Testimonial:
It is with great pleasure that I write this testimonial on Shahla’s (pre-inaugural) tour of Italy!
In April 2008 I travelled to Europe for the first time. This was a four week holiday which I devoted entirely to Italy. Shahla compiled the itinerary, arranged all the accommodation and guided me through wonderful sights, famous monuments and divine cities at a relaxed pace. We covered a great deal of La Bella Italia, travelling north all the way to Venice and south to Palermo and Agrigento sitting proudly, with rich history, in the delightfully green landscape of Sicily.
My tour started in Rome, where we stayed for a week and soaked up so much of the history of this amazing city.
We visited the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain and other incredible sights previously only known to me through history lessons in school. I was happy to visit the Trevi Fountain over and over again, throwing my coin over my shoulder each time in case it was my last visit.
Testimonial:
It is with great pleasure that I write this testimonial on Shahla’s (pre-inaugural) tour of Italy!
In April 2008 I travelled to Europe for the first time. This was a four week holiday which I devoted entirely to Italy. Shahla compiled the itinerary, arranged all the accommodation and guided me through wonderful sights, famous monuments and divine cities at a relaxed pace. We covered a great deal of La Bella Italia, travelling north all the way to Venice and south to Palermo and Agrigento sitting proudly, with rich history, in the delightfully green landscape of Sicily.
My tour started in Rome, where we stayed for a week and soaked up so much of the history of this amazing city.
We visited the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain and other incredible sights previously only known to me through history lessons in school. I was happy to visit the Trevi Fountain over and over again, throwing my coin over my shoulder each time in case it was my last visit.
We spent time in beautiful piazzas, listening to the art of conversation in Italy, words accompanied by passionate gestures, hands & arms flying in the air, even on mobile phone chats, which ended with the rhythmic sound of a series of ciao ci...ci ci ci ciao ciao ciao...how marvellous!
We also enjoyed the world-famous Italian gastronomy.
From Roman and Tuscan to Venetian and Sicilian local drinks, food and pastries we delighted our taste buds. A treat was going to local markets which were a veritable feast for the eye, the freshest fish, fruit, vegetables and flowers all displayed in endless stalls. Our carefully chosen trios of colourful gelato or enormous waffles with a spread of hot nutella, slathered with ice cream, consumed on the go, became a daily ritual. Be warned, these are not for the fainthearted.
I now carry a little, pale blue, square business card with me wherever I go.
I picked it up at the freshest sandwich place in Rome called Gina, near Piazza Spagna. It is worth going early or even standing in a queue until you get a table, just do not miss out on the food of a lifetime. They will pack you a picnic lunch if you prefer to visit the gardens of Villa Borghese 100m up the hill. Your picnic basket will be filled with delectable fresh food and wine, complete with tablecloth and napkins. My mouth is watering at the memory.
Treat the locals to a little of your less than perfect Italian and they will treat you to their wonderful hospitality.
From the proprietors of the finest delicatessens in the back streets of Rome to well known pizzarias in Naples, we sampled the best. You could travel the whole of Italy looking for the most delicious pizza, or you could follow Shahla to Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Napoli, the birthplace of pizza, as I did.
I had difficulty in coffee shops because I drink hot water. The local Italians could not cope with someone who did not drink coffee, and my order of acqua bollente with a kiwi accent was never quite understood - Shahla came to the rescue. Her Italian also saved the day in railway stations, when there were often last minute changes to the departure platforms, announced only in Italian.
You must choose a guide carefully when travelling in Italy, one who agrees you should always take time to get lost and discover new delights especially in Venice as we did.
We asked locals for directions and they tried to be helpful even when they did not know the address. A common answer was ‘Cinquanta metri a destra/a sinistra (50 meters to the right or to the left)’, this never worked for us, but trust me, it added to the excitement of getting lost in Venice.
Florence gave me the opportunity to discover ‘David’ and ‘Neptune’, to visit Uffizi Gallery and wander through the cobbled streets, lined with designer stores. We window shopped, then went back to the best of the stores to fill my suitcase with colourful silks, shoes, handbags and souvenirs you have only dreamt of. For being the best shopping partner Shahla, mille grazie!
From our comfortable base at Pensione Linda in Sorrento, we walked 5 minutes to the main street and wandered the colourful shops, bars and trattorias. We delighted in the smells of the orange and lemon trees that were planted in every nook and cranny in back and front yards everywhere.
One morning we decided to walk 10mins to the bay and catch the Hydrofoil to the Isle of Capri. Shahla’s quick thinking and perfect Italian got us on the first available ferry while hoards of people were destined to stand and wait another 45 minutes.
In Capri, from the Marina Piccola, the chairlift took us up to a lookout where we enjoyed stunning views over the Gulf of Naples. We window shopped some of the most expensive and exquisite shops I have ever seen.
The lemoncello from this area is a must to try, we could not resist and some found its way back to New Zealand.
The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana, is a stretch of coastline that will astound you.
We caught the tour bus from Sorrento to Positano. The cliff side roads are narrow and steep in places and the fast driving bus drivers toot their horns continuously until they are safely around blind corners! The smiles never left our faces; we were experiencing a little bit of heaven and laughing all the way. The towns lying on the Amalfi Coast tumble down mountainsides to the blue ocean below and are exquisite. Positano was a divine example of these cliff face towns. We left the bus and strolled from the main road at the top to the beach at the bottom, winding through colourful lanes and down steps and narrow paths until our feet touched the white sand. We relaxed in the bar with cool drinks before continuing our journey through shops and eventually back to the main road.
We boarded another tour bus for Ravello. Perched high on the cliffs above Amalfi, Ravello is famous for its yearly music festival and classical music concerts. It has an impressive cathedral in Piazza Duomo where people from all over the world travel to get married or to honeymoon. We had an
American bride to be and her groom on board, so were treated to a taste of their excitement. During our visit a heavy fog settled in, but the charm and serenity still shone through.
My trip to Italy was perfect.
I attribute that to Shahla’s expert organization, attention to detail and her flexible approach. It was a fun and relaxing holiday, meeting and sharing time with local Italian people and really getting a feel for life in Italy. Our daily programme could be altered to allow us to enjoy the unexpected, be it a great entertainer in a charming piazza, a wedding ceremony in a glorious church or an inviting pasticceria in a little hidden away alley. We never missed an opportunity offered at short notice.
Shahla, you won the hearts of the Italian people we met and enthusiastically shared your love of Italy with me. I truly wish I could accompany you on your inaugural tour with ‘Women Tour Italy’ in 2009.
Tanti auguri, I migliori auguri