Passeggiata: Strolling Through Italy     Publisher: BookSurge Publishing     Date of Publication: June 13, 2008 REVIEWS Charming and informative for anyone interested in Italy, Ms. Husak's account of travel with her husband during their empty nest years will appeal to those who love travel and Italy in particular. From their first shared trip to Italy in 1993, which marked the first of their empty nest years, their annual passeggiata reflects the shift in their lives through the next decade. On their spring pilgrimages to major tourist centers, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, they develop appreciation for Italy’s art, music and architecture. Wandering together along out of the way paths in tiny hill towns and seacoast villages, they explore breathtaking scenery. By traveling light and learning the vagaries of Italian life, they have become Italian in spirit. The book provides many practical hints on how to travel like the locals, reminding us that even novice travelers can learn valuable lessons from immersion in another way of life, and that one’s companion can be an essential part of the pleasure of a journey. Story Circle Book Review: This book is for you, whether you've been to Italy or not. If you have, the memories that it evokes will have you wishing you were back there. If you haven't made the trip yet, it will make you want to go. This is not the book you read to get all the logistical information you need; this is the book you read to inspire your soul and make you a better traveler—anywhere. In Italian passeggiata refers to a stroll—a walk for its own sake. The Husaks' stroll through Italy allows them to become familiar with a people and their country. They immerse themselves in the lifestyle in order to be as Italian as they can. Husak says: "As individuals we join in the flow of humanity through time, interested not in making our mark or changing others, but in being existentially present." In many ways, this book is a memoir of place and how that place can have a significant impact upon you—if you are willing to allow it to happen. http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org. Link to author interview: http://www.lumorgan.blogspot.com/2009/02/author-interview-gg-husak.html