Julia Roberts comes to "eat" in Italy

The American Holywood star is filming a new movie to show in 2011, entitled "Eat, Pray, Love" that describes the journey of a woman through Rome for pleasure, Mumbai for spirituality and Bali for "balancing".

The film is based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, entitles "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia".

After a bad divorce the main character of the book goes on a year long journey that begins in Rome were she spends 4 months learning the language and enjoying the cuisine, before going to India to meditate in an ashram and then Indonesia to reconnect with a healer in Bali.
A funny couple of excerpts from the book:---
"I wish Giovanni would kiss me.
Oh, but there are so many reasons this would be a terrible idea. To begin with, Giovanni is ten years younger that I am, and - like most Italian guys in his twenties - he still lives with his mother."

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"I instantly love Naples. Wild, raucous, noisy, dirty, balls-out Naples. An anthill inside a rabbit warren, with all the exoticism of a Middle-eastern bazaar and a touch of New Orleans voodoo. A tripped-out, dangerous and cheerful nuthouse [...] The Neapolitan women in particular are such a gang of tough-voiced. loud-mouthed, generous, nosy dames, all bossy and annoyed and right up in your face and just trying to friggin' help you for chrissake [...]"

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The film will be directed by Ryan Murphy and filming in Rome will take place later this year.

http://www.italymag.co.uk

UMBRIA, ITALY - HEALTH

My wife and I are both English and have been living in Umbria, Central Italy for almost 30 years. During that time various friends, clients and relatives have suffered from broken, shoulders, legs and ankles, have had heart attacks and nervous breakdowns, have torn their hands, cut their fingers and had things in their eyes, have suffered from perforated ulcers and internal haemorrhaging, but apart from that, have been pretty healthy! The local Italian, or Umbrian health service is outstanding.

So, our area of the Upper Tiber Valley is served by three excellent hospitals, Perugia, Umbertide and Citta’ di Castello. No-one, as far as I know has ever received a bill for more than €30 – 40 despite the cost of their treatment, ambulance transfers and after care. Excellent Umbrian Health care.

My visits to all these hospitals has found them to be clean, well equipped and caring. No-one waiting, or dying, in the casualty or emergency reception. No-one parked to live, or die, on trollys in corridors, no-one ever turned away because they hadn’t paid their medical insurance, and no-one being turned away uncured. unhelped or uncared for.

I can't rate the local health services more highly.

We run a country house, hotel, B&B, guest house called La Preghiera, rent a villa for holidays and vacations called Moscatelli, and build and restore ancient farmhouses, country houses or real estate and, depending on where our guests, friends and clients have come from, our local health service seems to be, like our home and properties, four star.

John Tunstill, Umbria, Italy.

Classic Films set in Umbria, Tuscany

But if you really want a "Room With a View"; for your vacation or holiday in Italy; from "My House in Umbria"; near Umbertide, Citta' di Castello and Montone, see La Preghiera; hotel, country house, inn, bed and breakfast; and which is only a few miles away from Bramasole in Cortona, which featured in "Under the Tuscan Sun", and is near where they filmed "Brother Sun and Sister Moon" in Asissi; and which is featured on the site Reelstreets where some 350 films are examined for their real movie locations; and which is only an hour's drive from the shooting location of "Life is Beautiful", as well as "Tea With Mussolini"..................you really ought to come and stay and enjoy the understated pleasures of life in the Umbrian countryside............and maybe view a few of the houses which are for sale in Umbria. Fly into Perugia, Bologna, Ancona, Forli, Pisa, Roma or Firenze.

Celebrate Evensong in Morra, Umbria

On the 29th of August there will be held a celebration vesper or evensongs to formalise an ecumenical meeting in Morra, in the Upper Tiber Valley of Umbria, between the Catholic Church represented by Bishop Cancian of the diocese of Citta' di Castello; Bishop Rowell, the Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe and Bishop Celoci of the Orthodox diocese of Italy and Malta.

This celebration is open to all men and women of goodwill and will be followed by a dinner.

Gian Carlo Vichi, 06 557 2754, 075 857 4140 is organising the event and will be accepting bookings for the celebration dinner, the cost of which is €22.00 per person.