A life with no regrets

A life well lived is one that accumulates experiences, not things, and some of our most rewarding experiences are through travel. We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

I’ve always loved and lived by words that Helen Keller once wrote, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

The world is full of fascinating places to visit and interesting people to meet, but Italy has it all for me. It is more than the beauty, history, culture and food. It is the life changing experiences and deep connections with people and places that have me yearning to return the minute I leave. Life’s simple pleasures, tiny hilltop towns beyond the tourist hotspots, complete immersion, local experiences, the daily ritual of Italian life and 100 notebooks filled with insider knowledge are what capture my heart and soul.

This is the Italy I have loved from day one. The first time I arrived in Rome on the last day of August in 2009 changed my life forever. I just didn’t know it at the time.

The start of a new year promises so much, so make it your best year yet! This newsletter is brief and written simply to bring you up to date with the tours in 2025.

Spring - the whole country smells amazing

May 2025

Kickstarting the season is the Tuscany/Italian Riviera/Lake Como tour led by Sam. It begins in Rome 29th April and finishes in Milan 13th May. There is just one room left for double/twin occupancy, so two spots are available.

I will follow three days later with another Tuscany/Italian Riviera/Lake Como tour from 2nd to 16th May, but this tour is booked out.

Immediately following is the Matera/Amalfi Coast tour from 17th to 31st May, but this tour is also booked out.

June 2025

The Lake Garda/Dolomites tour begins 1st to 15th June and there is one spot available!

Autumn - visually spectacular with the leaves changing colour

September

The Tuscany/Italian Riviera/Lake Como tour from 18th September to 2nd October has 4 spots available.

October

The Matera/Puglia tour (new) from 3rd to 17th October has 6 spots available.

The Naples/Sicily/Aeolian Islands tour from 17th to 31st October has 4 spots available.

There is a maximum of 12 people on every tour to ensure:

• authentic experiences every day

• Italian charm of small family owned boutique hotels and B&Bs

• eat local, shop local, explore local

I think what continues to make my journey so exciting is the opportunity to share all my secrets discovered over the years with the people who travel with me. It is incredibly gratifying to see how many fall in love with Italy and realise this is a country to return time after time, knowing there is always more to delight, surprise and astound you!

May the new year bring prosperity, joy, new achievements, special moments and travel!

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb