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Product Description
When Fernando spots her in a Venice cafe and knows immediately that she is The One, Marlena de Blasi is caught off guard. A divorced American woman travelling through Italy, she thought she was satisfied with her life. Yet, within a few months, she quits her job as chef, sells her house, kisses her two grown-up children goodbye, and moves to Venice. Once there, she finds herself preparing to wed a virtual stranger in an ancient stone church. As she learns about Venetian culture, de Blasi treats us to an honest, often comic view of two middle-aged people building a life together. \this real-life memoir about romance (plus recipes) was serialised on Woman's Hour and starred Lorelei King.
Marlena de Blasi has been a chef, a journalist, a food and wine consultant, a restaurant critic, and she is author of two cookbooks on the regional foods of Italy. She lives in Umbria.
About the reader: Lorelei King is winner of Female Performer of the Year at the Spokene Word Awards. Her film appearances include Notting Hill, Martha Meet Frank, Daniel Laurence and the Saint, while among her television credits are Cold Feet, Chef! and Ted and Alice. Lorelei works extensively on radio, including the award-winning Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel and Superman.
6 Hrs 52 mins 6 Cassettes
BBC Audio books 2006
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First Sentence
The small room is filled with German tourists, a few English, and a table or two of locals. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
The small room is filled with German tourists, a few English, and a table or two of locals. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like others I initially bought this book because I love Venice. It had an added piquancy for me as a middle-aged woman who loves food, and who unexpectedly fell in love with a stranger.
There is a faint whiff of American cheesiness in it very occasionally, but in the main it is a voluptuous and almost poetic account of a new beginning, an odd romance and immersion in the most glorious city in the world. It made me wiggle my toes with pleasure and make myself slow down so I didn't read it too quickly. The account of their wedding is so glorious that I unashamedly sat on a London bus with tears in my eyes while I read it.
Can't recommend it highly enough, and not just to sentimental women.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Marlena de Blasi eats herself through Venezia while her love story unfolds! I bought this book because I love Venezia and I wanted to "see" a Venezia that a one-day-visitor does not get to "see". I wanted to read about love, a love story that in reality is like a real Hollywood film it turned out. As I turned the pages I of course was intrigued by how love can stumble on you at the most unexpected moments and in the most unexpected places. But I am a hopeless cook! I eat only to survive and I could not care less for all the crumbs of food she ate during her 1000 days in venezia. I have walked the streets that she has walked and did not notice a single fruit, vegetable or restaurant. My interest is in the canals, it's history, the houses, the little details like flowers, cobblestones, narrow alleys, house details and decorations. You will not really find any of that in Marlena's book.
She is a cook but did she have to fill out the pages with recipes? Could they not have been placed at the end so that we who want to just read the story, could have been spared the interruption. I have never seen anything like it and you have to read part of the recipes too since information about her story is there as well.
For the love story's sake I recommend this book. It is fascinating to see how a mature couple is trying to get to know each other without understanding each others languages, how they have to fight a corrupt system in Italy to be able to marry and battle the Catholic Church as well and how two people set in their ways, of which one has never been in a relationship at all, have to learn how to compromise.
She is a cook but did she have to fill out the pages with recipes? Could they not have been placed at the end so that we who want to just read the story, could have been spared the interruption. I have never seen anything like it and you have to read part of the recipes too since information about her story is there as well.
For the love story's sake I recommend this book. It is fascinating to see how a mature couple is trying to get to know each other without understanding each others languages, how they have to fight a corrupt system in Italy to be able to marry and battle the Catholic Church as well and how two people set in their ways, of which one has never been in a relationship at all, have to learn how to compromise.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An enchanting and delightful story of romance and recipes. In her biography, Marlena de Blasi tells how she leaves her job in Santa Lucia, America, sells her house and most of her possessions to go and live in Venice with Fernando, a Venetian she has only known a few weeks.
De Blasi is passionate about food, choosing and buying the perfect ingredients, cooking them and eating, preferably with friends, but often on her own or with Fernando in the many cafes and restaurants of Venice.
She seem to capture the essence of Venice in a story packed full of seductive descriptions of the people she meets and of her wanderings around the canals, piazzas and churches of Venice, while searching out the best ingredients in the markets, the perfect fabrics with which to decorate their apartment and a dressmaker with the vision to sew her the wedding dress she desires.
De Blasi captures the Venetian pace of life and the essence of mystical allure of Venice herself. The recipes along the way only add to the enchantment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Unexpected!
This book was recommended to me by a friend and as I love reading about Italy, I ordered it ASAP. It is much more than, or perhaps not even, a story about a place, but a story... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gardener
Very disappointing
Although this was a 'used' item, it was of a shoddy condition. Obviously water damaged in the past, it had watermarks throughout and was dog-eared. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gill Ranson
999 days too many!
1000 days.... oh if only it had been a weekend,then I might have survived the torture of this staccato script and hedonistic hash. Read more
Published 8 months ago by F. Wilshere
Very entertaining
I have read this book many times and have bought several copies for friends of mine to enjoy as well. Read more
Published 21 months ago by V. A. Elliott-smith
"If I could give Venice to you for a single hour, it would be this...
"Why *shouldn't* I go to live on the fringes of an Adriatic lagoon with a blueberry-eyed stranger and leave no trail of biscotti crumbs to find my way back? Read more
Published 22 months ago by Nicola F (Nic)
Escapism and food
I devoured this book on the plane while flying home from a holiday in Italy (not Venice) and loved every moment of it. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Lisa Main
Wonderful Escapism
Marlena enchanted me with her love story leaving me desperate for more at the end. Her writing is some of the most beautiful I have ever read. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Soozanna
Beautiful Italy
I bought this book after reading "1000 days in Tuscany" by the same author. Both books are entrancing - food and foreign parts. Beautifully written. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by Mrs. L. M. Groom
Sell us your love story Marlena!
I know its a true story but I didnt believe in the relationship at all. I was looking forward to a true life romance and was so disappointed with this. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2009 by Dr Phibes
A delicious foodie romance...
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! Read more
Published on 16 July 2008 by Aphrodite
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