Mark Story's selection of Cynthia Garofalo as our private tour guide in Rome provided us 2 amazing half-day experiences. She accompanied my wife and me as we walked through the recently opened Domus Aurea (Nero's Golden House), the Colosseum, and the Palatine Hill on our first afternoon in Rome. The next morning she was our tour guide through the Vatican Museums. Cynthia's knowledge of Italian history, geography, archaeology, and art is unsurpassed. When she learned we were on our way to Cairo, she frequently pointed out the connections that Rome had with Egypt in ancient times. She is undoubtedly the very best guide we have ever had. We much appreciated her enthusiasm for all things Rome!

We had a wonderful trip with a great, well located hotel, no wasted time, terrific guides & wonderful food. Can't wait to go back!! A very special experience.

This was just a wonderful trip all around. Each day was well balanced between free & organized time. As always, the food & hotels were superior. We saw places & met people that we would have missed in other circumstances. What a treat!

Treasures of Tuscany was a fabulous trip that exceeded all of our expectations. Our hotel in Florence was located in the city center close to many attractions, great restaurants and lots of shopping. The Farmhouse Villa was spectacular with wonderful vistas that will forever live in my mind. It was the perfect combination of relaxation by the pool and exploring nearby towns with a knowledgeable guide who provided great insight into each visit. Breakfast each day was a display of anything you could ask for including freshly squeezed juice. The nightly meals prepared by Chef Walter were excellent. It was like dining in a Michelin Star restaurant every night. His cooking class was so much fun and I have already prepared some delicious roasted potatoes for my family. I am looking forward to preparing fresh pasta as well. We did an extension to the Amalfi Coast where we rented a boat and marveled at the beauty of the sea and the cliffs. It was the perfect finale to a fantastic journey.

This trip was an excellent combination of a stay in Florence with city tour, a couple of days to stroll around the city, do some shopping, have pizza in an outdoor restaurant and enjoy the vitality of the city. We had an excellent Welcome dinner in a fine but authentic restaurant with friendly service. Our hotel location was central and extremely well-located. However, I felt that the management assigned us rooms which were not up to the standard that we expected. They were responsive when Mark questioned them on that, but I felt that they didn't go out of their way unless they were questioned on things. We had to call several times about our television. I have to say that when Mark complained about our room, they moved us to a more acceptable room immediately, but I felt that initially the room was not the Superior room that was booked and described on their website. The breakfast was high quality and well-done while observing COVID precautions. I always felt safe in the hotel and they were very vigilant about hygiene. The villa experience was excellent in every way! The property was very comfortable and that was due, in part, to the fact that we all had our own rooms and en suites. They rooms were overall comfortably appointed and the storage was excellent. Adding a comfortable chair to each bedroom would have made the room more comfortable. This is a farmhouse property, so insects are to be expected and I have to say that I did have to get rid of quite a few every day! The service and care that was provided for us was over-the-top wonderful! That made every minute of our week there so delightful. I can't say enough how hard the whole Journey team worked to provide us with delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, apericenas, beverages and snacks, Welcome Home juices after excursions, chocolates on our pillows, plentiful clean towels. It was a unique experience. I think for several reasons this was the ideal holiday - it was a very small group of guests all of whom knew one another from several trips. It also felt like we were very safe even during COVID since we knew that everyone was vaccinated and we formed our own little bubble. Since Italy has rigid mandates about masks, distancing and testing, I never felt at risk. Observations about the property - I would like a gathering area with more seating space indoors. I think we could have utilized the living room areas in house B for relaxing. There was only one sofa in house A so we were always seated at the table. I have already mentioned that to Mark, but wanted to express it here. The table outside was very nice to gather for beverages, snacks and simple lunches. The pool was beautiful and there were plenty of lounge chairs. It was lovely to be there and look at the amazing scenery. Mark and Pascal were always willing to drive us into Cetona if we wished to go to the village. In my ideal world, I'd like a villa very near a town so that it was easy walking distance. The excursions to Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano and Arezzo were very interesting and enjoyable. Susanna is an engaging and very knowledgeable guide and it was so nice to have the continuity of her throughout the week. The arrival and departure transfers were seamless and it made for a very easy trip. In terms of future villa experiences, I think that the experience is one that lends itself to a group of friends or family as opposed to a group who have never met. I feel that there's not quite enough space for strangers. All it would take is a couple of sitting areas where people can have some separation if desired. That could be either indoors and/or outdoors. Regarding the dining experiences - they were very high quality, everything was delicious and beautifully presented. I did feel compelled to have more courses than I really wished to eat at dinner and I'd like the opportunity in the future to decline a course if I wished. I didn't want to offend our wonderful chef Walter who prepared so beautifully for us and was so kind, thoughtful, warm and friendly. One of the highlights of the week for me was the pasta-making class. I learned so much having such a hands-on experience and it was the most enjoyable and helpful class I've ever taken in Europe. In fact, yesterday I was able to make the pasta at home that Chef taught us how to do! I'm so happy to have had that experience. As with most Americans who are traveling to Europe in 2021, we had a few hoops to go through to get there, but once we were in Italy, the experience was happy, fulfilling and hopeful for a future of travel again. Thank-you so much to Now Journey for the superlative trip!. Jane Meagher