Why and how did I pivot from 30 years in the rag trade to offer Italian small group tours to OFF THE BEATEN PATH locations? Hear me out...
I met my dear friend Cinzia 30 years ago while working in the Textile industry. She was the export manager for an incredible, historic mill, Manifattura di Albiate which produced beautiful, fine shirting fabrics. I was their sales arm in the United States. We established an instant rapport, working hard, laughing often and enjoying a genuine 'la gioia di vivere'(joie de vivre' if you will)meeting exasperation, chaos, deadlines and demanding customers with a very healthy dose of humor!
Sharing the same work ethic, we placed great trust in each-other, anticipating demands of the business from both sides of the ocean. We became lifelong friends, visiting each-other's homes, enjoying each other's families! I got the high honor to be a guest for Sunday dinner at her Mom Onorina's home(a certified Italian Grandmother for goodness sake!). We sat at a beautifully set table and enjoyed countless courses executed to perfection. Her Mom and I were so happy to enjoy each other's company, I was speaking at my usual rapid fire clip, she was 'returning fire' in her own right, it was VERY LOUD and Cinzia was exhausted translating for the two of us!
Cinzia and my Parents exchanged Christmas cards for years and when Cinzia and her family came to visit the National Parks out west, we held a big, typical American Barbeque that my Parents attended-they would NOT miss Cinzia! The kids played 'football' in the yard(Roma vs. Napoli I believe!) and we hit the Jersey shore the next day for them to experience 'real waves'🌊😉.
When traveling back and forth from the U.S. to Italy and vice versa, we'd always TRY to carve out time(never more than a day typically) to see something interesting, historic, unusual, something off the beaten path. Cinzia managed to pull this off better than I, partly due to the sheer size and scale of the U.S., anything more than a 3 hour jaunt wasn't possible in the days of having to get back to our business and family-especially when we had young kids. We did manage to pull off a great 4th of July trip to the Berkshires to attend a family picnic and visit The Clark(my favorite museum). During those years of traveling to Italy, I got the chance to see, taste and enjoy so much. We didn't go to typical destinations, instead we went to Parma, Monza, Massa Marittima, Genoa and almost Portofino, but THAT'S a story for another day! I was fortunate that business took me to Florence, Milan, Como but in all of these places-Cinzia knew the inside scoop, deftly avoiding dense tourist areas, we ate only where the locals ate, away from the crowds.
In those early years when the business would drive us to our wit's end, we'd dream of a business that seemed so simple, so straight forward-I would bring Americans to enjoy Italy much in the way I had been introduced. Perhaps it would be a gastronomic tour eating only what each region was exceptionally known for and Cinzia would take us all around-nothing complicated! We'd fantasize and throw our heads back in laughter at the sheer folly of that idea. This pre-dated the internet and we were so busy managing our business, traveling and being Moms-we couldn't conceive of how we could pull it off, consequently the dream died on the vine.
Fast forward to 2024-Cinzia pivoted from the textile industry a couple of years ago and earned her certification to lead treks, hikes and excursions-some very serious with ropes, gear and all of the things that we will be having NONE of thank you very much! I pivoted from the Textile industry to care for my Parents while keeping one foot in the industry. Mom and Dad are dearly departed, kids are grown and I've allowed the dream to take hold. I believe there's an appetite to commune with nature and with each other, to get out there and awaken your senses. I just feel a collective yearning for something different, away from the crowds and hurried pace and toward experiencing well curated, unique experiences on small group tours in Italy of course!! Keeping groups at 10-12 people will allow for connection, camaraderie, while enjoying the ease of movement to different locales in a small group setting. I believe that travel is most fun and special when shared with others. Join us as we soak up the local flavor, history and culture of this stunning southern tyrol region of the Alps in and around the beautiful city of Merano!
