October 2007 Hi Giuliana, We are home safely and I want to thank you and Marcos for a wonderful trip.... you both did such a great job... I can't imagine our journey without you...so many special memories! We all hope you will visit us in Hawaii!!!!!!!!!!!! Aloha, judy September 2007 Hi Guiliana We all enjoyed the vacation very much. The villa was good I would recommend it to anyone. We also enjoyed the guided rides , they were the best rides of the week. Please Thank Marco again for me. My friends all enjoyed the bikes and the rides and will recommend you and Marco.They are telling everyone in our bike club what a good time they had . I am sure you will hear from us again!! AL Chianese NY September 07 Thank you so much for our wonderful bicyle adventure. It was very special and we love all your great itineraries. Yesterday’s ride to siena was perfect- both in beauty + length. Ciao, jean and john lange September 07 Hi Marco and Giulina, First of all I want to thank you so much for making our bike trip through Tuscany extra special. Even though we were only able to spend three days on the bikes in August we left your part of the world yearning to come back soon and experience more of it. That is in large part because of your expert advise on trip routes and support of our trip along the way. We especially appreciated all of the restaurant suggestions and were thankful we had them. As you know the scenery was beautiful and the routes challenging but full filling at the end of the day. Thank you so much for taking such good a care of our family and going the extra mile to help us out when needed. I hope you are both doing well and enjoying the beautiful country that you live in. Thank you again for all of your help. All the best, Patty, Rick, Cortney, and Kelsey Donnalley September 2007 Hi Giuliana I was really slack in sending you this note. It should have come a lot sooner. Thank you very much for a wonderful tour. All four of us enjoyed it thoroughly. It was very well put together, and took us through a fantastic part of the world. We fell in love with Tuscany. Your bikes were excellent, had Cecilia and I known the quality of your bikes, we wouldn’t have brought our own. Next time we’ll know better. The hotels were wonderful. The rides were harder and slower than we anticipated. It’s probably the heat and the fact that we had to stop so often to check the maps that slowed us down and broke our rhythm. We have recommended Cicloposse to many of our friends. Please give us a call if you ever come to South Africa. We have a holiday home in Simonstown near Cape Town which is in a fantastic cycling area. You’re welcome to use the house, if it’s at a convenient time (we even have nice bikes there for you). Kind regards Tak Hiemstra South Africa August 2007 The trip was absolutely amazing! We figured out fairly quickly that we would have to do the rides really early in the morning in order to avoid the really hot parts of the day. Everything by Cicloposse was incredible and we had no problems at all with luggage transfer and the bikes. The routes were great too. Challenging, but we really felt like we accomplished something each day and it was a good excuse to eat as much as we possibly could each dinner. Our favorite towns were probably Siena, Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino, though sometimes the quiet between the towns was just as impressive. We especially liked the restaurants that Marco and Guilianna recommended. The hotels were really charming and the places with pools were particularly welcome after a long ride. Our first ride to Cortona was amazing and the view from the top was well worth the energy it took to get to the summit. Really, it was a fantastic trip! We are already talking about when we will be doing our next bike tour. Thank you for all of your planning....We would not have been able to plan something so fantastic on our own. Thanks again, Amber June 2007 Ciao Guiliana! thank you for a wonderful bike tour in Tuscany! Larry and I loved the hotels chosen for this trip, each one more delightful than the one before. Loved Scansano Resort/Spa the best - how relaxing after several days on the bike! Here is my favorite picture from our trip! Can you do a bike trip for us in Northern Italy? Larry would like to ride the lake region around Milano or maybe the Veneto region! Ellen September 2006 Hi Marco and Guiliana, What an amazing cycle tour you organised for us!!!- Our tour was 14 days of breathtaking scenery - all thanks to you. I have wonderful photos to show family and friends - will send you a couple soon. We climbed many hills and descended into valleys through forests and vineyards - quite spectacular!! The destination villages were always "on top of the hill !!" San Giovanni, San Gigmignano, Montaione,Volterra, Montalcino and many more – those views of hundreds of hills just stretched as far as the eye can see. The many people we met at restaurants and hotels were passionate and sincere - what a great country to tour on bike !!- Hope to see you again !! Fond regards - Bert and Carol Bard - Johannesburg, South Africa June 2006 Giuliana and Marco: We talked for many years about a bicycling tour of Italy to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and e are so pleased that we happened upon Cicloposse to make it a reality. We had great hopes and expectations for a memorable trip, but the actual experience was so much better than we imagined. What a spectacular way to experience Italy! Well worth every cent. Thanks for helping make it happen. We will wear our Cicloposse jerseys with pride when we ride in Arizona. Carrietta and David Lumia June 2006 Giuliana, Oh, thank you very much for the great trip through Tuscany. Our trip was even better than I imagined. The rolling hills of olive tree and vineyards was just beautiful. You have organized the trip so well with the best accomodations. The orange book is going to be something that I save. Our boys are really jealous that they weren't able to be with us. Thank you again. Jack and I loved it all. Even the day we weren't able to ride. I will tell everyone the wonderful arrangements you make in Tuscany. We are home now dreaming of Tuscany. Judy and jack Tonk June 2006 Dear Guiuliana and Marco: We had a wonderful time in Tuscany. We appreciated the good bikes and all your work in outfitting us. We loved both of the hotels and were very comfortable there. We were lucky to have had good weather as well. Have a great summer and hopefully we will see you again on our next trip. Thank you for everything. Ann and Charlie Orsillo June 2006 Hi Giuliana and Marco, We had such a wonderful ride through Tuscany last month. It's hard to believe it's over and that we are home. The scenery is fabulous, the history of the region was very interesting, the hotels were nice and comfortable and the wine and food was wonderful! The self-guided tour is the way to go. It was so nice to be able to leave our hotel when we wanted to leave, to stop along the way when we wanted to stop, and to go at our own pace. No other bike tour company that we have known offers tours that way...great idea. The maps and directions were clear, the tour booklet was great. The only problem we had was getting out of Sienna. That day there were so many turns and directions it seems we were stopping every few minutes to look at the maps again. It was a little confusing at times, plus, the streets were very busy and it was a little scary. I know you said that you have discontinued setting up the dinners for your tour guests, but we have to say those were the best meals we had. It was so nice just to go into the restaurants and have someone else order for us. I don't think we would have tried some of those foods if it had not been for you ordering for us. We also wouldn't have tried so many courses. Robin received his pedal a couple of days ago and he's happy to be back on his bike. We are also going to send you some pictures of our bike tour soon. We have already recommended your company to many of our friends. And we are going to put a link to your website on our website (SHARE Mountain Bike Club) Thank you so much and maybe one day we can do it again. If you are ever in Southern California and want to try mountain biking drop us a note. Jane and Robin Lemonds Giuliana & Marco We have returned to Oregon after a very relaxing three weeks, particularly in Val d'Orcia. Thank you so much for renting such an excellent racing bike to my friend for our three days of cycling. We particularly enjoyed the ride from San Quirico through Montichiello to Montepulciano and Pienza. Next year I would like to explore the side roads to Radicofani. With very best wishes to both of you for a good year. Regards, Neal, Beaverton, OR May 2006 Giuliana, I just got an email from Bill Mansell requesting information about your Essence of Tuscany Tour. I think about that trip often. I can not begin to express how much we enjoyed that trip. You and Marco made it so special. It was a fantastic tour. I can't imagine seeing Tuscany any better way than on a bike with the two of you. I want to thank you so much for all the pictures, pan forte, Christmas e-cards, and for being such a warm and supportive guide. My heart aches to come back and do another trip with you. Hopefully, sometime soon. I am not getting any younger!! I want to do that while I still have the energy to ride. I went to your web-site to check out your other tours and was pleasantly surprised to see Ken and my picture on the tandem. I also looked at the details for your Puglia tour. I will talk to Ken about possibly doing that trip. Maybe in September? Do you have any other people expressing an interest in that trip? Thanks again for such a wonderful and special tour of your country and culture. Alice Mantey May 2006 Hello, We just wanted to send you a note to thank you for organizing our Umbria cycling trip. We had a wonderful time. The weather was fabulous. Everything worked out fine with the bicycles and the hotels. We only had one flat tire. We only missed one turn in the directions (We missed the turn off before Perugia and cycled into the busy town. We ended up taking a bus up to the hotel). We also cheated in Orvieto by taking the funicular from the train station to the old town. Let us know if you want any other feedback. Sincerely Barbara Smith and Paul Gibbons Toronto November 2005 We are back in the U.S., after an absolutely wonderful trip in Tuscany. You two, and your company, are the BEST! The routes were carefully chosen, the hotels were charming, the restaurant recommendations were reliably excellent, and you both were extremely helpful in making ours an unforgettable trip. You have obviously put an enormous amount of thought and planning into your tours, which why our trip worked so well. We only hope that now, with the summer season over, you two will have the chance to do some bicycling by yourselves. Maybe even take a little trip for Marco's birthday! Again, thanks for making ours the trip of a lifetime. You are doing a fantastic job! Best wishes, Michael C. Darien CT October 2005 Hi: I just wanted to write and thank you for the wonderful trip. Everything was perfect and we are all still talking about the great food, hotels, scenery and of course the HILLS… You were very accommodating to our wishes and we really appreciate all the alterations you made for us. We are all thinking that we would like to do another trip in the future so you will be hearing from us and our friends. Oh yes, the Hotel Ponte Sisto in Roma was great. Have a wonderful winter and if you ever get to the Boston area we would love to have you be our guests. Best Regards, Nancy et al family Nancy V. S., Rye NH October 2005 Giuliana and Marco, We want to thank you for a wonderful biking experience in Tuscany. Even though we only rode 3 days, it was just right for us. The hotels and restaurants were superb. We would love to do it again. We had a wonderful time. It was the best part of our Italy trip. Thank you! Ciao. Lori and Tony Y. Alaska September 2005 Ciao Giuliana and Marco, Aleta and I had a great time riding the tandem through Tuscany. Even thought it rained on us and was a little colder than we had anticipated, we still had fun. Marco, you are correct, there are no flat roads in Tuscany. The 7 km climb to Montepulciano was a bit of a challenge on the tandem but was fun. All three of the hotels were excellent and we really liked your hometown of Pienza. Good luck to you, your family and your business. We hope to see you again sometime. Best Regards, Mike and Aleta B., Ontario New York September 2005 Buon Giorno Giuliana and Marco. We have arrived home safely in Salt Lake City and to cold, rainy weather. Duncan and I wanted to thank you for making our biking trip very wonderful. The bikes were great; the routes were easy to follow. I had trained before the trip and I was glad that I had ridden so that I was prepared for the hills. Our hotels were beautiful and the restaurant suggestions were excellent. The weather and the scenery were more perfect than I could have expected. Thank you again for making our trip perfect in every way. If you would like to have people email us, please do so. Have a safe winter and I hope we will see you soon. Ciao, Anne & Duncan E. Salt Lake city July 2005 I haven't written since Brian and I finished our cycling trip back in May and June. Obviously, we had a great time and are looking forward to coming back again. I had hoped that we might be able to come back for another cycling trip this fall but things have been too busy here and therefore we haven't been able to make it. Hopefully we can plan our next trip for spring 2006. Dennis M. Edmonton Canada July 2005 Hi Giuliana, I hope all is well! Thank you so much for sending the pictures of our bike tour! I am so glad I got one picture of the gorgeous chef at the last place we stayed!! We had such a wonderful time with you and Marco. I have told about 3 different people about your company and I believe they will be contacting you in the future. Hopefully, I can send you some business.... Again, thanks for the pictures. Please keep in touch.... Delinda R. Golden CO June 2005 Giuliana I just can't put into words what the trip to your beautiful partof the world means to us. YOU DID SUCH A FABULOUS JOB TAKING CARE OF US! Grazie from the bottom of our hearts. Every place we stayed was perfection, every town absolutely wonderful. The biking was beyond our ability (Minnesota is nearly as flat as a pancake) and so I thank you for accommodating us so graciously. We lived for 11 years in Kona, Hawaii where the Ironman Triathalon is held, and I will submit an article in their publication that gets distributed freely to all those athletes from around the world. They would be an excellent target market. Thank you again, Giuliana, to you and Marco . you were so good to us and we want to let the world know how special your business and beautiful Italy is. With blessings of thanks and appreciation to you and your family, Gail D, MN and Sandy K, IL june 2005 Yes, the trip was incredible in spite of the wild beginning. It made it very special in the end. We became accurately aware of how much we love each other. Great I am glad to hear you will be picking up the stuff. Thank you very much for the use of the two items. They both came in very handy. Absolutely, put us in the reference section and if you would like a little paragraph we would be happy to write one up. On a random note. In Siena you sent us to a bike shop that was great. It had what we needed and I enjoyed seeing the shop and how they do things in Italia. At that shop they had a jersey that was white with a picture of the Campo on it. It is a very good looking jersey and I regret not picking two up for Kaye and I while we were there. Best Regards, David C. and Kaye CA July 2005 Guiliana and Marco, Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful experience for me and my friends. Marco's expertise and knowledge made everyone feel very comfortable. And now they all want to ride more! If I can ever be of any help with giving a recommendation or a testimonial, please let me know. I will certainly recommend Cicoposse to anyone I know who is looking for a trip in Italy and would be happy to be a reference for you. Ciao, Bob Sweeney Robert L. S. New Jersey May 2005 Ciao Giuliana and Marco, Ken and I had such a wonderful trip in Italy. I can't stop exclaiming to everyone we meet about your bike tour. Meeting both of you and spending the week with you made it so special. We appreciate so much the wonderful picnics you provided for us each day. Every detail of the trip was magnificent. Yesterday, we received your package. Mille grazie!! We were so pleased to get the panforte. This weekend United States celebrates our Independence day and my son is finally coming home from college for a few days. We decided to wait and share the panforte with him. We will treat him to a traditional Italian picnic so that he can have a little taste of our trip to Italy. We also want to thank you for the map!!! It is so great. I especially like all the markings you included (such as Marco fall!!). It brought back so many memories. This was such a wonderful trip. We will never forget it. Thanks again, Alice M., Chesterland OH April 2005 Hi Giuliana, Just a quick email to say thanks to yourself and Marco for a great holiday! Karen and I really enjoyed our honeymoon, in fact, we reckon it was the best holiday we have had. It was so relaxing just cycling through such beautiful countryside - but the thing that really made it special was your recommendations for meals! We had some fabulous food and it was a real bonus not having to spend time walking around towns trying to decide which restaurant looks the best! Even the weather was kind to us. Please feel free to give our email out if you wish to give a reference to new customers. Also, I took a GPS unit with me on the routes, when I work out how to get the data off it I'll forward you a copy. Kind Regards, Steve and Karen S. UK October 2004 Hi Giuliana, I am writing on behalf of the entire "Toronto Group" to let you know we had a GREAT TRIP. Thank you very much! Marco did a spectacular job in choosing the roads and hotels! We helped him choose the proper wines. We hope that Marco has arrived back home safe and sound. We were all a little worried that the long drive back to Italy might be too much for him in one day but he said he was OK. We are all looking forward to next year! Ciao! Walter Kucharczyk, Toronto October 2004 Giuliana and Marco, Sorry to take so long in getting back with you after our bike trip. It's been difficult to readjust to the real world… We just wanted to say 'Thanks' for helping us with the bike trip. It was definitely the highlight of our vacation and we're already working on ways to do it again next year. The routes were perfect. Mostly no traffic (though Florence was insane) and beautiful scenery. The climbs were challenging, but the down hills more than made up for it. The maps and tourist suggestions were spot on as well. The bikes were excellent, too. Accommodations were good, too. We received great service at all of the hotels… Kyle & Michelle P., Austin TX October 2004 Buon giorno Marco and Giuliana - Cindy and I haven't had much free time since we got back to the U.S. from our trip to your beautiful country. Too much work and not enough time to reflect on our experiences in Italy. We want to thank you both immensely for the Tuscany Wine Classic bike tour. We had the time of our life. Everything was perfect. The daily rides, maps/ directions, sightseeing suggestions, and restaurant suggestions all worked out wonderfully. I think we both truly realize how special the Tuscan countryside is. What a wonderful vacation. We've recommended your tours to many of our friends since we've been back home. Don't be surprised if you hear from some of them in the future.  Ciao, and thanks so much. Cindy Feder Larry Stonum     October 2004 Ciao Guiliana, A* Gigantic* *Thank You* for a fabulous bike trip!  We had such a fantastic time - everything was great -the biking,  the food, the hotels, the scenery, the weather - it just was amazing. The biking was more challenging than we expected - but we enjoyed it.  We were so busy in Florence our last days that I didn't have a chance to call you.  What a beautiful city - we saw the David, the Uffizi, the Duomo, and the Bargello - plus shopping and eating more incredible food.  We took a lot of photos and I will email a few to you once we get them organized. (We have one of all of us in the Cicloposse jerseys). We bought the biking jerseys in Siena as you recommended and met Signore Rossi -what a nice man.  He showed his photos from his racing  days. We're sorry we didn't get to meet Marco - we heard a lot about him - but maybe next time.  Once again ,many thanks for a wonderful trip!!! Best Regards, Susan & Greg October 2004 Hello Giuliana  Hoping that this email finds you well.  Joannie and I truely enjoyed our experience in Tuscany. It was made all the better because of  your attention to detail ....the maps and plans were superb. The bike were the best and certainly not the least we enjoyed our conversations with you.........much fun!  By the way we had a wonderful stay at Casalecchi. The food was wonderful, the wine was superb. Having drank to much wine that evening, we did cheat a little bit by taking ROBERTO to San Gimigano as we wanted to spend most of the day in this most beautiful village.  Will we be back to Ciclopsse....... ABSOLUTELY AND SOON.  By the way Giuliana always feel free to use us as a reference   Patrick Jacobs Lexington, MA  Best Regards     September 2004 Dear Guiliana & Marco, Sadly we are back home and getting into work again. I cannot explain in words what a wonderful cycling trip we had in Toscana and Umbria.   The hotels were really great - the rooms were quiet and romantic - and some of them had the most beautiful veiws - it was like looking at a painting ( Pienza, Montifalco, Assissi, Montacino)-   The cycling was excellent - many hills, through quiet forests, alongside magnificent farms- up and down through the winelands of Chianti. every corner we went round and and at the top of every hill the veiws were awesome!!! - I enjoyed every minute of every day. The places that you recommended for dinner were perfect!!! - we loved having the tandem, we really had a lot of fun.   I just loved the way, in the early evening, all the people are walking about in the streets with the children playing, riding their bikes - the old and the young just all really enjoying each other - Italians seem so happy!!! We had very special moments in the little villages. I count it such a priviledge that we were able to go on this wonderful cycling trip and to have shared every beautiful day together.  For all of this I would like to thank you and Marco for organising everything so well.   Everytime I sent you a mail you answered immediately.   I will certainly promote CICLOPOSSE  to all our friends and to anyone who shows interest.   We would be interested in France when you get things going there - please let us know!!  I will start saving money for next year.!!!!!!  Giuliana, we were so pleased to meet you and your family and I have lovely photographs to keep -.when I get organised I will send you a couple of photos.  Once again, thank you for the most amazing holiday I have ever had.  Fond regards - Carol and Bert Bard south Africa September 2004 Giuliana, Thanks for a wonderful, most awesome trip!!  We all enjoyed our cycling very much! We appreciate all your hard work in the set-up, maps, directions, recommendations, etc. Everything went very smoothly without any problems. Just wanted to say thanks Pam Cayer August 2004 Hello Giuliana, Well, we returned to the United States five days ago, and miss Italy already! I wanted to thank you for a truly great experience on our bike trip with you in Tuscany.  Everyone had a great time -- we will all remember the day fondly. If you have any pictures from the bike trip, could you please email them to me? I also wanted to thank you for your suggestion about the beach at Castiglione della Pescaia.  We had a chance to spend the day there, and it was wonderful! We hope to see you again on our next visit -- and if you ever take a trip to our part of the world, please let me know! Thank you very much, Ann Marie Campolattaro May 2004 Dear Giulianna and Marco Eileen and I thank you for an unbelievable seven days of biking in Tuscany, and your personal attention in enhancing our tour experience. The country was beautiful, the accommodations ottimo.  The food and wine incredible.  Most importantly thank you for your friendship, patience and tutoring.  We learned that there is more to climbing hills than muscle and going through the gears and chain rings.  Oh I almost forgot!  The bike saddles are great.  Thank you  Richard – san Francisco CA May 2004 giuliana and marco Thank you for a wonderful bike trip through Chianti.  It was wonderful.  We couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the week.  I will recommend you to everyone I know coming over.  I might be contacting you in the future to do a week long trip. Thank you, again. Beth May 2004 Greetings Marco and Giuliana, We just arrived home from our holiday. We spent the last week in Napa, riding and comparing our wines with the memory of the wines from your country.... We still like the Brunello the best!!!! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank-you for the wonderful tour. The reality was well beyond the descriptions and pictures. Your maps and directions were exact and the ride suggestions ensured that we missed nothing. I appreciate the promt luggage service and the hotels were no disappointment. We hope that if your travel plans bring you to the states, you will take some time to visit beautiful Lake Tahoe, we are offering an open invitation. I would be glad to show you around. All our best, Yale and Chemen Spina May 2004 Giuliana--Many thanks for the photos.  They're great!  We certainly enjoyed spending the day with you and Marco--and you do a wonderful job with your tours.  We would not hesitate to recommend you both to anyone interested in a bike tour of the area.  If you have a reason to come to the USA, we'd love to have you spend a few nights in the mountains with us in Steamboat Springs.  Take care, and stay in touch.   Ciao!  Kyle and Elyse Craig Colorado April 2004 Hey Giuliana, I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful experience again and to say that southern Tuscany is one of the most beautiful places on the planet!  My wife was so impressed with my stories of Italy, that she wants to come back with me (not on a bike trip though).  If you can give me your mailing address, I will send you the keys registered mail as soon as possible.   Eric Robbins Toronto, Thanks again October 2003 Hello Giuliana - It has been almost a month since Dani and I were there but it seems much longer  as I have have been very busy with work and family.  I have been meaning to write to tell you what a great time we had in Tuscany. The bike riding was really wonderful - the bikes were great, the routes were wonderful and you and Marcos made everything so easy (except for the hills!).  The combined biking/cooking was such a good idea and Pamela and her family were also great.  I'm dreaming of the day when I can come back! Please let me know if you ever want to come to Colorado - we would love to have you visit.  Say hello to Marcos for me and thanks again to both of you for a great vacation!  Mary Corkill colorado September 2003 Ciao Marco, Now that we are back in New York after our month long journey through Italy, Lenny and I want to let you know how much we enjoyed touring Puglia with you.  Somehow, you were able to accommodate everyone's needs and you still kept on rolling with a smile. Your skill at putting together a great plan and then making the plan come true is laudable. Great biking, food, wine, hotels and good company all combined to make wonderful memories. We keep looking at the pictures of the Adriatic, the restaurant in the grotto, the beautiful vistas along the way and we just smile, smile, smile.   Did I mention the cheese and olive oil factories??!!  I haven't stopped raving about our great bike trip and Lenny still talks about the terrific dentist in Alberobello.  Our plans to visit you when we were staying in Florence did not work out because of the blackout, but that is another story.  Regards to Giuliana and have a restful, peaceful winter. Thanks again and again. Judy Solomon and Lenny Hellenbrand NY September 2003 Hi  Giuliana and Marco, Just wanted to let you both know what a great experience we had biking in Tuscany with you.  This was certainly the most challenging biking we have ever done and also the most beautiful place we have ever biked.  I really appreciated both the support van full of water and refreshments as well as your encouragement at the top of every hill.   The added attractions like  wine tastings and picnic lunches made each day unique. I have been putting together all our photos and have a few I will send you via e-mail.  I know that you got a few shots of me and wonder if you have one or two you could send/e-mail to me. You guys really have a nice business going.  All the best for the future.   Maybe we can bike with you again - perhaps in Umbria, or Veneto where Henry can drink Amarone to his heart's content. Thanks again and also to Mauro and Marida for the time they spent with us. Lisa and Henry - Minnesota September 2003 Giuliana: Thank you very much for a fantastic tour!   Carrie and I are sitting in an internet cafe in Orvieto toasting our cafe lattes to another magnifico bike tour.    Everything (well, almost everything) went very well.  We had a very relaxing and enjoyable tour after the first night. The bicycles are locked up in the garage of the Hotel Duomo.  We will leave the handlebar bags at the front desk when we check out tomorrow.  We will leave the cycle computers and the key to the lock in the handlebar bag pocket. We hope to plan another tour again with you, ciao, Dave and Carrie. August 2003 Marco; We arrived home to Florida a few days ago.  It has practically been storming ever since. I wanted to tell you how much we all enjoyed the day spent biking with you.  It was truly one of the highlights of our trip and we would love to do it again sometime in the not too distant future. I will be delighted to refer friends to you and, again, thanks for making the day so relaxed, special and enjoyable. Ciao! David, Susie & Eli Bush July 2003 Marco and Giuliana, I would like to thank you for making our cycling trip through Tuscany in June a wonderful experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives!  I have been recommending your company to anyone I know who is planning a cycling tour.  On our trip we got to experience both a self-guided tour (the 6-day Tuscany tour) and we added a 1-day guided tour (plus an extra night in Siena).  Every hotel was wonderful.  Our luggage was always safely waiting for us at the next hotel.  The maps, cue sheets, and information you provided allowed us to cycle and explore at our own pace without worrying about getting lost.  Our one-day guided tour with van support allowed us to extend our trip to see the wonderful little town of San Gimignano, which otherwise would have been too far off our route to see.  The bikes were fine.  We really appreciate the fact that you were available to us when we needed some assistance.  I look forward to returning to Tuscany one day to ride through the hills and visit the wonderful towns and villages.   Please feel free to use Nancy, Pat, and me as references.  We really were delighted with your company!   Bruce Bokish Raleigh, North Carolina July 2003 Giuliana, Thank you so much for a wonderful vacation.  Tom and I found the rides to be challenging and beautiful.  We are amazed at the wonderful directions..we only made one wrong turn in the entire week, and that was Tom's fault.  When we bike in Connecticut, it is likely that we will get lost dozens of times.  We met some other cyclists and they complained about the poor directions.  We recommended your company to them for the future. We can't say more about the kindness of the Italians.  People that we met were so helpful and wanted to know all about us.  You have a beautiful country.  The hotels and restaraunt recommendations were exceptional.  We have a new found love for fresh basil, tomatoes, wine, olive oil, pasta and cheese.  We tried the bruschetta everywhere that we went, and found that the Wine Bar (Vinieria) in Pienza had the freshest basil and tomatoes.  We also loved the service and food at Pergola and in fact Pienza was our favorite place.  You have a beautiful town. Thank you again for the vacation of a lifetime.  It created many memories.  We will put our pictures on a website so that you can see them and use them as a reference if anyone else asks about your tour.  Please use us if people want to know about your company.  The recommendations from other people is what made us choose you.  We would love to share with others. We loved your country so much, and if we ever do another bike tour, we will use your company.  Likewise, if your ever in the states...in the New York City/Boston area, let us know.  We would love to share our home with you, as you did with us. Ciao, Beth Furuno and Tom Gagliardi   July 2003 Juliana and Marco, Joy and I are sitting in the Rome airport waiting for our flight (delayed!) and just wanted to send you a note telling you how much we enjoyed the trip.  By the last day we thought 50km sounded easy and indeed the ride into Firenze was easy by comparison to some of the other days.  I think we could not have seen Tuscana in a better way than on the back of a bike.  It is a beautiful country, so fruitful and artistic.  Even the heat and sun were enjoyable as we felt that we had earned our dinners by the end of each day.  We had excellent dinners as we ate at all of your recommended locations.  We did want to tell you that two of the restaurants on your list in Florence appear to be missing now.  The Cibreo restaurant was replaced with a new, fairly expensive restaurant that we didn't try.  Then we went to 77 Via de Macci to find it too was replaced with a new restaurant called Osteria de Macci.  We tried it anyway and really loved it.  It was in some ways the most beautiful meal of the trip.  In particular, they had a home made ravioli with grape and Gorgonzola cheese that was "to die for"!  It was very reasonably priced and we recommend that you update your list to include it instead of the current listing. The bikes were very good.  Joy had one fall on the second day, not bad when she did a "header" when she braked too hard with the front brakes going over some railroad tracks, but otherwise she was fine.  The odometer sensor on the front fork broke off but I think it can be easily fixed.  We saw the "bike for two" in the motel in Florence when we arrived but did not have a chance to visit with the couple to see if they were still speaking to each other. I would recommend that you tell people to get an early start on the day they ride into Sienna. It is a very long day. Thanks again for a great trip.  We would be happy to recommend your biking company to others. We are already thinking of when we can come back with our children to enjoy Tuscany again. Best Regards, Robert and Joy July 2003 Giuliana & Marco – Just wanted to send you a quick note to say ‘Thanks’ for a great time a few weeks back. Everyone really enjoyed the ride and meeting you both. I particularly appreciated the care you took in making sure everyone felt comfortable on the bikes. Hope you have a great rest of the summer. One day I hope to take your Southern Italy trip!   Best Regards, Mark Thompson June 2003 Hi Giuliana and Marco.  Tom and I wanted to thank you again for a WONDERFUL trip!  It was just the best and I am very sad to be back.    Please feel free to include my name and contact info on your list of "recommenders" for others considering doing a bike trip with Cicloposse.  I would love to recommend it highly.   By the way, I just went on your website and the upcoming Morocco tour looks amazing.  I will keep it in mind.   Thank you again for everything and we'll be in touch.   -Kristina June 2003 Hi Giuliana!!   Dave and I wanted to thank you and your husband for a wonderful day of cycling last week Tuesday! We had a great time....although I almost died only 1 km from Montalcino...had to eat  a handful of raisins before I could make it! :-) The wine tasting/olive oil tasting was great!! We love our bottles of Brunello that we bought. Please tell your husband thank you, especially for riding with such a heavy backpack! We hope to return and do a whole week trip next time!! Keep in touch! Nicole Kim Maggio 2003 Marco:  Wanted to let you know we really enjoyed our trip with you.  All of your organization and planning was great. I''m sure we will be back again sometime.   It was a very special vactation that we will never forget.    I am faxing your card to a couple Linda and I met in Tolaro.  They are an older couple but they have a son who is really into cycling and they are going to rent a villa in Tuscany next summer and were interested in getting your name.   Hope everything is well with you and your family.   Dan Montgomery   Maggio 2003 Ciao Guiliana and Marco,   After 4 airplanes and more than 27 hours of travel we finally arrived in Eugene late in the evening on Sat. May 24.  We want to thank you so much for planning such a fantastic trip for us and our friends.  We called our daughter when we reached San Francisco and told her our trip was better than the last.  She said how is that possible and we just said it was.  We liked the additional services that you have provided so much.  We enjoyed the olive oil factory and tasting and the delicious lunch, the cheese making facility and the wine tasting in Lecce.  We appreciated  having the guided tours when we arrived in the caves, Alberobello and Lecce.  All of these events added so much to our appreciation of Puglia and we thank you for being so thorough and providing this as part of our biking trip.   And then of course we loved the hotels and the food, what can I say about the food!  It was fabulous.  I think I am wearing all of that pasta around my middle. Marco, thank you for your patience with my slow bike riding.  I appreciated your sensitivity.  Thank you again for your patience and good care. Thank you for the plate from Ristorante il Poeta Contadino.  It made it home safely and is now on a stand in my kitchen as a good memory for us.  The dinner we had there was one of our favorite meals!  I have many pictures of our trip and need to do some editing.  When I have a photo CD ready I will mail it to you.  Thank you for everything!   Warm regards,   Linda and John Maggio 2003 Hi, Giuliana! We are safely back at home and back at work.  Christopher and I had a FANTASTIC time in Tuscany, and we will always remember our wonderful honeymoon.  The tour you created was just wonderful, and all of the towns were so nice--thank you!!!  I have some friends who are thinking of biking in Tuscany in the fall, and I will forward them your e-mail address.  I hope we can come back to Italy for another bike tour some time in the not too distant future. All the best, Ann November 2002 Hi Marco, Morena & Guilana, We wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our biking trip in October. It was the highlight of our vacation. We appreciate Marco & Morena's help with making our trip a most wonderful experience. The beautiful scenery, the biking, olive oil factory and your personal attention to our requests made this trip spectacular. I will email you a picture of us with Marco! We enjoyed it so much we would like to come back next summer! ….Thank you so much for making a wonderful biking experience for us last month. Sue M., Texas October 2002 Hello We are home and just wanted to thank you all for making our trip a wonderful experience!!! It was great and everyone enjoyed it. The food, the rooms, the biking and especially the guides. Marko can't be beat, he takes such good care of all the details and his energy and wit are the icing on the cake. Everyone loved the trip and all said they would love to come again sometime. That is the best compliment to all of you. Hope Marco had some energy left for that next trip. Thanks again for everything!!!! Kay & Tommy, Jackson Hole October 2002 We have safely returned to Portland, and despite a bit of jetlag, are very well. Thank you so much for making our Tuscany bike tour absolutely fantastic! We had an incredible time and wish that we lived closer so that we could do this more often. You truly made the experience effortless! … Again, thank you for a wonderfully-planned itinerary! We will definitely recommend you to our friends! sincerely, Erin and Lane, Portland, Oregon October 2002 Dear Giuliana, Morena & Marco, Janice & I want to thank each of you for the most wonderful vacation we've ever had. The bikes, biking & planning of our seven days together was simply outstanding! Tuscany is a beautiful place but each of you, in your own way, made it even better. We loved each of the hotels, the wine tasting & the fromagio Pecorino, not to mention the fantastic food & wine. I can't imagine a better bike trip than Cicloposse. It is simply the greatest! Have a good winter. Maybe we'll see you Puglia next year. Janice & Gerry K., Montreal, Canada September 2002 Hi Marco Morena and Giuliana, Now that we are back home and a little less jet legged, we wanted to write and let you know how much we have enjoyed our bicycle journey in Tuscany. You have put together a wonderful itinerary and the choices of the cycling roads were excellent. We just wanted to let you know how grateful we are for all your contribution in making our Tuscany holiday a memorable one. Many thanks, Tali and Jules L., Florida September 2002 Dear Giuliana and Marco: Just a quick thank you for your part in making our 1st trip to Italy so great! The hike, lunch in Pienza and cheese tour at San Polo were wonderful. A special thanks to Marco for a memorable bike ride in Tuscany. Tonight for dinner we are having some "Pici" from Pienza and San Polo Pecorino and Olive Oil ..... We have given your name to friends planning a bike tour to Tuscany next year. ciao, Kate and Jim S. Boulder, Colorado July 2002 Ciao Guiliana, Marco & Morena, Mike and I can't tell you how much we enjoyed biking, hiking, and the cooking class. It was such an enlightening experience. The scenery was even more magnificent than we could have ever imagined. Your hospitality went beyond what we could have ever expected. We truly got to taste what Tuscany is all about. Morena took such good care of us that we felt a huge void when she dropped us off at the train station. We do hope you will visit us if you come to Florida in December. We would love see you all again and invite you to our home for a good Tuscan lunch. Thanks again for a truly wonderful adventure. Arrivederci, Barbara & Mike (Parkland, Florida) July 2002 Dear Marco & Family, As you can see from the smiles on our faces, we all had a fantastic time on our 50 k ride around Pienza. See you in 2 years if not sooner. Best Regards, Bob & Dona H. (+ Al, Ryan, Kira & Bo) - Laguna Beach, CA October 2001 Hello Giuliana, We all want to thank you and Marco for such a wonderful trip. Everyone really enjoyed the biking and all the things you had planned for us. I was only sorry we didn't get another chance to see you before we left. I truly enjoyed meeting you . I think you and Marco make a great team in this business. We were much appreciative of all that you did. I will be happy to send anyone else that I know to you for biking in Italy. Please keep in touch with me and keep me informed on the new guided tours you are setting up because we might all be interested in doing them. Thanks again and Take Care. Betty W., Los Gatos, CA October 2001 Ciao Giuliana and Marco, Thank you for the best experience in cycling I could have had. Being in Italy for the first time and seeing it on a bike was incredible. I am already making plans to come back next year. I can`t imagine being with any other bike company. You brought back memories of my childhood sitting around the dinner table with my grandparents and aunts and uncles. We had to spend the night in Zurich because Swiss Air went bankrupt. We were lucky to have travel insurance, they got us on with American Airlines the next morning. Now I can say I have been in Switzerland. The whole experience was fantastic, I am sorry that I waited so long to go to Italy. Well, That is all for now. I`ll be e-mailing you later to let you know my plans for next year. Arrivederci, Larry M., Ca September 2001 Dear Marco and Giulana, Bob and I thank you for such a spectacular biking holiday. We were so pleased with every aspect of our vacation that you planned and coordinated so well. The hotels were lovely, the food was delightful. Marco, your guiding was an inspiration. You not only cared deeply about this tour and your hopes for your business, you seemed to care for each of us, individually. Thank you for your sensitivity and concern regarding the Twin Towers. It was, indeed, a blow to our country. We felt so embraced by your countrymen and will go forward with thought and courage. It was strange to be out of the country while it was being attacked. We, in some ways, seem somewhat detached from the emotion here which runs the entire range of anger, fear and depression. It seems like a much quieter country than when we left. Sincerely, Gail and Bob O'D., Eugene, OR September 2001 Dear Giuliana and Marco, just wanted to tell you that our week in Umbria was so incredible. All 6 of us agree that it was the best vacation we have ever had. A smile comes to my face whenever I think of that long climb up to Perugia. Thank you so much for your help and we will be back. I did refer a friend to you and hopefully he will get a group together soon. Hope this finds you healthy and safe and I hope the horrible terrorism doesn't hurt your business too much. Abrachos, Read P., CA September 2001 Ciao Marco and Guiliana, We arrived home yesterday (Monday) at 2p after spending the night in Denver. We are happy to be here and have wonderful memories of our trip to Italy. We thank you again for your good care, attention to detail and sensitivity to all of our needs. We would do this trip again in a heartbeat. Please keep us posted about your plans for biking in Sardinia and John tells me you also have a trip to the southern part of Italy. We look forward to another biking trip. Warm regards, Linda and John S., Oregon September 2001 Hello Marco and Giuliana, Now that we've returned home (just barely made it the night before the tragedy), settled in and recovered from the shock of all that's happened here, I wanted to write you a note. We had a wonderful time there, and bike riding through Tuscany was definitely the highlight of our trip to Italy. I can't think of a better way to see a place. The self-guided tour was a perfect solution for us, and you're right, with all the hills, the mileage you suggested (with a few extensions) was perfect. Any more and we wouldn't have had the energy to walk around and see things. The bikes worked great, and again you were right- the third chain ring was a good idea. We had some great meals and the hotels were all wonderful, especially Relais il Chiostro and Palazzo Squarcialupi. It was good to meet you both and see your new house and studio. Karl's still talking about having a studio like that- it's his dream. You're lucky (smart) to live in such a wonderful place. Thanks for sharing it with us. And as we said in our note, if you ever find yourselves in Vail, call us. Many thanks and best wishes, Pavan and Karl K., Vail, CO May 2001 I wanted to thank you for our biking day in the Tuscan hills May 16th. Marco did a great job selecting terrain, as well as the lunch location. We had a great time and will recommend your company to our friends and associates. Please tell Marco that if he is in New York, I would be happy to reciprocate by doing a bike ride with him in our area. I can show what it's like to ride in the New York area and countryside even find some decent hills we can ride up so that he doesn't get homesick. Regards. Robert S. New York How wonderful! Your region, your country but most especially your company will always be special memory for me. Thank you for sharing the precious few days we've had. Angela O. Marco, you are fabuloso!!! The most handsome, charming funny and patient guide! You made our trip to Tuscany the trip of a lifetime. We will always remember you. Thank you especially for making sure I got to shop. Was so fun and special. Larry & Jackie H. CA Ciao Marco! Thanks so much for all your help, expertise, and good humor (even if there were a few times on the hills when we wanted to thow things at you). Arrivederci!  Celeste, Kyle, Joyce and Linda (CA) Dear Marco, what can we say but "grazie, grazie" From the hiking, biking, sightseeing, shopping and your pasta dinner, all perfect. Jim and Gretchen M. (CA) This trip was very special and your bicycle it even much better. I can not wait to have my wife and daughters join next year. It is now clear why they call you "Marco IL Magnifico". Ciao. Manny F. (Florida) Biking through your country and, specifically, the beautiful wine region in which you live, was clearly a highlight of our trip. Seeing breathing and tasting the sights is really the way to experience any place, and you certainly were experts on all fronts. I didn't realize how good the wine could be! Jay B., Connecticut Dear Marco and Giuliana, I finally had a chance to look up your web site. It is a great site and makes me want to come back soon for more rides ( I wish). Carol and I greatly enjoyed our time with you and our rides were the highlights of our trip. Marco, thank you for the suggestion to go to Civita near Orvieto. We got there at sunset and after crossing the bridge to the town we stumbled upon an Italian who had a wine tasting and oil tasting shop inside of an old etruscan cave. He didn't speak english, but we had a great time with him in this enchanting little town. I will definitely recommend your company to anyone I know going to Italy and I wear your tee shirt often when I work out at my club. I have picked up Marco's phrase "We go!" Thanks again, D. Wayne (Midlothian, VA) Italy WAS fabulous! Our only regret is that we barely scratched the surface of an amazing country. Too much to see within the two weeks we were there. However, one of our most memorable days was the one spent with Marco and Giuliana. We started off in Montepulciano (actually at their house), cruising down hills, past vineyards, small towns, farmhouses right out of "Under The Tuscan Sun"...the weather was glorious, a truly wonderful day, with many imprints of daily Italian life etched in my mind. We had a group of five women ranging in age from 22 to 43, and Marco was patient with all of us. Giuliana followed in their van which a few of us opted to use toward the end of our ride versus climbing the very steep hill into Cortona. Once in Cortona they had made arrangements for us to have lunch on the patio of a beautiful restaurant with a sweeping view of the valley, a perfect place to relax with old and new friends. The food was never-ending, the vino in my glass always half-full...to have an opportunity to talk and learn about such a beautiful country with Marco and Giuliana is a part of our trip we will all cherish. Aline O. (Seattle)