Mark Tedesco

Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy by Mark Tedesco
This book is about the Sothern heel portion of Italy where we find the author has landed..
Love not only the conversations but the architecture, calmness of life and the locations.
Especially the insight into how others got there, from where, why they like it so much, and so much more.
I feel they found the Blue Zone and would live a very long happy healthy life from their adventures and living in Puglia.
Conversations I felt I was present because the words are just so precise and to the point. Love different ages and how everybody is at ease with one another.
LOVE the trees and all the legends and Bible stories that resonate with the story lines. SO entertaining.
The author really captures your attention but also what Puglia and surrounding areas are all about.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.… (mehr)

The Words of My Father by Mark Tedesco
Love how the author paints a picture for my mind to see with words he uses.
Book starts out with a little boy Joseph is not tired enough to go to sleep. His father Giuseppe does nightly prayers with Joseph and asks what the words mean.
Starting with Our Father is the prayer Giuseppe dissects line by line over the course of nightly prayers before bed, explaining to Joseph in words and things that happen that he can understand.
Examples are amazing to learn about as I was brought up as a Catholic and went to Catholic school from K through 7th grade. During the 60's the nuns just wanted us to memorize the words, they never explained what they meant.
Love learning new things and even the mother has a chance to explain one part of the prayer as well. Love the team effort and questions Joseph asks.
Each phrase/sentence is covered in 3 to 6 pages. Thought Amen meant just 'the end' of the prayer. So glad to understand and follow along as new revelations are shown to me.
Love author's style of writing and how he can tell a story, paint a picture worth a thousand words, can't wait to read more from this author.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.… (mehr)

When I think of European travel, I often think of Italy. It is not surprising to me that Rome is a major tourist attraction. The Colosseum has been on my bucket list along with its many ancient monuments, fountains, and bridges.

Thinking of this, I am aware we've entered some of Rome's best travel months. My favorite season is Fall and I recall Rick Steves reporting that September, October, and early November are great months to visit Rome.

While I have thoughts of this amazing art city with unique scenery and the best pasta in the world, I wanted to make readers aware that Mark Tedesco travel blogger and retired History teacher, contacted me some time ago to tell me about his book, 'She Seduced Me: A Love Affair with Rome.'

To create this book, Mark interviewed street performers, Romans, ex-pats, historians, and archaeologists to provide unique stories on architecture, art, and heritage. He informed me that reading the book transports the reader into another world and reveals the city. Mark does this through funny, informative, and insightful stories. His blog also provides useful details on packing, culture, attitudes, and language. Mark speaks Italian but states there are many ex-pats in Italy whose primary language is not Italian. You can check out the book on this vlog.… (mehr)