Ah, to be in Italy

As you may have noted, I have a passion for books about living and traveling abroad. I just finished one that I can't recommend highly enough. "Too much Tuscan sun" by Dario Castagno shows you the area around Sienna through the eyes of a tour guide and local. Castagano specializes in small tours of Sienna and the Tuscan country side. He talks about the area's history and his tourists. He recounts the tales of even terrible travelers with great kindness. Reading the book was like spending time with a new friend, who was excited about sharing his passion for history and Sienna's famous horse race, the Palio. (He has pictures of the race up at his web page http://www.toomuchtuscansun.com)

He has another coming in June "A day in Tuscany." I can't wait!

PS - I found a receipt from an Italian coffee shop tucked inside the book after I checked it out. I must admit that I wondered if whoever checked the book out before me had gone on a tour with Dario.