“Pour yourself a glass of wine and be transported to Italy. This delicious memoir will inspire you to make your dreams a reality.”
Shelby Saville, author And They Had A Great Fall
“Pour yourself a glass of wine and be transported to Italy. This delicious memoir will inspire you to make your dreams a reality.”
Shelby Saville, award winning author
Newly retired from my career as a Worldwide Creative Director in advertising, on a small tour of Europe, I came upon the ancient Italian hill town of Monforte d'Alba, now a thriving village in the lesser traveled region of Piemonte. There, I encountered castles perched atop the hills, stone farmhouses with neat little gardens set amongst endless rows of vineyards, and a community of handsome, sensible, and uncommonly generous people. Enchanted by the sweeping vistas reaching out to the Alps, captivated by the region's unique cuisine, confounded by its extraordinary culture of kindness, I woke up, and looking out over the valleys, found myself longing to be there in my own home, drinking my coffee and watching the sunrise.
This is the story of how my husband and I leave our busy and familiar lives behind in San Francisco and begin taking apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home, a new life, in Italy. It is a story filled with discoveries, disappointments, pleasures, frustrations, and triumphs. And given the gastronomic excellence of the region, I would be remiss if I did not share a few recipes as well. In the end, it proves to be a journey that allows me to see the world, as well as myself, through a different window; a memoir filled with food, friendships, and scenes of Italy, of love and of the powerful joy that comes from building a dream.
Barbara Boyle
The Author: Barbara Boyle in her living room in Piemonte
You may have the universe
if I may have Italy.
~Giuseppe Verdi, composer
Let me lead you through the hills,
vineyards and kitchens of Northern Italy,
to a hill town where nothing is familiar, and everything seems enchanted. I'll share moments, joyous and challenging, punctuated with stories and recipes that reflect the gastronomic excellence of the region.
Barbara
Ever wonder what it's like to live in an ancient Italian hill town?
Without leaving your chair, get a taste of Piemonte, Italy, where the food is amazing, the wine is world class and the people, young and old, are beautiful, gracious and welcoming.