Everything was great….except for the WTC tragedy.
Marcello was tireless as we were entertained with stories or we napped in the van between espresso, gelato, cheese, lunch, herbs, attractions, dinner etc. We were on the go from 8am to 11pm every day. The Italians sure know how to talk and eat. Wouldn’t change anything and Marcello accommodated all of our personal requests (Ferrari museum, pottery and mushrooms). Raffaella and all of the chefs were enthusiastic and fun to work with. Being with the Italia people certainly gave us a more memorable and rewarding experience compared to the 5 star hotel environment we experienced the week before we hooked up with Marcello and Raffaella.
This was the first tour Judy and I have done in 22 years….so I was a Little apprehensive. That is why I kept my car….in case we wanted to sneak off on our own. No need….everything was beyond expectations.

Dear Marcello and Raffaella
Here we are back in Gaborone - but I think our hearts have been left behind in Italy!!!

You both made our trip so special & memorable. It was impossible not to fall in love with Emilia Romagna. I know that I'll always look back on our time in Emilia Romagna as one of my best vacations ever. Please, keep in touch and remember that if you make a trip to the USA, you've already got a network of friends here who would love to show you the same hospitality you showed to all of us.

I just cannot thank you enogh for a wonderful time. You are both sooo special and worked so hard for us.
Our tour guides were the best, many times going beyond the call of duty to give us anything we could possible need or want.
Accommodations were soooo comfortable, lovely inn in a small town.
We saw so much: parmesan cheese making and aging, olive oil that comes out of a tiled wall, truffle hunting dogs, pasta making workshops with wonderful chefs, balsamic vinegar that is like syrup, aged 25 years it is actually served on ice cream! Then beautiful villas, farms, Italian ceramics, mosaics, art and cathedrals and much more!

Dear Raffaella and Marcello,
What a wonderful week! We loved meeting your friends – Franco, Luigi, Nicola and Maria Grazia. We truly enjoyed spending time with your family… you have lovely children! And, most of all we loved cooking, eating and seeing your beloved Emilia Romagna through your eyes. Thank you too for taking such a good care of us.

What we liked the most about our itinerary was that we were able to do the things that interested us the most and was flexible enough to change when Marcello gave us his suggestions (which always turned out great!).
Our favorite was having the opportunity to meet Marcello and Raffaella's family and have lunch in their home--a very special treat for all. Gail and I had a wonderful time helping Raffaella with the lunch--we told her that she should offer cooking lessons in her home!
The hotel staff was most accommodating--breakfasts were good and they went out of their way to provide breakfast when we had to leave earlier than their appointed breakfast hour. Marcello was most accommodating in meeting all our needs and provided excellent suggestions as to other things we might want to see and do. He was most enjoyable to be with. He and Raffaella were excellent tour directors. We would heartily recommend them and have to our friends.
We enjoyed the "hands on" cooking lessons. Things we could and would do at home!
…those little secrets that make a difference in good and great.
What we liked the most about the meals was that we had the opportunity to try things that we had not fixed before. For example, we had an excellent lesson about truffles and mushrooms--learned what we liked or didn't like about them. Learning how easily one can prepare an excellent meal was valuable. All the restaurants did an excellent job but the favorite was the lesson with Nicola.
The trip to the spa was the perfect ending! Everyone enjoyed the experience!
Our trip was a terrific and one we would recommend to our friends. Because we were independent in our transportation (since we've lived in Europe we had no qualms about driving there) I think we were afforded a more versatile schedule than if we had not. You may use our comments for publicity.

Dear Raffaella and Marcello,
I want to thank you very much for looking after me so well in Emilia Romagna. The whole experience was fabulous but particularly the totally unexpected things such as the making of aceto balsamico (about which we know nothing out here) and the totally unexpected magnificance of San Domenico.
You will be pleased to know that I made dinner last weekend for a special friend and created superb hand made pumpkin and blue cheese ravioli followed by fresh strawberries with aceto balsamico. Magnifico!!
Kind regards.

Hi, just a short note to thank you again for your Italian hospitality and for treating s more like family than customers. We truely had a wonderful time. The trip back was uneventful, and after 26 hours of travel I made it back to Del Rio, Texas. I have had several people ask about our trip and have gicen them your name.
Regards to you and your family.

It’s hard to imagine a host in Italy warmer than Marcello; he will do practically anything for his guests. The program Marcello and Raffaella arranged is interesting, delicious and fun, especially if Marcello is there. We had many spontaneous requests outside of the regular program – Marcello was eager to help us, find and see everything. He was always trying to figure out how we could see and do everything.
Marcello and Raffaella are wonderful people who I recommend to everyone interested in the cuisine and culture of Emilia Romagna.

Dear Marcello and Raffaella,
I want to take the time to tell you how much Nanci and I enjoyed our gastronomicla trip to Emilia Romagna. We have spent most of the week since we have been back telling people about it. It seems to get betterwith every telling- the true test of a great time! The professional pasta maker was right-we appreciated her skills, teachings, and food even more in hindsight than we did at the time. I was able to get my souvenir mattarella (rolling pin) through security in 5 airports, but not without a few questions and puzzled looks. Now I hope to use it at home somewhat successfully.
We are in awe of the enery and graciousness our host and hostess on our trip. We saw, tasted and experienced things that we never would have on our own. We met people –parmesan cheese maker, 5th generation balsamic vinegar maker/patriarch, Italy’s best sfoglina and much more. What a treat it was to gaze out the windows of an ancient monastery (now hotel) overlooking dozens of sets of fireworks as the millennium started. A very romantic moment that neither of us will ever forget. We thought the price/value of the trip was exceedingly fair.
Nanci is not the cook in the family but tells everyone how much she had. I even overhead her telling a friend that she would do it again!
If you would like to use any of this letter as a testimonial in your future promotional work, please feel free to do. We are your biggest fans.

I just arrived home yesterday afternoon after one of the most remarkable experiences I have ever had abroad. When I first looked into going on a tour, I was quite reticent, having images of large groups of people squished at long tables at crowded, mediocre restaurants, packed onto noisy busses, following haphazardly after a tacky tour director holding up an umbrella and walking too briskly from site to site. Wow, was I never naïve! Being with Marcello and Raffaella in Bologna and in the picturesque surroundings towns was like sailing on a cloud. My mother and I felt truly pampered, safe, taken care of and happy. More than anything , however, is the absolute warmth, kindness, and professionalism that Raffaella and Marcello both possess. We quite simply adore them. Being allowed to tailor our tour to meet all of our needs (gastronomic and retail-therapy!) is such an unusual and wonderful feature of your company. I already want to do another tour with wine and food and friends sometimes in the next year!
Saying thank you is hardly enough, but know that if anybody ever needs a recommendation, I’d be more than happy to share my experiences!
You are true gems in the industry.
With profound thanks

Responding to Margaret Cowan's website we were directed to Marcello and Raffaella Tori as we looked for a gastronomic tour of Italy. On very short notice they put together the experience of a lifetime and catered to our every desire, going beyond the call of duty. Some nice touches included a magnificient hotel room in Riolo Terme and the surprise visit one day of the owner of the local alimentari in Brisegalia with a wonderful lunch as we tasted the greatest olive oil in the world. Having lived a year in Italy and making our seventh trip over, Emilia Romagna is clearly one of the overlooked beautiful spots in Italy. And, Marcello and Rafaella, are the greatest and our new friends. Go with them! Go to Emilia Romagna!