The Flavors of Italy
(68 Reviews)
99% Recommended
Rey Alton
Bellaire, TX
Certified Travel Industry Executive
The process of planning, coordinating, booking, and managing travel arrangements can be a daunting experience. But, with a seasoned and respected travel advisor, your travel planning experience will be streamlined and hassle-free. With more than ...
The process of planning, coordinating, booking, and managing travel arrangements can be a daunting experience. But, with a seasoned and respected travel advisor, your travel planning experience will be streamlined and hassle-free. With more than 25 years of travel industry experience, Rey specializes in providing knowledge-based guidance to corporate, government, higher education, and leisure travelers. Rey is committed to providing his clients with honest and straightforward advice throughout the travel planning process. He places a special emphasis on being responsive to his clients’ needs while making each client feel comfortable and equipped to make informed travel decisions. Rey thrives on helping people fulfill their travel goals and dreams. As an experienced world traveler who has visited six continents and 45 countries, Rey uses his first-hand knowledge to help guide and advise his clients. Rey has worked in the travel industry for more than 25 years and has experience with travel brands such as American Express, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and Travel Leaders. A native Houstonian, Rey enjoys spending time with his young family, volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, and practicing yoga. Rey also serves as a frequent travel expert on local television networks, including ABC News-KTRK-13, Fox Morning News KRIV-26, and Great Day Houston-KHOU 11. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Travel Weekly, and CNN.com.Rey graduated from Hampton University with honors in 1995 with a degree in History.
Can Be Reached At
1-713-592-8000 ext:2
Italy is one of the few places in the world that offers beautiful art, magnificent architecture, fashion, splendid food and fine wines; to view all in one trip. Not to mention history seems to stare you in the face, every corner you turn. This is exactly why Christy Clophus and her boyfriend decided to plan a trip to Italy. “Our vacation choices this year were originally between Italy and Spain, but after much consideration we decided to go with Italy. We wanted to see what Italy was all about and see the scenery in person; not just in the movies.”
To plan their trip Christy and her boyfriend sought the expertise of Almeda Travel. “Our advisor was very knowledgeable and made sure to explain every aspect of our trip to us", Christy said. The Almeda Travel advisor was able to organize a range of tours for the clients, which allowed them to take in every aspect of the Italian culture.
Christy’s first stop was Florence, the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is considered the artistic capital of Europe ,with several of its finest galleries, and the architectural gem of Italy.
During their stay in Florence, Christy and her boyfriend stayed at the Bernini Palace; a four star hotel located in the heart of the city center. The hotel is a renovated 15th century old building with the style of Florence Renaissance that shows through the combination of shapes and colors. According to Christy, her stay at the Bernini Palace was wonderful. “People at the hotel were very warm, welcoming, and accommodating. During my stay I purchased some art in Italy and the hotel was kind enough to ship the art home for me.”'
To get the entire Florence experience, Almeda Travel booked three tours for Christy to partake in. “The most memorable experiences during the tours were seeing the famous David by Michelangelo and the scenery of the Piazza del Duomo; on the Florence Morning City Tour. We also went on the Siena and San Gimignano Tour, which was one of the most beautiful places that I had ever seen.” said Christy.
The next stop on their trip was the city of Venice. Venice is a city like no other in the world, with its intricate network of canals weaving their way through the city. Here is where you can board a romantic gondola and return to an era of lavish and exquisite grandeur.
“The water scenery in Venice is very beautiful. The buildings in the city are old, but have a lot of character to them. It’s nothing like you have seen in the United Sates. There’s also a lot of history through out the city with the cathedrals and the surrounding statues. The statues in Venice were not just standing there to been scene, but better yet told a story or had a distinctive meaning.”
While in Venice, Almeda Travel booked Christy to stay at the four star Kette Hotel. “The Kette Hotel is located right in the center of everything and the hotel staff was very accommodating. The weather was so nice in Venice, that we slept with the windows opened.”
During their visit to Venice, Christy went on the Unusual Venice Afternoon Walking Tour and Gondola Promenade Tour. This tour allowed the clients to experience an actual gondola ride through the Grand Canal and other minor canals.
When asked if she would ever visit Italy again, Christy had this to say. “I can’t wait to go back. Visiting Italy was such a great experience. The people are very welcoming and they take pride in everything that they do. The food in Italy was amazing with everything being fresh and all the pastas were homemade. I even brought home pasta and cooked it for Mother’s Day. We had gelato everyday, as there was a gelato shop on every corner maybe even 2 or 3 on the same street. Every evening their was a live orchestra playing outside, it was just like a scene you would see in the movies. Overall our trip to Italy was an awesome experience.”
Italy has so much to offer regardless of the age and interests. It has great weather, beaches and magnificent cities. To top it off, the food and wine in Italy is always appetizing and the people are welcoming.