Dreaming of Tuscany

Filled with luscious all-original photography and packed with insider information, "Dreaming of Tuscany" is the ultimate love letter to the most beloved of Italy's provinces. Between the two covers of this book is the essence of Tuscany: the smells-baking bread, harvested grapes, rich espresso, sweet lavender, basil and rosemary, ripe melons; the sounds-early morning chatter over espresso cups, the tolling of campanile bells, the echo of footsteps down empty ancient streets after lunch; and the tastes-peppery olive oil, sweet tomatoes, spicy salami, flaky pecorino, cool creamy gelato. The author takes the reader off the beaten path to discover charming Renaissance villages with nary a person in sight, to tiny trattorias that make unforgettable meals, to a linen shop with hand-woven treasures not to found elsewhere. Filled with extensive listings of the author's favorite gardens, antique stores, food markets, shops, cooking schools, wineries, museums, hotels, and restaurants, the book also features advice from local experts on such topics as how to rent a villa, staying in an agriturismo, and how to cook, eat, and drink like a Tuscan. There's also a chapter on how to live like a Tuscan once you return home, with resources for everything from furniture to olive oil to Italian seeds and terra-cotta pots for your garden.