Superb Emilia-Romagna trip

I reveled in a superlative trip to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Oct. 4-20, ’05. I planned it with the help and guidance of Leftheris Papageorgiou, owner of Hellenic Adventures (Minneapolis, MN; 800/851-6349 or www.hellenicadventures.com), which I learned of through their ad in ITN.

Mr. Papageorgiou provided printouts with descriptions of hotels in the historic centers of Bologna, Ferrara, Mantova, Modena, Parma and Milan, enabling me to make intelligent choices.

This was, perhaps, my 15th trip to Italy, but it was the first one in which every detail was tailored to my measurements. I arranged to be driven from town to town. A shiny black Mercedes driven by an immaculately dressed driver arrived promptly at 10 o’clock on each day of transfer.

The hotels were superbly located, with concert halls, museums and restaurants a minute or two away. The hotels’ appointments and services left nothing to be desired.

In the middle of the trip I received a phone call from Hellenic Adventures asking if all was satisfactory. My response was a flow of adjectives praising the towns, the hotels, the transfers and every aspect of the trip.

In three of the hotel rooms there were gifts of wine, fruit and chocolates waiting for me. When asked how one could improve the experience, I made it plain that there was nothing lacking and no way to improve on perfect.

My Emilia-Romagna adventure cost $5,675 for hotels, transfers, and breakfasts — a bargain for an exquisite series of experiences.

In my opinion, Italy leads the world in style, not just in fashion but in their manner of living and celebrating life by filling their streets, shops and lives with gusto and an intense enjoyment of every moment. At this time, I’m in the process of planning a 20-day excursion to several towns in Umbria. Hellenic Adventures will, once again, handle all the details.

DAN LEVINE
Tampa, FL