Meine italienische Reise

Bella Italia in a whole new way - told through a special kind of road trip. This book is about realizing a long-held dream: reporter Marco Maurer drives from Sicily, the southernmost tip of Italy, to Germany in a vintage Fiat Cinquecento – with four tiny tires, a steering wheel, and not even 20 horsepower. Thousands of kilometers, leaving seas on the left and right, crossing mountains, a journey against the fast pace of our time.

On his journey along country roads, through villages and towns, the author repeatedly stops to meet olive and saffron farmers, nuns and pasta makers, café owners and pizza bakers, chefs and mechanics, grandfathers and mothers, listening to their stories and sharing meals with them. His travels also take him back in time to the long-lost village of his grandmother – bringing him closer to Italy and leading to a surprising discovery in the end.

Accompanied by photographer and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Etter, the journey unveils a fascinating panorama of authentic Italy that is usually closed off to tourists. And because it’s simply part of Italy, the book is complemented by recipes that the author-photographer duo collected in the kitchens of their Italian hosts.

"In the end, everything comes together in a cheerful, light, entirely true story. Quite bello and almost impossibile." - Bov Bjerg.