Bestselling author Frances Mayes comes in from the Tuscan sun to tell us about her favorite uncrowded corners of Italy, away from the crush of the country's top tourist destinations. And a certified beer judge explains what makes lager the world's most popular style of the ubiquitous beverage.

• Frances Mayes, author of "See You in the Piazza" (Crown)
• Dave Carpenter, author of "Lager" (Voyageur Press)

• Frances Mayes wrote "See You in the Piazza" in 2019. She first started writing about Italy when she penned her best-selling story of buying an abandoned villa in Tuscany in "Under the Tuscan Sun."
• Frances has recently written a cookbook with quick recipes for preparing seasonal Italian comfort food, "Pasta Veloce."
• The website agriturismo.it lists farmstay lodgings for each region of Italy.
• The "albergo diffuso" concept for hotel rooms in historic town centers in Italy started in the 1980s.
• Frances Mayes spoke with Rick about how she makes herself at home in both Tuscany and North Carolina, on Travel with Rick Steves program #697a.
• Dave Carpenter wrote "Lager" as a "definitive guide to tasting and brewing the world's most popular styles of beer."
• Dave also posts instructional articles on the Craft Beer and Brewing website.