Our visit to Galleria Borghese was marvelous, despite the fact that we messed up on the day. Carol tracked us down by cell phone and patiently waited for us to get ourselves together, grab cabs and race to the museum. Despite all the flurry, she was unflappable. Her selections of paintings and sculptures were ideally suited for our little granddaughters, but were also highly interesting and informative for the adults. The tour was a total success and worth every euro.

Laurie was very likeable and engaging at times. We all felt that she did not direct the tour however and we entered rooms without an introduction or guidance. There seemed to be a pause as she decided which detail to describe. Laurie commented on items in a seemingly random way. She seemed to have knowledge in some areas but lacked it in others. I almost felt like I was visiting the museum with a friend, instead of a knowledgeable guide. In addition, we were unable to visit the upper tier of the museum because it was closing. We had spent plenty of time chatting prior to the tour and it was not well paced. Guides in the museum refused our entry to several areas since our time had expired. Our children meandered through the rooms and Laurie did not make sure that we were all present in a grouping before addressing us. There were several occasions when I was standing alone with my family off exploring another item.

We think this may have been our favorite tour of the 7 total tours we took during our month long trip. By the time we got to this tour we had been to MANY museums and I was skeptical that she would be able to keep our attention (especially the children). However, she really brought the art alive to us. We enjoyed every moment of the tour and wish that the Gallery did not have such strict time restrictions. There is now way would could have ever learned as much as we did without the assistance of Hilary.

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