A Tuscan State of Mind

Sometimes traveling isnt just about going to a destination; its a state of mind. Physically, Ive been trapped in South Carolina for seven months now while mentally I try and put myself back in my favorite European places. One of my very favorites is the Tuscany region of Italy. While the city in South Carolina is a blistering desert of concrete, Tuscany radiates a rejuvenating warmth that washes over you like the rolling green of the hills.

Since Im currently unable to experience the area in person, I can only do what I can to substitute the experience. CDs full of pictures taken during my travels bring back stifled laughs and fond memories. The coffee table books Ive collected over the years are so full of intense color and vivid landscape scenes that it makes my ache even worse. I even read Under the Tuscan Sun this week (which isnt done justice by the movie). Mayes is such a descriptive writer. She does such a perfect job bringing the area to life and I believe, deserves much credit for putting Cortona on the map. Her book stirs memories of my one day in this little town hot chocolate and pastries at a little caf in the morning, gelato under a patio umbrella in the pouring rain, and linen shopping after the sun triumphed over the stubborn clouds. It almost makes me forget that my gelato is now Eddys or something from Dairy Queen.

I also try to substitute with cooking of course, Im far from the authentic cuisine I once savored in the local family-owned restaurants. Tortellini al forno, penne alarabiatta, even plain old spaghetti marinara is a work of art in Tuscany. I throw basil around like its going out of style, get all giddy when I find a sweet gorgonzola or pecorino cheese at the grocery store, and keep Verdi on full volume while I create my own personal Italy in the kitchen. Fortunately, Ive been able to bring back the very best extra virgin olive oil in the entire country La Macchia. The green, aromatic oil tastes so fresh and so light that you taste what you are meant to taste the fruit of the olive tree and not something reminiscent to wheel bearing grease. So even if my bruschetta is made from imported North Carolina tomatoes, South Carolina french bread, parmesan from Kraft, and dried basil from a lousy little plastic jar (out of fresh basil again), I still have my beautiful drizzling Tuscan olive oil.

Italians also understand and appreciate the concept of breaks (and not the 15 minute kind). Time doesnt rule a Tuscans day, rather it revolves around life at the moment. I rush from one end of my current hometown to the other, running errands and trying to make it to appointments on time in Italy, being late is normale. And when it gets to lunchtime, theres no rushing through the meal and then jumping back into a schedule. Between the shining sun at its zenith and a full stomach thats pulling you into a food coma, the day calls for a siesta. This ingenious concept not only refreshes the body but it literally pulls your mind into another world. Why fret about the next two hours when everyone elses life has also come to a relaxing standstill? Daydream, watch the tall grasses blow in the wind, or drink a cappuccino among friends with a vineyard as a backdrop. Until the notion of a daily siesta takes hold in America, I attempt to create my own with plastic patio furniture and a Coca-Colathat is, until the phone starts to ring with endless telemarketers anxious to sell me siding or refinance my mortgage.

There are just some places that feed your soul and remain in your heart no matter where you go. The rise and fall of the graceful hills, the glittery silver-green leaves of the olive trees, the way the aged bricks glow in the last rays of the evening sun all call me back for more. In the meantime, though, Ill remain in a Tuscan state of mind.

See more of Europes hidden treasures in Europe for the Senses A Photographic Journal by Vicki Landes and available on Amazon.com. http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com

Initially a skeptic, Vicki Landes was not thrilled when her military husband moved her and their new baby to Stuttgart, Germany in fact, she went kicking and screaming. She quickly took to Europe and ended up living in Germany for a full seven years. During that time, Landes became an avid world traveler and published author. With a current list of 45 countries under her belt, Landes strives to find the overlooked details that make each place distinctive and unique. Europe for the Senses A Photographic Journal is her first book.

Visit her website: http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com access information on the book, Landes blog, book reviews, press spots, book trailers, links to purchasing options, sign up for Landes weekly newsletter, and her new online photography galleries!

Nl38
Adrian Jesus Romero Unplugged
Body Jewelry Logo Wholesale
Paginas Web Como Crear
Detox Energize Health Home Paperback Plan Pyramid Relax S Spa Weekend
Vending Machine Service
Goedkope Vakantie Boek
Nederlands Antillen Curacao Voordelig Vakantie