Each edition of this unique series marries a collection of previously published essays with detailed practical information, creating a colorful and deeply absorbing pastiche of opinions and advice. Each book is a valuable resource -- a compass of sorts -- pointing vacationers, business travelers, and readers in many directions. Going abroad with a Collected Traveler edition is like being accompanied by a group of savvy and observant friends who are intimately familiar with your destination. This edition on central Italy -- tuscany & umbria features: Distinguished writers, such as Muriel Spark, Gerald Asher, Erica Jong, Jason Epstein, Pope Brock, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, and David Downie, who share seductive pieces about the side roads of Tuscany, wines of Montepulciano, renting houses in Tuscany and Umbria, cooking schools, outdoor markets, and the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio. Annotated bibliographies for each section with recommendations for related readings. An A-Z "informazioni pratiche" (practical information) section covering everything from accommodations, hiking, and pazienza (patience) to the Italian yellow pages. Whether it's your first trip or your tenth, the Collected Traveler books are indispensable, and meant to be the first volumes you turn to when planning your journeys.