“The trip you planned for us has been fantastic so far! Thank you for the delicious dinner in Perugia. Joe and I loved meeting you and Matteo and the other guests. It was such a delightful evening. Joe would love to know the name of the Primo we had with Matteo. It was a cheese stuffed pastry with cream sauce all around it. It was especially delicious!
You were certainly correct to encourage us to go on the truffle hunt. We had the most wonderful experience. Severino and his brothers took us to a beautiful woods where we met an American interpreter they had secured to make sure their lack of English did not cause a problem. Her name was Dawn, and she did an excellent job of explaining the truffle growing and hunting processes. The precious little dog, Luna, discovered 203 grams of black truffles during our visit. Then, Dawn and Severino lead us into Citerna for coffee in the main square, and took us on a tour of that beautiful little town. Evidently, we were the only tourists that day, and all the locals spoke to us and smiled making us feel so welcomed. They could tell we were having a marvelous visit, and they seemed very proud. Next, Dawn and Severino took us out to Severino’s farmhouse where we met his lovely wife, Gabriela. For over two hours, Gabriela made us dozens of beautifully presented and delicious accented with truffles. You were certainly current to encourage us to do this experience.
Il Borro was gorgeous, and we enjoyed our tour of Arezzo. The drive over to Poggio Antico was breathtaking! It was starting to rain, so even though it was around eleven and our appointment was for three, we stopped in to ask if we could tag along with another group in hopes of the rain passing over. They graciously allowed us to join a delightful group of fellow Americans who were starting their tour at half past eleven. It was so much fun. They gave us so much wine to drink that Joe and I were concerned about driving over to Pienza as planned. The winery made a lunch reservation at the restaurant adjacent to the winery. It worked out perfectly to eat a delicious meal there and to get some of the effects of the wine out of our heads. We definitely needed food before we drove again.
We are now in Porto Ercole with Jane. We love our small villa with the beautiful views of the mountains and the sea. We are resting up, and readying ourselves to get ready to enjoy the final days of our holiday.
Thank you for our marvellous adventure so far. We will be departing on Saturday to enjoy the remainder of the wonderful trip you have arranged for us. Thank you both so very much!
Joe and Marie”
Marie and Joe Hooks (Dublin, GA) – MAY 2015
Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Piazza Grande, Arezzo, Italy
Aerial View of Montalcino, the City of Brunello Wine, Italy
