Testimonials
John and Joann MacDaniel
LaFayette, NY
Wowza!!! As our trip winds down, we want to thank you for guiding us through Italy. But to call this a “guided tour” doesn’t describe what your tour has given us. First, you took the worry out of traveling, planning meals, hotels, transportation. But you also gave us so much information about the places we visited in a very personal and entertaining fashion. Everyday there was a new highlight of our trip. Thank you for making our trip of a lifetime unforgettable.
Bill and Helen Scoones
Dean of Graduate Studies, Ithaca College
Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions, Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
I have been talking about our trip since we returned, but who can put such a wonderful experience in words? Paul, it was definitely the “trip of a lifetime” thanks to your knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to get us into places not seen by the general populace. You were the consummate group leader and friend. Your infinite patience, fairness and thoughtfulness will long be remembered by the group. Let’s stay in touch because as a group we are truly a little family.
Lee and Paul Adams
Worcester, MA
This trip was so much more for us than a vacation. My sisters and I and our families needed to say goodbye to the 3-year season of sadness and loss we had just come through with the death of our parents….and to find the passage to the rest of our lives – what lies ahead of us. The time you created for us in Italy was both of those; a crazy, joyful, sunlight drenched tribute to my parents (they would have loved the trip) and a celebration of our surviving family, our individual lives, and the potential for future adventures. In a concrete sense, our private family trip was very well planned. You chose hotels perfectly located so that any of us (ages 15-52) could venture out safely and slip into the exotic feeling of being in a foreign country alone. The meals you arranged were uniquely regional – the dinner in Assisi was my favorite – fabulous food (black truffle oil pasta!), excellent wine and enchanting settings of glittering glasses, candlelight and white linen in ancient rooms. Your choices and suggestions of things to do were insightful. Your arrangements made it easy to get around and it was interesting to take all of the different means of transport – planes, trains, minibus, a real funicular, and luxurious private motor boat to Capri Island (thank you for urging this!). We absolutely loved all of the walking! Thank you, Paolo, for all of the memories.
Pat Griffin
Kirkwood, New York
I wanted to thank you sooooooo much for the wonderful trip. Because of your vast knowledge and love of Italy, it was by far the best vacation I have ever taken. No words can possibly describe the beauty I have seen and the emotions I have experienced. I will treasure these memories forever, especially my birthday celebration dinner at the private Tuscan villa! Our time together was emotional, educational, and a lot of fun. Your attention to detail was incredible and I would recommend your tours to anyone.
Glenn and Rosemary Reich
Endicott, New York
For us, this trip consisted of four major components. HISTORY, of which there was plenty. SPIRITUALITY, with the Vatican and Scavi Tour serving as landmark memories. SCENIC BEAUTY from the Tuscan countryside to the incredible Amalfi Coastline. COMPANIONSHIP…our group was composed of very different personalities and yet we all came together. Paul, you made Italy and its treasures easily accessible…things that we had heard of, and things that were very new to us. You are such a loving and caring host. Your knowledge of the country, your attention to every detail and great planning (with flexibility, too!) make you the perfect host and guide for a wonderful trip. There are not enough adjectives to describe all we have experienced. It was beyond our wildness dreams…
Julianne Anderson, 15
Sacramento, CA
Paul was an amazing tour guide. He knew all of the great places and knew everything about them. He set us up with the best food, hotels, and cool things to see. He is so nice and a real treat to have as our guide. He fit right in with our family and even made a place as foreign as Italy feel comfortable and, in a way, feel like home. Grazie, Paolo!!!
Colleen Kremer
Lakeland, FL
Words cannot describe this trip! It has been fun and educational, I made new friends, ate great food, enjoyed Paolo (a great tour guide), enjoyed
fantastic sites, sipped great wine, and I did not gain a pound (must be all the walking we did!) Keyrow Tours was a delight to travel with.
Patty Haggard
Plant City, FL
It is hard to put in words the time I had on our trip. The museums and churches, trains and private boat ride, eating, drinking wine, shopping, and most of all the laughter! Paolo, thank you for making my dream come true. I could not have done this trip on my own, and I am so proud to call all of my fellow travelers my “new friends.”
Ed and Gale Austen
Ithaca, New York
How much fun did we have??? Paul, thank you for the wonderful trip, for your guidance and great knowledge of Italy. It made it all so meaningful to us. I felt spiritually moved by the magnificence of it all: the churches, the fountains, the frescoes and statuary. It is so hard to describe the true satisfaction realized. The beauty we experienced, the history and joy that flowed everywhere…our thanks to you, Paolo!
Terrie Friedah
New Milford, PA
Paolo, thanks for a WONDERFUL time! I was hoping for a “journey” and I definitely got one, plus ten new friends. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
Jack and Janiece Oblak
President Emeritus of Notre Dame University, Belmont CA
Lowell, MA
Paolo, thank you for a truly fantastic adventure in Italy. Your thoughtfulness and care, your ready smile and wealth of information, made this the trip of a lifetime. You are a wonderful host!
Bob Kick
Camillus, New York
We highly recommend this tour: from Rome to Florence to Siena, to San Gimignano and Assisi, Paul was a wonderful tour guide who led us on a special journey. He knows Italy in ways others would not, as he lived and studied in Rome for five years and has traveled in Italy extensively. Paul has special contacts in Rome and was able to take us to places not open to the general public. Paul’s knowledge of history, art and architecture made our trip a learning experience. So the trip was educational, but we had a lot of fun, great food, wine and a lot of laughter.
At times my stomach ached from laughing so much. Paul, thanks so much for being a great guide to our group! You truly unlocked Italy for us. We are grateful for all you’ve done to make our journey a wonderful success.. Grazie Paolo!
Bob and Nancy Serko
Endwell, New York
Nancy and I would like to express our gratitude for the marvelous tour of Italy. The professionalism with which you organized and guideed our visits to Rome, Florence, and Assisi were beyond our expectations. The daily schedules were very efficient – utilizing every moment to our full enjoyment. Your knowledge of the historical sites made each day memorable. It was like a walk back into history. We can’t express our appreciation enough for the warm, friendly, compassionate, and personal care you gave to us. Your patience and guidance added to our wonderful experience. The selection of hotels, transportation, restaurants and food allowed us to experience the true flavor of Italy. This was more than a tour – it was a historical and spiritual pilgrimage. We look forward to joining you again in the near future. Grazie!
Barb Conway
Camillus, New York
“Paul, thank you for unlocking Italy! The Italian holiday was an endless inspirational journey…It was my trip of a lifetime! In the middle of the night, I’d wake up and think about what we had visited. Michelangelo is very inspirational to me. The Sistine Chapel’s fresco of God creating man is one of my favorite pieces. Seeing his works brought me closer to the Divine! In the end the trip comes back to the people: We started this journey mainly as strangers and now 11 days later we depart with new and wonderful friends. I remember Chuck saying as we were departing, “Rome is crying because we are leaving!” I loved that expression, for I was crying right along with Rome!
One of my favorite memories with Keyrow Tours was in Florence. Being in that city, with all of its great Renaissance artists and thinkers, was an incredible experience. The highlight of the day for me was seeing a reproduction of the statue of David in Piazza della Signoria, and my wife and I getting our picture taken in front of it. To understand why, one has to go back 63 years ago and follow a young soldier from Anzio, to Rome, and onto Florence where by chance he encountered his best friend from home and had his picture taken in front of “David.” This young man was my father! So having my picture taken with my best friend, my wife, was very moving…I feel closer to my Dad having walked the same plaza he walked years ago. Thank you Keyrow Tours!”
~ Jim Conway, Camillus, New York
Linda Kick
Camillus, New York
We recently saw Tony Bennett perform on TV. Afterward my husband remarked that he could still sing “for his age,” and I remarked that he still looked good “for his age.” This made me think that we, as a culture, fail to appreciate what is old in general. In Italy so much is old – old and strong and beautiful: the churches, statues, fountains, art – paintings, frescoes and mosaics. As our group traveled, we admired the softly rolling hillsides, a patchwork quilt of farm fields, woolly sheep grazing along a hillside, cypress trees standing sentry, tall and proud. We experienced the softness of colors, brown plowed fields, gray-green olive trees marching up the hills in ordered rows, ochre and tan homes with terra cotta roofs seemingly rising from the soil; the hardness of stone and brick walls, softened by lush plants that had taken a foothold in cracks and crevices. The stone roads and towers of San Gimignano – so very old and lovely! The steep hills and narrow twisting alley streets where, as we walked along, we caught scents of baking pizza and strong coffee emanating from doorways. We were given such a warm and joyous greeting by Pierluigi at his winery followed by a dramatic wine tasting demonstration, which was accompanied by wonderful food. The Lasagna was heavenly! Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but I left my heart in Tuscany! Thanks be to God for this opportunity and to Paul Carman for being our gentle and knowledgeable guide!
Harry and Margaret Mangini
Fairport, NY
There aren’t words to describe to others what these two weeks have been like! We’ve made incredible memories to last a lifetime – and we can’t thank you enough for all your efforts.
Tony, Joni and Nick Minieri
LaFayette, NY and Boston MA
Many thanks for a wonderful adventure. The mix of cities and diversity of culture and lifestyles in Italy is truly amazing. Experiencing them with you, and so many other “off the beaten path” things, would be lost in a large tour group setting. Thanks for the memories!!!
Dan and Linda Pinkerton
Wellesley Island, NY
We want to thank you for a wonderful trip with memories to last a lifetime. Your expertise and personality made this trip one of the best we’ve ever taken. We both experienced so much more than we expected and made wonderful new friends along the way. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.
