Dear Bedford VIP:

This memo will help you with some answers to questions you may have about preparing for your trip. We trust that you have a great time and share some very memorable experiences. We want you to depart well prepared so that nothing will adversely affect your good humor during the trip.

The purpose of the VIP trip is to enjoy Italy, meet the wonderful people that produce our fine estate wines, and finally, to get to know each other better as partners in a profitable adventure.

We have worked very hard to organize a trip that will truly be memorable and fun. We believe that we have combined great sightseeing with excellent food, and of course, wine: an ideal combination of relaxation and an opportunity to learn some local history as well as knowledge of the vineyards and their caretakers.

If you have any questions before leaving, please ask us.

Upon departure, please remember to check your luggage all the way through to Rome from your initial departure city.

LUGGAGE

• - Travel light, buy clothes in Italy! You could bring the proverbial "empty suitcase" or buy a suitcase there, and then proceed to "fill it"
• - Put name and address clearly on all luggage
• - Airlines permit one bag for check-in and one briefcase for carry on

ATTIRE

• - Daytime attire - casual, stylish shorts are fine - in the summer only
• - Bring comfortable shoes to walk in the vineyards
• - Bring a casual jacket for the cellars
• - Bring loose fitting clothes! By the end of your trip you'll need them!
• - Nighttime attire - casual chic, no ties, jacket optional

MONEY

• - Your ATM debit card will allow you to withdraw cash from any Italian ATM (called "Bancomat") as long as your ATM debit card is part of the Visa-MasterCard circuit
• - If you are planning on using your credit card to withdraw cash from ATMs, check with your credit card issuer to avoid hidden, international fees
• - If you are planning to bring a substantial amount of cash, please use Travelers Checks instead!
• - If you really want to bring cash, have large U.S. $ bills (when changing them at the bank, they will ask you to write down the serial numbers of each bill (new Italian law). I suggest 50s and 100s if possible. 20s should be the smallest denomination to bring. In fact, given this new law, you may want to change money at the airport before you go to Italy)
• - Once in Italy, only change at banks, not at hotels
• - Most stores in Italy accept credit cards; only some restaurants do

TIPPING:

• - Remember, in Europe approximately 10/15% gratuity is included in the check for service. It is customary to leave an additional 5%. However, if your check is small under $10 - you should leave 10% extra.

SHOPPING:

• Remember: stores in Italy are closed for about three (3) hours daily-anytime from 12:30pm to 4:30pm; also, depending on the season, the stores are either closed Saturday afternoon and re-open Monday morning or are closed Monday am and open all day Saturday. Always double check with your hotel concierge as to which schedule the stores are on.

COFFEE SHOPS/BARS/AUTOGRILLS:

• - As you walk in for that espresso rush, locate the cashier and walk straight up to it
• - Give your order to the cashier and pay in advance
• - You will get a receipt to bring to the counter for your beverage and/or sandwich (If there are two of you and the bar is busy, one person should be lining up at the counter while the other orders and pays)

HOTELS

• - All hotels in Italy ask you to leave your passport with them when you check-in. They are back in your "mailbox" the same evening
• - Please do not forget to take your passport everywhere since it is crucial to have it with you at all times to cash checks and show identification, etc.
• - Breakfast is included at all hotels
• - Tips to bellhops ($2 per bag)
• - Tips to Concierges ($5 day if they did anything for you)
• - Most portable electronics such PDAs, laptops, and cell phones only need a plug-adaptor, not a transformer (but check the specs for 220V compatibility)
• - For anything else you have to use a voltage transformer (from 110V to 220V)
• - Some hotels will have mini-bars in the room. Whatever you consume, you should tell the hotel cashier at checkout. These expenses are optional
• - As in any hotel in the world, do not leave cash or valuables in rooms
• - If you don't like your room, please ask for another one
• - When the Europeans say single room, they literally mean "one single bed" in a smaller-sized room. It will not be a double-bed room like at the Holiday Inns or Marriotts in the states.

MEALS

• - Continental breakfast is a croissant or brioche (sweet roll) and milk and coffee with jam (as opposed to the English breakfast which is similar to our full American breakfast)

LAUNDRY

• - You can have laundry done by the hotels. Hand in articles by 8:00am for evening return. You will probably only have time to give your laundry to the hotel during your stay in Rome. Possibly Venice. Bring a portable iron.

TELEPHONES

• - If you intend to make calls within Italy, but not from your hotel room, pick up telephone "cards" at the airport, at highway autogrills or in city tobacco shops (they have a big, black "T" displayed)
• - If you wish to call the U.S. and you do not have an international cell phone, do one of three things:
  1. The best option is using AT&T: DIAL 172-1011 or MCI: DIAL 172-1022. This is the equivalent of an 800 number in the U.S. so that you don't need to pay for the call. It works from MOST but not all locations
  2. Dial them direct from your hotel and ask them to call you back. If you make a direct dial call, you need to dial 001 and then your area code and number in the U.S.
  3. Call collect. (This takes much longer because it must go through a central office.) You usually have to get an outside line and dial 170, giving your name and number and they call you back within 10/15 minutes.)
  4. Remember that telephone calls from your room are at your expense

VENDORS:

• Don't have an Anglo-Saxon shocked sensibility to the constant "salesmanship" of Italian vendors or shopkeepers. They have many more tourists than we are accustomed to in the U.S. Just hold firm and don't accept the first price they give you. Charmingly get them down to what you think is the right price for the object.

CUSTOMS:

• Italian customs are fairly liberal. Walk through the line that says "Nothing to Declare" unless you have a substantial amount to declare.
• - U.S. government allows $400 worth of purchases and gifts - 10% duty will be charged above this amount. It's fine to bring back aged cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano - yes, Mozzarella - no!) as well as foods in cans and jars. It's not OK to bring back any meat (dried or fresh)

GYPSIES

• - This is a major problem in many cities, especially ROME! They are usually a group of small children that surround you with a mother nearby and the father further away.
• - Mind your wallet and watch for the classic newspaper trick
• - They are not Italian. They come from middle and Eastern European countries and they cannot be forbidden entry into Italy because they are protected by anti-racist laws.

ROME

SHOPPING:

• "Gucci": Via Condotti: Located near the bottom of Spanish Steps
• 
  "Fendi": Via Borgognona: Located at the bottom of Spanish Steps #36 & 39
  Tel: (06) 6797641 (Open during lunch which is very rare!)
• 
  "Fabrizio": Ask for Arnaldo, Anna or Fabrizio Larboni; tell him that Mario sent you.
  (Fabrizio's specializes in silk ties, shirts, and some leather goods; located around the corner from the Hotel Mediterraneo and the Rome train station.)
• I've always enjoyed Via Del Corso (perpendicular to Via Condotti and 3/4 blocks straight down from the center of the Spanish steps). You will usually find great bargains there.
• Another good area for shopping is Via Cola di Rienzo on the other side of the Tiber River -- tons of shops with many bargains to be had.

HOTELS

• "HOTEL MEDITERRANEO"
  Via Cavour 15 (near Central Train Station)
  Tel: (06) 488-4051
  Please feel free to mention the Belardino name; First Class hotel; excellent Concierge Service (in Italy they are called "Portieri"); Depend on them to make theater, car, train, air, restaurant reservations and offer recommendations, in general.
• "HASSLER-VILLA MEDICI":
  Trinita dei Monti (top of the Spanish steps)
  One of the nicest hotels in Europe; Deluxe/Luxurious accommodations; has a wonderful garden in the back for breakfast, lunch and drinks: Even if you decide not to stay there, you should try one of the three mentioned above. Rates are extremely high.

RESTAURANTS:

• "PIPERNO'S RESTAURANT": Located in the Jewish Section. Famous for the flat, pressed fried Jerusalem artichokes. Ask for La Signora, the proprietor. One of Rome's best restaurants.
• "SABATINI'S": A classic Roman restaurant in the heart of Rome's artist section: Trastevere. Boisterous, unpretentious and fun. In the summer try to sit outside and you will invariably get a free concert from the piazza. (Either in musicians and singers or just plain people watching!)
• "DA MEO PATACCA": Also in Trastevere; generally regarded as a tourist trap, but a Roman institution nonetheless.
• "ALFREDO'S": Of Fettucine fame; if you're lucky enough, you may be the honored guest who gets the "golden fork and knife"! (Just for dinner - sorry, not to take as a souvenir!)
• "IL PASETTO": One of the classic Roman Restaurants.
• "SANT'ANNA": Unpretentious, delicious "trattoria" near the Piazza del Popolo.
• "CONSOLATO D'ABRUZZO": Unique, fun "trattoria" near the Sedia del Diavolo, "The Devil's Seat"; hearty Abruzzese cooking featuring a kind of "all-you-can-eat" assorted sausages and cold cuts before dinner.
• "AMBASCIATA D'ABRUZZO": In the Pariolo Section: This restaurant I found the most fun of all: the waiters are singing, pinching the ladies, screaming and entertaining. The food is good, hearty, not fancy - but it keeps coming without your even having to order. Fair prices.
• "BASTIANELLI AL MOLO": Near the Rome airport (IN FIUMICINO.) Rated very highly. Put yourself in his hands of La Signora for dinner selections.
• "LA FONTENELLA REST." Via Sistina (tel: 06-488-0519) Roberto Pepi owner
• AFTER DINNER OR DURING A HOT SUMMER'S DAY ENJOY THE "TRE SCALINI RESTAURANT" - RIGHT ON THE FAMOUS PIAZZA NAVONA, WHERE YOU CAN BUY BUDDING ARTISTS' WORK.

SIGHTSEEING:

• If this is your first time in Rome, like any other city for the first time, be a typical tourist and take an organized sightseeing tour - preferably on a bus; if you take a private guide make sure he was recommended by your "Portiere".
• The next day explore the places you liked the best on the first day.
• Rome includes "Via Veneto", the most elegant street in town, "Villa Borghese", "Piazza Barberini", "Quirinal Hill", "The Trevi Fountain", "Piazza Venezia:, "The Roman Forum", "The Coliseum", "Arch of Constantine", "The Circus Maximus", "Castel Sant'Angelo" and "St. Peter's Basilica" in the Vatican City.

VATICAN

• Generally, the Pope gives a noon blessing on Sunday from his apartment window overlooking "St. Peter's Square".
• Ladies and gentlemen, please remember the Church is highly conservative and will not allow you to enter "St. Peter's" in attire that they do not deem "appropriate" - especially shorts, tank-tops and tight fitting clothes.
• The Vatican has two souvenir stores on the "Via della Conciliazione" which is the main street that brings you to "St. Peter's"; they are generally open on holidays and Sundays.
• "CASTELLI ROMANI": Don't expect to see the Pope at the Vatican during the summer months since he is in his nearby Roman countryside summer residence: "Castel Gandolfo" one of the famous Roman Castles a half hour outside of Rome; even if it isn't summer you should take a pleasant tour of this picturesque area in which the famous refreshing Frascati wine is produced.
• "VILLA D'ESTE": The beautiful and breathtaking 17th Century Villa in the nearby town of Tivoli - approx. 45 minutes from Rome; known for its exceptional fountains - hundreds of them. There are buses leaving in front of the train station or you can take a cab or drive there. It is well worth the drive and effort.

FLORENCE

• - Don't miss the best shopping in Italy at the "San Lorenzo Market" (inside the building near the outside carts there are stands to eat!)
• - See Michaelangelo's David at the Accademia (Check your guide to see when it's open. Go early - the lines are long, but worth it!)
• - Buy some jewelry on the "Ponte Vecchio." (Make sure you "bargain" with them to get the price you want.)
• - See the fabulous "Pitti Palace" and "Uffizzi Gallery." (In the "Uffizzi", see Botticelli's Venus!)
• Florence will be best viewed from Michelangelo Square, overlooking the city.
• Don't miss: The Cathedral (Duomo), Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistery with the famous doors called the "Gates of Paradise", Signoria Square and the Church of Santa Croce.

SAN GIMIGNANO

• At least a half-day visit. A small town that has enchanted everyone (especially Americans) for centuries. The town used to have hundreds of towers, one higher than the other, signifying, the wealth of the various families - now there are only 13 towers standing.

VENICE

RESTAURANTS:

• "HOTEL DANIELI ROOF": It will set you back pocketbook wise ($125 for two) but the view of Venice is unique and lingers in the memory. You may want to opt only for a drink in the incredible lobby - but don't miss this most famous Venice hotel.
• "HARRY'S BAR": You've got to go to Harry's Bar for a "Bellini" and a "Carpaccio" both invented here
• "AL COVO": One of the very best in Venice. Don't miss the catfish in mashed potatoes! The owner chef, Cesare Benelli, is Venetian and the owner, Diane Benelli, is from Texas. (They're also husband & wife.)
• "ANTICA CARBONERA": (of Lotto and Zerboni) S. Marc 4748, Venice
  Tel: (025) 479. Keep in mind that they are closed on Mondays
• "TRATTORIA ALL'AMELIA": Located in Mestre (the industrial town just outside of Venice on the mainland. Owner: Gino Boscarato - Excellent deluxe restaurant.
• "RISTORANTE SOMMARIVA": Riva del Vin 731; tel: 31847 - located right on the Grand Canal below the Rialto Bridge. Ask for Giuseppe, the waiter who comes from Benevento. A perfect place for lunch!
• "TRATTORIA ALLA MADONNA": Fun, noisy and crazy bistro - Located in the alleyway directly in the back of the above restaurant. Best for lunch.

VERONA

• It's Florence without the crowds.
  Great northern Italian center, Verona, on the banks of the Adige River (Population is approximately 275,000). Walk along Piazza Bra, see the Piazza delle Erbe, former site of chariot races; the Capuleti House (home of Juliet's famous Balcony), the splendid Arena, one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman world still used for major opera productions.

WHILE IN VERONA:

• Shop on the reasonably priced Via Mazzini (no cars)
• Snack at Piazza Bra, one of the largest in all of Italy - in front of their version of the Coliseum. Also try Piazza Dante and Piazza delle Erbe.
• Have an aperitif at the restaurant on top of the city - Re Teodorico - with the greatest view of the city and the valley.

THE LAKES

• "LAKE COMO": NOT CUOMO! Like most people call it! Mario may have had New York State but not the lake. Spectacular - the upper portion is Switzerland.
• "LAKE GARDA": The best wind surfing in the world! Closed to Verona: stay in a wonderful medieval walled town: Sirmione.

PIEDMONT

• Turin, the first capital of Italy. St. John's Cathedral, Piazza San Carlo, Valentino Park, The Royal Palace and The Basilica of Superga (Pantheon of Kings) where you will have a beautiful view of the Alps.
• "ALBA": One of the great food and wine centers of the world. This is where the precious white truffle comes from, plus the great Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
• "AOSTA VALLEY": Summer and winter resort of St. Vincent. Several castles in this lovely valley surrounded by the mountains.

"EMILIA-ROMAGNA"

• This is not as "pretty" as Umbria or Tuscany. It is in the Italian Midwest called the "Pianura Padana". Grana Padana is Italy's second greatest cheese, after, Parmigiano Reggiano. Home of Balsamic Vinegar and Prosciutto di Parma.

ITALIAN - MADE SIMPLE

• - Accents are on the next to last syllable unless noted.
• - "gn" is pronounced like the "ny" in canyon.
• - "gl" is pronounced like the double "l" in million.
• - double consonants are pronounced by holding the consonant sound longer (you'll just have to listen to me do that one for you!!!)
• - "g" or "c" before "i" or "e" are pronounced softly; Cara (dear) is pronounced like "c" in Coffee; Cibo ("food") is pronounced like "ch" in chestnut; Gamba (leg) is hard "g" like gargantuan; Gentile or "kind" it is a soft "g" like "general"
  
  
• 1 to 10: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei (pronounced "say"), sette, otto, nove, dieci.
• 11 TO 20: undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici, sedici, diciasette, diciotto, dicinove, venti
• 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 & 100: trenta, quaranta, cinquanta, sessanta, settanta, ottanta, novanta, cento
  
  
• DOVE É - Where is...
• LA TOILETTE - Self-explanatory (The Italian word is gabinetto, but it is considered more polite to use the French!)
• UN RISTORANTE - Restaurant
• UNA TRATTORIA - Bistro
• NEGOZIO - Store
• HO BISOGNO DI BENZINA - I need some gasoline
• LA BANCA - The Bank
• QUANTO VIENE? - How much does it come to (more polite than how much does it cost)
• LA RICEVUTA, PER FAVORE - May I have a receipt, please.
• FA CALDO - It's hot! (Keep the "Fa" separate from the "caldo" or you might sound like you are using impolite English against Aldo)
• FA FREDDO - It's cold!
• PARDON - (use French pronunciation) - pardon me (if you bump into someone, cut them off or accidentally run them over)
• SCUSI - Excuse me (If you are trying to get someone's attention)
• SIGNORE - Mr./Sir
• SIGNORA - Mrs./Madame
• SIGNORINA - Miss (There is no "Ms." in Italian...yet)
• GRAZIE - Thanks
• PREGO - You're welcome... OR when you want to be polite and let someone pass in front of you or to tell someone to go ahead - prego!
• PIACERE - Pleasure to meet you - also means "favor" - in fact you would also say "per piacere" to mean "please" but it literally means "would you do this as a 'favor' to me or 'to give me pleasure'" (Just be careful you don't pay for the pleasure!!)
• PER PIACERE or PER FAVORE - Please
• COME STA LEI - (pronounced "lay") - How are you?
• SALVE - Hello
• CIAO - Hello AND good-bye
• ARRIVEDERCI - Hope to see you again
• CHE ORE SONO - What time is it?
• CHE TEMPO FÁ; - What's the weather (doing)
• POSSO AVERE UNA SVEGLIA? - Can I have a wakeup call?
• A CHE ORA? At what time?
• IERI -Yesterday; OGGI - Today; DOMANI - Tomorrow
• NON SONO D'ACCORDO - I don't agree
• NON MI PIACE LA MIA STANZA - I don't like my room.... or... one usually has to go to a Third World country to find this level of accommodation.
• LA PASTA NON É AL DENTE - This pasta is overcooked...or....I've eaten better spaghetti at an Irish convent with ketchup!
• IL VINO É OSSIDATO - This wine is oxidized....or....exactly what temperature WAS the heater you kept this wine on?
• LA PREGO DI RI-CONTROLLARE IL CONTO - Please double check this bill again....or.....Your lack of honesty is only surpassed by your erroneous underestimation of my intelligence
• IL SERVIZIO É TROPPO LENTO - The service is too slow....or.... I feel like I'm at the Motor Vehicles Bureau.
• COSTA TROPPO - It costs too much.....or....Where do you think you are, New York?
• DOVE É IL QUARTIERE EBREO DI ROMA - Where is the Jewish section of Rome..or…where are the best restaurants?

We are delighted and honored that you have chosen to spend your precious time with us on this trip. We will do our best to ensure that you have a memorable visit in this marvelous place that is Italy, and we are particularly pleased that we will be able to spend this quality time getting to know each other better as we share this unique experience.

Grazie…I mean thanks!

Mario Belardino