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.

All of the guides were so knowledgeable and excited to share their love of their region. Our view at the Hotel was out of this world. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean. We wish we had more time in each place to have explored at the slower pace but now we know where to go back. Pienza was such an unexpected surprise. We loved it. We especially enjoyed Giacomo and the tours of the food factories. The balsamic vinegar place in Modena was phenomenal. Your restaurant suggestions were spot on and we really enjoyed them. Thank you for planning such a memorable trip. We never could have put together a trip that allowed us to experience so many jewels.