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The Sicily adventure Alberto and Martina planned for us from 5/20/2025 to 6/2/2025 was wonderful. It included a couple of experiences I will admit I was a little dubious about, but which turned out to be great fun. I think they did a good job of understanding what interested us and what we wished to avoid, while also getting us to maybe stretch out a bit.
The guides and drivers were uniformly wonderful, with knowledge and personality. The hotels were nothing less than amazing places to relax in after a full day of experiencing what Sicily had to offer. We could have easily spent another week if we didn’t need to return home to our pets!
I think it’s safe to say that certain things (a hike along the NW coast near Palermo, another on the slopes of Mt Etna, and the wine tasting in Marsala) are not things we might have selected on our own, but were wonderful experiences. I also highly doubt we could have located the guides and hotels on own either. These are prime examples of where a good travel planner comes in handy.
May 02 to May 14, 2025, Italy
Our belated honeymoon to Italy was a dream coming true, and we are amazed beyond words. The planners helped us tailor the trip within our budget, with a perfect balance between art, history, food, wine, exercising and shopping. Our schedule was not tight, so we enjoyed it in our pace. The hotels selected by them were always in a superb location, which made our lives easier, and in Tuscany I realized the dream of staying in a castle! Whenever we checked in, there was a surprise from the company together with a warm note, and frequently, they arranged for the hotels to welcome us with a gift too.
The tours always surprised us. We paid for small group tours, but we often ended up having private tours. In Milan we were able to visit the Duomo with a wonderful, local and experienced guide in our own language, and we never asked for that. That small gesture brightened our day. She secured direct access to the Duomo without lines. In Franciacorta we visited a local winery with a great guide, finishing with a marvelous sparkling wine degustation paired with delicious Italian snacks. In Firenze, a great guide took us to experience street food in a very authentic way: we visited off the beaten track places where locals go and—again—we never endured the lines. Also in Firenze, we had cooking classes with a chef. We went to the street market to buy supplies and then cooked everything together, learning the tricks. Afterwards, we ate it. What a magical day! The 2 wine degustation in Tuscany were also memorable. The only experience I would skip is the truffle hunting day. Maybe because of the rain, I don´t know, they were tasteless and with a mushy texture. The hunting is in the middle of the woods, with bugs and dirt, so not that rewarding, and the winery, not that special.
Finally, a good example of the quality of the travel fixers: the schedule was set, but there was a last minute change in the Vatican entrance. In order for us to be able to adjust to this change and also keep the tour of Galleria Borghese, we needed to move really fast from one place to the other. Then, the planning company arranged for a golf cart transportation, free of charge. Problem solved in a very elegant way. Thank you so much!
This trip was very special for several reasons. We wanted to be immersed in art, particularly in sculpture and to see the marble quarries in Carrerra. But nearby was the Cinque Terre which offered an equally lovely experience. Our trip planners listened intently to our hopes for visiting with artists in their studios who might be willing to share their work process with us. They were able to arrange for three different workshops which gave us entirely unique perspectives.
Combining the visit to the marble quarries and learning how the stone makes its way around the world with visits to the studios completed our understanding. We didn’t know what would be possible to see so each visit that our planners arranged for us was a special moment on the trip. In addition to Monterossa in the Cinque Terre, we stayed two nights in Piestrasanta, and arts community near Carerra. It was a magical place that we had read about but exceeded our expectations. Modern sculptures dot the plaza and surrounding streets, murals by Bottero in the churches and cafes, boutiques, and restaurants are all within a short walk.
The hotel choices were perfect for us as well. We chose to stop in La Spezia on the way from Monterosso to Piestrasanta in the hopes of photographing its industrial harbor. We had a guide who was helpful in orienting us to the city and explaining the history. But the city itself, though very nice, didn’t offer exactly what we were looking for and we probably could have skipped it and gone straight to Piestrasanta. But that was our choice entirely. It was a short stop on our way and in no way detracted from our experience overall. Every driver was on time and friendly. Our guides were terrific. And there was an excellent balance between scheduled and unscheduled time each day which is very important to us. All in all and exceptional experience.
Our trip was fantastic. Destinations, lodging and timing was spot on. I was particularly impressed with Adler Spa in Tuscany. It was beautiful, food and service excellent, and I could not get enough of the mineral pools. It was raining. Can imagine now much more beautiful it would have been sunny. I will definitely use this service again.