Frances Mayes has a new book out on her 12 favorite Italian small towns.
https://www.newsweek.com/positano-italy-small-towns-1363529
My suggestion: If you want to see any of these, go as soon as possible. We all remember what happened to Tuscany after she wrote a book about that.
Whew! None of our true favorites are on the list and we’ve been to a couple we liked but are not likely to repeat.
Soooooo, you think you can keep those faves to yourself, Laurel?
We will flog you mercilessly with "expressos" and "Cinque Terras" until you cave! Bwwwwwwaaaaaa.
BTW, you and Frank might enjoy this. :O)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/never-going-to-italy
I enjoyed it, too! ;-)
MUDULOU! haha
No amount of misspelling will out my secrets, Kathy!
“MUDULOU” is now part of my vocabulary. Can’t wait to get to Paris in May!
We discovered the truffle festival in quaint Sant'Angelo in Vado last year. Memorably quaint because our visit coincided with the 40th 'MOTORADUNO DEL TARTUFO' (yes, a Truffle Motorcycle Rally). There had to have been 5,000 bikes from all over Europe. All were well behaved and nary a Harley to be seen, but I think the typical Frances Mayes reader might be disappointed.
I suspect one reason for the much bigger crowds now than 20 years ago is that in the last couple of decades more of the world can afford to travel to Europe. If a couple hundred million Chinese can now afford to do the European travel us other travelers have been able to afford in the past, well, there are going to be bigger crowds.
Glad you enjoyed it too, Laura!
"I discern a vague, threatening spectre somehow inexorably drawing me toward Italy—and I tremble...."
That spectre bedevils me daily 'cause I'm NOT in Italy.
Nothing on my trip list to Italy for this year. Whew! ;-)
By the way, so as you don't think the article discouraged me, I'll be back in Italy next month.
Every year I say I have had enough, and every year I go back. I just try to find places not as popular as others.
