See You in the Piazza

Two people check into identical hotels. One pulls out a city guide, marking a meticulous route of must-see monuments and five-star restaurants, a checklist to conquer. The other tosses their bag on the bed, opens the window, and listens. They follow the scent of baking bread, the sound of a distant church bell, the murmur of a local dialect drifting from a nearby cafe. The first person returns with a camera full of famous sights and a sense of accomplishment. The second returns with flour on their coat, a story about an old man's prized tomatoes, and the lingering taste of a shared glass of wine. They've both visited the same place, but only one has truly arrived.

This is the spirit that animates every page of “See You in the Piazza.” Frances Mayes, already beloved by millions for her memoir “Under the Tuscan Sun,” found herself wanting to dive deeper, beyond the well-trodden paths of her own adopted region. She and her husband, Ed, embarked on a journey as wanderers. Over the course of a year, they set out to explore the Italy that exists between the famous postcards—the hidden piazzas, the family-run trattorias, the towns where life unfolds at its own unhurried pace. This book is the result of that quest: an invitation to skip the checklist and instead discover the joy of getting wonderfully, deliciously lost.

Module 1: The Art of Immersive Travel

What if the most rewarding way to travel is about seeing more deeply? Frances Mayes suggests that the greatest travel experiences come from simple, unstructured moments. It’s about presence. The core idea is to let a place unfold naturally, without the pressure of a rigid agenda.

This approach begins with a mindset shift. Embrace travel as a journey into your own ignorance. Mayes argues that arriving in a new place is a chance to confront what you don't know. This is an opportunity. It opens you up to genuine discovery. For example, she describes a simple plate of arugula in Sorrento. Dressed only with lemon and fresh olive oil, surrounded by the scent of citrus blossoms, it became a lifelong ideal for how food should taste. It was a sensory epiphany born from being present.

So, how do you cultivate this presence? Find joy in the simple, unstructured pleasures. One of Mayes's recurring practices is to simply sit in a sun-drenched piazza. She’ll have a notebook, order a second cappuccino, and just watch. She observes the shadow of a sundial moving across an apricot-colored Renaissance facade. She listens to the hum of local life. These moments of leisurely absorption, free from any agenda, are where the real memories are made. Think of it as an investment in sensory data. You're absorbing a place's atmosphere.

From this foundation, you can start to engage more deeply. Ask locals for their special occasion spots. Instead of asking "Where's a good place to eat?", Mayes reframes the question. She asks bartenders, shopkeepers, or people at the market, "Where do you eat for a special occasion?" This simple change yields incredible results. It bypasses the usual tourist recommendations and points you toward restaurants with real atmosphere and local heart. It’s a direct line to authentic experiences.

Finally, this immersive approach means being receptive to the unexpected. Accept that a place offers gifts if you are open to them. Mayes shares a memory of watching ancient light through Greek columns at Selinunte graze her grandson's face. It was a fleeting, unplanned moment. But it created a powerful sense of historical continuity and personal meaning. These gifts can't be scheduled. They only reveal themselves when you slow down enough to notice.

Module 2: The Infinite Diversity of Italy

It's easy to think of "Italy" as a single entity. But Mayes dismantles this idea completely. She reveals a country of endless, fascinating regional variety. Every valley, every town, offers a unique culture. The key insight here is that you can never fully "know" Italy. And that is precisely its magic.

The journey starts by understanding that regional micro-differences create entirely new worlds just kilometers apart. Mayes gives a perfect example from her home in Umbria. The town of Bevagna has pale gold stone streets. Just a few kilometers away, Montefalco has gray stone streets. They have different pasta recipes. They have different dialects. They have different local art styles. It’s a powerful reminder that in Italy, geography is destiny on a micro-scale. You just need to cross the valley to find a new experience.

And here's the thing. This diversity is most passionately expressed through food. Food and markets are the vital heart of Italian regional identity. Mayes shows that Italian life is a constant, passionate conversation about food. She describes a weekly market where vendors hawk their wares with high, croaking voices that sound like they're straight out of the Middle Ages. They sell violet artichokes, local truffles, and ancient apple varieties you've never heard of. This is a living connection to history. The passion is ingrained from birth. Mayes even witnesses a two-year-old banging his spoon on the table, demanding "More snails!"

This leads to a powerful practical takeaway. Leverage specific resources to discover Italy's hidden gems. You don't have to stumble upon these places by accident. Mayes introduces a fantastic tool called the Bandiere Arancioni, or Orange Flags. It's a program run by the Touring Club Italiano that identifies and certifies small towns of exceptional beauty and cultural significance. These are often places off the main tourist track, like Neive in Piedmont or Alberobello in Puglia. Using this list provides a curated path to authentic, less-crowded destinations. It’s a way to intentionally seek out the diversity that makes Italy so compelling.

But even with the best resources, you have to stay sharp. Verify the details before you book accommodations. Mayes offers a crucial piece of practical advice for anyone renting apartments or villas. Photos can be deceiving. A beautiful living room might hide a tiny, unusable shower. A charming balcony might overlook a noisy highway. She advises looking for what's omitted from the photos and using tools like Google Earth to check the property's actual location. This diligence helps avoid the common pitfalls of online rentals and ensures your base of operations supports, rather than detracts from, your exploration.