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25.07.2010 |
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Italy Tour: Victor Sawicki
Northford, CT, United States |
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Greetings Jerry:
We did indeed have a wonderful trip, and greatly appreciate your role in arranging it. Our goal was not just to "see sights", but to start to get to know Italy and its people and I think we were successful. It seems clear that your company does extensive research on the accommodations, so I will give you our impressions of them.
The hotel in Rome was clean quiet and very comfortable. The staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. Had good suggestions on places to eat and made reservations for us, also arranged a driver for our early morning flight out of Rome. Will stay there again when we return to Rome.
The villa in Cetona was a delight. Our hosts were extremely hospitable and made us feel completely at ease. Also very helpful about the region. A detailed map of the area was very helpful. The dinners were wonderful with good food and delightful conversations that often lasted late into the night. The other guests were also a great pleasure. For us, we will go out of our way to spend a few days there again.
The farm near San Gimignano was beautiful, the room magnificent, however the staff did not seem particularly cordial and did not offer too much information about the area. They did however recommend the Osteria Pizzeria La Montagnola which was superb.
The country B&B in San Casciano was in a wonderful setting, a beautiful pool, dining area overlooking a valley and wonderful sunsets. Fairly easy drive into Florence. Staff very helpful. In addition to the included breakfast we found that lunch and dinner were available. Dinner was much appreciated after full days in Florence. Food was excellent and our waitress Klara was very helpful and expert regarding the wines. Two hours having dinner enjoying the wine and watching the sunset, priceless.
We did not find the directions provided very useful, the GPS was essential for us, though Avis was not very helpful in showing us how to program it. Giving the GPS coordinates was very helpful and got us right where we needed to go. The Fiat Punto was a fine car for us.
The tour guides were wonderful, Laura Palato in Rome and Juliane Krummacher in Florence, we highly recommend them both, and plan to use them again when we explore more of the two cities.
Your arrangements for our tour were exceptional especially considering our short notice, many thanks. We appreciated your quick responses to our e-mails. I'm sure we will be using your agency again and have already recommended it to our friends. Thanks again for a most memorable adventure.
Regards, Wendy and Vic. |
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17.06.2010 |
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Italy Tour: Clive Pullen
Wangaratta, Australia |
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Dear Jerry,
We had a wonderful trip thanks to your advice and planning. We really appreciated the varied accommodation, the localities and the welcome we received at each destination.We felt that we got good value for money which in turn makes for a very satisfying time when travelling. At no stage did we have any difficulty in locating the places for accommodation. Your detailed map information was most useful (we felt no need for a sat nav with two navigators, one was always right). We loved the place at Erice, the food was fantastic and we would suggest that it is a must stay for anyone who loves Italian food and Sicilian life at its best. The hotel in Taormina was a great experience for food, views and just a wonderful location.
Thank you for your assistance and we have no hesitation in recommending your company to family and friends.
Kindest regards,
Clive |
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04.06.2010 |
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Italy Tour: Craig Catanzariti
Paris, IL, United States |
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Dear Jerry,
Three years in a row and not a problem to be found, thanks for another great trip!
Once again, you and Umfulana have done a wonderful job; every stop went as planned, all the details ironed out in advance. Another great, worry free adventure!
I will say that driving the Amalfi Coast Road 2 years ago, despite all the the dire warnings, was a walk in the park compared to driving the mountain roads of Calabria and Sicily! The Autostrada is either a bridge or a tunnel in most places and the back roads, which we favor, climbed the mountain sides at incredible angles that required the lowest gear our rental car had. The mountains, very steep mountains, literally go right down to the sea. We were not prepared for the ruggedness of the terrain.
The people are fantastic. I have never met more welcoming and helpful people and the farther south we went the nicer they were. The food was great, the scenery was varied and interesting and each town unique.
A note of warning; this trip requires a lot of planning ahead as many of the things one would want to see are not always open or have very limited hours and the guide book for Calabria is yet to be written. Also, for some reason my GPS could not find the addresses (thanks for the great maps, a life saver!). I don’t know if it was operator error or southern Italy’s way of doing things. You might want to consider adding place coordinates as some of the French stops did.
Naples. The airport and the pick-up went smoothly. I highly recommend the car service the hotel booked for us in advance. He waited through a 1 hour flight delay and still greeted us with a smile and history lesson all the way to the hotel at no extra charge.
The hotel in Naples was very nice and the stay very pleasant. The staff was helpful and very knowledgeable. Get their recommendation for dinner; they know a wonderful spot on St Lucia. Naples has a reputation but we never felt threatened or had a hint of trouble and there was some security in a heavy, visible police presence.
Car pick-up was hassle free and again, the Taxi service booked through the hotel was a great service at a very reasonable price.
The stop in Giungano was very, very old world. Loved everything about it but it was hard to find dinner as they were not serving and not much else was open. We made due and had a wonderful picnic on their patio overlooking the valley that runs down to the sea.
Parghelia was too much of a resort for us but the area and the food were great. The staff was very service oriented and the restaurant very elegant, the price was steep but we were on vacation. I should mention that they are not amused if you drive to the reception desk on the walkway, wait for the porter’s shuttle.
Torre di Ruggero was a highlight. The food was excellent and the people nicer than the food. Possibly the single best piece of pork I’ve ever eaten! The weather did not cooperate but that’s life. I got to see the town where my Grandfather was raised, in the rain and wind, so mission accomplished.
Malazzo was great except for the garbage strike. A little too industrial going in but good once on the Cape. Again, the weather was too cold to use the beach. Lots of good places to eat downtown, and some interesting things to do.
Pettinoe was the stop of the trip. The food and people were wonderful. I wanted to see Italy as it was in my grandfather’s time; this must have been what it was like (but with better bath facilities!). Anyone who doesn’t stay in for dinner is missing a real treat. Sit down and be prepared for an excellent, long meal and even longer conversation with the hosts and other guests. They have olive trees over 600 years old, these trees were around before Columbus was a twinkle in his daddies’ eye. This stop is a memory we will talk about for years to come.
Agrigento was fascinating and the hotel wasn’t bad either. The ruins were amazing. Spend the extra 2 Euros and go through the garden while you’re there, very nice. At the hotel eat at their restaurant on top of the hill; the tour bus food in the hotel itself was reasonable but not as good as in standalone restaurant. The room was very well appointed and we had a super view of the ruin complex and the town on the hill beyond.
Castelmola was another outstanding stop. I can’t say enough good things about the staff. The room was a delight and the restaurant was worth a mention. The town is a neat place to explore, lots of places to dine and the people were very welcoming. This is a good base to see the area. A must see in Sicily.
Jerry, all in all another success for you, Umfulana and us. Thanks again,
Craig and Pat Catanzariti. Paris, IL, USA |
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| Naples street scene |
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| Mountains down to the sea |
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| Ancient olive tree in Pettinoe |
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| Agrigento, temple viewed from the garden |
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| Mt Etna from our hotel in Castelmola |
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28.05.2010 |
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Italy Tour: Michael Dix
Kanab, UT, United States |
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We just got back from our trip and we had a great time. Thank you very much for setting up the itinerary. All of the places we stayed were great and had their own unique charm.
Thank you very much
Michael Dix |
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14.11.2009 |
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Italy Tour: Randall Harris
San Francisco, CA, United States |
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Jerry,
The tour you set up through Sicily was in general very well done. The hotels were all wonderful with the exception of Palermo. Although well situated we found it a little sub par. The B&B near Cefalu was the outstanding pick of all. This spot we could have stayed in for another couple of days, so relaxing and the food and hospitality beyond expectations.
The road instructions were complete and well done except for finding the hotel in Agrigento. We, to this day, marvel at how we found this spot. My wife who copiloted had a few choice words for Umfulana at this juncture of the trip. The hotel was worth the search though, so all is well that ends well.
Jerry, I want to thank you for all the extra work you did in arranging the car with automatic transmission, this worked out well because of my foot and I appreciate it. As for Umfalana, we both feel that you and your company have really done your homework and are of real value. Your itinerary was well paced and well planned, allowing us ample time to explore and relax. We are happy that we engaged your services and would recommend you, (we already have), to anyone.
Randall & Leonora Harris |
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