My husband and I just returned from a one-week trip to Italy planned by Anna, Emanuela and their team. We have visited Italy several times and decided that we would concentrate on the Liguria and Piedmont areas on this visit. Anna listened carefully to our wishes and planned a trip that was just what we wanted: to visit places that were relatively quiet and off the tourist beaten track (at least as much as that is possible in Italy). We spent three nights in Sestri Levante (near the Cinque Terre) and four nights in Orta in the lake district and we were not disappointed. Everything planned by the team worked out very well, from the transfers and hotels to the guides and restaurant suggestions.

The team was in contact with us throughout our stay and when any issues arose they were quickly resolved. (For example, there was a train strike on the day we were to travel from Liguria to Milan and Anna’s team quickly arranged alternate transportation for us.) I find it’s often the small things that make a trip memorable and we were very impressed when we arrived at our first hotel to find a welcome note from Anna as well as a bottle of bubbly and some treats in our room.

Our next trip to Italy will be to the Veneto area and we will definitely use the services of Anna and Emanuela’s company and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone wishing to visit northern Italy.

Venice – Murano – Burano – Padua – (Ortesei) – Montagna – Trento – Verona
We had a wonderful trip to northern Italy, thanks to the very professional yet personal planning that Emanuela, Valentina, and Anna provided.

Our days were enriched by spending time with many likeable and knowledgeable guides who were able to inform us of and answer all questions about the past and present aspects of their special Northern Italy. We loved our tours of the Murano Glass Factory, the Squero shipyard where gondolas are built and repaired, and the Franz Haas Winery in Bolzano. Our boat tours through the canals were of course, magical. Although we spent a few days with fog and rain around us, we didn’t hesitate to just carry on, enjoying fewer crowds that late January and early February can guarantee.

Most importantly, everything went seamlessly with our reservations with hotels, drivers, tours and all of the many notable restaurants; we highly praise Emanuela and Valentina for their amazing recommendations and efficient booking of our choices.

We could not have been happier with our visit to Northern Italy; we heartily recommend and thank our planners for all that they did to ensure we would have a truly memorable holiday.

We had an amazing time in Italy! My husband and I went for 2 weeks in November of 2024 with stops in Milan, Venice, Parma, Lucca, and Florence. We initially met with Anna over zoom and after a few minutes she seemed to know exactly what we were looking for in this trip. She and her assistant Giulia organized several tours for us to make our trip extra special. Our favorites were a food tour in Milan, a private boat tour on Lake Como, and a walking tour of Venice. The very knowledgeable and friendly guides made the tours exceptional. Anna and Giulia were even able to get us last minute tickets to see The Last Supper in Milan.

One experience we loved and would have never found on own was our day trip to Burano with reservations at Osteria Contemporanea. It was one of the best meals we had while in Italy and the setting was beautiful. While in Parma, unfortunately, my husband fell sick for a day, and our trip planners were quick to help us adjust our schedule. I would work with them again for a future trip to Italy!

Linda Stengel overlooking the vineyards in Piedmont. Photo: Traveler Jeff Stengel

We recently returned from a trip to Italy. Our trip began with our attendance at a 6 day destination birthday party at a large villa in Tuscany for good friends we met when living in Switzerland about 20 years ago.

Following the birthday party we continued on to northern Italy on a trip we planned with Emanuela and her team. Our first stop was Sestri Levante. We stayed at a fantastic hotel right on the water. The ocean views, the people and the restaurants were wonderful and while very close to Cinque Terra we avoided all the crowds associated with it. One of the highlights of this stay was to be a 7 hour private boat tour of the Cinque Terra coast. On our drive from Tuscany we had encountered significant rain and high winds. When arriving at our hotel Emanuela contacted us to let us know the boat’s captain had determined the seas were predicted to be way too rough for the next few days for this boat tour. Emanuela reacted quickly and suggested an alternative boat tour of the Bay of Poets which is close to Cinque Terra but protected from the open seas. She arranged a great boat and captain, Marco.

Marco took us on a great tour of the Bay of Poets, seeing several fishing villages, some massive yachts, the Italian Naval Academy, great scenery and a stop at Porto Venere. We explored the small town and had an excellent lunch at an ocean front restaurant. Marco also took us on a very short ride outside of the Bay to show us how rough the open sea was, and we all agreed that the 7 hour boat trip in 15 foot swells would not have been a good idea.

While in Sestri Levante we also had a chance to visit Portofino and had a great lunch at a beach club close to town. Leaving Sestri Levante we headed north to the Langhe area of Piedmont. We stayed at a modern resort which included its own winery in the middle of the vineyards close to Costigliole d’Asti. The views from our patio looking out over the vineyards at the many hilltop towns was fantastic. On several clear days we could see the snow-capped Alps off in the distance.

While in Langhe, Emanuela had planned many excellent adventures. We visited some very prestigious wineries. We tasted fantastic Barolo and Barbaresco wines and met some very interesting and engaging wine makers. Driving through the hills of the region and experiencing the ancient hill towns was like no other wine region we had visited before. We also visited had a chance to explore the Asti region and visited the caves dug by local winemakers starting in the 16th century and still used today to age their wines. The sparkling wines were great as well as the lunch we had at Casa Crippa in Canelli.

Our adventures did not end with wine. We went truffle hunting with Vittoria, one of the few female truffle hunters in the region with her dog “Alba.” It was lots of fun following Alba though the woods searching for truffles. She found three nice sized black truffles on our hunting trip. After the hunt we had a two hour truffle lunch at Vittoria’s family home, which was fantastic; “truffles five ways.” One of the other highlights of our trip was a private cooking class in a local chef’s home. With the chef we prepared several traditional Piedmont recipes. It was very hands-on so we were comfortable when we got back home we could recreate the dishes. The dinner was great with local cheeses and wine made by her son-in-law at a local winery. We wrapped up our last day in Piedmont visiting a local cheese maker and a local hazelnut farmer and learning about their processes and tasting their products.

We had a very enjoyable trip eating and drinking our way through the Piedmont region. Based on Emanuela’s plan we really felt like we got a real understanding of the region and its people as well.

We wanted to see Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera and were thrilled with the itinerary that was put together by Anna and her team. They really understood our likes (cooking/food, art, history, walking) and dislikes (crowds). We had an amazing experience! Some details:

• All of our drivers were very professional, drove smoothly (as they knew I wasn’t good with all the twists and turns) and on time—a special thank you to Fabio in Alassio!
• Both hotels were fantastic—exactly what we were looking for—great service, rooms, concierge (special thank you to Alex in Alassio), and a gym. We also loved their locations—not too touristy with easy access to all the places we wanted to visit.
• We enjoyed all of the tours and the guides were knowledgeable and nice—they provided fun/interesting information without going into too much detail—including Claudia (she was most fun and had great stories for Santa Margherita, Portofino and Camogli); Valentina (fun cooking class and a beautiful home); Paola (Genova—as well as our pesto making class!), Simona (Albenga and walking tour); Christina Armato (Olive Oil, and her family were amazing and the best ravioli I have ever eaten!); Mario (Cinque Terre, even with the rain, Mario was able to quickly make some changes to the day and ensure we still had some hiking and a nice lunch).
• When planning the trip, we thought we wanted to spend more than one day in Cinque Terre. We were so happy that we listened to Anna as one day was plenty (this area is very touristy and not worth the hype).
• All the restaurant recommendations were great—we ate and drank more than we needed to!
We would do it all again. Thank you again to the team for understanding our needs and planning such a great trip!

We didn’t think it was possible to love Italy more than we already did, but after the two-week trip arranged by Emanuela and her team, we can say that we fell in love all over again. We have traveled often and widely in Italy over the past few decades. My passion for Italy started in my student years when I completed a summer course at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. And with our love of music and opera, both of us have always had a soft spot in our hearts for Italy—the culture, the food and the people. Now, in our senior years, we wanted to visit some of the places we had never been to, and to return to a few others that were special for us. Because we no longer travel as we did in our younger years – renting a car and driving ourselves– we decided to work with Emanuela. She organized a spectacular trip for us. She appreciated our desire to feel and be independent and experience the people and culture as we would if we were doing it on our own.

We wanted to tour the Piemonte area, which we did not know at all. She suggested a marvelous itinerary that we would not have thought of on our own—starting at Lake Orta and then via Turin to the small towns of La Morra and Guarene. From Piemonte we continued to Liguria, using Sestri Levante as a base for visiting Genoa, Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso and finally Cinque Terre (the only place that we had already visited). The trip concluded with a short stay at a castle in Tuscany close to Castellina in Chianti—a truly beautiful spot with character and soul.

Emanuela wanted us to stay at very special properties that she knew well and loved. She succeeded in booking us in some of the most amazing hotels and specific rooms in those hotels—a boathouse that was positioned directly over the water of Lake Orta; a historic castle in Guarene that had become a beautiful hotel. Our accommodations in Tuscany were equally special. For our stay of four days in Liguria at Sestri Levante, her suggestion of a family-run hotel was an excellent choice. The town had genuine character, not completely overtaken by tourists, with families and children out for evening walks and sharing meals outdoors, small locally owned shops.

We sensed that Emanuela wanted us to love and to experience Italy in ways that were authentic. In Turin, she arranged for a chocolate tasting, in Piedmonte, a cheese tasting, a hazelnut experience, and a truffle hunt. This little adventure turned out to be one of the true highlights of our trip.

My husband and I are seniors, and still extremely covid cautious because of underlying health issues. In our planning we told Emanuela that we would need to dine outside. Every hotel we stayed at knew in advance of our health concerns, as well as food allergies, and they were all proactive in taking care of our needs. When the weather wasn’t suitable for an outdoor meal, they took it upon themselves to find us a private room or bring food to our room. We were never made to feel that this was a problem. We were treated as special guests at all of the properties we stayed at, and we attribute this to Emanuela and her team who communicated these concerns in advance of our arrival. They also kept in touch nearly daily to ensure our satisfaction along the way.

We had the pleasure of meeting Emanuela in Genoa, where she invited us to a lovely lunch. She had wanted to introduce us to farinata—a type of hazelnut pancake from a woodfire oven that is a specialty of Liguria. However, it was a rainy day and the restaurant she had in mind for this was not serving outdoors. But she called them to arrange that they save some for us to pick up and eat on our way back to the hotel.

Emanuela is deeply invested in her clients’ satisfaction. I think she appreciates the time and effort it takes to travel, especially for those in their golden years. We felt that she wanted us to have the best experience ever. On the final evening of our trip we had our WOW Moment, and it was very special. The castello hotel where we were staying arranged a sunset aperitivo on a private terrace with a sweeping panorama of the Tuscan landscape from Siena to San Gimignano. It was a magical moment—sitting and enjoying the spectacular sunset, drinking sparkling wine and delicious appetizers. And the surprise continued when the chef made a special cake in celebration of my husband’s birthday. What a way to conclude an amazing trip.

We’re grateful to Emanuella and her team for sharing their corner of Italy, and for their dedication in organizing the best trip possible for us. We’ll remember it always.

This trip was amazing. Everything we wanted out of a trip to Italy. Amazing time in Venice, aka the Las Vegas of Europe from the 1700s, to start things off. Then we had arranged an amazing time in the Dolomites. We returned to civilization in Bologna and finished off in Milan. The tour guides (we did 1-2 in each city) were great. Overall support during the trip was very easy and always available.

Wonderful trip. Responsive planners. Met via Zoom-type meeting at first, with plenty of follow-up email, and using WhatsApp during the trip. Adjustments made on the fly. Top hotel selection in Sestre Levanti, with excellent guides and drivers. Experiences included pesto making in a historic house in Genoa. So much more than just a cooking class but an immersion in food, culture and history. The experience shopping with a chef, and then cooking at her villa overlooking the sea, was sublime. Transfers from the airport and to our final destination (a perfect wedding in Tuscany) was smooth and seamless. Highly recommend this planner and team.

We very much enjoyed our trip to Liguria and the Cinque Terre. Our travel consultant Anna Merulla overall did a fine job in planning our itinerary and was very responsive and easy to work with. Manarola and the Cinque Terre were the highlight of our trip. Our last two days biking the hills of Cinque Terre and then hiking between Corniglia and Manarola were our best experiences. Also, a boat ride from Santa Margarita to San Fruttoso was enjoyable. We would recommend avoiding the historic district of Genoa. This is especially on a Monday (when we were taken there) as almost everything is closed on Mondays. The Imperiale hotel is a beautiful building but there is little to no soundproofing in the walls. The La Torreta Lodge in Manarola was quaint, comfortable and well located. We would definitely stay there again.

JoEllen Schuleman chose Italy’s Cinque Terre region for a trip to celebrate her first wedding anniversary.

Our trip planned by Anna was superb! She was hands-on throughout the planning process, listening to our needs and wants, and crafted a trip that surpassed our expectations. We wanted to visit northern Italy and while we knew some of the experiences we wanted, we didn’t know where. Our guides were top-notch, some having degrees in archeology and most being from the towns/regions we were visiting, allowing them to share a local perspective. Our trip started in Santa Margherita Ligure, a beautiful town in the Italian Rivera, just minutes from Portofino. The Hotel Continental was located a short walk from town and we had the most magnificent view of the water. The room was large and comfortable and the staff was very welcoming. Anna helped us reserve a wonderful restaurant for our 1st wedding anniversary. From SML we did day trips to Cinque Terre and Genoa. In Monterosso we had lunch in a picturesque vineyard and in Genoa, Anna helped us get museum tickets so we could have half a day to explore at our own pace. She had us utilizing trains and ferries which cut our travel time and allowed us to see more.

Our next location was Florence, her hotel suggestion was beautiful but perhaps located further away from the central district than we would normally choose. She secured us reservations at Enoteca Pichichorri, a 3-star Michelin restaurant, where the chef signed a menu for us. We asked for a free day to explore the museums and sights on our own. Don’t miss Trattoria Cammillo, a family-owned eatery from the 1940s. One of our day trips from Florence was Pienza, we wish we had had more time, as there was so much to do and see. There is a town card that grants entrance into the palazzos and museums. The town art museum was a genuine treasure. We also had a Brunello tasting at a winery and visited a farm started by a Swiss family. The farm experience was complicated with the heat and overabundance of flies, which made the cheese tasting and lunch less enjoyable.

Next, we traveled to Parma. The hotel in Parma would be our least favorite, but well located. Parma has many sites and some of the most magnificent churches. We would have perhaps one of our favorite day trips from this location. Giacomo, our guide would take us to a parmigiana cheese maker, Parma ham maker, and Acetaia di Giorgio. We would don hygienic gear and shoe covers as we watched the process happen before our eyes. We followed the process and visited the aging rooms. The tours were followed by tastings. In Modena, at Acetaia di Giorgio, they have made traditional balsamic vinegar in their home since 1870. We learned about the process and tasted several of the vinegars. The next day it was off to Bologna. If it hadn’t been for the heat we could have stayed longer. The history, architecture, and food make this a city we would love to revisit.

Our final days were spent in Milan where we had time on our own. Thanks to Anna, when our airline canceled our flight and we needed an extra day, she was able to secure our same room for a second night. The hotel was a gorgeous boutique hotel, a bit far from the historic center, but we were surprised with an upgrade to a corner room. Once again Anna had made us reservations at wonderful authentic restaurants.

Thanks to Anna we had an amazing trip with excellent guides who were flexible and responded to our needs. We went to places we never would have chosen on our own and spent 10 days living La Dolce Vita. Thank you Wendy for the introduction.

Our trip was absolutely amazing . We traveled to Liguria during April of 2023. Emanuela planned some wonderful day trips that ran seamlessly. She was able to keep us away from the Easter chaos while experiencing and learning about the region. We stayed in a small town, Sestri Levante, that was beautiful and luxurious without being overstated. It was not American touristy but more local—a small Italian seaside escape with wonderful food options and friendly people. Each night when we came back from our trip it felt like home. Emanuela planned a mix of food experiences (cooking classes and food tours) with hiking (Cinque Terre) and some informative tours in Florence. We loved our day in Lucca and our tours of the city and food market in Genoa. Emanuela was able to individualize the trip for us and was in contact through to make sure things were going well. She even went out of her way to meet us in Genoa. This was a wonderful experience overall and we would contact Wendy Perrin again to point us in the right direction for future trips.

We worked with Emanuela to plan our trip from Venice to Verona to the Lake Region. We had planned to go to Lake Como or Lake Garda. After our initial Zoom call and emails asking about our particular likes and dislikes and goals for our trip, Emanuela suggested we skip the crowds that are visiting Italy this year and instead go to Lake Orta, a smaller jewel of a lake located just west of Lake Maggiore. The hotel Emanuela recommended was delightful and our tour guides everywhere we went (from Venice to the Lakes) were outstanding. The personalized approach and private touring each step of the way made our trip very special and exactly what we had hoped for. We could never have planned a trip like this on our own, which included tours of historical interest, culinary interest and hiking. We look forward to working with Wendy’s recommended tour planner for our next trip.

My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Anna and Emanuela’s team to plan our trip to the Italian Riviera. The weather was perfect with warm days and cool evenings. Cinque Terre was very crowded and difficult at times to walk through the villages. It requires a lot of walking and it is both hilly and steep. We stayed in Manarola which was perfect. More on the quiet side but with enough restaurants to choose from. We also spent some time in Sestri Levante as a base for day trips and for some relaxation. We recommend doing Cinque Terre as your first stop then relaxing in Sestri Levante. We loved the hiking both in Portofino and Cinque Terre. The lunch at Baranco vineyard in Monterossa was perfect. Anna and her team arranged for everything. Transfers, reservations, great guides and wonderful restaurants. We did not have to worry about anything.

We had a wonderful trip as planned by Emanuela. Liguria was particularly busy given the holiday, and Emanuela kept us away from the crowds. We loved our tour of the Villa T and wine tasting/lunch in the Luccese countryside. And our visit up the Ligurian coast was very special, given Emanuela’s expertise. Do not miss Tellaro! We never would have known to travel to Orta San Giulio, with its magical monastery and beautiful village, if not for Emanuela.

We felt very well cared for all through our trip and even got to meet Emanuela and daughter in-person in their home town of Genova! Piedmont also was very special and our visit with a local cheese maker on her organic farm was a highlight!

This was our first experience hiring a travel planner for our entire trip and it was such a valuable experience.

We highly recommend Emanuela!

Emanuela helped to plan a great trip to Italy. She was very patient and communicative in the planning stages as well as when we were there. All the drivers and tour guides she chose were great. I would recommend her to anyone planning a trip to Italy.

We had a really wonderful trip! Anna was responsive to our family’s travel goals, which also included taking into account health and safety, weather, and one of our children’s birthdays. We are so pleased that we traveled to Italy and the specific locations we visited there!

Anna worked really hard to help us find accommodations in our preferred destinations, which were very busy at the time we were traveling. She also came up with alternate destinations when we needed to pivot due to lack of availability. We were very pleased with all of the experiences and dining options she suggested. The tour guides she suggested were very knowledgeable, personable, and helped us get so much out of our visits to each destination.

We especially appreciated Anna’s work in arranging culture- and nature-related experiences and booking tickets in advance due to high demand. When some experiences we had hoped for for our daughter’s birthday turned out to be unavailable due to the time, she did seek to come up with alternatives. The restaurants Anna suggested were delicious, lovely, and gave us a good sense of the local cuisine. She was also very attentive to our request to dine outdoors as much as possible for health and safety concerns. We especially enjoyed our hotel accommodations in Milan and in Santa Margherita Ligure.

We very much appreciated Anna’s responsiveness when travel issues arose, like when we mistakenly missed a train stop. She was also extremely responsive in helping us with dining needs during the course of the trip. Anna absolutely added value to our trip. Her work on accommodations, dining, and cultural and natural experiences enabled us to enjoy a truly memorable family vacation in Italy. We felt very supported before and during our travels. She is very professional, and it was a pleasure to work with her.

My husband and I had a fabulous trip to to Cinque Terre, Italy for our 25th anniversary during October of 2022. This was our first trip to Italy and it exceeded all of our expectations. We felt as though it was our second honeymoon.

I had an initial meeting over Zoom with Anna to discuss the purpose of our trip and our style of travel, things we enjoy, etc. and then Anna basically took it from there. She came up with a suggested itinerary which we then discussed and finalized together.

I had no idea what to expect and we were WOWED from the moment we arrived. All of our transfers included first-class transportation services, each of our hotels provided a complimentary upgrade along with a welcome gift, and all of our dinner reservations included the best tables and the best views.

We especially loved our two boat days—one included a tour of Portofino and lunch at a restaurant overlooking the cove of San Fruttuoso—and another included a trip to Portovenere and lunch on board in a beautiful bay.

Anna’s advice was spot-on and we felt as though we were in excellent hands. We had the perfect balance of activities and down time and never felt over scheduled.

I would definitely recommend Anna and Cinque Terre! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!

Anna planned a trip to Lake Como for my husband and me in October 2022. From the very first time speaking with Anna, she was very attentive, and extremely responsive throughout the entire process. She expertly chose what felt like the best experiences we could have had in that region of Italy—a boat ride, a guided visit to a lakefront mansion, agriturismo, a small vineyard, and a cooking class with a chef! We literally still talk about that trip and cannot decide what we loved the most. Just so grateful for Anna’s guidance and attention and for making this trip a long-lasting memory!

I worked with Emanuela Raggio and was very impressed with the entire trip-planning process through to the final day of the trip. I highly recommend. Both Lake Como and Lake Garda were absolutely amazing, but very different in feel. Como was beyond stunning, just like you see online, but I’d easily visit both again.

The trip was planned for my mother’s birthday, so we requested a detailed itinerary that combined high-end accommodations and day trips that were private in nature and aligned with her interests (wine, food, boating on the lake, plus a sprinkle of history).

Emanuela nailed it.

I gave her a general outline of what we were thinking for the trip to satisfy my mother’s interests, and she went to work to curate a custom itinerary. The process of working thru fine-tuning the itinerary was seamless and so easy. Emanuela was always quick to respond and suggest revisions. She also helped with dining suggestions (all of which were phenomenal) and ensured our private travel (car and boat) were set up (all of which were high-end, on time, safe, friendly, and clean).

In addition, the guides that were selected for us during the trip were just fantastic. We had lunch several times with our guides as they fit in so easily. I would use the exact same guides again in the future.

Overall, I was really pleased with the trip and overall planning services. I set a budget and gave Emanuela a general idea of what I was thinking for the trip and sat back. Planing was a breeze. The trip itself was simply unforgettable.

I really appreciate Emanuela’s service levels during the entire process. On a few occasions during the trip I sent her a few questions (via WhatsApp) and she responded right away, which is really great to have when overseas. She was even able to move reservations and suggest additional places of interest upon request as we made small edits to our daily plans along the way.

If you are looking for a quality trip to Italy and want authentic experiences without all the tourist traps and crowds—I highly suggest connecting with Emanuela and her team, as they can curate a masterful itinerary.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Our trip to Italy was terrific. When I first spoke to Anna, I told her that I was interested in visiting Bologna, Lucca and Cinque Terre. She immediately suggested that we include the Langhe region of Piedmont which I had not known about. As it turned out, the 5 days we spent there provided some of the highlights of the trip. The area around Barolo is absolutely stunning with grapevines and hazelnut orchards all around and many picturesque and historic towns. Not to mention that it has some of the best food we’ve ever had anywhere. Anna was very helpful in suggesting destinations and experiences which we enjoyed. Our visit to Dozza, which I had never heard of before, was fascinating. The tour guides we had were exceptionally knowledgeable and charming. Because Italy lifted their Covid restrictions shortly before we planned to visit, we were concerned about eating indoors. Anna recommended some terrific restaurants with outdoor dining. During a couple of the tours that included lunch, the dining was indoors, which made us a bit uncomfortable. But these restaurants, which were family-run and lots of fun to visit, weren’t crowded, so I guess they were ok. The hotels she suggested were chosen as historic and/or family-run and they were generally fine with at least one standout. But one (Arena in Lucca) was below our standards as the room was very small with no place to put any clothes, and there was no one around during the day to help with any issues we might have. The Castello Real in Verduno, in the small Langhe town of Verduno, was very atmospheric, but there was no A/C and the weather turned out to be quite hot. Luckily, we got enough of a breeze so we could sleep comfortably. Ultimately, we thought it was worthwhile to stay in this unique hotel in a less touristy location and eat in the local restaurants which turned out to be amazing. Anna was extremely responsive to all of my email requests and comments and was a pleasure to work with. We would not have been able to plan as rewarding a trip without her.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  A week before our trip, Emanuela noted a cruise ship would be docked in La Spezia. As our plan to enjoy the Cinque Terre was to train south to north, the recommendation was we pivot to a car. Simply, due to the size of the roads, the thousands of disembarking cruise passengers would only be able to travel the Cinque Terre by train. We didn’t want to feel the NYC commute in Italy!

When we arrived in Riomangarri, Emanuela planned for us to visit a boutique vineyard. A six-person operation, producing 20,000 bottles a year based on the side of a cliff and run by a man who can trace his family to this village for over a 1000 years. After a wonderful experience we drove north.

There are three ways to travel the Cinque Terre; 1. Small Boat. 2. Train. 3. Car. For years the Italian government has discussed converting the train tracks to a bike trail and building a new train system inland. It’s old, hot and busy. The road is narrow, wrapping itself around cliffs, but it turns a hour 45 min drive into 20 minutes. Beautiful and easy was the drive from Riomangarri to the next village. Well until it wasn’t…

An avalanche struck the road a day or two prior. There were no signs, no police, but the road was closed. Our guide called Emanuela. She pivoted us from the car to the train only to find out the train station was on fire and also closed. As boat times didn’t work, we had to drive back to La Spezia, miss lunch and continue to Montarossa. A 20 minute drive now nearly two hours.

Emanuela personally apologies, treating the rockslide and fire as if it’s her fault. Then tells us she booked us a lunch in hills of Montarossa. For this lunch we were hosted by a former Italian senator and World Bank executive who now owns this slice of heaven. For over two hours we drank, ate and experienced true dolce vita. This was an experience we never would have had without the Rockslide. Fire. Royal Caribbean day trippers.

Our adventure in the Cinque Terre was ripe for disaster, but we had Emanuela watching our every move from Genoa. She took our trip as seriously as if we were her visiting family and her desire for us to have the best trip showed. Everyone wanted to impress Emanuela through us; we had the best tables, hotel upgrades and surprise experiences that just consistently took the trip up a level. Thank you!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Our trip to Italy was put into a higher category by having used Wendy Perrin’s recommended planners. This was our first time traveling abroad without experienced friends, so we were nervous about getting things mixed up and/or missing out. We did walking, driving, and boating tours. All Wonderful! The guides were mind-bogglingly well educated on their subject (Italy), and spoke superb English.

We loved how they planned only half-day morning tours so that we could relax for the rest of the day and have time to get ready for dinner. Speaking of dinner…. Wow, the restaurants were ALL amazing! One thing to note: they don’t bring the check until you ask for it!

Also, the hotels chosen by our planner were perfect and in ideal locations!