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#EmptyShelf 2016 #31: Under the Tuscan Sun by @francesmayes (Bantam, 1998)

After attending a course in Cornwall with Travellers’ Tales in 2007, randomly attending for something different to do, then realising that I knew nothing about the genre, I stocked up on a few appropriate books.

I started reading this a couple of weekend’s ago at a friends, as she had the same book, then came home to pick up my own copy of Under the Tuscan Sun… and I really enjoyed it. The author (is/was) an academic in the States, who turned a difficult time in life into opportunity, and purchased a run-down place in Tuscany – the book follows the travails and delights as they make the most of their “vacations” in Italy… which sounds like hard work and a lesson in patience, but paid off as they were able to sit back and enjoy (albeit with lots of farmwork continuing) … as I’ve been painting my new place, in a determination to get it done, so I can relax and live in it, I hear echoes of that … and a reminder that it doesn’t all need to be done at once!

I’ve enjoyed a couple of trips to Tuscany – both as a Tour Leader with Oak Hall .. one of my fave pics from that trip (blog from second trip):

bex-tuscany