TRIP-OF-A-LIFETIME — FIVE STARS!
In planning our seven-week trip through Italy, my wife and I wanted to “slow-travel” as a couple - staying 7-10 days in a single location before moving onto the next province. Fortunately an internet search located a travel agent who was perfect at Italy-SlowTravel.com. Tamara Palinkas proved to be a master in working with local partners in several different Italian provinces from north to south to provide the ideal itinerary.
Our goal was to enjoy local culture and cuisine without feeling rushed to get to the next destination. But it seemed impossible to create a customized trip for just two people through the ‘bigger’ agencies. Tamara took on the challenge by simply listening. During our Zoom calls, she asked about our interests and goals, then used her extensive experience to come up with a suitable plan that met all our objectives and budgets.
It went as smoothly as one could hope for such a lengthy and elaborate schedule. Planes, trains and automobiles (as well as a ferry or two) transported us exactly where and when we planned. There were no glitches.
We stayed in boutique hotels and masserias - away from the big cities (at our request) in Liguria, Toscana, Puglia and Veneto. Drivers and guides took us to unique locales far away from the usual summer crowds. We were often the only non-Italians present.
As for food and wine, we enjoyed cooking classes and great meals in each destination as well as visited a wide variety of fine wineries in each province. It really was fabulous.
And as our trip came to a close in Veneto, Tamara facilitated our visit to the ‘Vatican’ of grappa - Nardini Distillery in Bassano del Grappa. We got a personal tour of Nardini’s 200-year-old original home for distilling grape pomace into a world-class liqueur as well as private tasting of their best grappas.
The highlights are simply too many to list in this review. Suffice it to say that if you’re looking for an amazing trip-of-a-lifetime through Italy, Tamara should be someone you contact to help plan all the details. We’re certainly glad we found her online. Five stars!!!
Frank & Karen
My comment: Dear Karen and Frank! Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback. It was a real pleasure to get to know you and a dream project to organize your slow trip in Italy. Looking forward to meeting you in Canada!
