Just a fun book recommendation for those folks who have been on the RS Sicily tour that have included a visit to the winery on Mt Etna. The title is "Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna" by Mario Giordano, which just came out. Its part of a series set in Sicily, and is a lighthearted, ribald murder mystery. I just did the Sicily tour, so the link was irresistible to me. Lots of interesting cultural references, and familiar place names from the tour.
Posted by
OK
28 posts
I read that series before our Sicily tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the update. Sicily is still one of my very favorite tours and locations.
Posted by
Texas
39 posts
Can you say what the name of the Mt. Etna winery was?
thanks!
Posted by
OP
The Heartland USA
8965 posts
deborah, sure, the real life winery we visited for sampling and a generous snack was Benanti, on the slopes of Etna (there are many others). It was one of the high points of the tour for me. The book in part takes place at a fictional vineyard on the slopes of Etna. I'm not saying there is a connection, just a coincidence, and some of the villages and settings and grapes mentioned in the book are all around the Etna area, so there are familiar references to actual places.
Posted by
Brockport, NY
2 posts
Thanks for sharing! Another fun read for those traveling to Taormina is "A House in Sicily", written Daphne Phelps when she was about 89 years old. Daphne, a British woman, inherited her late uncle's home in Taormina - Casa Cuseni (which is located very close to the Taormina Continental Hotel) and tells of her life there in the 1940s and 1950s. It's an enjoyable memoir and an easy read. I hope I can visit the property on our upcoming Sicily tour as it is still a working bed and breakfast.
Posted by
OP
The Heartland USA
8965 posts
Kathy, its always great to make literary connections like that. Enjoy your visit. Sicily is great. I just wish it were easier to get there from here.
Posted by
GA, USA
59 posts
Thanks for the book recs. We are doing this tour in May and I always try to read a few books set in the locale we’ll be visiting. It really enriches the travel experience.