Ciao! I'm Laura.
  • Journal
  • About
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Journal
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • About
    • Writing
  • Contact

Ciao Amalfi

BOOKS · August 30, 2020

Book Review | Always Italy by Frances Mayes & Ondine Cohane

There’s never been a moment quite like the present when we all need a way to hold the beauty of Italy in our hands. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of travel and left so many people canceling long-awaited vacations, destination weddings, and family holidays. Or maybe just left that dream of traveling to Italy feeling even more impossible. Thankfully, Always Italy by Frances Mayes and Ondine Cohane is a wonderful way to combat those missing Italy blues and inspire your next trip.

Of course, no one plans to release a book during a pandemic. Yet for me Always Italy was a respite during the long months of quarantine on the Amalfi Coast. I let myself leisurely make my way through its pages, getting lost in the unexpected richness that is Italy and dreaming of seeing place after place as I turned the pages. With 350+ gorgeous photos, Always Italy covers all 20 regions of Italy, from the majestic Dolomites to the quiet towns of Abruzzo, southern Italy (yes also the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Naples & more!), Sicily and Sardinia. It’s a hefty and beautifully structured book that pulls you in and keeps you coming back for more – much like Italy. Rather than rushing through, I spent time sinking into each of the regions, enjoying the stories and new discoveries each one brought.

“Travel is always a leap of faith into new worlds: 20 of them in Italy. Isn’t that exciting? Each region remains unique. What’s not yet known lies shimmering before you.”

– from “always Italy” by frances mayes & Ondine cohane

For me this is the heart and soul of Always Italy. The leap of faith is made a little less intimidating for us travelers (armchair or not) thanks to the warmth and detail captured in its pages by Mayes and her co-author Ondine Cohane, a contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler and beautiful writer who calls Pienza in southern Tuscany home. Their journey exploring Italy is incredibly rich and yet is only a tease, just slightly nudging open the door to a tantalizing view of what Italy offers.

Dotted throughout the book in all 20 regions, the Frances’s Favorites sections were a highlight for me. The topics varied by region, but many focused on writers and artists. My heart! These were a real treat for me as she writes about both noted and lesser known Italian and foreign writers with a passion for capturing a sense of place. You’ll discover writers from Sicily to Trieste and Turin and tiny towns like Asolo in Veneto, the home of Freya Stark. After reading about this small town, I felt my time in Italy will now never be complete without a visit to Asolo. This is an intriguing joy. A place can go from being completely unknown in my mind to being one I must see. This is Always Italy. Have a notebook handy as you’ll be jotting down places to see, hotels to stay in, views you can’t miss, wines to try in every region, and so much more.

The title Always Italy resonated as I spent time traveling through the regions in the pages of the book. While I know there is so much in Italy that one could spend a lifetime and never experience it all, what Always Italy left me with was a sense of hope. Very welcome in these hard times! That there is so much to discover presented in the pages of the book is a gift from the authors for sharing their journey. But not just the hope of seeing the treasures big and small of Italy, but the hope that there is even more waiting out there to be discovered in our own journeys.

It may be some time before we look at travel quite the same way as before COVID-19. If that is even possible. Now more than ever we need to connect to the places we love in a deep way – some days just to hang on to hope. I know many of you reading this right now are still only able to dream of traveling to Italy. Whether you’re planning trip for soon or one day soon, get yourself a copy of Always Italy. It inspires and soothes in equal measure. Italy is waiting for you and thank goodness there’s always Italy!

Posted In: BOOKS · Tagged: Amalfi Coast Books, Book Reviews, Books, Books About Italy, Ciao Amalfi Book Reviews, Italy Book Reviews

You’ll Also Love

Moon Amalfi CoastMoon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii, 2nd Edition
Book Review | The Chocolatier by Jan Moran
Book Review | Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Recipes from Expats in Positano

Trending Now

  • ciao-amalfi-winter-things-to-do Visiting the Amalfi Coast in the Winter – 5 Things You Need to Know
  • Amalfi Coast Beaches Colourful Sun Umbrellas at the Marina Grande Beach in Amalfi - Horizontal A Guide to the Beaches of Amalfi
  • Amalfi Coast Travel Positano Beach Spiagga Grande A Guide to the Beaches of Positano
  • Amalfi Coast Webcams New Live Streaming Webcams of Amalfi!

Ciao!

My name is Laura and the Amalfi Coast is my passion and my home. I’m a writer and photographer who is endlessly inspired by the incredible beauty of the Amalfi Coast. Welcome to Ciao Amalfi!

Ciao Amalfi

  • Journal
  • Moon Amalfi Coast
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

Amalfi Coast

  • Amalfi
  • Positano
  • Ravello
  • Amalfi Coast

Explore

  • Travel
  • History & Culture
  • Food & Drink
  • Shopping

Laura Thayer

  • About
  • Writing
  • Book Reviews
  • Work with Me

Latest on Instagram

Welcome November! Listen to the church bells ringi Welcome November! Listen to the church bells ringing for Ognissanti - All Saints Day - in #Amalfi.
Happy Halloween! For the spooky season, here’s a Happy Halloween! For the spooky season, here’s a mosaic from Axel Munthe’s house @villasanmichele in Anacapri. It’s a copy of a mosaic from Pompeii that would have originally been seen as something like a reminder to enjoy yourself it’s later than you think (as the old song goes).💀👻🎃
Wishing you a beautiful start to the week! Dayligh Wishing you a beautiful start to the week! Daylight savings time ended in Italy yesterday and I’m loving the extra hour of sunshine early in the morning. Especially with more rain on the way this week!
Early morning end of the season sunrise in Amalfi. Early morning end of the season sunrise in Amalfi. Too pretty not to share!
“I am out with lanterns looking for myself.” —Emily Dickinson

Results: mixed.

But The Travelers by @brunocesarcatalano in Amalfi has been extended to November 5, 2023. I wasn’t ready for them to travel on yet!
This morning I said my goodbyes to Bruno Catalano’s “Travelers” on my morning walk. Tomorrow I’m off to be a traveler myself and they’ll likely be gone by the time I’m back. They’ve been good company, but it’s time for them to move on to their next destination. 🧳
Sunday morning strolling in the sweet sunshine. Sunday morning strolling in the sweet sunshine.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Disclosure

Copyright © 2023 Ciao Amalfi · Theme by 17th Avenue