A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure (edition 2005)

A most excellent read. Heart warming stories. Wonderful recipes. I love her work. ( )

After reading "A Thousand Days in Venice" a few years ago, I found this one and remembered what a treasure "Venice" had been, and I couldn't help but wonder what Marlena and Fernando were doing, wherever their journey carried them. The subtitle - "A Bittersweet Adventure" - is most certainly apt; this being a book that would probably make just about anyone feel a bit sad and introspective. Nevertheless, my interest remains piqued and I will be tracking down de Blasi's next memoir to see where they went next and who they met next. And, of course, to get a few more glimpses into the scrumptious foods and drinks she so temptingly describes.

Here are a few notable quotations from the book:

"It's the table and the bed that count in life. And everything else we do, we do so we can get back to the table, back to the bed."

"Maybe the only thing that matters is to make our lives last as long as we do. You know, to make a life last until it ends, to make all the parts come out even, like when you rub the last piece of bread in the last drop of oil on your plate and eat it with the last sip of wine in your glass."

"Beware of the tyranny of the giver. The giver has more cards than the getter. Or perceives it so. Yet how often is the giver giving to gain control, or at the least, the sanction to plunder the givee's life, how and when he may." ( )

Marlena De Blasi has my dream job! She writes, travels and eats. Perfect. This book inspired me to make a Tuscan Flatbread with sea salt and rosemary. For full review and a pretty photo of my loaf of flatbread, check me out here:
http://www.novelmeals.com/2011/08/thousand-days-in-tuscany-by-marlena-de.html ( )

I initially enjoyed this book for it's sheer indulgence, but the utopian descriptions of Tuscan life struck me as tedious and naive. I soon found myself wishing that something realistic and horrible would happen... I won't be finding it out, since I've shelved this one for the time being. ( )

My family is Tuscan. Oh how she captures the peccadillos of the region and the people. And the food! ( )