Our trip was amazing! We enjoyed every moment of it. The weather was perfect this time of year and all of our flights and transfers were on time, professional as well as courteous. All of our dinner reservations were ready for us when we arrived. We started in Venice, where we had a food tour by a local, Francesco. He took us to some cool off the beaten path places where we sampled things like sardines, horse meat, and a spritz cocktail. It was special to have someoa local personne who knew the streets and food so well. The Gondola ride was fun and a must for any first time visitors or couples looking for romance. Next we were off to Florence. Our guide had a mix up with the schedule so we were sent a different guide. Again she was local and had an incredible appreciation for art and culture that she shared with us. She pointed out all the unique details of the art she was showing us and had us both totally capitvated. The David was stunning. We continued the next day to Tuscany wine country. Our bus tour was okay. The first winery he took us was really nice. We had a sit down tasting with a little bit of cheese, meat and bread. The winemaker who gave us the tasting had us all charmed. We then went to two other smaller towns but were at each one for no more thatn 20-30 minutes. It kind of felt rushed. We definetley plan to return to Tuscany. The last day we did a cooking class. My husband won the best chef of the day award! We learned how to make pasta, bolognese, and tiramisu. It was so much fun. Our final stop was in Rome. The Vatican tour was nice and our guide was just Ok. There is so much to see and so crowded it was a litle overwhelming. But again it was a must see. The sistine chapel was beautiful and so glad we got to experience such great art in person. The next day we went to the Collosieum. Our guide was outstanding. He is an archaeologist and knew so much about the history of everything we were taking in. He truly made that a memorable experience. Our last day in Rome was spent with the walking food tour. Once again our guide was outstanding. She was a native American but spoke fluent Italian and her love for Italy shined through. She took us to some secret spots, including an old historic pharmacy that has been closed to the public, and a old wine cellar from the days before the Collosieum, and we met several locals who have been running their shops for decades. They all welcomed us with warmth and amazing food. In closing all of the food we had was delicious and unique. We learned a lot about the art, history, food, and culture of Italy. We can’t wait to go back. We will definitely use Cultural Italy again. Thank you so much to Alessia for putting this trip together. My husband and I will treasure our time spent there forever.
