Ann Morin Yulee, FL Travel Agent | Vacation.com

Ann Morin

Yulee, FL Travel Agent

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Ann Morin

Ann Morin

Yulee, FL Travel Agent

Ann C Morin-Your Dream Vacation LLC

CALL ME
25+ Years of Experience
Additional Languages
English
The Gems of Umbria and Tuscany The hills of Tuscany

The Gems of Umbria and Tuscany

 

I like going off the beaten path...          

     If you have been to Italy once you surely visited the “big three” Rome, Florence, and Venice. I love those cities, however, there is so much more to Italia then just them!      

     Globus has some great “Undiscovered Italy” itineraries that visit villages that most tours overlook.  My husband is interested in the history of the Etruscan's and I love the countryside so "The Gems of Tuscany and Umbria" was a natural choice.

         Our group met up in Rome and had dinner before our departure the next morning. The trip kicked off with a visit to Narni, the inspiration for “Chronicles of Narnia”. We visited the convent of San Domenico where prisoners of the Spanish inquisition where held and carved their stories into the walls.There are also some frescos that date back to the 12th and 13th century. What is most interesting about the site is it had been completely forgotten; it was discovered in 1979 by two cavers who were astonished by what they found. After our underground adventure we were treated to a pasta making demonstration followed by a fresh pasta lunch with wine. Well satiated we were off to Spoleto and stunning Spello.           

     Spello is an adorable small village with beautiful flowers everywhere you look! There is a famous flower festival held in Spello each June, a true feast for the eyes!It is the type of place I could wander around all day; I was very pleased we had so much free time to drink in the atmosphere.     

     After exploring the hilltop village, we visited Assisi and then were on to San Martino in Campo our base to explore Perugia for two days.We visited the Piazza IV Novembre square with its beautiful fountain, and tasted Baci candies.   

     It was lovely strolling the promenade of Lake Trasimeno and hard to imagine that the bloodiest battle in Roman history happened there. The surprise attack by Hannibal still holds the record as the largest military ambush in history.      

     Leaving Umbria we headed to Siena home of the annual Palio race. We had a wonderful dinner in Monteriggioni a picture-perfect village nearby. In Volterra we explored the Roman ruins and then headed to one of my favorite villages, San Gimignano, where we had the afternoon to ourselves. The pace of the entire tour was like this, with a lot of free time to explore on your own.           

     Driving through the beautiful gentle rolling hills of the Val d'Orcia to mountaintop medieval villages was a magical experience. We stopped in Pienza known for its Pecorino cheese and did a Brunello wine tasting in Montalcino.     

     The tour wound down with two nights in Orvieto.We visited the Etruscan Underground Labirinto, and of course the magnificent cathedral with the San Brizio Chapel, with the most beautiful ceiling outside of the Vatican.          

     Our last night in Rome we went to a great opera dinner show, it was quite humorous, not stuffy at all, so even non-opera fans would enjoy it.     

I highly recommend this adventure for anyone who would like to get a more in-depth look at the villages of Umbria and Tuscany! 

Areas of Expertise

My Travel Specialties

Reviews

260 Reviews
Patient and doesn’t nickel and dime you
We originally booked a two week Italy tour with Ann for April 2020 to celebrate our 30th anniversary. The Covid virus came along so we cancelled that and booked a river cruise for July instead. Guess what? Covid still here and cancelled again. Ann patiently booked us a third time for April of 21 back to the Italy plan. Not once did she change us a change fee or complain about the extra work. Our friends agent charged them a $75 “service fee” each time to change theirs. We will always use Ann as she doesn’t nickel and dime you.
Paula - Omaha,NE - Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
30 of 35 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
Tracing family roots in Italy
Ann custom built a two week trip for my son and I tracing our family roots in Italy. It was a great experience filled with history, great food, and even some days at the beach. It was really nice working with someone who understood what it meant to me to show my son where he came from. It is a trip I will never forget!
Gino - Walpole,MA - Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
31 of 37 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
Best travel agent ever!
Ann has gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 crisis in keeping us informed about our cruise, which just canceled. She is the BEST travel agent we have ever worked with and are really upset that she is really taking a huge economic hit. When it is safe to travel we will definitely be using Ann again.
Mike - Acworth, GA - Traveled to Europe
30 of 38 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

Certifications & Awards

asta awardbwC award
AMA Academy
AMA Academy
World Azamara Academy
World Azamara Academy
Holland America Line Academy Specialist
Holland America Line Academy Specialist
Oceania Certified Specialist
Oceania Certified Specialist
Oceania Certified Travel Advisor
Oceania Certified Travel Advisor
Regent Seven Seas Luxury Cruise Expert
Regent Seven Seas Luxury Cruise Expert
Seabourn Academy Graduate
Seabourn Academy Graduate
Viking Expeditions Expert
Viking Expeditions Expert
Viking Expert
Viking Expert
Windstar Star Specialist
Windstar Star Specialist

Additional Certifications

  • Certified Travel Counselor
  • Certified River Cruise Specialist
  • Certified Italy Specialist

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