A Whisper on the Mediterranean

A Whisper on the Mediterranean Travel around the magical Mediterranean with Tonia, Guido and their 14 month old baby, James. You will soon discover that this way of life is not as idyllic as Guido had promised, when he persuaded his wife to embark on this adventure. The myth of a gentle, forgiving Mediterranean Sea was destroyed by violent storms and the family suffered such varied experiences as high seas, stuck anchors, marauding mosquitoes and severe sunburn. However they also fell in love with this way of life, visiting secluded bays and places of sublime beauty, unreachable unless by boat and completely untarnished by tourism. This book is filled with humour and reality. It also contains some deliciously simple Italian recipes – If they can be made in a cramped galley while the waves rock the boat none-too-gently, imagine how easy they will be to cook in an unmoving, modern kitchen. Come aboard for a fun, feast of the senses – and who knows, perhaps it will inspire you to step on deck for your own watery adventures!

Author Biography

Tonia Parronchi was born in Chelmsford in 1963 and lived in England until moving to Italy in 1990. She got a degree in English Literature and History, worked in the airline and fashion businesses and then, when she met her Italian husband, Guido, while traveling in Greece, she moved to Rome. In 1994, their son, James, was born and to celebrate Guido decided to take early retirement (at 46), buy a boat and set sail. Tonia had never sailed before but the idea sounded idyllic so she agreed to his plan and they bought a 42ft Ketch, Whisper and set off for the whole summer, sailing around the Mediterranean. It was not quite as idyllic as she had imagined, trying to cope with a demanding 14-month-old baby, who insisted on seeing which of his toys would float during a gale and then howled loudly when Mum would not dive overboard and fish them out for him. They had every type of weather and adventure that summer, sudden storms that were scary in their intensity, sunshine that turned her a very fetching shade of lobster, anchors that slipped, anchors that got stuck and, maybe worst of all, marauding mosquitoes. On the plus side, the emotions and new experiences that she encountered encouraged her to start writing and as the summer wore on, she fell in love with the way of life at sea. She wrote a book about their sailing adventures called “A Whisper around the Mediterranean” and since then she has carried on writing, because it is simply what she enjoys doing most in life. When James was a year old, they moved to Tuscany, to a beautiful valley that is the setting for her novel “The Song of the Cypress”. This book explores the magic and beauty of her Tuscan valley. Living in Italy, not as an expat but as an integrated member of a small community, allows Tonia to write with authority and passion about Italy whilst retaining an essentially British