I am a big fan of Italy. Love the beautiful, picture postcard landscapes. Love the art and architecture. Love the history. And I absolutely adore the food. I haven't yet had the chance to travel there, but I feel like I have, thanks to the beautiful words of Frances Mayes and her Under the Tuscan Sun.

Because Mayes is a poet, she brings Tuscany to life in a way few others can. Under her deft pencil, a simple mean becomes a description of fresh flavors that makes your mouth water. A walk to town becomes a metaphor for the movements of the Etruscans through the ancient lands. A simple afternoon at home is a delightful melange of home-grown flowers and herbs, a restful breeze, fresh-picked fruits, local wines. Nothing feels rushed or out of place. Everything is about being at home in Tuscany and being present for all of life's bounty.

The first part of the book is about finding and buying their Italian house and getting it set up. There are lots of repairs and updates they want, and it takes a lot of patience and paperwork to get it all accomplished. And while this is a fun journey to take, it's the pages after the house is livable that takes me on my trip. Those chapters are about the day trips, the rustic delicacies, the people of Tuscany--all the best parts of the country, of my vacation, without the worries of a big construction project.

But truly, I love everything about this book. My only problem with it is that it doesn't come with airline tickets and a key to a fabulous vacation house for me too. This is a trip I've taken twice now, and while I have loved it both times, I am ready to move on to one of her other books on Tuscany. I get to take a whole new trip that way!

Tomorrow, it's back to the States for a lazy trip to the Old South. I can't wait!