When my husband and I decided it was time to take a family trip to Tuscany, we contacted our friend Alice Tetelman. She could not have been a better choice.

We were a party of ten: my husband and I, our three sons and their wives and our twin grandsons who are 10 years old. With Alice's help. we selected a villa in Chianti Classico - La Corte di Campalli - which was a perfect fit for our family. We had six bedrooms and five full baths. The ground floor was spacious and well furnished and the kitchen, a delight, with plenty of room for 10 of us to linger over breakfast The dining room and courtyard were just right for dinner. The pool was a welcome attraction, particularly for the children.

The owners of this property, Simonetta, in particular, spent an entire morning taking us around the vineyards, olive groves and winery, and Fanny, a local chef, provided us with three excellent dinners and a memorable Sunday breakfast.

La Corte de Campalli is well located about 10 miles north of Siena, so we were able to take day trips to that city, to Florence and Assisi, Lucca and a number of smaller towns in that beautiful region.

Over the course of several months, Alice provided us with information on a number of subjects from rental cars to restaurants. The latter was a specially helpful list because she took into account that we were traveling with children but still wanted very good food. She offered tips on shopping, transportation and a number of properties that might have suited us.

We had a truly splendid vacation, and Alice was a perfect guide. We have recommended her firm to many friends and will continue to do so.

Patricia S., Maryland