Ten nights in Puglia, Italy
October 5 -15, 2019
SOLD OUT
We will meet at our hotel, Palazzo Calo in Bari, Italy where we will stay for two nights. We will have a welcome dinner. After breakfast the next morning we will join our private guide for a walking tour of Bari, including lunch. We will learn to make orecchiette, the typical pasta of Puglia.
The next morning we will get picked up by our private driver for a full day adventure. We will visit Alberobello to see its famous trulli houses. Just west of Bari there lies a stunning green expanse of countryside known as Valle d'Itria. Dotted with iconic whitewashed trulli and abundant olive groves, its narrow winding lanes lead from one pretty little village to the next; there is however one in particular that I am really eager to visit: Locorotondo, which is identified as “one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.” We’ll eat lunch and an olive oil tasting before heading to our next destination: Polignio a Mare. We will have a day and a half free to explore this beautiful seaside village.
Then we will take a 30-minute train ride south on the coast to Ostuni. Rising high above the vast olive-carpeted plateau of the lower Murgia, Ostuni has long been an awe-inspiring sight for those travelling across Puglia. Strong defensive walls and tumbling clusters of white-washed houses wind around the hillside, at the top of which, proudly surveying the surrounding land, sits the magnificent Gothic cathedral. We will have a private walking tour here and another free day to explore on our own.
We will be picked up by a private driver to Matera where we will stay at for the next three nights. This remarkable city, the third oldest continually inhabited in the world is perhaps one of the most fascinating you will ever visit. Carved into the rock, Matera is composed of a network of caves inhabited since the Paleolithic era. We will have private walking tours and hikes and ample free time to explore on our own.
We will spend our last night at Agritourismo Masseria Storica Pilapalucci Toritto. Surrounded by olive and almond trees, it is a peaceful countryside oasis …. Just an hours drive from the Bari Airport. We will have the afternoon to relax or go for a walk or bike ride (complimentary bicycles are available) before our final dinner together …. which will be a gourmet feast! Private transport to the Bari airport will be provided after breakfast on our last morning.
11 Nights in Italy
Group Size limited to 4
August 28 - September 8
Lugano, Switzerland and Italy's Cinque Terre
SOLD OUT
We will meet in Milan on Wednesday the 28th of August. Fingers crossed I am helping to set up a concert with my friends at a sweet listening room in Cantu. So we would take a cab to Cantu. Eat at an incredible place I know. Listen to music. Then take a cab to Como for one night. Stay in a hotel near the center and the lake. After breakfast take train to Lugano. Sweet accommodations there in a guest house run by an incredibly kind couple. In a quaint village which is a 5-minute walk to the lake and directly on trails leading to great swimming and hiking. 5-minute bus ride into Lugano or 30-minute walk into Lugano city center. Days free to hike, swim, explore Lugano. Music festival 4 nights. Then train to Montorosso. We are staying in a wonderful Agritourismo on a hill with views over the entire Cinque Terre. 10-minute walk down through the property to the town and the sea. 5 nights there. You are welcome to explore on your own or join me on hikes that I love on trails that are not frequented as often by the hordes of tourists. We will rent bicycles one day to ride on a FLAT bike path through abandoned train tunnels. Along the Ligurian Sea. In search of the best swimming spots and sublime focaccia! I love this area and am happy to share my favorite places! Wineries. Ferry rides to other villages. Pesto. Fresh fish. Sunsets over the ocean. Ahhhhhhh! Then train to Milan. Staying in a sweet hotel with fabulous dinner for last night in Italy.
April 2018
** SOLD OUT **
April 2018
11 nights in Italy
Friday April 7, 2018 -
Tuesday, April 18, 2018
Group size limited to 3
Hike in some beautiful places, eat at some of my favorite local trattorias, meander through mountain hamlets untouched by tourism or time and spend a couple of days wandering through Florence .... let's explore!
Our adventure begins with two nights in Florence. While there we will be joined by a private guide and walk up in the hills just outside of the city. We will follow a path that has inspired artists and dreamers for centuries culminating with the “belloguardo” … beautiful view of Florence. There will be time to explore on your own each afternoon and we’ll reunite for dinner at two of my favorite traditional Osterias.
We’ll take a train to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre which will be our home for the next 5 nights. While there we will take two full-day private guided hikes, bicycle along The Ligurian Sea through abandoned train tunnels, have an opportunity to meet local wine-makers and visit their cantina and learn about the history and heritage of the 5 villages that make up this extremely picturesque and special region.
It’s then on to Lucca, one of the loveliest towns in Italy, where we will have lunch and a private walking tour before we meet Giancarlo, who will drive us north to Bagni di Lucca. We will base ourselves at La Torre Agritourismo, perched high on a cliff with stunning views of the surrounding mountains for the next 3 nights. Our days will be spent exploring the small, off-the-beaten-path hillside hamlets that comprise this region.
Giancarlo will then drive us back to Florence for our last afternoon of exploration and dinner.
** This trip involves a lot of walking and hiking …. in often very hilly terrain.**
October 2018
** Sold Out**
October 2018
2 weeks in Italy
Wed. October 10th -
Wed. October 23, 2018
Group size limited to 6
We’ll begin in Parma and the mountains south of
Modena …. without dispute, the culinary epicenter of Italy. Home of Parmesan Cheese,
Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Prosciutto. Private tours to off-the-beaten path local purveyors and 3 hands-on cooking classes will be the focus. Our home for 7 days will be a fantastically-beautiful mountainside farm with plenty of free time for
hikes, yoga and massage.
We’ll then move south to Le Marche in search of a traditional block print artist in the mountains and a truffle festival in a small village. While there our accommodations will be a 300-year old stone farmhouse on 250+ acres of picturesque rolling hills in a truffle-rich valley located between the Apennine Mountains & the Adriatic Sea.
The trip will end in Florence with a private guided tour of The Pitti Palace and a visits to
artisans’ workshops in Oltrarno.
MAY 2019
** SOLD OUT **
9 Nights in Italy
Group Size limited to 3
May 1 - 10, 2019
Rome, Naples and Sicily
Wednesday May 1:
We will meet at our hotel in Rome, which is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome. Trastevere is made up of a series of winding, narrow cobblestone streets, lined on each side with peach, rosy pink and terracotta buildings. Trastevere is a tiny hidden city within Rome, that you enter, as though by magic, once you cross the river. Depending on what time you arrive, you can explore Trastevere or opt to take the bus across the river and visit Rome’s historic sites (The Coliseum, Trevi
Travestere Fountain, Cathedral). We will gather for our first dinner at Da Enzo.
Thursday May 2: Naples
After breakfast, we will take a 75-minute train ride south to Naples. In the assault on the senses that is Naples, it often feels like someone suddenly turned the bass way up. Neapolitans live life passionately and they live it out on the street – for all to see. Women of a certain age sit on their balconies or on cheap chairs directly outside their buildings to enjoy the theatre of life. Merchants sing and shout as they peddle their wares. Children set up makeshift soccer pitches. Street artists paint striking murals. The devout build shrines to the Madonna. On and around congested Via Toledo, scooters transporting two or three helmet-less teens rat-a-tat-tat down tight back alleys laden with colorful laundry and pockmarked with satellite dishes; the aromatic scents of lemon granita and wood-fired pizza linger in the air; new dog owners walk their large furry friends, even as the stray and abandoned dog issue in the city remains a problem; and artists show off their watercolors on the road outside the lavish Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano. Everywhere there are contrasting elements of splendor and squalor, opulence and decay. We will explore all of it with Alessandra, our private guide. Of course, there will be PIZZA!
Friday May 3: Another private tour and free time to explore Naples.
Saturday May 4: After breakfast we will be picked up by our private driver who will take us for a full day tour to explore the villages of The Almafi Coast. We will have dinner in Naples near the shipyard before boarding an overnight ferry that will take us to Palermo, Sicily,
Sunday May 5 and Monday May 6: Palermo, Sicily
We will arrive early in the morning and drop off our luggage at our B & B: Il Giardino di Ballaro. We will find somewhere to eat breakfast and the meet a private guide for a 4-hour walking tour of Palermo.
There’s a new spirit of optimism in the Sicilian capital, where the hardships of past generations are fading into memory. Travelers can see enlivened city streets, new museums, a pedestrian-only area and renovated palazzi to find a city ready to show a fresh face to the world. Palermo has been named Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2018, a reversal of its dark history and an achievement of which Mayor Orlando is immensely proud. The city’s bid for the title emphasized its links to the African and Arab worlds — relationships that have been central to Palermo’s identity since at least the 12th century, when its glorious Arab-Norman churches were built. We will have ample time to explore, both independently as well as with a private guide.
Monday May 6: After breakfast we will be picked up by our private driver for a day trip to Agrigento, on the other side of Sicily. While here we will visit Valley of the Temples (Greek Ruins) and Scala Dei Turchi (Italian: "Stair of the Turks"is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle, southern Sicily, Italy. The Scala is formed by marl, a sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color. It lies between two sandy beaches, and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name.
Tuesday May 7 and Wednesday May 8: Cefalu, Sicily
After breakfast on Thursday we will take a train to Cefalu and then a cab to meet Mimmo for a cooking class. Afterwards we will take a cab down to Cefalu, an absolutely charming seaside village located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Towering above the town centre is the massive crag called the Rocca. It's a steep ascent to the top of the hill but it's well worth the effort. Near the top you'll reach the evocative ruins of the so-called 'Tempio di Diana' (temple of Diana. Around the summit of the Rocca are superb views and various bits of old fortifications.
Wednesday May 8: FREE DAY to explore on your own in Cefalu
Thursday May 9: After breakfast, we will catch a 1-hour train back to Palermo. The afternoon is free to explore on your own before our final dinner.
Friday May 10: Fly from Palermo to Rome. This is the end of your trip.
I am happy to offer complimentary travel consultation if you would like to continue your adventures in Italy on your own.
Price includes all tours, tips, taxes and transportation (trains, ferry from Naples to Sicily, taxis, plane from Palermo to Rome and private drivers) once you have arrived at the hotel in Rome, and until you arrive back at the Rome airport at the end of the trip.
Breakfast is included every day (except the day we arrive via Ferry in Palermo.)
The lunch that we cook in our cooking class is also included. As is the lunch during the full day driving tour of the Almafi Coast.
October 5 -15, 2019
SOLD OUT
We will meet at our hotel, Palazzo Calo in Bari, Italy where we will stay for two nights. We will have a welcome dinner. After breakfast the next morning we will join our private guide for a walking tour of Bari, including lunch. We will learn to make orecchiette, the typical pasta of Puglia.
The next morning we will get picked up by our private driver for a full day adventure. We will visit Alberobello to see its famous trulli houses. Just west of Bari there lies a stunning green expanse of countryside known as Valle d'Itria. Dotted with iconic whitewashed trulli and abundant olive groves, its narrow winding lanes lead from one pretty little village to the next; there is however one in particular that I am really eager to visit: Locorotondo, which is identified as “one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.” We’ll eat lunch and an olive oil tasting before heading to our next destination: Polignio a Mare. We will have a day and a half free to explore this beautiful seaside village.
Then we will take a 30-minute train ride south on the coast to Ostuni. Rising high above the vast olive-carpeted plateau of the lower Murgia, Ostuni has long been an awe-inspiring sight for those travelling across Puglia. Strong defensive walls and tumbling clusters of white-washed houses wind around the hillside, at the top of which, proudly surveying the surrounding land, sits the magnificent Gothic cathedral. We will have a private walking tour here and another free day to explore on our own.
We will be picked up by a private driver to Matera where we will stay at for the next three nights. This remarkable city, the third oldest continually inhabited in the world is perhaps one of the most fascinating you will ever visit. Carved into the rock, Matera is composed of a network of caves inhabited since the Paleolithic era. We will have private walking tours and hikes and ample free time to explore on our own.
We will spend our last night at Agritourismo Masseria Storica Pilapalucci Toritto. Surrounded by olive and almond trees, it is a peaceful countryside oasis …. Just an hours drive from the Bari Airport. We will have the afternoon to relax or go for a walk or bike ride (complimentary bicycles are available) before our final dinner together …. which will be a gourmet feast! Private transport to the Bari airport will be provided after breakfast on our last morning.
11 Nights in Italy
Group Size limited to 4
August 28 - September 8
Lugano, Switzerland and Italy's Cinque Terre
SOLD OUT
We will meet in Milan on Wednesday the 28th of August. Fingers crossed I am helping to set up a concert with my friends at a sweet listening room in Cantu. So we would take a cab to Cantu. Eat at an incredible place I know. Listen to music. Then take a cab to Como for one night. Stay in a hotel near the center and the lake. After breakfast take train to Lugano. Sweet accommodations there in a guest house run by an incredibly kind couple. In a quaint village which is a 5-minute walk to the lake and directly on trails leading to great swimming and hiking. 5-minute bus ride into Lugano or 30-minute walk into Lugano city center. Days free to hike, swim, explore Lugano. Music festival 4 nights. Then train to Montorosso. We are staying in a wonderful Agritourismo on a hill with views over the entire Cinque Terre. 10-minute walk down through the property to the town and the sea. 5 nights there. You are welcome to explore on your own or join me on hikes that I love on trails that are not frequented as often by the hordes of tourists. We will rent bicycles one day to ride on a FLAT bike path through abandoned train tunnels. Along the Ligurian Sea. In search of the best swimming spots and sublime focaccia! I love this area and am happy to share my favorite places! Wineries. Ferry rides to other villages. Pesto. Fresh fish. Sunsets over the ocean. Ahhhhhhh! Then train to Milan. Staying in a sweet hotel with fabulous dinner for last night in Italy.
April 2018
** SOLD OUT **
April 2018
11 nights in Italy
Friday April 7, 2018 -
Tuesday, April 18, 2018
Group size limited to 3
Hike in some beautiful places, eat at some of my favorite local trattorias, meander through mountain hamlets untouched by tourism or time and spend a couple of days wandering through Florence .... let's explore!
Our adventure begins with two nights in Florence. While there we will be joined by a private guide and walk up in the hills just outside of the city. We will follow a path that has inspired artists and dreamers for centuries culminating with the “belloguardo” … beautiful view of Florence. There will be time to explore on your own each afternoon and we’ll reunite for dinner at two of my favorite traditional Osterias.
We’ll take a train to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre which will be our home for the next 5 nights. While there we will take two full-day private guided hikes, bicycle along The Ligurian Sea through abandoned train tunnels, have an opportunity to meet local wine-makers and visit their cantina and learn about the history and heritage of the 5 villages that make up this extremely picturesque and special region.
It’s then on to Lucca, one of the loveliest towns in Italy, where we will have lunch and a private walking tour before we meet Giancarlo, who will drive us north to Bagni di Lucca. We will base ourselves at La Torre Agritourismo, perched high on a cliff with stunning views of the surrounding mountains for the next 3 nights. Our days will be spent exploring the small, off-the-beaten-path hillside hamlets that comprise this region.
Giancarlo will then drive us back to Florence for our last afternoon of exploration and dinner.
** This trip involves a lot of walking and hiking …. in often very hilly terrain.**
October 2018
** Sold Out**
October 2018
2 weeks in Italy
Wed. October 10th -
Wed. October 23, 2018
Group size limited to 6
We’ll begin in Parma and the mountains south of
Modena …. without dispute, the culinary epicenter of Italy. Home of Parmesan Cheese,
Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Prosciutto. Private tours to off-the-beaten path local purveyors and 3 hands-on cooking classes will be the focus. Our home for 7 days will be a fantastically-beautiful mountainside farm with plenty of free time for
hikes, yoga and massage.
We’ll then move south to Le Marche in search of a traditional block print artist in the mountains and a truffle festival in a small village. While there our accommodations will be a 300-year old stone farmhouse on 250+ acres of picturesque rolling hills in a truffle-rich valley located between the Apennine Mountains & the Adriatic Sea.
The trip will end in Florence with a private guided tour of The Pitti Palace and a visits to
artisans’ workshops in Oltrarno.
MAY 2019
** SOLD OUT **
9 Nights in Italy
Group Size limited to 3
May 1 - 10, 2019
Rome, Naples and Sicily
Wednesday May 1:
We will meet at our hotel in Rome, which is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome. Trastevere is made up of a series of winding, narrow cobblestone streets, lined on each side with peach, rosy pink and terracotta buildings. Trastevere is a tiny hidden city within Rome, that you enter, as though by magic, once you cross the river. Depending on what time you arrive, you can explore Trastevere or opt to take the bus across the river and visit Rome’s historic sites (The Coliseum, Trevi
Travestere Fountain, Cathedral). We will gather for our first dinner at Da Enzo.
Thursday May 2: Naples
After breakfast, we will take a 75-minute train ride south to Naples. In the assault on the senses that is Naples, it often feels like someone suddenly turned the bass way up. Neapolitans live life passionately and they live it out on the street – for all to see. Women of a certain age sit on their balconies or on cheap chairs directly outside their buildings to enjoy the theatre of life. Merchants sing and shout as they peddle their wares. Children set up makeshift soccer pitches. Street artists paint striking murals. The devout build shrines to the Madonna. On and around congested Via Toledo, scooters transporting two or three helmet-less teens rat-a-tat-tat down tight back alleys laden with colorful laundry and pockmarked with satellite dishes; the aromatic scents of lemon granita and wood-fired pizza linger in the air; new dog owners walk their large furry friends, even as the stray and abandoned dog issue in the city remains a problem; and artists show off their watercolors on the road outside the lavish Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano. Everywhere there are contrasting elements of splendor and squalor, opulence and decay. We will explore all of it with Alessandra, our private guide. Of course, there will be PIZZA!
Friday May 3: Another private tour and free time to explore Naples.
Saturday May 4: After breakfast we will be picked up by our private driver who will take us for a full day tour to explore the villages of The Almafi Coast. We will have dinner in Naples near the shipyard before boarding an overnight ferry that will take us to Palermo, Sicily,
Sunday May 5 and Monday May 6: Palermo, Sicily
We will arrive early in the morning and drop off our luggage at our B & B: Il Giardino di Ballaro. We will find somewhere to eat breakfast and the meet a private guide for a 4-hour walking tour of Palermo.
There’s a new spirit of optimism in the Sicilian capital, where the hardships of past generations are fading into memory. Travelers can see enlivened city streets, new museums, a pedestrian-only area and renovated palazzi to find a city ready to show a fresh face to the world. Palermo has been named Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2018, a reversal of its dark history and an achievement of which Mayor Orlando is immensely proud. The city’s bid for the title emphasized its links to the African and Arab worlds — relationships that have been central to Palermo’s identity since at least the 12th century, when its glorious Arab-Norman churches were built. We will have ample time to explore, both independently as well as with a private guide.
Monday May 6: After breakfast we will be picked up by our private driver for a day trip to Agrigento, on the other side of Sicily. While here we will visit Valley of the Temples (Greek Ruins) and Scala Dei Turchi (Italian: "Stair of the Turks"is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle, southern Sicily, Italy. The Scala is formed by marl, a sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color. It lies between two sandy beaches, and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name.
Tuesday May 7 and Wednesday May 8: Cefalu, Sicily
After breakfast on Thursday we will take a train to Cefalu and then a cab to meet Mimmo for a cooking class. Afterwards we will take a cab down to Cefalu, an absolutely charming seaside village located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Towering above the town centre is the massive crag called the Rocca. It's a steep ascent to the top of the hill but it's well worth the effort. Near the top you'll reach the evocative ruins of the so-called 'Tempio di Diana' (temple of Diana. Around the summit of the Rocca are superb views and various bits of old fortifications.
Wednesday May 8: FREE DAY to explore on your own in Cefalu
Thursday May 9: After breakfast, we will catch a 1-hour train back to Palermo. The afternoon is free to explore on your own before our final dinner.
Friday May 10: Fly from Palermo to Rome. This is the end of your trip.
I am happy to offer complimentary travel consultation if you would like to continue your adventures in Italy on your own.
Price includes all tours, tips, taxes and transportation (trains, ferry from Naples to Sicily, taxis, plane from Palermo to Rome and private drivers) once you have arrived at the hotel in Rome, and until you arrive back at the Rome airport at the end of the trip.
Breakfast is included every day (except the day we arrive via Ferry in Palermo.)
The lunch that we cook in our cooking class is also included. As is the lunch during the full day driving tour of the Almafi Coast.