Inspired By Reading Today : IL BORRO A Land Of Living Traditions , Prego Salvatore e Ferruccio Ferragamo E Everyone Involved In This Impressive Piece Of Art!

I am always inspired by Italy and Tuscany, art and culture, food and wine, family and tradition. My son's trip this fall to Tuscany, to Florence has inspired me even more and so the other day I went on search of this book, a piece of real art and inspiration, beautifully written and presented and with wonderful pictures, too : a gift to me and my daughter on October 29th, 2009 from Salvatore himself. Prego Salvatore. I know the date because when Salvatore gave us the book I asked him to sign it and he did but as he did he said that this was the first time that he had signed the book : a real honor, prego. When we got the news from our son at NYU in the Big Apple the other day we were outside sitting on our deck honoring our tradition and looking out on our garden and bit of woods and the many fruits of our labors on our small piece of land that surrounds our home. It's a whole lot of work to maintain and that, along with the call from our son with his news was about simplifying the amount of time we had to spend on the garden as it was really almost a full-time job! I said to my wife suddenly : " Excuse me " as I went in search of this beautiful book published in 2001. I knew where it was and I wanted to show it agin to my wife to inspire her, too about the natural beauty of Tuscany. It was just the right thing to do and it would make the whole idea more real and exciting to the both of us as we sipped our wine outside and chatted , caught up on each other's day before sitting down to our dinner. So today, Sunday March 24th, 2013 I decided to look at this book once again for further inspiration about Italy and it's fine wines, about Florence, Tuscany and I had forgotten how well-written, researched, translated, what wonderful photographs and what pleasing layout the book offers. It's really s delight and I want to thank everyone involved in this process from Maria Cesira Roccatelli ( editing ), Zeffiro Ciuffoletti, Duccio Bacci, Margherita Innocenti ( texts ), Rova/Weber Design, Roberto Quagli ( photography ), Niccolo Orsi Battaglini ( other photographs ), Julia Hanna Weiss ( translation ), Artigrat Florence ( printed by ) and Fotolito Toscana, Florence ( photolitho by ). I must say that the one picture that made it all come alive for me and make mr relax and want to take more time and care to enjoy this book was the one of the field of the sunflowers on pages 74-75. Bravo Roberto for this wonderful image : I LOVE it, really I do! I also want to add that as I looked at this book and saw that it was published in 2009 that it looks as bright and fresh and as current as ever. Bravo for this : it has not aged at all : it's looking timeless here to me and that's a thrill to be able to share with you all. I think that everyone should spend some time and care with this book as it's insightful, relaxing, informative and a visual treat with text that is easy to read and understand and a layout that is also very pleasing and easy on the yes and other senses. I enjoyed reading what Ferruccio Ferragamo wrote as an introduction : " We wanted the pictures to tell the main story because, like music, they are, indeed, a universal language, and because the countryside around Il Borro is one of the most eloquent in all Tuscany ... ". I like that, I like that a lot. Being an artist myself I will write of this referring to these pictures and the text that accompanies them. My only critique of the book and something that I would add on the second printing ( I have already mentioned this to Salvatore in a previous email ) is to add a line or description under many of the pictures so as to make it easier for us less-familiar with Tuscany and the natural terrain, vegetation, plats, herbs, flora and animals there easier to identify. That's the only part I found difficult at times : identifying parts of the text with the pictures. This will be an on-going blog that I will " add " to as I have and can make the time. But for now I will enter it " as is " to give others a reason to search for it and to pick it up and look at it carefully, linger on the pages and the text, absorb some of the wonder that is Tuscany and Il Borro , " a land of living tradition ". Bravo to Ferruccio and Salvatore and all the Ferragamo family for keeping this tradition alive, working, organic, healthy and an integral part of Tuscan life and all those that count on it for their livelihood. Cheers, prego again, I do not think I can say prego enough! Anthony (TONY ) Quinn