Once again Frances Mayes regales the reader with her tales of life abroad but this time she isn’t living and renovating her home in Cortona, Italy but exploring life in Greece, Spain, Turkey, Portugal and several other European destinations.
Peppering her book with quotes and tidbits of famous writers who traveled along the same paths, Mayes longs to show the reader a different way of travel. She isn’t one who just snaps pictures and goes to the same spots every tourist visits, instead she tries to get to know the people and culture. She is quite successful at times.
My favorite parts of the book undoubtedly were the first sections as she travels to Portugal and Spain. I connected more with these perhaps because I have been to Spain so I could see in my mind exactly what she was talking about, and Portugal because I’ve longed to go there for some time. After reading these passages I wished for some extra cash and time to spare for a vacation. If anything this has renewed my vow to make it to Portugal one day.
Mayes doesn’t shy away from talking about food and wine and more food and wine. She feels it’s even necessary to rent houses in the cities she is staying so that she can have access to a kitchen and visit the local markets to make her own dishes.
This isn’t a book about extraordinary travel adventures but this is a book that can be savored nevertheless. Grab a cozy chair, a cup of coffee and let Frances Mayes take you to some beautiful places.
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