Can two guys enjoy a trip to Italy with their wives and still like each other at the end? That's not a rhetorical question; we'd really like to know because we couldn't pull it off. When one of your traveling companions is Dean "Dino" D'Adamo, and the rest are human beings, you get one part vacation and one part failed sociology experiment. 'The Italian Journals; Where to Go, What to Eat and Who to Leave at Home', is a unique and hilarious take on the classic vacation to Rome, Florence, and Venice. You'll actually read two separate accounts of the same trip, and at times ask yourself if it actually was the same trip. We ask ourselves the same question, and we were there. Sure, you'll get some excellent tips on things to do and see in Italy, but let's face it, you can get that anywhere. What we've added is all of the eye-rolling, head shaking, muffled-grunting frustration and aggravation that make a vacation truly memorable.

The REVIEWS

Sons of Italy says: The back and forth view points make this a true page turner. A must read for any couple actually considering going on a trip with friends. Informative and very funny.

Bucks County Courrier says: "Italian Journals" brings humor to travel guide genre. Greco and D'Adamo have turned Greco's notes into a hilarious travel guide. Basically, "The Italian Journals" is your anti-Rick Steeves or Fodor's.

READER REVIEWS: 

Great Read! Really fun and easy book to read, these guys are great together. This book is a perfect way to learn about what to see in Italy without being bored by travel guides.   Fredo

Funny Travel Book  I thought this was one of the funniest travels books I ever read...can't wait to see where the pair goes to next!!!    Dottie C

This is a hysterical story of two couples and their trip to Italy as seen from dueling perspectives of the husbands. It is a short and enjoyable read perfect for a flight or two. I hope they next vacation in Washington DC during the upcoming Presidential Campaign. I would love to hear that banter.    James H

Funny book! I read it throughout four different trips on airplanes. Was able to pick up exactly where I left off. Would recommend for a summer read, when traveling, beach side/pool side...all those fun things to do in the summer and pick up a good book. You don't need to be traveling to Italy (now or in the future) to enjoy this book. Just sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolds. You will laught out loud at times!    Laura K

A True Winner I felt like I was there with the D'Adamos and Grecos, laughing, eating, walking, getting lost and busting cajones. Perfect combination of humor and insight into the realities of international travel. I'll be stealing some memorable lines for my own use. Highly recommended just for fun or if plannng a trip. Buy it today so they have the money to take another trip!   Bruce W

Loved it! Felt like I was along for the ride. I have to agree with the other reviews. I found myself laughing out loud throughout. It was hilarious to read the different accounts that they each provide of the same events each day. I had a hard time putting it down and was sad when the trip ended. Also, great information too if you find yourself traveling to Italy.     Mary A

Laugh out loud funny, but informal too!  Took me only two days to read, but learned alot. And more importantly laughed and laughed and laughed. The two writers, Dino and Peter, are a hysterical pair. Your not sure if they love each other or hate each other. But they sure do make for interesting writing partners. A definite required reading before any trip with friends or any trip to Italy.   Nancy C

Should you be left at home?  I'm hopeful we haven't heard the last from these guys. They should tour all countries and write about their experiences. Read and ask yourself, are you one of the people that should be left at home? How do you get invited to one of these trips? I felt like I knew these guys for years and reminds of vacations I had with close friends, all the while learning much about Italy. I plan on going next year and will bring this handy guide book :-)   Dominic S

This book will make you laugh I just returned from my own trip to Italy. I read this book right before I left and I thought about it often. My friends are easier to travel with and we're all movie workers so we do everything on time-no Carolyn's-but we are just as obsessed with food. This book admits that FOOD MATTERS just as much as museums, and I totally get returning to the restaurants you love instead of experimenting: What if you're wrong? The other message:choose your traveling companions carefully,or else get ready to write a book about it.     Anarchists

What a Great Read !  Hilariously funny - wish more travel guides were this entertaining! The dual views of the authors provide priceless comic relief as well as objective views for determining which sites to plan on seeing (or not)! Most importantly - they include valuable details about where to get the best meals along the way!  Can't wait to hear about your next vacation.    A K

Funny, Feisty and Fast Moving This book really reminded me of The Odd Couple, and if you're someone who enjoyed watching Felix and Oscar too then you'll love Peter and Dino! I thoroughly enjoyed reading their completely opposite accounts from the same trip. They have completely opposite senses of humor and I'm not sure which one I like better. It was laugh out loud funny. The back and forth banter kept you wanting more, and I was really disappointed when it ended. I only hope this is not the last I hear from them.  Denise

Absolutely Delightful ! This is a very well written and witty book. Not only was I laughing out loud, but I'd find myself saying "wait, what??" and have to turn back a few pages to revisit a joke that just sunk in. I hope the authors go to France next! 

Please Go Away Soon!  I read this book on my many flights. Embarrassed myself laughing aloud. This humorous account delivers non-stop laughs as they bring you with them on their trip through Italy. Although potentially unintentional, they even excel at character development, as you'll start thinking of them as your friends by the time you travel with them to Venice. Can't say which city, excursion, or dinner I liked best. I found it like a mini-series that you wish would not end. Peter, Dino, Cathy, and "Where's Carolyn" ...please go away again soon!     Diane S

A Great Read !  These folks have brought it all together! The humor really puts it into perspective and it's a great look at what vacationing is all about. It was a true page turner that keep me reading. Highly recomment!     Push

 Off the hook!!! The Italian Journals have captured it!!! Humor, irreverence a true satirical look at vacationing and life through the eyes of two couples. Set in the backdrop of the Italian landscape, the kidnapping of your imagination your fate is quickly sealed. Each page spills with comedic genius as the Greco's nor the D'Adamo's are guaranteed parole, early release or absolution. My advice, get the book, a glass of vino, a box of kleenex and laugh. Remember none of you are immune, each and every family has a Dino!!! Great book...      Rocco

A highly enjoyable read! OK. Definitely not your Frommers approach to a tour book, but an indispensable read nonetheless. For anyone considering the trip to the Old Country or to any destination with friends, put it on your list just to add some humorous balance to the otherwise dry research you'll numb your brain with in preparation. And even if you're not considering such a trip, it's a great, funny story about two guys who have this befuddling yet endearing relationship yet decide to spend a vacation together despite all reason. The two authors trade their daily stories leaving the reader to sort out some shred of truth between the two. And the writing is very casual, almost spoken as if one of them has pulled you aside at a party to say, "Don't listen to that wing nut. Let me tell you how it really happened." Great storytelling. Highly entertaining.       Jeff

I loved this book. It was very funny and informative. I felt like I was on the vacation too! I was sorry to see the vacation come to an end.
The authors humor is right to the point and they like to tell it like it is.
You definitely get a feel for where to go, and what to eat.
Great story!       Diane

Yes, actually quite funny! I'm still making my way through this book (it currently holds the place of honor in my bathroom reading basket!), and am enjoying every chapter. It's pretty hilarious reading, but still manages to make going to Italy sound like a lot of fun--just don't invite either of these two guys if you go! Highly recommended, you'll enjoy it.    Alan M

Hilarious! Even if I think a book is funny I never laugh out loud when reading, but I did with this one! The destination is irrelevant. It's the different views of the same events by this odd-couple-couple that make it so you can't turn the pages fast enough. I'd love to see how Dino deals with Parisians. Someone should turn it into a screenplay or a TV pilot.    Mark A

Highly Recommended We are planning a trip to Europe this summer and this book is a MUST READ before anyone planning on traveling to Italy. It provides both very useful and very entertaining read on the encounters of two american couples on vacation. I finished the book over two nights.. I couldn't put it down. Highly Recommended.. You will enjoy it.  John M

Very Entertaining read! From the very first paragraph of the first page this book will have you laughing and unable to put it down. Fantastic read!   X C