sign on the Northway or Penn-Can Highway. For me, it was an added bonus & lift."

-excerpt from a letter written by Grandpa Joe Ciaranello to Aunty Ann Ciaranello; their mother, Nicolina, was from Caserta and their father, Anthony, was from Caiazzo

Belaggio, Italy

photo by Bea Bittermann

Riva by night, Italy

photo by Bea Bittermann

Oct 28, 1985

"We covered quite a bit of ground in Italy, from Milan to Como to Venice to Florence. The weather was mostly fair but hazy, going from hot the first part of the trip to cool toward the end, especially at night. I guess we liked Venice the best - a singular city to caress the senses, with spectacular views of lagoon & basilica, canals, bridges, & palaces. Of our 5 days there, not one was less than memorable, as we traveled about, on foot, or gondola, or waterbus."

-excerpt from a letter written by Grandpa Joe Ciaranello to Aunty Ann Ciaranello

Italy

A Tuscan Childhood by Kinta Beevor
Too Much Tuscan Sun by Dario Castagno
A Thousand Days in Venice,
A Thousand Days in Tuscany,
The Lady in the Palazzo by Marlena de Blasi
The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran
As The Romans Do by Alan Epstein
An Italian Affair by Laura Fraser
Italian Days by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Extra Virgin,
Ripe for the Picking,
Journey to the South by Annie Hawes
The Hills of Tuscany by Ferenc Mate
Under The Tuscan Sun,
Bella Tuscany,
In Tuscany by Frances Mayes
Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks
A House in Sicily by Daphne Phelps
The Tuscan Year by Elizabeth Romer
A Summer in Tuscany by Sandra J. Swanson
On Persephone's Island by Mary Taylor Simenti
Escape to Tuscany - Fodor's 2nd Edition