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 A charming stroll through Italy, something to be savored, not rushed Aug 25, 2009
Glen Husak and her husband Al return to Italy each year for a get-away, and have done so for 15 years. Each year they select one area to visit, rather than cramming the whole country into one vacation. By doing so, they have been able to come to appreciate so much more of the Italian country, its people and way of life. Glen shares their experiences and the often up and down hitches that happen. But, the perspective here is that the unexpected often becomes a serendipitous and delightful surprise.
While the book would be a great travel guide, its purpose is to remind us that there are wonderful lessons to be learned from visiting other cultures and immersing yourself in them, as well as trusting your companion and sharing experiences. One doesn't have to be familiar with Italy to appreciate the descriptions and anecdotes.
Having traveled in Italy several years ago, I found myself reminiscing about some of the places I loved as I read Glen's account of their experiences. I, too, wandered the streets of Venice and rode in a vapporetto; I saw the beautiful work of Giotto in a little, non-descript church in Padua and savored many a meal at a local restaurant. I remember the feeling of excess and lack of spirituality at the Vatican, but also appreciated the beauty and history as well. I remember walking for what seemed like hours to find the Church of St. Peter in Chains and seeing Michangelo's magnificent statue of Moses, and shopping in a street market in Florence.
Glen not only includes Italian history, but art history as well, which makes the book richer. I do wish she had included photos, although it would be easy to picture many of the well-known locations, even if you haven't seen them in person. Minor editing issues didn't detract from the charm.
A passeggiata is a slow, evening stroll through town, usually taken with people you care about, often arm-in-arm. This book was like taking a passeggiata through Italy. It was something to be savored, not rushed.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A Leisurely Walk Through Italy Jul 27, 2009
One way to learn a language unfamiliar to us is to become immersed in it so that the learning of the language is in the context of its use. While this seems overwhelming at first, eventually learning takes place and the usefulness of the new tongue becomes apparent and comfortable.
Author G.G. Husak and her husband, Al, took an immersion approach to learning and subsequently appreciating the country of Italy. What began as a visit to their daughter who was studying in Italy became an annual two-week trip of exploration and discovery. The Husak's fascination with Italy grew with each subsequent visit and the details are shared in the pages of Passeggiata: Strolling Through Italy.
As the title suggests, this is a travelogue narrated for armchair enjoyment at the reader's pace. The author sets the travel stage by describing their initial visit to their daughter in 1993. It was their first travel experience as empty nesters and the beginning of another journey towards one another as they discovered the nature of Italy together. One example is how their initial interest in art expanded over the years to deeper levels of mutual appreciation.
The Husak's achieved a nice balance between careful pre-trip planning while allowing for flexibility during the travel experience. The couple agreed on the goal of getting to know one country thoroughly through repeat visits rather than experience superficial experiences in different places. A basic Italy travel blueprint emerged that established a dependable travel style for accommodations, meals and transportation. Specific details such as names and contact information is lacking, leaving the reader to fill in the model with their own research and decisions customized for their personal preferences.
The author has organized the book by city visited and also by categories such as art, music, eating Italian, etc. While this is helpful for readers who like to skip around, those who read the chapters sequentially will find some repetition of details or stories. Because the trips described were made in the non-peak tourist season, the perspective and experiences the author describes are less typical than travelers will find during the height of the tourist season. This has both the advantage of providing a more realistic view of Italian life and the disadvantage of not seeing how the experience would be shaded by greater numbers of tourists. However, a traveler in any season will recognize the truth in Husak's words, "Travel opens doors and windows to all kinds of impressions, renews our knowledge of our history and art, and gives us new perspectives."
I appreciated the descriptions and reflections of the non-famous sights as much as the more familiar attractions. The descriptions of the hill towns and seacoast villages were particularly interesting to me as the off-the-beaten-path nature of this type of touring requires patience and an attitude of expecting to discover uniqueness. Being able to travel with fewer pre-conceived notions or expectations is one of the benefits the Husak's seemed to have achieved with their reoccurring visits to Italy. I would have appreciated some photographs included with these descriptions, however. I could picture the famous sites as I followed the narrative but the mental images were more difficult to generate for the lesser known and more obscure attractions.
It is clear that the author has developed a deep appreciation for the people, lifestyle, history and culture of Italy. Her career as a teacher served her well in sharing that love through this travel volume.
Paula Buermele, reviewer for Bookpleasures and author of The Dream Catcher Tour.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Good, but could've used more editing Jul 01, 2009
Passeggiata by G.G. Husak is a memoir about the author and her husband's travels through Italy, to which they return every year. The book covers their visits to Florence, the Italian Riviera, Siena, Assisi, Orvieto, Naples, and more; from big cities to small hill towns, they've done it, and you can read about it.
Husak's love for the Bel Paese and all it offers really shines through her tales--and especially in the fact that she and her husband continue to choose Italy instead of other destinations. "Italy has been a theme that enriches our shared experiences by being integrated into our lives after we get home," Husak writes.
The book can be a bit slow-moving in parts as Husak seems to want to fit in all the details--and perhaps justifiably so, as the details in Italy are certainly not to be missed. Still, the editing could have been stronger as some parts seemed repetitive or simply went on for a bit too long without enriching the overall story.
For this reason, I recommend reading this book a chapter at a time, taking in each destination by itself and giving yourself time to reflect on their journeys; imagine yourself sharing a caffè with G.G. and her husband in Florence or walking for miles around a huge wall in Siena that blocks off the old city from the train station.
This book would be especially good for novice travelers to Italy, even for those who have yet to make their first visit. Many of Husak's stories involve the types of mishaps, confusions, and glitches that often accompany Italian travel tales; newbie travelers will find it particularly encouraging to know that even when things look dire, they'll eventually work out--and that strikes, changes in schedules, etc. are just normal Italian travel experiences that everyone battles.
I give this three espresso cups out of five, mostly because I would have liked it to have been edited better; I enjoyed reading about Husak's experiences, but aside from the fact that the narrative could have been much tighter, there are also quite a few Italian mistakes (gender, incorrect place names, words sometimes confused with similar Spanish words). This is a pet peeve of mine and could potentially make this book confusing for those newbie travelers I mentioned.
Still, true Italophiles will find a lot to like in this passeggiata through Italy; indeed, it could even be used as a supplemental guidebook as it covers so many wonderful Italian locations.
~Michelle Fabio
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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great Book! Jun 29, 2009
The very name of this book makes one want to pack their bags and fly off to romantic Italy.
This book, Ms. Husak's travel memoir, will appeal to those of us who are retired; single and longing for a little adventure; or taking that dream, family vacation. It takes the reader to major tourist centers, and out of the way, tiny Italian villages. It takes the guesswork out of travel and teaches valuable lessons that will make the journey easier and more relaxing.
Whether you want to stay in a quiet village or take in all the historic sights and art of Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, or Naples you will not want to leave home before reading Ms. Husak's book.
Some chapters which are included are:
*Culture Shock
*On Our Own
*The Italian Riviera
*Hill Towns
*and much, much more
Even if you don't have the means to actually travel to Italy, you will want to use this as an exciting armchair travelogue.
This book is well written and is sure to please the world travel reader.
A delightful read.... Jun 17, 2009
What makes this book so wonderful is how the author makes you feel as if you are actually on the journey with her. Its nice to see visual images brought to life with words.
Even if you do not plan on traveling to Italy, the books great value may be in how the author makes you re-think how you travel and how you look at things.
Like getting off the beaten path and pausing to actually look around at what the natives see on a daily basis, rather than what way to many tourists look at. The small book store on a hidden away street, the small eatery that has better food. Or the flower garden along walk ways.
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