The following on accomodations in Tuscany was submitted by DK Eyewitness Travel. I use DK's Top 10 books all the time. They are small, easy to carry, fun to read and full of information. Read and Enjoy!

Italy is famous for its world renowned art, breathtaking landscapes and beautiful regions like Tuscany - so planning vacations in Italy should be child’s play. The people at DK Eyewitness Travel are helping you discover the wonderful region of Tuscany with accommodation hotspots taken from the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Tuscany Travel Guide.

Just steps from Piazza Grande and the cathedral, the family-run Duomo has rustic accents such as wooden dressers and cast-iron bedsteads alongside its otherwise comfortably modern decor.

In 1997 this 17th-century palazzo was opened as an exclusive hotel in the mining town of Pietrasanta, between Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio. It’s an opulent choice, with baths sheathed in marble.

In the centre of quaint Sovana, eight modestly-sized rooms mix the contemporary and the antique – engraved headboards, wooden dressers and exposed walls vie with modern baths and glass table tops.

This place incorporates the best of both worlds: a gorgeous beach-side villa, plus access via an under-the-road tunnel to the modern hotel Augustus, with its pool, restaurant and live music band.

Bellavista is everything an island retreat should be. The terraces of most rooms enjoy expansive views over the owner’s vines and olives to the wooded headland of Sant’Andrea. You can walk these paths to the resort’s beach or to a secluded cove. Rooms are simply furnished, tile-floored and comfortable.

This is a tiny, much-requested hotel in owners Mauro and Nadia’s own home. There’s a friendly, homely atmosphere - Mauro may even entertain you with his accordion. Perched atop St Catharine’s convent, the whitewashed rooms are quiet, and two have views of the Duomo.

Picture this......you are sitting at an outdoor cafe on a warm, sunny day in Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. Hikers are coming in off the trails, local fishermen are pulling in their boats, people are chatting away on their telefoninos, in other words it is the perfect day. So what should you have to drink? It needs to be cool and refreshing and tasty. I think you should have a glass of Prosecco.

Nothing goes better with a warm summer day than a chilled glass of sparkling wine and in Italy that means Prosecco. Prosecco is the perfect drink to counter the summer heat with its refreshing bubbles and chilly temperatures. Not only is Prosecco refreshing and tasty but it is also reasonably priced.

Prosecco has been around since the 1100’s though chances are it was in a very different form than what we see today. It was most likely faintly effervescent rather than the bubbly drink we have today.

Prosecco is the name of the grape used to make the sparkling wine bearing its name. The high acidity in sparkling wines makes them perfect to have with summer foods: salads, seafood and chilled soups.

Prosecco is protected as a DOC within Italy. DOC is a designation, Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which strictly defines requirements, including the grapes that can be used, for individual wines.

I buy every Inspector Silvio Montalbano mystery as soon as they come out in the US even if it takes me awhile to review them. The Wings of the Sphinx is the 11th mystery by Andrea Camilleri featuring the Sicilian Inspector. In The Wings of the Sphinx, Montalbano must solve a rather grisly murder while still having relationship issues with his longtime, long distance love, Livia.

At 56 years old Montalbano is feeling his age. Much in this novel is familiar to readers of Camilleri’s past books: Montalbano is still savoring meals at Enzo’s as well as those fixed by his housekeeper, his conversations with desk sergeant Catarella are as confusing as ever and of course Montalbano still lives in the fictional town of Vigata where he is still enjoying long walks on the jetty. Camilleri continues to take undisguised swipes at Silvio Berlusconi. Though I would be inclined to miss many of the subtleties the author thoughtfully includes notes at the back of the book to help his non-Italian readers.

The mystery in The Wings of the Sphinx revolves around the discovery of the body of a young woman who has been shot in the face and left naked in the city dump. Montalbano leaves the scene of the crime as quickly as he gets there unable to deal with the death of yet another young victim. The book tackles the media’s obsession with subjecting us daily to stories of death and violence.