My husband and I had wanted to go to Italy for a long time but we had never been to Italy and not knowing much, we were unsure about where to go and how to get around.  When I heard Marcello was introducing a Sicily trip, I was intrigued.   I knew Marcello as an excellent chef and restaurant owner, and had heard he was starting to take small groups of people to Italy for amazing tours.  

In discussing the trip he was planning, Marcello said, “If you want a boring, get up at 7am and get on a bus to visit every tourist spot all day, every day - then this is NOT the trip for you; this trip is all about the culture, the food and the wine of Sicily.”  All 4 of my grandparents were from Sicily, so I knew this was the trip I was waiting for. And the timing was perfect for us  - my husband and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, and the trip became our special gift to each other.

My husband and I had a fabulous time!  We met great people - were a group of 16 including Marcello and his wife, Carolina. We have such fond memories from everyday of this Sicily trip. Just as Marcello said, every special detail was planned out for us - I realized half way into the trip that I had never put my reading glasses on and we never put our hand in our pocket to pay for anything.  Literally everything was done for us, we didn’t have to think about anything, we just enjoyed from start to finish. We ate amazing meals paired with great wines, enjoyed a wonderful tour and lunch at a stunning winery, climbed beautiful Mt Etna, were entertained by an authentic Italian band during dinner in Syracusa, experienced the “street food” of Palermo, I entered the church my grandparents were married in, visited a castle on the highest hill, toured and learned about the historic sea salt factory … danced, laughed, ate pasta in the unique special shapes from each town, sat on the beautiful beach in Cefalu where my cousins spent their summers, dined on a magnificent roof top with majestic Sicily views, shopped in gorgeous Taormina, absolutely fell in love with the cobblestone streets and village of Erice … and so much more!  

The trip was more than I could have ever imagined.  And experiencing it with someone as cultured as Marcello was truly a one of a kind experience!  I can’t wait to visit Italy again, and I wouldn’t even think of doing it without Marcello.  We’ve recommended his talents to so many of our friends who have raved about their experience as well.  Thank you, Marcello!! The memories are still so magical and we can’t wait to visit another region in Italy with you again very soon!

Gina M. Palumbo