Book Review: Europe For The Senses

World traveler, Vicki Landes, portrays Europe in theonly claim to fame is an engineering failure; imagine the
most delightful way one can imagine. She captures,perplexing mixture of pride and embarrassment for its
through her precise eye, sights of delight, wonderment,creator, knowing the world remembers you for this
and beauty in her enchanting coffee table book.crooked tower too unstable to ring its own bells."
Enchanting it is as Landes takes the reader throughLandes adds a wonderful section on Austria. To me,
various areas of Europe, evoking not only sight throughAustria is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever
pictures, but through the other senses. Although onebeen to. The photos of garden urns and fountains are
would think that her photos would only inducemagical. I love the statues in the gardens and have
appreciation through site, Landes' photos are sotried to recreate the same atmosphere in our own
defined that they look real. I found myself touching thecourtyard. She also adds photos of the various
pictures, expecting to feel the bright green ferns. Ifrescoes in the St. Charles Cathedral.
imagined the smell of the water blooms, and almostSecondly, I love the Netherlands, and of course Landes
heard the pipe organ in the Fraumunster Church.added a wonderful section. She explains "Rows of
The other thing I found delightful was to seecolorful tulips as far as the eye can see...it's tulip time in
photographs of places I've been to: Linderhof Fountain,the Netherlands. As each flower greedily reaches for
Temple of Venus, city view from a castle inthe sun, countless visitors at the Keukenhof Gardens
Heidelberg, Cologne Cathedral, and of course thesnap pictures and purchase bulbs and seedlings." It is
Leaning Tower of Pisa. Going through Landes bookobvious that Landes was one of those snapping
was like revisiting Europe.pictures. The rainbow of colors that are portrayed in
"Europe for the Senses" is more than a picture book.the photos of "Europe for the Senses" is spectacular
Landes also explains some of the architecture as well.and the hyacinths are so true to form that I feel like
An example is, "Pisa a collection of clay-colored roofsputting my nose into the picture. In fact, I'm sure I can
being interrupted by a pallid square of marbleeven smell the flowers!
structures. Contain a smirk when you ponder Pisa's