Ireland

About YOUR Tour Guides

Margarita Ramirez

For more than twenty years, Margarita Ramirez, owner of Traveling Matters and a Certified International Travel Guide, has been developing and organizing journeys throughout the world. Her focus has been educational travel, each journey crafted with a special focus on an aspect of the culture, often lead by writers, scientists, philosophers or just marvelous travel guides in love with their country of origin. In 1998, Margarita became deeply connected with the landscape and peoples of Ireland, married an Irish Native, and since then has continued to take groups year after year to Ireland. We are now offering destinations in Italy with the same intention of mindful travel. She is involved in the “Slow Food” and Cittaslow Movement which practices farm to table and embraces the joy of eating and conversation with travelers while enjoying local food and wine artisans.

Dorene Lucchesi

Dorene Lucchesi Is a first generation Italian-American, born in San Francisco. She grew up with all things Italian and moving to Italy in 1999 seemed a natural step for her. She has vast experience in working with the public: 15 years running her own business in Northern California, and since 2000, with her tour business, Divertimento-DIscover Italy. Dorene has worked with clients of a highly respected San Francisco Travel Agency. She has led her own small groups to Italy, as well as large groups for a well known California WInery. Dorene especially loves to create itineraries that provide clients with a glimpse of true Italia life. She loves people and loves showing them Italy. Her clients come away feeling that they have not only had an excellent guide, but also an advisor and a friend.


Italy 2012

GOLDEN HILLS of UMBRIA

October 8-20, 2012


Umbria

The region of Umbria is known as the ‘Green Belt’ of Italy with its cypress trees and verdant hillsides. This itinerary through the heart of Italy will take us through villages with Etruscan, Roman and Medieval pasts. We will take in incomparable vistas as we experience once-fierce hill towns, such as Gubbio with its famous narrow streets lined with pottery, in sharp contrast to the steep hill town of Assisi, hardly changed since the birth of St. Francis in 1182. Discover treasure houses of art and stunning cathedrals. Enjoy celebrations of the annual Chestnut Festival. We will immerse ourselves in the aromas of traditional dishes as we cook together in a privately owned villa in Montefalco, a hill town known as the “Balcony of Italy”, where you can take in the views and sip the Sagrantino, the deepest red of wines - a perfect match for the famous chocolate of Perugia. These are just some of the stops on this unforgettable adventure. We end our journey in Rome, where some historians would say...it all began.

HIGHLIGHTS of UMBRIA TOUR
Oct 8-20, 2012

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