Joseph McGrath, graduate of the UPenn Master in Liberal Arts program
with a focus on creative writing, former CEO at Unisys and Senior
Executive at Xerox, and local Philadelphia resident will be giving a
public reading from his new memoir, Innocents Abroad...How Two Baby
Boomers Experienced a Cultural Immersion, the History of Western Art
and Excellent Food on Their Way to an Extraordinary Year in Europe, to
be followed by a Q&A and book signing. All members of the public are
invited to attend. Join in a celebration of the book’s publication
with an assortment of complimentary cheese and charcuterie from the
expert caterers of DiBruno Bros. There will be a freely available and
ample supply of fine European wines on hand—a diverse array of
varietals, red and white, selected from Italian, French, and Spanish
vineyards. Joe McGrath and his wife Lisa, recent retirees, took their
own year abroad in Europe, staying at Airbnb's in the glorious
historically saturated cities of Rome, Florence, Paris, and Barcelona,
with a few marvelous pitstops along the way. They settled into these
cities and became de facto citizens, not tourists, immersing
themselves in local culture and making friends everywhere. The book
explains how they financed their trip through implementing a carefully
planned budget. Read this book to not only imagine what it would be
like to practically spend a year in Europe as an adult, but to learn
how to deal with the realities of doing so with anecdotal wit –
dealing with family emergencies and the occasionally
less-than-advertised freezing Airbnb. You'll get to learn of the joys
of specifically recommended wine bars of Roma, the three-star Michelin
restaurants of Paris, and the tapas bars of Barcelona. Before and
after meals, they have the chance to explore the cities and their
array of artworks, from the most ancient architecture of Rome to the
organic and surreal shapes of Gaudi's architecture. For the reader,
the book is both a tour unto itself and a guide -- from the difficulty
of obtaining long-term travel visas, the most multiply useful
necessities one should only pack so as not to be exhaustively trudging
through train stations and up streets with heavy mounds of luggage,
when and where it is worth hiring a guide. “Reading Innocents Abroad
is like taking a vicarious journey across Europe with close friends.
Joseph McGrath paints a vivid picture of the history, sites, and
tastes of its most famous cities with informed stops at some of
Europe’s finest museums, cathedrals, and squares. So enticing are
his tales that you’ll want to pack your bags and go before you put
it down.” —William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult
Education, Barnes Foundation “As a child growing up in
Europe/France, the book brings back wonderful memories of the small
stores, patisseries, and local markets. Diving into this book will fly
you first-class to experience the life abroad without leaving home.”
—Pierre Camels, Bibou Restaurant Owner and Head Chef “Innocents
Abroad is at once a travel guide, a reminiscence and memoir, and a
restaurant guide and art history lesson. Guide, gourmand, bibliophile,
cartographer, and art critic, McGrath leaves us a trail to follow
should we ever spend a year, or even a week, in Europe. —Frank
Plantan Jr.,PhD, Co-Director of the International Relations Program,
University of Pennsylvania Wine and Food are complimentary. Author
Bio, Praise, Excerpt, Images
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14/02/2020 Last update