An unusual client request

I'm planning a trip for a group of Italy travelers right now who have an uncommon request. They said:

We'll have 9 days in Italy and would like to see the main highlights of Rome, Florence and Venice.

As you can imagine, with a business called Italy Beyond the Obvious, I don't plan the standard Italy "triangle" very often, though pieces of it often make it into client itineraries. Below I've shared some examples of actual client requests – they aren't exactly off the wall, but certainly wouldn't be met by the cookie cutter Italy itinerary.

• We want to hike and bike in the Dolomites and visit Lake Garda, and we aren't at all interested in art or architecture.

• We want to go fishing near Naples.

• We are a vegan/vegetarian family, traveling with a 3 year old, and want to explore Tuscany.

• Please plan my seventh trip to Italy, traveling the week between Christmas and New Year's.

• We're driving from France to Venice and want recommendations for three off-the-beaten-track places to stop for a few days and explore.

• We'd like to see the Jewish highlights of Emilia-Romagna.

• We are a family of four and would like to explore the island of Elba.

• Our two kids love hands-on activities, and would like to do paper-making, ceramics, see the olive oil making process and visit a cheese factory.

• We'd like to go horseback riding in Sicily in January.

• We've never met a museum we didn't like, and want to make sure our trip has a good balance of Etruscan, Roman, medieval and Renaissance art and history.

• We want a trip centered around local and fresh food and wine.

• It will be our fourth visit to Rome (/Florence/Venice/etc), and we'd like to see some different things.

• We want a cooking class, and love shopping, wineries and dancing the night away.

Photo from istockphoto.com