ldquo;Palladian Days is nothing short of wonderfulndash;part adventure; mystery; history; diary; and even cookbook. The Gablesrsquo; lively account captures the excitement of their acquisition and restoration of one of the greatest houses in Italy. Beguiled by Palladio and the town of Piombino Dese; they trace the history of the Villa Cornaro and their absorption of Italian life. Bravo!rdquo; ndash;Susan R. Stein; Gilder Curator and Vice President of Museum Programs; MonticelloIn 1552; in the countryside outside Venice; the great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio built Villa Cornaro. In 1989; Sally and Carl Gable became its bemused new owners. Called by Town Country one of the ten most influential buildings in the world; the villa is the centerpiece of the Gablesrsquo; enchanting journey into the life of a place that transformed their own. From the villarsquo;s history and its architectural pleasures; to the lives of its former inhabitants; to the charms of the little town that surrounds it; this loving account brings generosity; humor; and a sense of discovery to the story of small-town Italy and its larger national history.From the Trade Paperback edition.
#958608 in eBooks 2008-06-05 2008-06-05File Name: B001PDGFKA
Review
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Cry me a riverBy Robert LeIf you are overly dramatic and know a thing or two about tango; sure this might be the book for you.For those who are immersed in social argentine tango and could do without the drama; then save yourself from this train wreck. I have no tears for this lady and only picked up this book because a group of tango friends thought it would be a good idea to have a book club night.After reading this book; I felt like an emotional tampon. The author makes a grevious mistake by cheating on her boyfriend; rejects his marriage proposal then gets bent out of shape when a mutual friend goes for him leaving her out of the loop. She sulks in her own issues and finds herself in argentina where she goes through a journey of self discovery. Now I would be happy with a story about self-discovery; but its the way the character/author acted in her self-discovery that makes me think that she didnt discover anything but an over-inflated ego. She talks about how she didnt really need the taxi dancer she hired and calls herself a tango goddess. Before I end up flipping a desk Ill just say this. If the author is reading this; Im sure you meant well and Im sure you poured your heart into this; but I dont find this story inspiring or sincere at all. Maybe Im a cave man and missed the point; but it feels like I was reading about a bunch of baggage that someone wrote in their journal. I dont feel this story is sincere at all and if anybody; man or woman; claims themself to be some tango diety; After reading this book I felt emotionally drained and used. If I wanted to feel that way; I can just stop by any night club in hollywood and listen to every wannabe actors sob story.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Engagingly honestBy GloThis is one womans search to understand her actions and grow from them by traveling to Buenes Aires and immersing herself in tango. It begins as her way to soothe the wounds of the end of a 15-year relationship. She is a tango dancer but in Buenes Aires she makes it the daily center of her life. I liked the rhythm of her narrative and her descriptions through her vivid sense of smell; taste; touch; sight; sound. Music and movement. She talks about food and friendships along the way. Beyond her painful discovery of aspects of herself; she shares her joy of tango; descriptions of the landscape; the family she came from. I thoroughly enjoyed her journey and the courage with which she lives and shares her life.If you like to experience yourself through the journeys of other people; then you will find this fast-paced narrative engaging.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Lovely dreamBy V. MarkowskiLike several other tango books; this one is charming; but just this side of bragging about how well one dances; and the conquests; how wonderful that so many men ask the person to dance at so many milongas; and how wonderful it is to live in Buenos Aires for several months. All after having taken three group lessons somewhere. A lovely story; a lovely dream with some real insights into the dance and the culture. Im sure it was all true for the author; but sets the bar really high for those of us who take lessons with our husbands; so no one else will ask us to dance. Sour grapes? Maybe...
