“Ciao Matteo –
ok, I now have a moment and wanted to get you what you asked me for.
We had a fantastic trip. this was a gift to my father for his 80th birthday, so it was extremely important to me that I showed him an authentic view of the country, as I have been there many times.
When I found you through zicasso (a service I never even new about), and after we had our initial phone conversation, I had a good feeling that your agency was going to be able to help me get the right experience together… and you did. I was appreciative that you were so patient with me as it was not obvious to me for a while as to which areas we should visit and it all make sense. But I am confident that the one we ended up putting together was the best possible experience, and the trip was an A++. As important as the trip itself was, so too was it important to me to feel I was working with a professional agency and I can honestly say that you exceeded my expectations there. The way info was presented, the follow through along the way, the guides you arranged, the driver for our ride back to the airport, etc etc…and of course the DHL package waiting for us with telephone that allowed us to reach you, use GPS – even call the USA – this was invaluable to us, especially the GPS, and a great touch. You were also so thoughtful to include a gift which was very appreciated.
We absolutely loved Casa Fabbrini, thanks in large part to the hospitality and warmth of Giorgio and Paola who were so wonderful and made all guests feel right at home. What they have created there is quite unique and special and I hope to visit again in a year or so with my wife. Giorgio is of course an incredible cook and we looked forward to his nightly meals, and we really enjoyed dining with the other guests. Every night was a different experience. and I really loved the town of San Casciano dei Bagni. Having seen so many larger hill towns, it was refreshing to be somewhere more authentic and with few to no tourists. We also drove to Città della Pieve for lunch one day and really enjoyed that (first picture below).
(note: Giorgio served a digestif each night – sweet and made with a green heb of some sort – and I would LOVE his recipe!)
ok…we ended up driving to Firenze on day 2 – a long way to go, but too important a city to miss. There we connected with a guide I met 2 years ago – an american living in Firenze – who was just fascinating to listen to. We got a 4 hour immersion into the city’s history and our trip culminated with a visit to see The David. A long day, but one well worth it.
We spent a few hours at Fonteverde spa on day 3. Honestly, I was not as impressed by it as I had hoped. Nevertheless, we had massages and a soak in the thermal pool and it was fine and good for our weary bodies.
The truffle day on day 4 was really fun. Our guide Cecilia was so knowledgeable, so pleasant, and her English was really great which is always helpful. And while the hunt itself was so fun, what really blew us away was the 3 or 4 course meal that was prepared for us in their kitchen (I cant recall the name). What wonderful people, and again so inviting. This was a great day. Afterwards, we went to the antique store of Cecilia’s husband and it was quite an experience. Loved it.
Our time in Rome was also great, and Hotel Lunetta was fantastic – again, another great suggestion by you. I loved the area that the hotel was situated, and I loved the hotel as well, (they gave us their largest room, ample in size for the 2 of us). Our tour guide for the Forum and Colisseum – Santi – he was a perfectly good guide and again, his english was near perfect. We learned a lot from him in the time we spent together. the time went quick as you can imagine.
So…this trip was fantastic – time spent with dad in a country as wonderful as Italy – how can you go wrong?
I really do appreciate the effort you put forth, so a BIG thank you for this. I am happy to recommend you to friends here in the U.S. any time the opportunity presents itself.
Thank you again Matteo. All the best to you and let me know if you need anything further.
Regards”
Barry F. (Chicago, IL) – SEPTEMBER 2015
Italian Landscape
Casa Fabbrini “agriturismo” in Val d’Orcia
Val d’Orcia landscape
Tuscan landscape
Truffle hunting
Truffle Hunting 2
Truffle Hunting 3
Truffle Hunting 4
Truffles
Truffle Cooking Class
Truffle Cooking Class 2
Truffle Cooking Class 3
Truffle Cooking Class 4
Truffle Lunch
Italian Coffee
Roman Style Artichockes
Rome
Rome 2
Rome 3
Colosseum in Rome
