What is it about Italy? Iโve been lucky to have visited the nation of
la
dolce vita three times in my life-Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice. Italian
was also my minor in college. When Iโm in Italy, I feel beautiful, both inside
and out. Just being in Italy is food for the soul.
For these reasons, I chose Italy as one of the settings in my Davison &
Allegra series, starting with Venice and Naples in
BREATHLESS FOR HIM and Milan and Lake Como in
DEVOTED TO HIM, as well as
making my heroine, Allegra Orsini, of Italian heritage.
To me, all of Italy is romantic, so choosing the Top 5 Romantic Escapes in Italy
proved to be quite the task, except for choosing the #1 destination. I should
also state that Iโve only been to my #1 choice, and the rest are on my bucket
list, though I imagine Iโm there whenever I watch the movies that I mention for
each to-die-for area (Capri, alas, has not been featured in any film as far I know).
1)
Venice-I first visited Italy as a junior in college when
I did the Eurailpass trip college kids do with two of my friends. We arrived
early in the morning on an overnight train from a drizzly, overcast Salzburg,
and when we stepped out onto the sidewalk outside the station in Venice with the
warm sun beaming down on us, I was in heaven. I donโt know if itโs the gondolas,
the architecture, or those narrow alleys that practically beg for you to sneak
into with a lover for a quick kiss and/or grope. As much as I love Paris, I have
to say that Venice is the most romantic city in the world. It is only Venice
that made me vow to myself that I wouldnโt return without the love of my life.
Movie references:
Moonraker (yes, a James Bond movie and the first one I
ever saw when I was ten) and
A Secret Affair based on the Barbara Taylor
Bradford novel.
2)
Amalfi Coast-movie reference:
Only You with Marisa
Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr.
That azure water, the winding drive along the coast, those gorgeous homes on the
hills. My dream is to stay at
Il San Pietro di Positano, a luxurious
hotel with gorgeous ocean views overlooking the Bay of Positano and has an
elevator built inside the cliff that takes you right down to the beach from the
lobby.
3)
Lake Como-movie reference:
Oceanโs Twelve with
Clooney, Roberts, et al. Iโm not surprised George Clooney bought a villa here
because this area in northern Italy is gorgeous. It also boasts a long history
of celebrities vacationing here, especially at the famed Hotel Bellagio. I
imagine sailing on the lake in one of those vintage wood-paneled motorboats with
the sun shining down on me or at night admiring the historic villas lit up from
the outside, showing off their splendor.
4)
Capri-the playground of the rich and famous. A short ferry
or hydrofoil ride from Naples, this famous island has been referenced in works
ranging from Debussy to John Singer Sargent. Graham Greene made Capri his home
for many years. I once had the acquaintance of a woman who traveled to Capri
every year to stay at the Grand Hotel Quisisana, and she would always return
with the most exquisite custom-made sandals and luxurious silk scarves. Somedayโฆ.
5)
Tuscany/Umbria-movie reference:
Under the Tuscan Sun
and
A Room with a View. I actually refer to
A Room With a View in
DEVOTED TO HIM when
Davison and Allegra are watching it get together in his living room. Theyโre
watching my favorite scene when Lucy and George first kiss in a field in the
Tuscan countryside thatโs sprinkled with red poppies. I couldnโt think of a more
appropriate place for a first kiss.
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