Janet Martirano’s 98-year-old father had just passed away, and the extended family had gathered after the funeral.
“Our four oldest grandchildren came and put their arms around their grandfather, my husband Joseph,” recalls Janet. “They said, ‘Let’s all go on a trip together.’ ” That set the wheels of a journey in motion, one that all 24 members of the extended Martirano family would take to Italy a year later.
Janet and Joseph had traveled with R. Crusoe previously, so it was no surprise that she rang us right away. Then she sent a family tree, complete with names and ages of the six grown Martirano children, their spouses and significant others, and the 10 grandchildren, who ranged in age from one to 14.
The family journey would be to Rome, Orvieto, Venice, Verona, and Lake Como. “Italy is part of our heritage,” explains Janet, “and our grandsons wanted to explore the family roots.”
Janet took the reigns, and she had Crusoe plan every detail. Our staff found a tour escort perfect for the group. Mary, who was with the Martiranos every day in Italy, proved invaluable. “She was the most even-tempered, patient, and capable person,” remembers Janet. “She handled everything beautifully. Though the separate guides at the sites themselves were great, Mary was perfect.”
“R. Crusoe had planned most all of the trip nine months before we traveled,” Janet explains. “The accommodations were just wonderful, with plenty of room for all ages of kids.
R. Crusoe was very sensitive to the needs of our individual family members as well as to the larger group. Everything was arranged to the smallest detail.”
The journey was an unparalleled success. But several poignant moments will stick with Janet and Joseph forever.
“We had a private visit to the Sistine Chapel. By that point, our one-year-old grandson was itching to stretch his legs. We asked one of the guards if we could let him get on the floor and crawl around. He said, ‘This is a first for us—we’ve never seen this before.’ But he let us put the baby down. It was a priceless moment—our grandson crawling around under Michelangelo’s ceiling.” (Unfortunately, they couldn’t convince the guards to let them take photographs.)
Then there was the gondola procession in Venice. The entire family filled four boats for a leisurely ride.
“A wonderful gentleman sang to us as we passed under bridges and along alleys. Another man played gorgeous guitar. It was so much more than we had expected. People along the route watched with smiles on their faces, pulling out cameras and enjoying the scene. But no one enjoyed it more than we did.”
On the last night of the journey, the family gathered for dinner at their hotel, the incomparable Villa d’Este. The chef had a special menu printed for them, and it included a farewell written for Janet and Joseph by their 14-year-old grandson, Andrew:
“It is hard to believe that our time together in Italy is almost over, but as our unique journey comes to a close, we would like to thank you for making all of this possible. The moments we’ve shared and the places we’ve visited have created a priceless collection of memories that we will never forget.”