Eat, Pray Love

Well, here goes, I have decided to put my reading and sipping to some good use. I have decided to blog about books and my favorite beverage while reading, wine.
I live in South Florida and I average about 2 books or so a week. I read everything from paranormal romance to metaphysical self help stuff and an entire gamut of great literature in between.


Right now I am reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is a combination of travelogue, journal, and self help. Ms. Gilbert takes me from New York all the way to Indonesia with stops in Rome, Naples, and an ashram in India. She intersperses her wonderful descriptions of places I have only dreamed about with tales of love, breakups, family and friends. I didn't like Ms. GIlbert at first. Leaving her husband because she doesn't want to be married any more really bugged me. I have a hard time with leaving a marriage because "we've grown apart." How about trying to grow back together again? I have been married 25 years and there were definite times when I didn't want to be married anymore but I went to bed and in the morning I got up and tried again. (I am now stepping down from my soap box).



After the marriage or as the marriage is dissolving she falls in love with another man and another dysfunctional realtionship. I want to say at this time I think Gilbert is really brave. She puts herself all out there, warts and all and says "It's not so bad." She leaves the ex-husband, the boyfriend and heads out by herself to the great wide open world.

I loved her time in Italy. I felt like I became friends with her. She made even the most simple meal of cheese and olives a gourmet treat. I wanted to stand next to her and giggle over the frolicking nymph fountains. I can't wait to get enough money together to explore her cities, eat pizza at Pizzeria de Michele and visit Venice bfore it sinks. Shiraz was my wine of choice as I traveled Italia with Elizabeth, spicy, rich and aromatic just like the country of Ceasear.



Her stay in the Ashram in India was, for me, nothing short of profound. I felt her frustration with her meditation practices and loved the outspoken Richard from Texas. He is a true Southern Sage. I especially loved what he had to say about soulmates. He said, "Soulmates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave." That is worth thinking over. This morning as I drove down Ocean Ave. toward work I wound down car windows, breathed in deeply of the ocean air and chanted : Ohm Namah Shivayah. It was soothing but no great insights yet. I have to say I didn't feel wine was appropriate with all the yoga and vegetable eating going on in this section of the book. Grapefruit juice with its sweetness and hint of bitter was the beverage of enlightenment.



After reaching several serious moments of Bliss, Liz heads to Indonesia, Bali to be specific. She has healed a lot of wounds since leaving the Ashram. Amidst the rice terraces and monkeys she hooks up with a medicine man she met 2 years previous and embarks on a love affair with a sexy, older Brazilian. Hmmmm... I am thinking maybe something light like a Chardonnay with green, tarty, flirty flavors.



It would be easy to say this book is about one woman's journey around the world. Love and spirituality were the spices of the story. The truth of the matter is this book is about one woman's journey to love and spirituality and the world just added some flavor. Namaste:)Mame