Italy Tutto And More Nice Things Italian

It's been a very nice day so far -- Italian-things-wise.

First, I woke to discover that my most recent post, about the Miss Stresa and Miss Italia contest, was chosen by Italytutto as one of the top ten posts of the week. This is such an honor, but especially so this time, when I saw the company with which I was included. So many of the blogs I read are represented. Take a look at them if you don't already... they are, in alphabetical order:

1. Artichoke Blog: Artichoke Feast in Torricchio, Tuscany
   How many towns can claim to have only one monk?
2. Baroque Sicily: Fine Fellows of Siracusa
   A look at real Sicilian men
3. Brigolante: Perfect Picnic Places in Umbria , San Leonardo (Assisi)
   And you can BBQ
4. Casa Margherita: Roundabout an Olive
   It’s the watering system that matters
5. Creative Structures: Under Pressure
   The problems with water in rural Italy
6. Eternally Cool: Souvenir Plates
   VW’s advertising campaign
7. Florence Journal: Florence in Shanghai
   The amazing ‘Uffizi Touch’ technology
8. Italian Notebook: Lavender Festival
   No need to go to Provence
9. Stresa Sights: Miss Stresa 2010
   Where the Miss Italia pageant started
10. Valle Nuova: Photo of the Day – Objects from the Past
    But what is it?

Second nice news, I received my copy of Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl About Love in today's mail. This book was sent to me from the author's publicist with the request to read and review it. Its Amazon description says, "A sweet, disarming story finds a young New York editor venturing to Italy to pursue romance with a sexy gardener and ending up falling for a neglected dog instead." They also say think Eat-Pray-Ruff. Many bloggers have been reviewing it recently and I'm looking forward to doing so as well... I will soon... Saving it for...