The trip in Piemonte exceed my expectations.
The countryside was more beautiful than I could have imagined. This was my fifth trip to Italy and still I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the landscape. We’ve seen vineyards before, but nothing like this. The villages were picture-postcard charming, with their colorful stucco buildings and tiled roofs. It was so nice to leave everything in Bluone’s hands. We had no responsibilities except to sit back, eat, drink, and enjoy.
The highlights of the tour were several: the dinner at Gianni and Graziella’s home was delightful. It felt like a wonderful family dinner. I also loved the visit to the honey place. What lovely people they are. And I’m now addicted to acacia honey! With my need for authentic parmesan cheese and, now, acacia honey, I’ll have to make an annual trip to Italy to stock up!  And, of course, the personalities of Raffaella and Marcello are always the highlights. It’s so wonderful to leave everything  in the capable hands of two such lovely, intelligent, kind, charming, wonderful people. We love you both!

Hi Raffaella, Marcello & Francesca,
 
I wanted to write to thank all of you for the wonderful time we had with you last week.  My mother and I had a great time the entire week with Marchello and all the interesting people he introduced us to in Bologna and the surrounding areas.  The parmesean cheese plant and the herb garden were particularly amazing - we learned so much.  All of the meals were superb - especially the one in your home. 
 
Most importantly, the personal attention that you and your family provide is what made the trip one of the best we've ever been on. It is obvious that you are very well connected in Italy's cooking circles! I hope we're able to stay in touch and be assured I will highly recommend your cooking school to all of my friends who travel and who enjoy cooking.
 
Thank you again for such a wonderful trip, and thanks Francesca for the soap...you are so sweet!!!
 
Have a wonderful summer.

Ciao Marcello & Raffaella,
 
I would like to tell you that when we booked this trip we didn't know what to expect but were so looking forward to it; well it exceeded our expectations. Having and opportunity to see the countryside and experience the wonderful food of the region was a real treat. My friends thought that I would be tried of Italian food when I returned home but it was the opposite I wanted more. Meeting the chefs and having their cuisine and then spending and evening with you and your family and learning how to prepare all of the dishes your family picked out for us was a great ending for our vacation. The herb garden and lunch was a real treat. This has been one of the best vacations Elizabeth and I have ever taken and we will recommend it to everyone who asks about it. Your hospitality and concern for us was appreciated and we will remember it and Bologna for a long time.
Francesca and Tommaso it was a pleasure to meet you both, good luck with your school work and I know that you will both have a bright future.Raffaella I don't know how you could allow so many cooks in your kitchen but you did very graciously and made us feel so welcome, thank you.
We loved the cheese and vinegar factory's and linen business. All in all it was a great trip.
 
Fondly.

Good morning Marcello and Rafaella,
 
Finally I have sat down to write you a note and tell you what a wonderful time Kerry, Spiroula and I  had on our trip to  Italy with you!!
 
Our life is extremely hectic with three little children.  As Canadians we seem to not  enjoy life as Italians do!  We forget to appreciate all the simple good things in life like family, food and wine!  My time in Italy certainly reminded me how to sit and appreciate fabulous food and good conversation.
 
My experience with Bluone is one I have spoken of several times.  I have some tremendous photos I would like to send you.  Marcello, your character and knowledge of food and your region was very appreciated. Rafealla, your planning and arrangements for our tour as well as our additional time spent in Florence and Rome was so helpful, thank you for everything! Our trip was  everything we hoped for.  As we have been friends almost all of our lives we could have probably had fun anywhere but Italy superseded our expectations.  This was truly a trip of a life time.  Our accommodations were superb…  exactly what I was hoping for,  right down to the bicycles with baskets to enjoy for an afternoon through the town.  The families we met,  the restaurants we dined at and the truffle hunting were all highlights, especially the truffle hunting!  I hope you have recovered from your fall Marcello!
 
After my return you will be happy to know that I prepared a traditional ragu for my family and they ate it happily, somehow I think they would have enjoyed it more if they were able to dine with me and you in Helena’s kitchen. I have referred to our cookbook several times and every time I use a recipe I remember my time in Emilia Romania and my efforts are appreciated by my guests. One day maybe my husband and I will return and visit you or do another trip with you.
 
For now, our life in Canada is crazy and full.  We are busy with soccer, baseball and hockey.  Every once in a while my thoughts return to Bologna  and I am swept away for a short while.  Thank you for such a fabulous trip.  Thank you for all the laughs and information and thank you for keeping us entertained!!
 
Ciao, ciao.

Marcello,
Finally a few moments of free time to thank you from the bottom of my heart for an experience I will charish forever.  I was so excited when Miriam informed me what we going to do but I had no idea that I would experience so much culture and beauty.  As we Americans say "It was a blast!!"  So much fun and to share it with my cousins and daughter what more could I ask for (...).
Thank you, thank you for the memories.
Sincerely
 

Dear Marcello,
you created a customized journey that my 4 cousins and I will always remember.  We are still talking about our laughter-filled, educational and unbelievably entertaining moments in beautiful Emilia-Romagna in your company!  While I have traveled to Italy many, many times in the past, and had been to two different cooking schools in the Tuscany region, I was skeptical that anything could compare.  How delighted I was to discover this region!  The simple, delectable foods and warm embrace from the people of this region were a breath of fresh air.  You showed us a part of Italy that I always sought, but could never find on my own.  Most tour companies take you to the “popular” restaurants, wineries, and crowded towns.  Bluone showed us organic herb gardens high in the hills, a master pasta maker in her private home, and a balsamic craftsman who heaped generous tastings of decades-old vinegar on our eager tongues, demonstrating the ancient ways of producing his product.  How delightful this tour was!  The little medieval towns with their castles, streetside merchants and markets still remain in my memory.  This tour was not only a wonderful new experience for me, it was an introduction to Italy for my 4 cousins.  How lucky for them to experience such beauty and the generosity of this region on their first trip to Europe!  Best of all, this experience brought us closer together as a family… something that we could not have experienced through any other tour company.  Congratulations on putting together a fine itinerary that showed us your Emilia-Romagna.  Pantani Vive!

Dear Raffaella & Marcello,
thank you for making our stay with you such a wonderful experience. We had a fantastic time and wonder what we can try next that will be as special as the tour you have created. You give an excellent insight into Italian family cooking and Italian family life. The cooking and some insights into "regular" Italian living high points were the dinner in your home and the evening with Elena. If your goal is to show the cooking of Emilia Romagna and typical Italian life at its best, you have done an outstanding job and there is little we suggest you change. We don't think it would have been as much fun without your (Marcello & Raffaella) participation (i.e. if we had a guide). Molto bene!
We hope to travel with you again in the future. Best wishes and thank you again.
Fondly.

Marcello and Raffaella,
this week has been unforgettable! I could not have imagined a better introduction to the Bologna culture! I will cherish this experience and look forward to returning.

Dear Marcello, Raffaella, and Francesca, what a delightful time Clara and I had in Bologna, thanks to you three! It's hard to believe we have been back home for two weeks!  We are still savoring our experiences with you and also with Elena, Paola, Franco x 2, the parmigiano cheese man, the balsamic vinegar couple, Luigi,and Marco and his wines!
Your introductions to the preparation of pasta and other Bolognese foods; parmigiana, balsamic vinegar, and wine making; truffle hunting; faenza; food marketing; and Dozza and Imola were fantastic! But the high point was the cooking lessons with you two ladies and with Elena!  When we tell our friends that we were actually able to be in your own kitchens learning directly from you they are very envious!! Thank you again for making our Bologna stay so marvelous!!  May you have a lovely spring and summer!

Marcello & Raffaella, thank you s much for making our time in Bologna very special. Your hospitality has made our trip even more memorable.than we ever expected. Allowing us to spend time with your family provided us a heartwarming glimpse into a true Italian life. We would like to keep in touch and hope that if the opportunity arises for you to visit us to extend you the same hospitality.

The Food Lover's Adventure in Bologna will always be at the top of my list
of wonderful holidays. You two are so special and did everything to make
the week one of the best yet. When time permits, I would love to hear from you. To learn more about the herb seeds I bought before Spring planting time. One more big THANK YOU, for a perfect week. Love and Hugs to you both.

Marcello and Raffaella!
Sorry to take so long to write and thank you for our wonderful visit in October!
We had a fabulous time and enjoyed every minute! Finally got the slides together and have been showing them to all our friends.
We have given your name to several people and we hope to return in a year or so (for longer the next time!).
Best Wishes.

Marcello & Raffaella, what a special trip with many wonderful memories! Thank you fro introducing us to your family and for the spaghetti sauce. We will "toast" you for that.Bob, Charles & Marcia and I will always have good memories of you and our great trip.

Paige and I returned yesterday from our FABULOUS holiday with Raffaella in Bologna. I couldn't
imagine that the Tuscany experience could be beat but then I went to Bologna and met
Raffaella!!! From beginning to end everything was perfect.
It was the most wonderful week. We bought so many treasures along the way that we had to buy
a new suitcase to get them all home. It's an experience that I won't soon forget and
will be replayed a thousand times when my days back in the "real world" are too long and difficult.I could write a book of accolades about your tours.
I am already thinking about next years. All I know, I'd like
to do another tour with Marcello and Raffaella. Maybe Umbria??
As always, I am happy to be a reference for any of your prospective clients. It's the least I can do.
Many thanks for all of your efforts and for making the
tour so wonderful.
Best regards.

I first became aware of Bluone through the Fine Living Network television channel. Fine Living was featuring several options for cooking tours of Italy. Some were for professional cooks others were general Italy tours with some cooking classes also.
What struck me about the Bluone tour feature was that it took place in an Italian farmhouse – specifically the home of Maria and Gianni. This is a family that raises it’s own food, makes its own wine and olive oil – it was the story of successful subsistence farming and a richly animated family life. This is what appealed to me – I wanted an off the beaten path experience – not a canned “Italian Encounter”.
I wanted to be included in the every day chatter of Italian living – even if I didn’t understand what was being said!
Marcello and Raffaella Tori, Bluone’s creators, personally tailored the tour to satisfy what I wished to capture in my visit to Italy. Our correspondence prior to my visit helped me develop a confidence that “everything was going to O.K.”. It wasn’t long before I felt like we were long lost friends – and we hadn’t even met!
I took the tour with my brother, John. Raffa greeted us at the airport and from that moment on for the rest of our tour we felt completely safe and well informed about the customs and habits of our host city Bologna and the surrounding villages. Even when we were exploring on our own in our free time we felt protected knowing that we had Marcello and Raffa a phone call away.
What we experienced in the next week is almost beyond description. We visited many small entrepreneurs who are making a go of it in the agri-tourism business. These were not large “tourist traps” that are impersonal and routine. The farmers and artisans were hosting only us, speaking directly to us and revealing the trials and joys that go along with establishing small fledgling businesses. All of the people our guides introduced us to were enthusiastic about their work and showed a genuine love of food and service. Our hands-on cooking sessions reminded me of learning from my mother or grandmother – nurturing and intimate.
We left Italy feeling part of an extended family – exactly the type of experience I had dreamed of….genuine.