"Dear Alan, I cannot thank you enough for two extraordinary days in Rome.  Only someone with your energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of beautiful Rome could have made a cold, rainy day in January so interesting and so much fun. Your tour offered us an intimate and unique perspective that gave rise within each one of us an appreciation and love for Roman history, culture and art.  We will never forget weaving in and out of Rome's narrow streets discovering and admiring its hidden treasures and stepping through the doors of plain facades into the exquisite halls of San Clemente and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva...It will be impossible for anyone of us to forget the profound contributions the Romans made to our civilization which you illuminated and described so vividly. Thank you for your time, your knowledge, your restaurant suggestions, and all the other bits of information you shared with us that helped make this an unforgettable trip. I have raved about you to a number of friends and acquaintances and hope they use you." 

Deborah Pickett
Indianapolis, Indiana

"Dear Alan, We left Rome with our sense of how the modern world unfolded, completely transformed by your deftly guided journey through the ages of that city on the hills. You did a marvelous job. My family was engaged, captivated, enthralled and educated in countless ways by your special sense of Rome and its place in the scheme of things. My children are still talking about it.There are so many things that they will never forget: Michangelo's Moses, Bernini's St.Teresa, the water fountains of the Virgin Aqueduct, and, of course, Rome's gelato emporiums. But I expect that our guided walk through time in the basements of the Basilica of St. Clemente will stay with them forever. In short, we were completely seduced by the city's beauty and charm, thanks to seeing it through your eyes. We do hope this was only the first of what will many visits to Rome. And we would certainly expect to take advantage again of your expertise when we do.

Robert Lee Hotz
Writer, The Los Angeles Times
New York Bureau, New York

"Alan, I am re-reading Pat Conroy's novel, Beach Music, and I have just finished the part in which the main character and his daughter are living in Rome in Piazza Farnese. I know that they will return to South Carolina, and I am saying to them "Don't do it - stay in Rome!" And thanks to you, that's how I felt when my wife and I reluctantly boarded our Delta Flight to return home last month. After our magical day with you, the sights and sounds of your Rome are as fresh in my mind as if I were still there. We especially appreciated the fact that you designed our time with you based on what we wanted to see and not on what a guidebook said we should see. You showed us parts of Rome that are off the beaten path and that we never would have seen without you. From our meeting in the market in the Campo dei Fiori through our ciaos at the wonderful ristorante you recommended, we truly saw Rome as the Romans do. This was the fifth time my wife and I had been to Rome, but your historical asides and insightful comments on contemporary life in Rome made us realize that we had never truly seen Rome until this trip. From each of the six of us who walked with you that day, mille grazie!"

Ron Barrett
Attorney at Law
Columbia, South Carolina

"Dear Alan, Thank you so much for your brilliant guidance in Rome. You are a 15 on a scale of 10. We had guides again in Florence, Venice and London, and none of them can hold a (Roman?) candle to you. We will recommend you without hesitation and hope to return to Rome for more great experiences in the future."

Katy & Bob Glass
Business people
San Francisco, California

"Alan, Wow! One 8 hour day with you in Rome did more to put history into a perspective that made it meaningful than all the classes I took in high school and college. Walking through the city with you, as you explained the cycles of life of the city fit together so many pieces of dry knowledge that had seemed meaningless before. When we went onward to Pompei, the Greek Isles, Ephesus, and Egypt afterward, the things that I saw had meaning largely because of what I learned from you.
I want to thank you for your wonderful day with us. I will tell anyone making this trip that they must begin by spending a day with you."

Gary, Sally, and Megan Fairman
Physicist
Orange City, Florida

"Alan, a sincere thanks for the interesting tour of Rome. Having read your book, As the Romans Do, studied Rome several times when in grammar school, and heard so much about its special status from so many, who had previously visited, I had high expectations. I would say in retrospect, that these expectations were exceeded. I was quite impressed by the range of sites we visited, but even more impressed by your knowledge of the ancient culture and ability to explain how and why events or structures developed as they did. I am a naturally curious person, and love to engage in dialogue about history, politics, and cultures and found our exchanges very interesting. I was also impressed by all of the out of way, easy to overlook, sites and details you provided. The city is truly remarkable and combined with the life style, climate, and attitude of the Romans, I can see why you have found it so attractive. The weekend Isa and I spent in Rome was truly remarkable, and was one of the highlights of my adult life. Thank you again for helping to make it special."

Cliff Hund
American Businessman
London, England

"I wanted to take a moment to thank you again, Alan, for your tour of Rome. My entire family completely enjoyed every minute of it. It was the first time in a while that over dinner our conversation turned to the arts and the beauty that surrounded us. You were such an important part of that experience. I couldn't help but notice that you have made the city yours and more importantly that the city has made you hers. There has been a couple opportunities already that we have been able to highly recommend you to friends that are planning a trip to the Eternal City. We would also be interested in having you be our guide for a Vatican tour or other suggested places when we return in the Spring. Again thank you. You made our trip memorable and helped us to feel truly part of a great city."

Ken Tousignant
Manager GMAC Real Estate
Michigan

"Alan, we can't thank you enough. We've done London and Paris on our own (pretty well, I must say) but this was the best. From breakfast at a local bar to the monuments to the behind the scenes nooks and crannies we were captivated by your knowledge and enthusiasm. My wife and I, our daughter and her friend were spellbound. You took us down small alleys and into courtyards filled with ancient statuary that we would never have found. We saw sites the bus tours miss and the tour guide books don't even mention. To go into so many churches and monuments and still keep the girl's attention is pretty amazing. You did it with your understanding of the art, architecture, politics of the time, and intrigue between the Popes and the artists that created Rome. Our time with you changed our future travel plans for the better. When you said you knew someone to show us Pompeii, you didn't say Judith was the best on the planet. How we envy you all. To talk money, your fees, a little daunting at first glance, were the best travel investment we ever made. You made every minute count three times over. We hope to see you again. On our trip home we decided to retire to Italy. Really!"

Calvin and Jamie Flowers
Clock Shop Owner & Elementary School Teacher
Memphis, Tennessee

"Tante Grazie, Alan. Well, Cyndy and I are back in New England and have finally settled back into our native time zone. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you again for a memorable day in Rome. It exceeded my expectations. Three things in particular struck me that cold/rainy day..... First, Rome really is an incredible place ---- although Cyndy and I put in another good three days after our time together, I still felt as if we'd only scratched the surface. Second, your passion and enthusiasm for this special place is so complete, so genuine and so contagious. Although I'm certain you've walked and talked through that route hundreds of times, we felt as though it were a first for you and us. Third, it was interesting to hear a "review" of the city and life in the city NOT from a native (as is many times the case with guided tours), but from a fellow American who has chosen to adopt Rome as his home. You were able to give us all the facts and figures that any native could, but also you were able to provide us with insights on Roman life from our own perspective as visitors from the states. Our only regret: That we didn't schedule an additional day with you during our stay. Oh well, we will be back and we will definitely be in touch when plans are in the works. Ciao."

John Bersani
Businessman
Weston, Massachusetts