Customer Reviews

Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide (Insiders' Guides)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Look, the fact is that the majority of Americans, when they think about Tuscany, see it as a prestigious place filled with great food, views, and shopping - and a place which they can use to impress friends and relatives with stories of being in Tuscany. Now, I will freely admit: Tuscany does have great food and views. And shopping if you're into that. But when Dario says "Too much Tuscan Sun", he's saying "too much hype, let me show you the real Tuscany."

I travel to Italy every year to visit friends and family. I'm proud to be an American. However, I will not deny that every year I encounter Americans who do not behave at their best when they are guests in another country. When in Rome, do as the Romans. Here in the States, we demand conformity of our foreign guests and we are incredulous if they exhibit the slightest "un-American" behavior.

After being entranced by Tuscany on two occasions, I read Mayes' book and watched the American cultural view of Tuscany crescendo. I was extremely off-put by the hype, and consequently have chosen, for the past 10 years, to avoid a Tuscany filled with loud, demanding tourists.

I had loved the magical Tuscany that Dario shows you - deserted white stone roads, fabulous trattorie, ruined castles, churches, villas where it is delicious to imagine them in their hey-day, hills that grow into mountains with villages tucked neatly within, vineyards, active farms and olive groves.

I'm actually considering going back, having fallen for Tuscany once again.

I haven't read any of Frances Mayes' books, but my native Italian wife has, and she liked those well-enough that we have visited Cortona. I picked up this book because I thought the title was funny and I enjoy reading books like Beppe Severgnini's "Ciao America", another book written by an Italian about those crazy Americans.

Dario Castagno's book is not nearly as caustic as I had been lead to believe by the jacket blurb, as well as some of the previous Amazon reviews, and the title itself. It wasn't until I reached his chapter explaining the process behind the Palio that I really began to appreciate "Too Much Tuscan Sun" for what it is: a book written for Americans by a native Sienese.

There are a few entertaining anecdotes throughout the book about some of the weird American tourists he has met, but the funny stories he tells about American tourists say as much about him as they do about any of his clients.

A certain percentage of his clients appear to be people looking for a broad introduction to Italy who really ought to be just following the latest edition of Frommer's Italy (which is a guidebook I still use and rely on) rather than hiring a local guide to show them the more obscure sites that mean something to him personally.

I have been to a number of the tourist sites that Dario mentions as frequent stops on his tours, and I think that may help my appreciation of this book. For example, I would never dream of taking an elderly person to see Monte Oliveto Maggiore, because there is a long walk downhill to the monastery from the parking lot. Yet Dario tells the tale of trying to bring a busload of 20 elderly American tourists with predictably disastrous results.

He also doesn't seem to understand that if two couples are calling him every 30 minutes with questions the night before a tour and leaving him waiting in the hotel lobby in the morning it's probably because one or both of those couples are engaged in hand-to-hand combat in the privacy of their hotel rooms, trying to decide how they are going to spend the remaining days of their relaxing Italian sojourn.

I myself have been escorted by Italians to see recently excavated Etruscan ruins, and while Etruscan ruins may be especially thought-provoking to an Italian, I can understand why an American tourist might not find them quite so fascinating.

I have also, personally consumed a lot of Diet Coke in Italy, and I found the number of times this American habit is mentioned to be hilarious (I think it has something to do with the fact that Americans, like me, are accustomed to drinking more liquid throughout the day, and we are trying NOT to gain TOO much weight when we are in Italy).

But the main value of this book is the way it tries to communicate to Americans what an Italian really loves about his country, and what he finds particularly interesting about American culture. I greatly appreciate his chapter on capital punishment, which I had previously recognized as probably the most bizarre aspect of American life, from the point-of-view of an Italian.

Maybe you have to know Dario to understand the quips and subtleties of this fun and easy-to-read jaunt through Tuscany. In contrast to some of the reviews and as a paying customer of Dario, I found absolutely no insult in any of his anecdotes. Rather, many chuckles at the foibles and eccentricities of fellow travelers. Plus, many remembrances of unique experiences he offers as a guide when we visit his corner of the world. This book is very funny and a great, quick read. A definite must-read for any Tuscan enthusiast.

Dario Castagno is a born Tuscan. Raised in London until he was ten, Dario's fluency in English and love of Tuscany, including exploring abandoned farmhouses and villas like the one in Frances Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun" and his experiences working in a Chianti winery, led him to create Chianti Black Rooster Tours. Dario gives personalized tours of the Chianti region to groups up to six, and in "Too Much Tuscan Sun" he chronicles seasonal life in Tuscany, cultural gems, and the all-too-often bizarre and demanding American tourists that he is saddled with.

Dario wrote the book as a rebuttal of Frances Mayes and other American writers who paint a dreamy portrait of Tuscany peppered with the notion of "aren't the Tuscans backwards and quaint!" when they run into un-American customs or try to "act American" and are misunderstood. Dario offers a moving account of the Palio and tragic events in WWII Italy, misunderstandings with Americans as presented by the Italian point of view, and an eye-opening chapter on the death penalty in America as reported by Italian media.

The book is arranged chronologically over the course of a year from February to December, with various interludes thrown in. Dario paints a lyrical picture of the various seasonal changes that occur in Tuscany's gardens and landscapes, the power of a passing thunderstorm, and the bounty of crops each season yields, along with mouthwatering descriptions of local Tuscan cuisine. Mixed in are remembrances of his rebellious psychedelic teenage years in Tuscany and earlier (brief) encounters with American college students studying abroad in Italy.

The bulk of the book is devoted to poking fun at the obnoxious stereotypical American tourists that booked Dario's tours: yelling as though Dario can't understand English, wearing large, gaudy, flashy jewelry, leopard prints and stiletto heels for sightseeing in the country, asking why Italians are speaking Italian (!), only eating at McDonald's because Italians can't cook Italian food like they do in America, claiming that caffe lattes and pizza are American culinary creations that the Italians confiscated, refusing to walk anywhere on a walking tour...the list goes on. There are several couples that are presented as happy, easygoing, and well adjusted, but overall the book tends to paint a negative picture of the American (and Canadian!) tourist in Tuscany. Although it reads humorously, it felt nigh stereotypical, but understandably; others of lesser means who may be more in tune with Italian culture probably can't afford to hire Dario and travel Italy in five-star hotels.

A very engaging read, but if Dario pens a sequel, please make it the adventures you've had with laid-back, adventurous, polite Americans who enjoy throwing themselves into Italian language and culture. I felt as though I were being punished via the hoards of loud, barbaric, stereotypical American tourists when, in fact, I can understand some Italian (I regularly listen to Italian pop music), I love to walk everywhere, and can deal with any change in plans with grace and enthusiasm. As a language- and culture-conscious tourist, I felt woefully underrepresented, but enjoyed Dario's in-depth cultural and gastronomic tour of Tuscany immensely (although I lived in Spain on two occasions, I've yet to visit Italy) and hope to one day tour the marvels of Tuscany for myself.

This summer, I saw this book neatly stacked for sale in a wine store in the hill town of Montalcino in Tuscany. Knowing full well that I could get the book at a better price on the Amazon marketplace, I waited until I returned home to place my order. Unfortunately, Katrina's wrath swamped the city of New Orleans and I didn't receive the book until recently. However, seeing the beauty of Italy through private tour guide, Dario's eyes from a time lapse of four months and through the filter of such devestation, enhanced, for me, the book's quiet appeal

As many other reviewers have pointed out, Dario doesn't suffer foreign fools too well, and why should he? His obvious love of his own culture with its sumptions rustic 5 course lunches swathed in a sweet elixir of a fine Classico Chianti or famed Barbi Brunello set against the rolling golden landscape of cypresses, olive groves, vineyards, simple churches and stone farmhouses, speaks for itself. Why, Dario wonders, would foreign tourists, especially American tourists, want to come to Italy and not become Italian for the duration of their trip? Why drink Diet Coke when the fruit of the Sangiovese grapes is at hand? Why hire a guide, if you don't want to visit the area's monasteries, walk its medieval towns or hear of the famous Sienese Palio?

The book, therefore is a collection of recollection. To some, his bewilderment over the lack of excitement displayed with regard to his home and his criticism of the various types encountered during such head-scratching moments, may seem judgemental and anti-American. To others, like myself, Dario will become the quintessential Italian, living in paradise and like the pre-apple Adam, just wanting to share and expecting only an exchange of simple enthusiasm for his introduction to Eden.

In addition to his anecdotes, which intially seem sophomoric until one acquaints oneself with his simplistic style, one can glean some interesting tips on the lifestyle in Tuscany and very defintitely can accumulate enough ideas to create a very special itinerary of one's own of the place's lovely sites.

All in all, the book is a pleasant read, one that replenishes the memory with mind pictures of the Tuscan landscape, the mouth with the crunch or crostini and the earthy taste of that wonderful bean soup at Taverna dei Barbi and the soul with the balm of tradition and culture that abides in each of the farmhouses seen from the road.

As an American living in Italy, I enjoyed this book a lot. The title's contrast with "Under the Tuscan Sun" immediately brought a chuckle, and the book didn't dissappoint. Living in Italy for most people is not about fancy villas on hilltops in the Chianti region. Castagno does a great job of giving a flavor for the area and its people, as well as some of the wackier tourists that he has dealt with. The book is nicely rounded out too, with not only stories that make you think "is that for real?!" of crazy americans, but also lots of nice, genuine people, many of whom have become good friends with Dario over the years, according to the book.

Definitely a worthwhile read, along with Tim Parks' Italian Neighbours and Italian Education.

I have had the great fortune not only read the book, but spend a full day with Dario playing in fog draped Tuscan hills, eating and drinking my weight in fantastic Tuscan food and wine. The main dish being wild boar shot the day before, so tender that it fell off the fork landing in a wonderful mushroom sauce, spraying the front of my shirt. The boar along with 2 bottles of fantastic wine from a 2 man vineyard just across the valley from the restaurant and a 2 ltr bottle of the house wine; literally made in the house that was the restaurant. We discussed life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, his book and friends and all the rest of the topics that one talks about, over so much good food and wine.

The book is real, it's informative, it's as fun and funny as Dario is, and it is a great read to boot. These are not traits one normally finds all together in one travel book, maybe one or two of them but not all.
After many years of traveling around Europe hoping to dispel the myth of the ugly American tourist, and still seeing all that a country has to offer, I have never come across a book so dead on about foreigners then this book, be it an American in Munich or a Scot in Dallas. It shows the painful truth about so many of us travelers, and the lack of education and understanding of the location where we are. It also gives you great tips of what to do, where to go and the most important sites to see.

Someone told me he thought the book was conceited and arrogant. I'm sorry to say that that person never had the chance to travel with the locals and been able to see the pride that they have in everything that is theirs. Maybe its because he was one of those ugly American's that feel that all small towns outside of there narrow little mind are theirs to use, abuse, and throw away. Maybe that is what Dario is trying to tell us with his book. Maybe he wants us to "get lost"; get lost in the culture, the towns, the people.

At least that is what I got out of the book. I know that I'm no prince among men, so I hope that Dario would put me in his next book so that I can see and learn from my mistakes and be a nicer traveler in other people's homes. But sadly this is to be his last year as a tour friend so, his next book most likely wont be about travel.

What is there to do in Siena? Get Lost

Great read while you're on your flight to Italy!
While Frances Mayes made her fortune on the desire that is in all of us to go back to a time when things were simpler, life was slower, food was more natural, and the environment around us more healthy overall, Dario's book is more of a collection of experiences being a tourguide and with the expectations the travelers he leads have of Italy. Dario is candid and genuine, you'll see an insider's perspective on foreign visitors who come to Italy each year.

Dario seems to have a lot more compassion for those who truly want to find what the lifestyle is like, not if that lifestyle corresponds to their idea of it. I am from Firenze (Florence), Tuscany and lead small groups there every year to give them "my" version of Tuscany - the more familiar, less touristic view of this wonderful region, and every time I go people don't fail to mention Mayes' book. I, instead, tell them about Dario's. The truth of the matter is that living in a place is different than just reading a book about a rich woman who didn't need to worry about finding a job and had all the time in the world to do whatever she wanted.

Dario's book is a more humble, genuine view of what to expect and what not to expect from a trip to Tuscany.
[...]

As someone who married (another American) in Firenze (Florence) and has toured Tuscany many times - Dario Castagno has done a lovely job of looking at a year in the life of a Tuscan tour guide.

His descriptions of his tourists are very amusing and, sorry to tell the previous (very up-tight) reviewers, ACCURATE! As an American who lives and works overseas - the Americans that Dario describes - the 'normal' ones, the 'ghosts', the "culture vultures' and the 'babs' (oh! the "babs", I laughed until I cried!) are incredibly spot on. And these categories of American tourists are EVERYWHERE - not just in Italy!

More importantly, Castagno does a wonderful job of weaving the descriptions of the Tuscan countryside and activity during the course of a year. He skillfully expresses the joys and riches of the Tuscan foods and drinks. (And any tourist who spends two weeks in Tuscany drinking diet coke should have stayed at home) He also gives the reader one of the best primers on the Palio that I have ever read (and Robert Rodi's little window into Dario's Palio world in the penultimate chapter is sweet!).

This is a book primarily for the Americans in Dario's 'normal' category - who don't take themselves too seriously, who have been to Tuscany and enjoyed its food, wines, art, history, and gorgeous countrysides, and who have met some of those other (embarrassingly "American") Americans - all over the world and can appreciate Dario's amusement and sometime (warranted) frustrations.

A wonderful book, I have already recommended it to everyone I know who has been to Tuscany or who is going. I wonder if Dario now has way more business than he could possibly handle or need!!

I purchased a signed copy of this book from a small shop in Siena, Italy - I don't think I've ever laughed out loud from a book before, but this book had me in tears!!! His tales of his clients are priceless and he has such a great storytelling ability that you're just drawn right in! He also takes great care in explaining and portraying the Italian countryside and culture and you can clearly see his love for his country shine through in the book. Don't wait to buy this - I promise you'll love it!