 About AN ITALIAN AFFAIR
When Laura Fraser's husband leaves her for his high school sweetheart, she takes off, on impulse, for the Italian island of Ischia, to nurse her shattered ego. There she meets M., an aesthetics professor from Paris with an oversized love of life. What they both assume will be a casual vacation tryst turns into a passionate, transatlantic love affair, as they rendezvous in Marrakech, Lago Maggiore, Stromboli, London, and San Francisco--each encounter a delirious immersion into place (sumptuous food and wine, dazzling scenery, lush gardens, and vibrant streetscapes) and into each other. And each experience also becomes for Laura another step toward a fully recovered sense of her emotional and sexual self. Both travelogue and memoir, An Italian Affair is wonderfully made of rich, sensual detail, with the irresistible honesty of a story told from and about the heart.
"Luscious. . .Fraser is such a charmer, so smart, honest, observant, incisive and funny, that within a few pages the reader is entirely hers." --Washington Post "Sweet, smart. We are smitten from the start. . .How Fraser makes such familiar material fresh and alluring is the heart and soul of this likeable, assured memoir." -- O Magazine
"[This] sexy memoir gives new meaning to the word wanderlust." -- Glamour
"Fraser's narrative is both a grand travelouge and a thoughtful look at reclaiming independence."--Conde Nast Traveller
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Travel Packing Tips
Some people spend weeks packing for a trip--laying out outfits,
buying new shoes, and doing trial runs stuffing the suitcase. I
usually pack an hour before I leave for the airport. After enough
trips--and mistakes--I've developed a system.
- Make a list. I used to arrive somewhere and realize I hadn't packed any underwear. Now I check off a xeroxed packing list, which I change according to the destination and climate.
- Pack light. I once packed for a month in Egypt, Ireland, and Europe in a carry-on bag. If you have to make a crucial connection, you don't want to be stuck waiting for your bags. My rolling suitcase turns into a backpack, for stairs or cobblestones.
- Bring clothes to leave behind. If you're traveling in an underdeveloped country, pack your pilled-up sweaters and shirts, then leave them as you go along for someone who can use them--creating more space in your bag for souvenirs.
- Bring a hand-washable black knit skirt or dress that can go anywhere. Then pack layers: hand-washable tops, a sweater, a light jacket, a wool or down vest for cold. If you debate about whether you need something, don't bring it.
- Dress to respect the locals. In the Middle East, always cover your legs, neck, and arms, and bring a scarf to wear over your hair. Never wear shorts in Paris.
- Wear scarves. Give your travel clothes dash with colorful scarves and shawls. I often bring a red pashmina shawl, to be cozy on the plane, and dress up a plain black dress. In warmer climates, the right light cotton beach sarong can double as an evening shawl.
- Bring comfortable shoes. I wear nice-looking walking shoes that go with skirts (they exist), and pack lightweight sneakers, and a pair of ballet flats or sandals going out. If you're going to Italy, leave out one pair of shoes and buy them there.
- Keep your toiletries bag ready to go. Why spend the night before a trip filling little shampoo bottles? Always replenish your toiletries when you return, and include first aid supplies, liquid soap for washing clothes, sunscreen--and a small bottle of perfume.
- Bring a nice-looking, squashable hat for the sun.
- Pack an expandable extra bag if you want to bring home souvenirs. I often buy small souvenirs--saffron, scarves, and jewelry--instead.
- Leave your expensive jewelry at home.
- Always pack pocket tissues and moist towelettes for dicey hygiene situations.
- Remember, if you leave something behind (except your passport), you can almost always buy it where you're going. That's what the locals do.
- Always bring some nice lingerie. Just in case.
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About AN ITALIAN AFFAIR
An Interview with Laura Fraser
An excerpt: Chapter 3 of AN ITALIAN AFFAIR
"Sant' Angelo"
Photographs from the time and locations portrayed in the book
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ESSAYS BY LAURA FRASER
On Writing A Book About One's Own Personal Life
Why I Stopped Being a Vegetarian
Why It's Rude to Diet in Public
The Question of Marriage
Tips to Fit in With the Locals
Travel Packing Tips
RECIPES
Southern Italian Pasta Sauce
Other Recipes
ITALIAN PHRASES
Handy Italian Phrases for Lovers
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Laura Fraser has written for Salon.com, Vogue, Glamour, Mother Jones, Self, The San Francisco Examiner, Gourmet, and Health, among other publications. She has taught magazine writing at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco.
An excerpt: Chapter 3 of AN ITALIAN AFFAIR "Sant' Angelo"
Photographs from the time and locations portrayed in the book
ESSAYS BY LAURA FRASER
On Writing A Book About One's Own Personal Life
Why I Stopped Being a Vegetarian
Why It's Rude to Diet in Public
The Question of Marriage
Tips to Fit in With the Locals
Travel Packing Tips
RECIPES
Southern Italian Pasta Sauce
Other Recipes
ITALIAN PHRASES
Handy Italian Phrases for Lovers
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