Dreams do come true!
Our dream began years ago while standing in an art gallery admiring a beautiful painting of a sunlit walkway featuring Lake Como. We fell in love with the painting, brought it home, hung it in our living room and dreamed of someday visiting. Our dream came true this year when we joined the Rick Steves' Best of Italy tour. It was the best decision we could have ever made!
Rick Steves and his team did a extraordinary job of making the tour effortless. Everything from the pre-planning, packing tips, trip details, and even the post trip survey was first class. In reflecting on the trip as a whole, there is not one thing that we would have changed - it was perfect!
So let's get started . . . Our journey started off a bit rocky with flight delays related to weather and mechanical issues, but we finally made it to Italy. While we missed a few days in Milan, we did make it to Varenna in time to meet with our tour guide and the group. After a few days on Lake Como, we were off to the majestic Dolomites where we hiked an alpine meadow. Venice and the Grand Canal was next followed by Tuscan and then Florence. The iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cinque Terre filled the following days. By now we were only half way through our tour and loving every minute of it. Bicycling in Lucca, a stained glass demo in Siena and wine tasting in Umbria were activities we enjoyed before our final stop in Rome. We covered a lot of territory, learned a lot, ate delicious food and made new friends along the way. . . . Here is a little bit about us and then we invite you to join us as we recap our trip. Andiamo!
Rick Steves and his team did a extraordinary job of making the tour effortless. Everything from the pre-planning, packing tips, trip details, and even the post trip survey was first class. In reflecting on the trip as a whole, there is not one thing that we would have changed - it was perfect!
So let's get started . . . Our journey started off a bit rocky with flight delays related to weather and mechanical issues, but we finally made it to Italy. While we missed a few days in Milan, we did make it to Varenna in time to meet with our tour guide and the group. After a few days on Lake Como, we were off to the majestic Dolomites where we hiked an alpine meadow. Venice and the Grand Canal was next followed by Tuscan and then Florence. The iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cinque Terre filled the following days. By now we were only half way through our tour and loving every minute of it. Bicycling in Lucca, a stained glass demo in Siena and wine tasting in Umbria were activities we enjoyed before our final stop in Rome. We covered a lot of territory, learned a lot, ate delicious food and made new friends along the way. . . . Here is a little bit about us and then we invite you to join us as we recap our trip. Andiamo!
Who we are . . . |
Mark & Monika
We are empty-nesters and retired. St. Augustine, Florida is where we call home. Our days are spent strolling along the beach and enjoying America's oldest city. Tour Guide
Meet Alfio, our tour guide extraordinaire! We could not have had a more experienced and knowledgeable guide. He made us feel welcome in his country from the moment we met and kept us enthralled with his wealth of knowledge and other bits of info that only a native can impart. He always made sure we had our maps and knew the location of the hotels. Grazie! Meet the family . . .
18 travelers came together to experience Italy. We met as strangers and left as friends. Our group hailed from all across the USA. Among us were families, couples, friends, and a few single travelers. It was wonderful how we all grew together as a family by the end of our trip! |