I started a new series last week that highlights books about or set in various parts of Southern Italy. We kicked it off with Campania and today my friend, and newest addition to the My Bella Vita Travel team, Laura Thayer, is here to give us her take on one of those books. Benvenuta, Laura!...Read More
About a month ago I was contacted by an intern from Lulu who asked if I was interested in creating and reviewing one of their new photo books. And what timing … .You see, as luck would have it, I’d already started brainstorming Christmas gift ideas and creating a souvenir photo book of my nephew’s...Read More
There is no denying English-speakers are falling in love with southern Italian cooking. Those seasonal ingredients, creative seafood dishes, spicy peppers, fresh lemons and world-class olive oil leave a lasting impression on travelers who are often anxious to recreate these plates back home. Today, Laura Thayer of Ciao Amalfi! is offering her review of a...Read More
It’s eerily intimate to read about the history, stories and legends of your home, to see in print the cities and towns that are in your backyard and to understand the culture that is unfolding before you in black and white. No, I’m not Calabrese, or even Italian, by heritage, but I couldn’t help but...Read More
Some of you might remember last fall when Michelle of Bleeding Espresso and I kicked off a blog tour for Calabrian-American journalist and book author, Justin Catanoso. Justin’s debut book, My Cousin the Saint had just hit the shelves and my newly-found Calabria pride encouraged me to share this book-and the story of Calabria’s newest...Read More
The best thing about living in a foreign country is the number of great people you meet. Expats abroad tend to form an alliance based on a mutual understanding, or in many cases misunderstanding of the new society and having that network is an invaluable source of comfort for many of us. The second best...Read More
Who’d have thought writing a book review could be such a tough thing? On the surface it is simple enough. You read a book, you either like it-or don’t like it, summarize your thoughts and tap ’em out on your trusty ‘ole laptop. It is not rocket surgery. Or brain science, as might be more...Read More
is the heart-wrenching story of a young Jewish jewel trader who travels from the confined walls of the Venetian Ghetto to the exotic and oftentimes confusing streets of the Pegu marketplace. Although Abraham’s adventure takes place in an ancient Burmese kingdom at the end of the 16th Century, his letters home are reminiscent of...Read More
Many people, including yours truly, think a guide book can make or break a trip. Particularly when we are traveling to a new country or unknown destination, we look to our guide books for expert advice on where to stay, where to eat and most importantly where to shop. (wink wink) Guide books should...Read More
A quick glance down the travel book aisle at Barnes and Noble is enough to make a bright-eyed globe trotter toss in his passport and run for cover. The market is inundated with guide books promising would-be buyers the best accommodations, the most recently updated dining options, the highest user reviews or the most preciously...Read More
