Day in Tuscany: More Confessions Of A Chianti Tour Guide

by Dario Castagno, Robert Rodi

This second book from Dario Castagno is a delightfully honest mix of memoirs from life in the hills of Tuscany's legendary Chianti region. Set on the day the author arrived home after a three-month tour of the United States promoting his first book, A Day in Tuscany compels readers to experience this enchanted corner of Italy through the heart and mind of a true Tuscan. As Castagno sees his beloved hills with fresh eyes and reacquaints himself with the rhythms of home, a flood of recollections of its people and places come to him. Through his engaging narrative, we are transported as well.
The sights he sees and people he meets as he takes a one-mile walk through his village during the course of this noteworthy day trigger memories of his childhood and adolescence in Tuscany during the seventies, his experiences as a tour guide in Chianti, and some of the more remarkable people he has known. In addition to stories from his own past, included are oral histories from several village elders. History and the present mingle in this part of the world, and these stories bring both alive. Sometimes funny, often poignant, A Day in Tuscany weaves a magical spell and offers a candid insider's look at the people and culture of a fascinating land.

Genres: Italy, Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Author Dario Castagno is Italian through and through despite being born in the Wimbledon district of London to Italian parents who at the time were importing fine Italian wine and spirits to England. At age 9, he moved back to the Chianti hills, a region first settled by the Etruscans, and embarked on a deeply personal exploration of its landscape, legends and lore.

Dario later began guiding small groups through the riches of the province of Siena's countryside, and first wrote of his experiences in 2004's "Too Much Tuscan Sun" originally self-published - and that later was named as a New York Times Bestseller as "Too Much Tuscan Sun-Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide," published by Globe Pequot Press. That same authentic spirit infuses his subsequent books, 2007's "A Day in Tuscany-More Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide" (Globe Pequot Press) and 2009's "Too Much Tuscan Wine".

Dario also produces a number of HD film presentations, notably, "My Chianti," which is based on his second book and in which the author is featured during encounters with Chiantigiani neighbors and friends. (www.DarioCastagno.com)"

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

If, like me, you are an Italianophile (why not? works for England and France!), you'll enjoy this book, as well as Castagno's first book, "Too Much Tuscan Sun." For me there is no such thing as too much Tuscan/Italian anything. This is not literature, folks - but it is a pleasant, often amusing take on life in Italy's most famous region. There's a little history, a little humor, some unusual experiences he's had guiding tourists in the area. Both are fun to read. Pour yourself a glass of red, sit back and enjoy.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in a similar style/format as Castagno's first novel "Too much Tuscan Sun", this is more quaint and overall I found it less enjoyable. Taking place over the course of a single day, the day Castagno returns to Tuscany after a 3-month absence on an American book tour for the above mentioned first novel. As he rambles in his village, at stops along the way he is reminded of various anecdotes and stories from his past and this is the bulk of the short novel. For me, it just did not have the charm of the first novel although admittedly his love and passion for the region shines through easily.

[Michelle Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of entertaining stories from a real Tuscan. A quick and enjoyable read for a weekend afternoon Italy fix.

[Karo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread.

[Bill Leach · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short stories by Castagno concentrating on life and the people of Siena. Pleasant reading.

[Peter Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging vignettes of Tuscany

[Scarey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book an easy meander through the author’s recollections of the past. It was interesting to a point but didn’t really grab me. Overall an enjoyable read but not a must read.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed Too Much Tuscan Sun, I thought I would like reading this book, which focuses less on his experiences as a tour guide--although there are a couple-- and primarily depends on musings from his fellow Tuscans with a few where he’s prominently featured. I believe he was going for sentimentality in his prose, but I found some of his tales less than engaging. There were a few stories that were so predictable that I felt like I’d heard them before.

The structure of the book is a day in Castagno’s life, which has been used numerous times before, sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. I believe it’s the latter in this case. I definitely preferred his previous book to this one.

After reviewing his website, I notice that he has since written two other books. I think I’ll pass. But I might consider a book about his adventures while on his U.S. book tour.

[Naturegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even describe how much I love reading about Italy and this book was just another one to add to the library of all things Italian. Aparently, this is a followup to "Too Much Tuscan Sun" where Dario, a guide in the Chianti region, tells stories about different adventures he's been on with people. This book, however, takes place over the course of a day home following his 3 month book tour in the US. He talks about the region, the people he meets, their history, old friends he had as a child growing up in Italy. I just wanted to go runina field full of poppies and drink lots and lots of red wine when I was finished reading. The stories are lovely. Can't wait to go read the first book.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

It turns out this is the second of his books. Maybe I should have read the first one. Perhaps he had no material left for a second one. The stories are neither engaging nor charming. They are boring and go nowhere. Worse, several aren't even his; he retells friends' stories. The book is organized around time of day as he recollects adventures as a tour guide jarred from his memory by events of today. Naming chapters after time of day doesn't work. It's distracting. His use of present tense for past events is annoying, grammatically incorrect, and is as distracting as melding previous events with today. This book basically adds nothing to any library. It's a waste of space on library shelves.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

As we're headed to Tuscany this summer for a couple of weeks, I've begun my reading early. I hope this book isn't the best of what I'll read. There are some aspects of it that are enticing particularly the author's stories from and about local folks in Chianti. Has anyone read his first book, "Too Much Tuscan Sun"?

[Sylvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait for his next book. Does anyone know what happened to "Cristina"? He refers to her in this book, as well as in Too Much Tuscan Sun, and laments about her no longer being around, but he doesn't explain what happened to her. I guess that's what's known in the business as a cliffhanger.

[Lu]

Book 2 of tour guide's memoirs

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it while traveling in Tuscany and really enjoyed both the book and the trip.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up not realizing it was the second in a series; however it read just fine as a stand alone book and was extremely charming!

[Linda Brunett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his first book. But entertaining.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed A Day in Tuscany! It is, as others have noted, a different type of memoir- taking place over a single day, with many trips down memory lane. It has its share of laugh-out-loud moments (as well as some I wouldn't mind skipping over, e.g. smoking pot etc. and discovering questionable magazines as a boy). Still, that aside, an overall enjoyable read much like I envision a day in Tuscany to be: meandering, thoughtful, with good eats and tasty (non-asparagus) wine.

I'd be curious to go back and read his first book; I understand it's a fair bit different in style and tone.