Maria Grazia Rubino

Maria,
Hello.
Marty and I got back one week ago. Here are my/our thoughts on our trip to Sicily.
It was a little confusing picking up our car in Catania as the car rental was a little ways away from where we thought. We got to our B&B, but couldn't drive on the street because it was blocked for the final day of St Agata! Our host, Luca, took Marty to paid parking several blocks away . Luca had changed our room because of the noisy festival, I wish he hadn't, but maybe he just wanted to be nice ? Luca was a great host, we loved having the outside upper deck for breakfast and late afternoon coffee.
The next morning, Margherita, our very knowledgeable and friendly and friendly and TALKATIVE met us. After 2 and a half hours, Marty and I said our thanks and went to the garage to get the car to go to Mt Etna. This was a longer trip than we thought! When we arrived we walked around Silvestri crater in the howling wind, it is magnificent! We drove back in the later afternoon, got a bit lost, while using our GPS, arrived back into the city at rush hour and realized we had not eaten since morning! This day was too busy!
Reminders to have snacks and water for these excursions would be good.
We loved Taormina, Grace was a wonderful tour guide, we bought snacks by the Greco-Roman Theater and ate while looking out over the Ionian Sea. We enjoyed talking with Grace, she has a very good manner. Taormina is a beautiful town. and we got to enjoy it without lots of people!
We didn't go to Acireale as the drive didn't make sense and was out of our way, and we wanted to get to the fish market.
The drive to Syracusa was ok until the end when our GPS sent us around, around, around! We drove down a no driving street and asked someone for help, who was our guide, Salvatore! He had been waiting for us!There was/is no parking on the street of our B&B, so S took Marty to a paid parking spot, then they came back for an intense tour with Salvo. Salvo was very knowledgeable , but talked non stop and we were very ready to relax after hours of driving. We would have enjoyed more getting to know what the Ortegians are like as a people . Stefano, our B&B host was very friendly and we loved having great breakfasts on the upper outside deck.
The next day we walked to the Archeological ruins in Syracuse. We had a self -guided tour here and it was magical! We stayed for hours and walked back to Ortegia. We did not go to Ragusa Ilba, Modica , Scicli or Noto. We wanted to enjoy Ortegia and not rush around so much. This was right for us. Besides the driving was very stressful, and driving for us was not very fun.
Day 7- To Agrigento via Enna. Enna was very windy and no visibility, so we moved onto Agrigento. Octavio our host was very nice.
He gave us lots of pastries and packed us sandwiches for lunch. Great dinner at Nucci near the B&B.
Valley of the Temples tour with wonderful Claudio! Very knowledgeable about the different plants, trees, animals as well as temples! He grew up in Agrigento and used to visit the temples as a child many years ago. After the tour we drove to Scala Dei Turchi. It was very difficult to find , even though there were signs for it everywhere! It turns out the walk to the beach had been closed due to recent vandalism. Beautiful spot, though.
To Palermo! We did not go to Cefalu, but spent the afternoon at Mondello, very pretty, the water is so clear. We got to our B&B, but our street was for pedestrians only! Our wonderful host Dani greeted us and Marty incredibly found a free parking space very near our B&B! We did not move our car while in Palermo, as there was plenty to see in that great city. Palermo walking tour with wonderful Marilu. She was very knowledgeable, and enjoyed conversations about the people, food, politics. We had a very good time with her. The rest of our time in Palermo, we walked, walked, walked! We loved walking the Ballaro market and eating prawns at the lively Vucciria market.
Our last night in Sicily, we had a wonderful dinner at Osterio Lo Bianco. The atmosphere was just right, popular, red and white checked tablecloths, regulars, and even small dogs. Delicious green minestrone, grilled vegetables, rosemary potatoes, pasta ragu, local wine and tiramisu. Perfect!

The experience organising the trip with Maria Grazia was excellent from start to finish. Beginning with the planning of the itinerary itself and going though several iterations before landing on the final version. We then had to change our dates quite late, which was taken care of very smoothly.

Each of the three hotels were excellent, really well located and met our expectations completely. The organised trips were all very good. For Palermo, we would like to mention Salvatore (Street Food Tour) and Marilu (Private Walking Tour). They were both highly knowledgable and very engaging.

In Catania the Street Food Cooking class with Paola at Tacchi e Sapori Factory was excellent. We did have some problems finding the exact location, and the "tinyurl" link was the most accurate, although we had to manually retype that into our browser to make it work.

In Taormina, the Walking Tour with Gracie was again excellent - great knowledge of the complex history of the area, and also really flexible with the tour itself.

We did make a change to the car hire by one day, which Barbara dealt with really well, the App was a great communication tool.

Hotel Reviews

B&B In Centro Palermo

Palermo

Very centrally located, modern and clean. Very friendly and helpful staff, particularly with our late check in. If using a hire car, it would be worth contacting the hotel ahead of time to get the exact address for parking and hotel access, given it's location on a pedestrian only street.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and clean, good sized rooms. Inside a very secure office block

Location

Very central

Staff

Very friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze

Catania

Very central. Great breakfast and amazing rooftop terrace with views of Mt Etna and the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff, particularly for organising additional tours

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Taodomus

Taormina

Very central in the town, and just a 5 minute walk from a modern and secure car park. Great rooftop terrace for breakfast and sundowner drinks. The breakfast was wonderful with a big range on offer.

Authenticity & Character

Traditional hotel from the outside, but contemporary once inside.

Location

Very central. Great views of Mt Etna and the town itself.

Staff

Very helpful and attentive throughout our stay

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palermo Private Walking Tour

Palermo

Please see previous comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo

Please see earlier comments in summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catania Street Food Cooking Class

Catania

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had some problems finding the location - please see earlier comments

Taormina Highlights Walking Tour

Italy

Please see earlier comments in Summary

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maria was excellent to work with - she helped us to plan an amazing 3 week honeymoon to Italy! She and the team at Storywalking were friendly, organized and easy to reach. All of our scheduled activities were fantastic and we were able to optimize our time together instead of waiting in lineups for attractions and tours. We have many special memories from our travels. Thanks again for everything!!

Activity Reviews

Naples Street Food Tour (food included)

Naples

This was excellent!! Not only was the food amazing, but our guide, Alessandro, was very knowledgeable and fun. It was a highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gnocchi cooking class in the heart of Verona

Verona

Aurora and Francesca were great to work with!! They were very friendly and ensured that we had a great meal and learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Typical Dining Experience with Aperitivo & Cooking Demo

Rome

Roberta and her daughter were so welcoming to us and the food was amazing! We are very glad that we were able to join them in their home for this experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our trip to Italy proved to be almost trouble free. Kikkim set us up with drivers and guides throughout our trip and not having to worry about how to get somewhere was wonderful. We had a little glitch when we first arrived when we flew into one airport and Kimkim driver was waiting for us at another airport. A quick call to Maria's team was made and another driver at our airport was quickly found. Problem solvers were readily available and they always took care of things quickly. Our biggest mess up was of our own doing. We were unaware that more then one train company operated at the train stations and on the same tracks. We ran to a train that was loading on our specific site , got on it, and miles down the track we were told we were on another company train. That cost us $50 for another ticket and a fine of$50 for being on the train without a ticket. If we would have paid attention to the train number that wouldn't have happened. Our train was a few minutes late and I think the train we boarded was late leaving the boarding spot.

The reservations worked out great. When I passed the lines going into the coliseum that were probably 2 blocks long we were very grateful we had that reservation. We also saw how important it was to have drivers pick us up at our hotels when we tried to hail a cab on our own in Rome and no one would stop. All our guides were outstanding . When one of our tours had to be cancelled due to weather conditions Kimkim came up with a great alternative and a wonderful driver to drive us down the Amalfi Coast.

My favorite place to see was not on the regular tourist list of must sees. We reserved a hotel in Verenzo (a small city near Verona) In the old section of Verenzo there is a theater called the Olympica. It is the oldest indoor theater in Italy and it was built in the mid 1500's. It has an amazing permanent back scene. If you like theater you will want to see this. No crowds in this city. Our guide to the Rome Coliseum was so well informed as was the guide in Pompeii

The reason I give the overall planning experience only an average rating is because I would have liked an idea what each part of our trip was going to cost rather then throwing out a dollar amount we were willing to pay and not knowing if we were spending our money wisely.

Hotel Review

Atelier Inès Arts & Suites

Napoli

Quirky but lovely. We got a tour of the sculpture workshop, and enjoyed a comfortable room. The hotel was in the heart of the city!

Authenticity & Character

Villa with artistic sculptures and a lovely garde/patio area.

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless. Bathroom was amazing.

Activity Reviews

Lake Maggiore Tour from Milan with its Borromeo's Islands

Milan

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful. Isola Bella was amazing and beeautiful. Our guide was an expert in naming the plants!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Best of Colosseum & Ancient Rome With Exclusive Arena Access

Rome

Our tour guide was a hiustory teacher who made the ruins come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cooking class at farm

Italy

The chef was delightful and patient with us. We were surprised to have made such a delicious meal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you all so much! This has been a dream trip come true and we couldn’t have made it or enjoyed it half as much without your experienced guidance, planning, and support of our specific interests in this beautiful country! From the car rental, to first rate accommodations in Tuscany at a working vineyard/resort; a cooking class with a professional chef; tours in Florence at the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (The David is an amazing must see!); a walking tour of the best sights, local food and wine restaurants (all of them a WOW!), the Kimkim company, through Maria, arranged the top tour guides—local, professional experts whose passion and insight made each tour personally engaging (each spoke to us not at us) which ultimately gave us both an added appreciation for their subject and them as people with whom we enjoyed spending quality time!
Each aspect of our trip was communicated and documented well in advance. This was our first trip to Florence and Tuscany so we had lots of questions. So Maria arranged (2) Zoom meetings with us and she completely and confidently answered all our questions. She also sent us restaurant suggestions and Google maps to assist us with our self guided side trips through Tuscany.
However, once a trip begins there are always factors and circumstances that need attention— sometimes immediately! Our trip was no exception! Several details needed some slight unexpected modification, and the Kimkim team and resources were able to communicate, and accommodate our needs in and on time. These people and this company are the real deal and both my wife and I give them our highest recommendation. We will use them again for sure! Don’t miss out on the very best this team has to offer (because they are the best)!

Dear Maria
I can honestly say that Italy is an amazing place to visit. The three guided tours, the first in Sorrento and the second and third in Rome, were so interesting and I can't say enough about the guides you assigned to us. Our 8-hr Amalfi Coast/Positano tour was so beautiful and our guide explained everything to us and helped us understand the history of this awesome countryside. Not to mention he entertained us with his singing and his colorful personality.

In Rome, our experience with Laura who explained the history of the ancient Colosseum in such a passionate way was amazing. She related facts to us that amazed us and we came away from the Colosseum with a better understanding of life back then. All this despite the fact that she was feeling poorly and we hope she has recovered.

And of course our tour with Tiziana (not sure of the spelling) of the Vatican and St. Peters was truly magical and inspirational. Her knowledge of the history and her manner of imparting all this amazing history was so appreciated.
All in all, this trip created memories that will be with us for a long time to come.

Our only issue was that I wished you would have suggested flying one way to Naples to see the Amalfi coast and Positano and then go to Rome and leave to come home from Rome. While it would have involved two one-way flights, it would have been less tiresome, especially the first leg of the trip when we arrived in Rome and were then brought to the train station (which was very crowded and confusing), and then the so-called "high speed" ride to Sorrento which was one hour late in leaving and was anything but high speed.

I am sure Lori and Lisa will agree that we created memories that will last a lifetime. Perhaps our next trip will include more of Italy. I want to thank you for your suggestions and for helping make our trip so beautiful.

I had a blast working with Maria to design this trip, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. We absolutely loved the bed and breakfast we stayed at (Cima Rosa). This is why you engage with local experts!

Barbara from Storywalking provided excellent service throughout our trip -- she knew when our plans had changed before we did and was amazingly quick to solve issues. We leaned heavily upon her help several times -- and were very happy to have the team to rely upon when our flights changed, our cruise changed, etc. Her frequent communication and problem-solving skills inspired confidence.

We learned so much from Romy in our walking tour of the City on our first night -- she really set us up for success over the next few days.

Nicoletta was extremely knowledgeable. We feel lucky to have had a day with her to explore so much of the city and surrounds.

Hotel Review

Cima Rosa

Venice

Authentic, historic, tastefully decorated bed-and-breakfast, with truly gracious staff. Staying here gave us a sense of Venice's history and present.

Authenticity & Character

Fully restored (on the inside) 15th century palazzo, with beautifully decorated, comfortable public spaces (indoor and outdoor), and well-appointed rooms. Air conditioning in each room.

Location

Its location on the Grand Canal within a quiet neighborhood was the perfect mix -- easily accessible to all of the major sites and wonderful restaurants, without the craziness of the tourist areas.

Staff

They were so helpful in arranging reservations for dinner, coordinating with our guides, and offering suggestions of locations to visit to add to the trip. They made you feel comfortable from the minute you got there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were spotless, as were the public spaces.

Activity Reviews

Private Evening Gondola Ride Venice & City Stroll

Venice

Seeing Venice from the water at night is incredibly special. Our gondolier was very friendly and an expert at navigating the canals.

Explore St. Mark's Basilica and The Doge's Palace

Venice

We were only able to see the Doge's Palace (and the exterior of St Marks) as our schedule changed. But it is totally worth having a private guide through this remarkable building.

Murano Island Excursion

Venice

We got to see a master of the glass-making art develop a centerpiece while we were there, which was truly amazing. Wish we could have afforded to buy it. ;)

Market & Cicchetti Venice Food & Wine Tour | Semi-Private

Venice

This group tour took us through the Rialto area to try foods and experiences we wouldn't have otherwise tried. Our guide was delightful, and it was fun to experience this with a group of interesting (and interested) people.

A terrific trip! We worked closely with Maria to plan an itinerary for a family of 4 (college age kids) that allowed for exploration and activity. Storywalking Italy were extremely helpful. When one person in our group injured their ankle, everyone at kimkim went out of their way to help us figure out where to be seen and get medical supplies, re-organize our trip, and even contacted the hotels they had booked for us to make sure we were in ground floor rooms! And the scheduled activities were wonderful - highlights included a food tour of Bari with Giorgio of Apulia Tours and a day-long bike trip from Lecce with Gonzalo of Salento Bici Tour. Highly recommend!