Reviews

“Carlo,

We wanted to thank you so much for the wonderful tour you provided our group (Cheryl & I, my mother and father and my two sisters) in October. As you know we were limited to only 1 ½ days in Rome since we were scheduled to depart on a two week cruise. We saw much more than we ever thought possible in such a short period of time, but we never felt rushed. You provided a wonderful tour of Rome and the Vatican.

We especially enjoyed your recommended early morning tour of the Vatican Library and the Sistine Chapel. What a treat! Our group was alone in the Sistine Chapel for 45 minutes, which allowed you to provide a wonderful commentary on all of the beautiful art displayed on the ceiling and walls. By the time the crowd began to enter the chapel, we were ready to continue the tour elsewhere. We were also amazed by how close you positioned us to view the pope as his motorcade wound its way through the large crowd in St. Peter’s Square. That close proximity allowed me to take the great photo of the pope that I sent you earlier.

Of course we also thoroughly enjoyed all of the other sites we visited with you during our brief visit to Rome. We were pleasantly surprised to find how close your driver was able to deliver us near each venue visited. This helped enormously since my mother was in a weakened state at the time. That accommodation, plus your rental of a wheelchair to be used for her as necessary, made this tour of Rome possible.

We have spoken of our trip to Rome often since October and Cheryl and I hope to return to Rome again someday and see more the sites in and near the city with you as our guide.

Based on our very positive experience, we have also passed your name along to others who may be visiting Rome.

Once again, thanks for making our trip to Rome so memorable for all of us, especially my parents, since it was a dream of theirs to visit Rome and see the main sites, especially the Vatican, St. Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel.”

Dennis & Cheryl Devereux

“Carlo – Thanks for a great experience!

We have traveled extensively over a period of more than 40 years, and we have had many fine guides, but we have never had a guide who was more knowledgeable or provided us with a better experience than you did.

Bravo!”

Phil & Sylvia Spertus

Carlo,

A belated, but nonetheless most sincere, “Thank You” for making our two days in Rome so special.  Our expectations were surpassed beyond measure.  As you know, this was my fourth trip to Rome.  But never, until I was under your guidance last weekend, had I ever felt the pulse of this most exciting and vibrant city.

Every single thing was just PERFECT:  from arranging for your trusted driver to meet us promptly at shipside in Civitavecchia in a van for all our heavy luggage, to the very special ‘handicapped’ Vatican tour, to each of our wonderful lunch stops, to your wonderful and exciting history lessons overlooking the old Roman Forum from high, to the spectacular city view from the  park with the booming noon cannon, to the highlights of the Borghese Galleries, and everything in between, it was just marvelous.  Jim, of course, was especially thrilled – as were we all – with the visit to the little chapel outside the walls and the story of St. Peter asking Christ, “Domine, quo vadis?”

In two weeks of cruising from Denmark to Rome we stopped at 12 ports.  Yet both Peg and I have talked about almost nothing else since we returned home except what a wonderful time we had in Rome.  So mere words fail me in expressing our thanks.  Please never hesitate to use our names for reference to any of your prospective clients.  I have already told my partner about your services since he is planning an Italian holiday this fall.   I also gave your name and email address to my travel agent in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The hotel pick-up arrangements the next morning worked perfectly and your driver got us to Da Vinci in good time.  Our flights home were uneventful until the last ten minutes when the pilot told us we had been diverted to Los Angeles instead of San Diego because fog had closed the airport in San Diego.  So we ended up having to be driven home by coach down the coast, finally arriving about 3 am.  But so it goes.

Be assured that you have not seen the last of us.  We will return.  We look forward to our next trip and to learning more and seeing more of your marvelous city.

Warmest best regards,
Bob and Peggy Miller

San Diego, CA

“We discovered him through our travel agent initially, then returned to Rome several months later and hired him again.  We saw and did more in two days with Carlo than we could have done alone in a week.  He is extremely knowledgeable, very proud to be a genuine “Roman”, very personable, very flexible (what would YOU like to do?), but very helpful (here’s what I would suggest).  He’s not cheap, and when we got there we thought we would keep him for, say, 3 hours.  We ended up keeping him for two full days, and enjoyed every minute of it.  He was reared in Texas and graduated from college there.  As you can guess, he is very fluent in English, and has become our good friend.  His mother is also a very prominent Tour Guide, and the two of them have got to be at the top of their profession.  Carlo has contacts everywhere in Italy, and he can help you with other arrangements in other areas if you wish.  E.g., he helped us secure a Villa in the Tuscany area, he secured for us an excellent guide in Naples/Pompeii, and another in Capri.   He’s a great guy, and worth every penny/lira.  If you miss Carlo, you have missed Rome!”

Grady Clinkscales Jr., M.D. 
Atlanta, GA

Carlo,

After our experience with your Rome Guide Services, Amy and I felt as if we had been given special passage to the secrets of Rome by a guide and driver who seemed more like family members than people we had hired.

When our train arrived in Rome, our guide was waiting at the end of the tracks where she welcomed us with a warm Italian smile. Our driver, who was waiting just outside the station, showed us another uniquely warm smile and immediately took our bags. In an instant we began a day that we will talk about forever . . . and certainly never forget.

Even as we were on the way to our pre-arranged entry to the Vatican, there was no wasted time as we traveled the streets of Rome. Our guide pointed out important landmarks and points of interest all along the way. Throughout the day, she constantly monitored our needs and personal interests to insure that we were seeing and doing exactly what we wanted to see and do. Not one minute of our day was wasted. Rather, we saw and did far more than we would have if on our own.

The next day when we did explore Rome on our own, we felt extremely comfortable and knew exactly where we were and where we were going because of the time our guide had taken to orient us to the city. Strangely, we felt very much at home in your magnificent city.

As a result of our incredible experience with your attentiveness and services, we have already referred you and Rome Guide Services to some of our closest friends. Thank you for unlocking the beauty and secrets of Rome in a very special way.

Please feel welcomed to refer us to anyone who may have questions about your services.

Warm regards from Atlanta,
Tom and Amy Ross

Atlanta, GA

“From the very first email we received from her, Ludovica Giuriati’s energy and enthusiasm about our visit to Rome was palpable.  We were first time visitors to Italy and Rome was our first stop. We were anxious to experience as much as possible without killing ourselves and overloading our senses. What resulted from our day and a half with Ludovica was an amalgam of awe, inspiration and sheer joy.  At the outset we expressed a desire to tour ancient Rome, the Vatican including St. Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel as well as the museum, and the Borghese museum.  We accepted on faith  Ludovica’s suggestion that we hire a car and driver to maximize the efficiency of getting around a busy city.  Money very well spent and an integral factor in the success of the touring.

Ludovica met us in our hotel lobby promptly the first day and we began our touring at the Sistine Chapel.   Ludovica had purchased our tickets in advance. Ludovica’s knowledge of the Sistine Chapel goes deep and notwithstanding my prior reading, her insights greatly enhanced our experience.   I requested a tour of certain sculpture and though it was not on her immediate agenda, Ludovica was able to work it in and do a fine job of educating us on them. Throughout our time together, Ludovica was very respectful of my photography and actually helped me get positioned when sites were crowded.  She is not shy.

Next we were off to the Forum, the Capitol and the Colosseum.  Her knowledge of the architecture and history goes deep as well and helped us put in proper context a lot of random information we had stored from school and movies.  Her pride in her city is always in evidence.  She welcomes dialogue and questions and the interpersonal dynamic was suffused with humor and lots of laughing.  Ludovica suggested for lunch a wonderful “mom and pop” or “grandma and grandpa” restaurant (depending on your age)  where the kitchen was roughly the same size as the dining room which felt like their own  house.  The walls had their son’s and granddaughter’s pictures all around.  Beautiful fresh abundant food, wonderful hosts who made us feel like family.

After lunch we toured St. Peter’s Basilica from the engineering to the architecture to the artwork to the history of Roman Catholicism.  Ludovica never missed a beat and her energy never flagged even though we began at 7:30 am and it was now going on 5:00 pm.

The next morning Ludovica and our driver picked us up at our hotel and we were off to the Borghese museum to see what I was most looking forward to, the Bernini sculptures.  Pure enchantment– and Ludovica knew the mythology behind them and told us the stories with passion.  She also escorted us to important paintings on the upper floors and was fully versed in the context of their creation and the biographies of the artists.  One thing to mention here is that Ludovica is excellent on timing the visits against the crowd.  She reserved the museum tickets in advance for us as well and moved us around so that we were viewing things with little if any crowding.

It was a Wednesday and Ludovica made sure we made it to St. Peter’s next to see the Pope when he makes a public appearance and gives a blessing.  It was very moving.   Another thing to mention here is that wherever we went–and I mean wherever–Ludovica knew the people at the desks, security personnel, store owners, other guides, Romans in the street.  It was like being with the mayor of Rome.  The faces of everyone we met lit up when they saw Ludovica and it is not hard to figure out why.

Next we went a bit out of the center of the city to visit the Catacombs at Domitilla.   I hadn’t known anything about them in advance and was fascinated by her description of their genesis.  My respect for the ancient Romans was greatly enhanced, too.  Although we didn’t walk around  the Baths of Caracalla, Ludovica gave a good description of them while we stopped for a bit alongside in the car.   We visited the vast expanse of the Circus Maximus and Ludovica helped us to appreciate what had been there in ancient Rome and why it was now all gone.

We ended our guided touring at the Pantheon.  We spent a good amount of time there and Ludovica gave us powerful insights into the engineering and sheer force of manpower that went into its creation.

It was very tough to say arrivederci to Ludovica (and to our car and driver!).  We cannot say enough good things about her and and our experiences with her in Rome to do her justice.  She is one of a kind and we feel richer for knowing her.”

Caroline and Bruce Mellusi

New York, NY

“Carlo, you and your splendid tour services (including your driver and his elegant hired car) for our time in Rome had to be the very best part of the trip. Until one gets there it’s hard to imagine the number of tourists and the wasted time consumed in getting around in the crowds, jammed into traffic, or waiting for taxis. You certainly had your program plan in view and did a great job of squeezing a lot into a short two days, without making it ever seem rushed, and always making it interesting.”

Don McLane

Atlanta, GA

“Any member of the generation commonly referred to as “Baby Boomers” grew up on a steady diet of Saturday morning cartoons.  These preceded the current Japanese inspired techno-animation productions filled with their odd mix of sci-fi appearance, not a small amount of violence, and a preachy theme of heroic values all calculated to sell a line of products and grow into a feature film.  The Saturday morning cartoons to which Boomers refer were really all about fun.  Among those programs that endure in our collective memories was the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” featuring a series of regular characters anchored by the improbable duo of a flying squirrel and a moose. Their main antagonists were a husband and wife team of Russian spies, Boris and Natasha.  It was, after all, the middle of the cold war, and someone had to make light of the nuclear threat that seemed to hang over us all.

Among the vignettes flickering before our bowls of Cheerios were Dudley Dooright of the R.C.M.P., Captain Wrongway Peachfuzz, a regular recitation of Fractured Fairytales, and a beagle-like dog named Mr. Peabody who, along with his boy Sherman, led us through Peabody’s Improbable History.  Using a machine that spoofed the room-sized computers of the day, Peabody could set a date and location on the Wayback Machine and be transported with Sherman to see firsthand how things really were.  On a Mediterranean cruise last summer, our ship, the Silver Wind, docked for one day at Civitavecchia, the port city 60 miles from Rome.  Through the services of an almost magical guide named Carlo Papini and our driver, Alessandro, with his shrinking Mercedes which could fit through just about any tight space, we compressed the centuries and toured 3,000 years in 10 hours!   We used Carlo’s Wayback Machine to cover the Eternal City from top to bottom, origins to present.

Carlo has an interesting history which makes him and his mother, Ludovica, a secret weapon for us visitors to Rome from Fort Worth.  They lived in Fort Worth and Carlo attended our children’s school.  He then graduated from the University of Texas.  While he owns ski shops in Red River, New Mexico, and Amarillo, he spends most of his time in Rome as a guide, following his mother’s lead, teaching travelers about his noble Roman ancestors.  And guide he does!  Our day with Carlo may be the most efficient day of touring I have ever spent.

Such an overwhelming city as Rome could not be approached in such a short time in any other way.  We saw most of the places everyone expects to see from the Roman Forum to the Catacombs beneath the church of San Sebastian.  We had lunch in the shadow of the Four Rivers Fountain on the Piazza Navona, its oval shape derived from the underlying Circus Domitian.  It seemed that every square in this city was beautified by a fountain by Bernini and every important building was conceived or executed by Michelangelo.  Alejandro, with a wink and a wave to the police, drove the Mercedes through the barriers and the pedestrian crowds of the Via Condotti to the Spanish Steps covered with tourists like so many pigeons next to the apartments once shared by John Keats and Percy Shelley.  We threw our customary coins into the Trevi Fountain.  As a tribute to our daughter’s prior visit to Rome, we had our pictures made in front of the “Drunken Ship,” a bar in the Campo di Fiori which is the unofficial headquarters for American college students visiting Rome.  The magnificent Vatican was toured rather later in the afternoon when most of the bus tours had already passed through.  Whether explicating the paintings in the Sistine Chapel, all so familiar yet exotically foreign, or arranging access to a vaulted area to view the Vatican treasury, Carlo multiplied our understanding in ways that would have been otherwise impossible to gain.

Through the Wayback Machine, we experienced some unique perspectives worth sharing.  Starting on the Capitoline Hill behind Michelangelo’s grand piazza and the center of Rome during the Renaissance, the Campidoglio, we gazed across the Forum and learned how the Church whose zealots destroyed most of the vestiges of pagan Rome accidentally preserved much of what is left to us today.

In their search for good foundations, the stones of partially covered Roman temples and buildings served earlier Christians well so that many chapels were built right on top preserving the artifacts below.  After excavation, many of these churches are now high and dry like ornaments atop the massive colonnades.  The area of the Forum was originally a mosquito infested swamp in the Tiber River flood plain.  This then was an early land reclamation project in which the swamp was drained and maintained by a sophisticated system of sewers.  Not wanting to waste these structures and having lots of prisoners to deal with as the armies of Rome conquered the known world, the sewers doubled as holding prisons and dungeons for the vanquished awaiting their ultimate fate, perhaps down the street at the Coliseum.

We were transported back to the first century as we descended into the sewer-dungeon where Simon Peter and Paul were held prisoner for preaching their heretical new Christian religion, threatening the position of the god-king Roman Caesar.  A list of many prisoners who met their demise in this sad but now holy place is posted above the pillar where the two saints were chained. The various methods of dispatch are chronicled including beheading, crucifixion, and, my personal favorite, “left to rot.”  As the story goes, the two disciples were terrific preachers.  They converted their jailers to Christianity and they released them.  The jailers were promptly made Christian martyrs themselves for their deed.  Like a chase scene in a cowboy movie, Peter and Paul split up to confuse the pursuit.  Paul beat it to the east to the Adriatic coast for an escape to Asia minor.  Peter went south down the Appian Way, and so did we.

We passed through the old city wall at the San Sebastian Gate and proceeded down the Appian Way to the very spot where Peter’s egress was halted when he encountered Christ heading toward Rome.  This prompted the famous question, “Quo vadis?”  Christ’s reply that he was going to Rome to be crucified signaled Peter’s obligation to return.  The stones of the Appian Way testified to this meeting since the footprints of Jesus were left impressed in the granite pavers.  As was the Catholic church’s custom when such a miracle was encountered, a chapel was erected over this site in the original the roadway.  Commonly known as the “Quo Vadis Chapel,” the “actual” footprints have been removed to another church and replaced here with facsimiles.  Therefore, we renamed it “The Little Chapel of the Fake Footprints.”
There is a place on another of Rome’s hills where the territory of four separate nations can be seen.  Occupying this high spot in Rome are the Fourtain Embassy and the headquarters of the Knights of Malta, each a sovereign extension of their respective countries.  The great wooden door of the Maltese palazzo is secured with an ancient lock which accepts a key with a diameter as large as a thumb.  Putting an eye to the keyhole, one can see a beautifully sculpted  garden with a crushed stone path.  At the perimeter of the garden, the path leads to a hedge pruned into a perfect arch.  This provides a frame for Michelangelo’s dome of St. Peter’s Church centered in the distance at the Vatican, the fourth sovereign land in sight.

One of the most moving sites not commonly anticipated on a tour of Rome was the “Fosse Adreatine.”  Transported forward to the twentieth century in the Wayback, we entered a solemn memorial to martyrs of the second world war.  In 1943, the Italians attempted to withdraw from the Axis Alliance which led to the German occupation of Rome.  Sixteen resistance fighters ambushed a German column and killed thirty-three Nazi soldiers.  So enraged was Hitler that he ordered ten Romans executed for each German life lost.  Three hundred thirty- five Roman citizens were brought to these tuffa caves, machine gunned, then buried as the caves were exploded hoping to cover evidence of the deed.  Eventually excavated, the corpses were recovered and laid to rest in a mausoleum built on the site and the caves restored as a memorial to these victims and to the Jewish victims of the Nazi holocaust.  This is truly modern Holy Ground.

_ The Wayback Machine sped us back to the time of the crusades as we visited the Truth Stone (Bocca della Verita) resting on the porch of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin not far from St. Paul’s beautiful cathedral.  A large, tan, disk-shaped stone, 6-8 feet in diameter and several inches thick, a frightening, surrealistic face has been cut out or eroded out of its center like a giant Halloween pumpkin.  The mouth is just large enough that a hand can pass through it.  Made famous to many Americans in the 1950’s movie, “A Roman Holiday,” it is said that if one tells a lie while the hand is in its mouth, the hand will be bitten off.  Crusaders commonly used this technique to test the fidelity of their wives as they returned from crusades in the Holy Lands of the Middle East.  It is less clear if any of the crusaders themselves were thus tested.
At the Vatican, preparations were bustling everywhere for the coming Jubilee Holy Year, an event which is now celebrated every twenty-five years.  Absolution can be obtained through acts of penitence which include passing through special doors which remain plastered over in the interim at Rome’s four major basilicas, St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Giovanni in Laterno.  In the Vatican treasury, the ceremonial picks the Popes used to break the doors open and the trowels to plaster them closed from each of the previous Jubilees can be viewed, each with its rich compliment of walnut sized jewels.  A jeweled pick or a perhaps an electric cattle prod may be needed to get through the expected crowds next year.  The Vatican has built underground parking to accommodate 1,100 buses that will bring the extra twenty million pilgrims expected next year.

Our heads were spinning as we were transported back to the coast and the late twentieth century in the gathering dusk.  We were exhausted by the sheer volume of the day, feeling that fatigue known only to us time travelers who have felt the strain of space-time compression.  We must go back to fill in for ourselves some of the richness possessed by this ancient city at a more leisurely pace.  But, what a first day!  We were the envy of our shipmates after our “Rome in a Day” tour with Carlo and his Wayback Machine.”

Dan Johnson 
Ft Worth, TX

“Our day with you was a truly memorable experience for the entire family, and far and away the highlight of our two week stay in Italy. Your ability to infuse us with your knowledge of civilization, politics, history, religion, culture and art was remarkable.  I’m particularly grateful for the constant sensitivity and caring that you extended to each member of my family, and I feel truly fortunate to have shared the day with you. I don’t know when we’ll be back, but we certainly will let you know when we return. It should be obvious from this note that we will continue to recommend you to our friends traveling to Rome.”

Henry M. Kuller 

Philadelphia, PA

“Our day in Rome was for sure the best day of our entire cruise. Everything you did for us, and all the places and sites you showed us made it a great day. I continue to be amazed at all we were able to see in just a few hours. Please feel free to give anyone our name and e-mail address if they are looking for recommendations about you and your services. Again, thanks for all you did for us.”

Nancy & Doug Dixon

“Hi Flaminia,

We are back now and in our “re-entry” mode. After reflecting even just a little bit, I think we all agreed that our time with you was the highlight of our whole trip.

We had a great time and Tim, Lisa, Lorrie and I talked all day today about how we missed having you with us. You taught us a lot and made it fun.

You SO enhanced our enjoyment of the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican, St. Pauls, the Coliseum, etc., etc. When we went to see the St. Theresa statue after being with you, we were standing in the back of the church and Greg turned to me and said, “I miss her already!”

So Flaminia, thank you and thank you. We will forever be grateful for the way you showed us Rome.

All our best!

xo”

Lorrie Forgatch

“Carlo and Giulia,

First please accept my apologies for being SO late in writing to thank you both for making our trip to Rome one we will never forget. Our group had an unbelievable time due to both of you. I am still reading through some of the books we bought on Rome and the Vatican and my new favorite channel on TV has been the history channel and anything to do with Italy.

You guys both did an unbelievable job explaining things to us and making sure we saw the right things. There is no doubt that we will be back. My adult children (ages 24 and 26) are already trying to get us to plan a “family” trip back to Italy. We define a “family” trip as one that Dad pays for.

Again thanks for everything and I have a co-worker that has younger children, ages 9 and 12 that are planning a trip this August and will be reaching out to you to check on your availability.”

Kevin Brown

Cornelius, NC

“Ludovica,
Thank you so much for helping us have a wonderful vacation. Everything was great. Flaminia was a wealth of information for the question asking husbands. I hope they didn’t bother her too much!!! Having the tours in Rome made Rome come alive to me. I had been there once before and thought I “saw it”. Having Flaminia and the driver was seeing Rome in a whole different way!!! The Sistine Chapel tour was worth every penny. As was the trip to Pompeii and Sorrento. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!

We were also very pleased with all the hotels. One was better than the other!! Our hotel in Rome was great. Great location–spacious rooms. Then we were on to Siena–that was the favorite of the men. They liked staying in an old palace. The grounds were beautiful, as well as the rooms. We had a wonderful view of the hills. Our hotel in Florence was equally as great. Again, a great location. We could see the Piazza della Signora from our room. And the breakfast in the morning was great. They were all clean, large rooms and we thank you for your help in getting these rooms for us.

The car rental could not have gone easier. What a deal!!! The car was great and it was nice getting driven out of Rome. We had so much fun driving around Italy. Saw the countryside as you can only see with a car. We did end up taking your advice and going to Orvieto. I think it was all of ours favorite little town. Thanks for your recommendation to go there.

I will recommend you to any of our friends who are traveling Italy. At first the men were a bit skeptical about having a tour guide. They said only in Rome–did not want a guide anywhere else. After our wonderful experience in Rome they were all sorry that we did not arrange a guide in Florence!!! Flaminia did good–she also gave us some great restaurant suggestions.

Again, thank you so much for everything. You have been so accommodating to us.”

Doris Fanoe 

“This summer we went to Rome. Yes Rome! All our friends told us not to go; “It’s just another big city”, “You’ll never find your way around”, ”The traffic is horrific”, and on and on. But we were coerced. My parents felt like this would be their last trip to Italy and Rome was the one place that they had missed in their many sojourns.

So we went.

Luck or divine providence interceded and we were introduced to Ludovica through the Internet. From the very first e-mail we knew she was special: witty, crazy- just right for our family. What we didn’t know was what a rare and remarkable women she really is. Forget your mental image of a tour guide. Ludovica is a treasure. She is a professor, numismatist, antiquities expert, storyteller, researcher, and totally connected Rome “insider”. From the moment that you put yourself in her hands you have but to sit back and relax as Ludovica spins her magic and Rome unfolds before you. She made the city come alive for us; weaving the present and the past into a beautiful tapestry of a wonderfully rich and generous people. We felt not merely welcomed but at home. In addition to the historic sites, museums, and galleries we were treated to a “local’s only” perspective that included small, quaint, and oh so delicious family restaurants as well as the best shops and out of the way places. And as for the normal tourist sites… don’t even bother to go without Ludovica. She knows every back door and insiders scoop on what to see and when to see them. While swarms of tourist waited in a two-hour line outside the Sistine Chapel our family was whisked effortlessly into the empty chapel to experience it much the way Michelangelo would have- quietly, reverently. It was a moment that will forever be emblazoned in our minds. That is what Ludovica is all about; the special moments that will be part of your life not just part of your scrapbook.

As to the traffic… Well all our friends were right. Leave that part to Ludovica.

As to Rome… We’ll never go to Italy without visiting. And we’ll never visit without Ludovica at our side.”

Dr. Raymond and Paula Parker

Raleigh, NC

“We just want you to know how very much we enjoyed our time in Rome…We feel fortunate to have had you lead us through the complicated morass of Rome’s political history, the role of the church and the lives of the Romans for centuries. You made wonderful memories for us that we will cherish.We thoroughly enjoyed every minute with you!!!!!”  

– Syndey Stevens

Ludovica,

This is a long overdue thank you for the INCREDIBLE tour you gave us of Rome. I have been meaning to write you for some time but we were at the beach most of the summer and then doing some remodeling of our office so computer was shutdown. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your patience with us and our jet lagged children but it was an invaluable experience for all of us. We learned and saw so much in such a short period of time. I am not certain if you actually hear back from people you have guided but figured you might enjoy knowing that your name is a household word around here. Matthew, our little one, can recite many details about Rome just on hearing your name mentioned. They all returned and gave great details to my mother, an avid art collector, about Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s, etc. Our daughter Madeline is studying Rome this year in school and her teacher was also in Rome this summer so I know she will share her brain full of knowledge about Rome. My friends the Dewells also raved about you so again thanks. Please let us know if you are ever in the Santa Barbara area so we can show you our wine country.

Many thanks again.

Love,

Kate, Adam, Nick, Maddie and Matthew Firestone

Santa Barbara, CA