Captivated by Italy: A Symphony of Cities and Stories

It has been my pleasure to have been granted a column in my local newspaper. It will appear fortnightly, giving me the opportunity for a high local profile. I have submitted the first two, each of them being given a good page and place on the page. Given that I love writing, I have embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm. It marries with the weekly opportunity I have with a weekly encouragement piece that goes out to quite a large number of people, including readers in other states of Australia and other countries. It gives me an opportunity to become known as an author. Public speaking also keeps me busy, some of the speaking commitments having been specifically to do with my authorship of the book. To my surprise, I have enjoyed talking about the book at speaking engagements as much as I enjoyed writing it. That is perhaps not surprising, when my love of Italy is taken into account. I am sometimes asked if there is any one region or city, I have a special love for. I find that hard to answer because all of Italy fascinates me. However, if I were pressed, I would probably admit not to one place of special interest, but to a few that have particular appeal. Venice, Capri, Perugia and Tuscany pull very easily on my heartstrings. Venice has the most extraordinary history in addition to being a city-wide art gallery. Circumstances centuries before the medieval period caused people seeking refuge to settle on the low-lying mud islands upon which all of modern Venice (if any part can be called modern - a doubtful proposition) is built. You have to search hard in Venice to find a church which lacks at least one masterful work of art and the architectural styles of the palazzi (palaces) are breathtaking. Capri is for me a symphony of the emperor Tiberius, the Swedish doctor Axel Munthe and the scintillating views of i Faraglioni (razor-sharp rocks rearing up out of the sea) from the top of Monte Solaro. I can enjoy that music for the eyes and heart for very long spells. Perugia, that magnificent Etruscan city on the top of its lofty hill is special to me because I spent tome time living in a studio flat there while studying at its University for Foreigners. They were exciting days. There is much to tell about Perugia, but a lot of it is in the book. Tuscany? There are some who think mainly of the Chianti and the sangiovese grape that makes so fine a wine that can't help but relax the drinker.. While that has great appeal for me, I also have a deep interest in the Renaissance and its extraordinary seedbed in Florence before it spread to other locations, including, especially, Venice. Yes, more than one place in Italy presses for a place in my heart and while admit to the four above, there are others, too. The fact is, Italy ensnares you lock, stock and barrfel. Enjoy the read!

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