Inside Tuscany-a Different Adventure Every Day
Dates: 5/8/2010 - 7/18/2010
Location: Tuscan Renaissance Center
Instructor: No Instructor
Price: $2,295 
workshop details |
Inside Tuscany: Explore this Enchanted Area from the Inside Out
This is a General Interest Program designed to see, taste and feel Tuscany.
This 7 day program is offered each week during May and June, subject to availability.
Tuscany is one of the richest, most enchanting areas of Italy and the world. Imagine hiking its rolling hills, learning to cook its classic recipes, touring the best Chianti wineries and visiting the legendary hilltowns and touring the art or the Renaissance in Florence and Siena.
This program is designed to give participants an in-depth view of this area with a different adventure every day.
Sample Itinerary: (parts of this schedule can be customized and everything is optional)
- Sunday visit to the market in the hilltown of Panzano, home of Dario the world-famous butcher
- A day-long hike through the Chianti vineyards between Castellina and Radda with a visit to small wineries along the way
- Full day excursion to Florence with a guided tour of the Uffizi Art Gallery, that houses some of the most famous masterpieces of the Renaissance painters
- Excursion to the medieval city of Siena with a visit to the spectacular 12th century Duomo
- Cooking class - learn to make pasta and other traditional Tuscan meals like wild boar sauce, rabbit, white bean bruschetta, etc.
- Chianti tour with a sommelier to learn about how they make Chianti Classico and the exciting Super Tuscan reds.
- A day of pampering at a hot sulfur spa
- Other options include hilltown visits, ceramic painting class, etc.
Florence, hiking down cypress lanes, Siena, photos by Linda Mironti and Michael Ferris
Every evening enjoy dinner at the monastery cooked by our personal chef.
The Food: for us at Il Chiostro, helping our guests to experience the food in one of the earth`s richest, most sensual areas is our pleasure. Chianti, the part of Tuscany where we are, is Italy`s famous wine and olive oil producing region. Here we want to expose you to the wonders of simple Italian cooking. We pick wild herbs to create our own twist on a pasta dish, shop in local markets for fresh mozarella and peccorino, pick mulberries from the tree in our garden for tarts and search for the best of Tuscany to serve you at our dinner tables. Tuscan cuisine is a simple art that has been refined over the centuries to surprise our palates while the wine comforts our souls. Come explore what food can really be all about.
About Your Il Chiostro Hosts: Linda and Michael, who will be hosting your San Fedele program, have been organizing workshops in Italy since 1995. You can read more about them by following the About Il Chiostro link. The owners of San Fedele, Nicolo and Renata, live on site. They will be available throughout the program to talk about the history of the monastery, the renovation and this area of Tuscany they call home.
Price: $2,295
Supplements: $550 for single room; $150 p/p for suite, if available
Includes:
- Shared double room in restored monastery
- Daily traditional breakfast and dinner, including wine
- Daily program excursions and transportation
- Excursion to Siena
- ½ day excursion to nearby hilltown (Monteriggioni, Radda, Volpaia…)
- Pick up from Florence train station at 3:30pm on arrival Saturday
- Transfer to bus/train station in Siena on final day
Does Not Include:
- Airfare
- Lunch (Lite lunch available for 15 euros when we are not out on excursion
- Independent meals and sight-seeing
Valley View, by John Hamilton