[Idyllchat] ? for tenured travelers

[Leigh Hursh]

When we were in Tuscany South, we hired a guide for a half day and went to a cheese farm and organic farm...she drove; she spoke English; and she arranged everything.  She would have done more things if we wanted....Her name is Leslie Smith and her tour name is Taste of Tuscany...the office is in Buenconvento.  It is expensive to use the tour place just to make a hotel reservation (which we did for a hotel near airport in Florence) but I thought the pleasure of the farms was worth whatever the cost was per person (there were three of us). On the organic farm, there is an organization, WOOF, World Organization of Organic Farmers; this particular farm had people who were volunteer workers who had a place to stay and great meals in exchange for their labor.  There were also mini campsites at the farm. At the cheese farm (sheep) there was a tiny wine tasting with the cheese tasting.  I loved that day.   Also Harriet our Untours guide was very helpful...so we went to the Etruscan banquet in Miro which was not far from our place. Our landlady was 'cool" and so she guided me to enjoy a ship in town for a couple of items of clothes that I would never have thought to buy in South Carolina!

Leigh Hursh
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marcia Waffner 
  To: idyllchat at lists.untours.com 
  Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 6:42 AM
  Subject: [Idyllchat] ? for tenured travelers


  Hi
  We're planning our first trip to Italy in the fall. Untours sounds just 'up our alley' since we don't want to be with large groups and on tour buses, however we were wondering if we can hire guides or ask for recommendations from this group on the 'who, what, where and when' of getting around.  Some questions: 1.  is getting from place to place reasonably straightforward   2. are gas stations easy to find  3.  can we hire tour guides on our own and if so, how 4.  is language a huge barrier if our Italian is limited.

  Thanks for any help...
  Marcia


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