CAC TOUR
“An Italian Hill Town Tour ” is a new addition to the Caifiordi School of Art schedule.
Caifiordi is an art school based in Pietralunga, Italy, located in the center of the region of
Umbria. Traditionally, Caifiordi has celebrated art and the artist. The regions of Tuscany
and Umbria, the cuisine, the history and the people there are truly art and artists. “Art,
Antiques & Antiquities” will showcase these extraordinary regions.
Tuscany and Umbria are enchanting places of great beauty. In this eleven day
adventure you will experience firsthand the delicious cuisine of this special area of Italy.
You will be treated to breathtaking vistas and charming medieval hill towns. You will also
have the opportunity to meet the friendly people who inhabit these enchanting regions. The
group size, which is limited to 10-15 people, allows your hosts to be able to provide you
with a unique gourmet experience. You will come to know and appreciate these regions
and the people whom you will meet along the way.
During your time in Italy, you will also have an opportunity to experience “up close
and personal” life in a small Italian hill town. You will meet with local residents, explore
local fresh air markets and meet your hosts at the various restaurants you will visit. You
will also enjoy many conversations with Paolo, Manuele and Simone at Locanda del
Borgo, the charming hotel where you will stay. You will have the opportunity on Sunday
to experience a typical Umbrian meal al fresco at Caifiordi. Afterward you may choose
to watercolor with the children of Pietralunga (or merely enjoy watching or photographing
them at work), an activity which has become a tradition at Caifiordi. These experiences will
delight and inspire you. You will come to know the true emotion and passion of the Italian
people in a way which could not be done without these local contacts.
During this Italian adventure, you will explore many of the charming hill towns of
Tuscany and Umbria. These delightful places are truly the “stuff” from which movies are
made. While in Italy, you will also:
- Ride a cable car up the mountain to an ancient basillica
- Shop for linens, jewelry, silver, art and war memorabilia at Italy’s largest
antiques fair
- Visit the ceramic shops in Deruta and Gubbio
- Tour an ancient Roman amphitheater
- Visit the cathedrals in Assisi, the birthplace of Saints Francis and Clair
- Experience and savor local cuisine and wine
- Attend a farewell banquet at Locanda del Borgo, prepared by Chef Paolo,
which will feature local cuisine, cheeses, meats and wines. Your host will
explain the menu and the method of preparation.
Course Dates:
November 5-15, 2008 – Photograph the Olive Harvest
April 3-14, 2009 – Photograph Easter in Umbria
June 26-July 5, 2008 - Photograph Italian Hill Towns
COST:
The cost for your trip is $2950 for the Olive Harvest and Easter photography tours and $3150 for the 4th of July tour. This cost includes the following items:
- All lodging in both Pietralunga and Florence
- Ground transportation from Rome and to Florence
- Ground transportation to all daily excursions
- Admission to all museums and attractions
- All meals with the exception of lunch and breakfast the day you are in Florence
- All gratuities
- All baggage handling
- Materials for printing many of your photographs
ENROLLMENT:
To join us for this cooking adventure, all you need to do is pay a non-refundable deposit of $500. This will guarantee your space in the group which will be limited to no more than 14 persons. One-half the balance will be due within 30 days and the balance thirty days before your first date of travel.
More information can be found on our website at www.caifiordi.com or by calling Bert Grayson at 870-636-8082.
Our schedule for this all-inclusive ten day program is:
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DAY 1:
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Depart from your home country
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DAY 2:
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Arrive in Rome, Italy where you will be met by
Caifiordi personnel and your guide. From Rome,
transportation will be provided for you with lunch
along the way. You will be driven to Pietralunga
where you check into Locanda del Borgo, the
charming 16th century country house which has been
beautifully converted into a hotel and restaurant.
There you will be greeted by the father and sons who
operate this charming facility. During your time here,
you will get to know this family who will be prepared
to assist you in every way to make your stay more
enjoyable. Once you are settled into the hotel, we will
meet for a welcome dinner at Il Triangolo in
Pietralunga where you can sample one of the
traditional Italian pizzas which Chef Franco will make
for you in a wood-fired oven.
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DAY 3:
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You will have breakfast at Locanda del Borgo where
you will be treated to an assortment of homemade
breads and breakfast pastries, traditional of the
region, fresh fruits, juices, yogurt, cereal and as your
choice of beverage. Following a leisurely breakfast,
you will travel to Arezzo where you will explore the
outdoor antique market which is spread throughout
the ancient historic city center. Following a morning
browsing among the various antique stalls, we will
have lunch in Arezzo and tour the Bascilica of San
Francesco to view the beautifully restored Pierro della
Francesca fresco cycle of The Legend of the True
Cross. We will then travel back to Locanda del Borgo
for an afternoon siesta. A pre-dinner walk through the
ancient medieval section of this village will whet your
appetite for dinner in Pietralunga at Locanda dei
Fiorucci.
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DAY 4:
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Your fourth day of this adventure is Sunday which is
a good time to sleep in late or explore the historic
section of Pietralunga if you feel more energetic. The
local ancient church has mass at 8:30 and again at
11:00 and you can enjoy the local custom of strolling
to a local café for a coffee after church should you
desire. Lunch, featuring the local cuisine, will be al
fresco at Caifiordi where we are often joined by our
neighbors. Following lunch, you will have the option
of simply relaxing and enjoying the vistas at Caifiordi,
undertaking a hike through the forest, or joining your
host and the children of Pietralunga for a late
afternoon session of painting adjacent to the medieval
church in Pietralunga’s piazza. Once again, Chef
Franco will prepare pasta or pizza for you at Il
Triangolo.
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DAY 5:
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Today, after breakfast, you will travel to Gubbio
where you will tour the ruins of a Roman
amphitheater. You will also ride a cable car high up
the mountain to visit the Bascilica of Saint Ubaldo, the
patron saint of Gubbio. Lunch will be a picnic at the
Teatro Romano, the ruins of the Roman amphitheater,
followed by a gellato at the Café Teatro. We will also
tour the mausoleum which is a tribute to the forty
Gubbians executed by the Nazis in June 1944 as a
reprisal for the shooting of two Nazi soldiers. We will
explore the delightful shops of Gubbio, have a caffe at
a sidewalk bar and have dinner at Il Piccio Verde (the
Green Woodpecker).
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DAY 6:
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This morning it’s off to Cortona, the city featured in
the “Under the Tuscan Sun”. There we will explore
the museum, shop in local boutiques and have a
leisurely lunch at La Locanda nel Loggiato.
Following lunch, there will be more time for shopping
and exploring the churches of Cortona. We will leave
Cortona in the late afternoon and drive to Montone,
one of the most picturesque hill towns in Umbria, for
sightseeing and dinner at Taverna del Verziere.
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DAY 7:
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After breakfast, we head to Umbertide for a trip
through the outdoor market. This is a typical Italian
experience which you won’t want to miss. Following
a mid-morning snack at Café Centrale, we will head
for Deruta. Deruta has been famous for centuries for
its brightly colored pottery. There will be time to
browse through the many shops in the historic center
of this city. Lunch will be at La Fontanina. Dinner will
be in Umbertide at Tres Freres, an Italian restaurant
with a French name.
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DAY 8:
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Today we will turn our attention to the more spiritual
as we tour Assisi, the medieval hill town which was
the birthplace of Saints Francis and Clair. We will
visit many beautiful churches filled with exquisite
Gothic and early Renaissance art. The shops there
are good places to purchase souvenirs and local
Umbrian textiles and food products. That evening will
be highlighted by a banquet at Locanda del Borgo
especially prepared by Chef Paolo where local
delicacies will be served and explained to you. The
Chef will even provide you with the recipes for the
dishes you have enjoyed during this visit.
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DAY 9 & 10:
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This morning you will check out of Locanda del Borgo.
Then it is off to Florence where you will be checked
into your hotel. You will be “on your own” in Florence
for Friday night and all day Saturday with time to
shop, photograph and see the many sights in this
famous city. The Uffizi, the Academie, Santo Croce,
and fabulous shops and restaurants are among the
many attractions available to you. You will be
provided with printed information concerning these
and other attractions which you may want to visit.
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DAY 11:
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Depart from Florence. Arrive in U.S.
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Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
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