European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Is fat views in Siena from its striped Marble Cathedral left to the Piazza Del Campo below and the Palazzo pub to town Hall and the 334-foot High Torre Del Mangia. A v 1 k it j w a a a a i lords ?1t"v-y xxv \. A a i. Ltd it. H it j v Quot a c i i. 4,>m v a -cw7 y1 associated with travel agencies and can Book cars and planes. Some Book hotels some charge an extra fee for the service and some do no booking. We left for Italy with Rivero s beautifully bound personal guide which we took to calling Linda s Book. It contained just about everything we would need itinerary Day trips maps of each destination be it a City or a drive restaurant tips and even historical information. Quot you re finding something with style and Charm that s been seen by someone Quot said trip planner Betsy Hall of Dedham mass. Quot i go Over three four times a  she has stayed at the inns and hotels and has eaten in the restaurants she recommends. Rivero who lived for a while in Siena leads Small groups to Italy regularly gleaning information for her clients As she goes. In the Village of Etcheto outside the walled town of Lucca Rivero found us hotel Villa san Michele an obscure 17th-Century mansion that glistened with Silver and polished antique furniture in the Salon and was once the Home of a High local religious official. It was our big splurge at about $250 a the Cost of a Good commercial hotel. But Here Cuiseppe Santarelli the owner and manager fed us from his personal Stock of prosciutto cured by his Friend. He took guests to pick chanterelles on the Back Lawn and he insisted on not Only recommending restaurants but dictating what we should order. A Quot a % by a. A my is h is gee \ 5&s mop when we tired of tiny medieval and Renaissance towns we tried a Large medieval and Renaissance town Lucca where behind the town Walls sit some of the smartest shops graced with some of the most glamorous mahogany storefronts in the world. From Lucca we took Rivero s suggested drive up into the apuan Alps with a Stop at Bagni i Lucca for our $18 Mineral water steam Bath and $18 Back Massage a Only after a checkup from the Bath s doctor which consisted of the following doctor Quot any health problems Quot us  doctor  in Florence with which we were familiar we retired Linda s Book and fell into a local open air Market near the synagogue that we never saw in any guidebooks took buses discovered working class restaurants with our Friend from Perugia and of course Schleppey through the Fufai gallery and stood in Awe under Michaela geto s David at the galleria Dell Academia. Travel Erst tips Independent travellers who would like a custom tailored itinerary in Italy can Contact the following trip planners a Linda Rivero la Pergola Tours 331 Sierra Vista Lane Valley cottage . 10989 914 358-6035, Complete services and reservations $375.a Marjorie 5haw s insider s Italy 7 Edgehill rd., new Haven Conn. 06511 203 865-b605, comp Lee services for two for a two week trip $350, $395 for four. No car rentals or plane reservations. A Betsy Hall a tuscan experience 8 Rodman place Dedham mass., 02026 617 326-6076. Complete itineraries and bookings also bookings at farms Villas and country inns $350. Car and air bookings available hotel bookings 10 percent of room Cost. March 11, 1993 stripes Magazine 13