A TASTE OF ITALY
A GOURMET TOUR OF UMBRIA
Available Dates:
May 21-29, 2010 (Arrive Rome May 21; Leave Rome May 29)
June 4-12, 2010 (Arrive Rome June 4; Leave Rome June 12)
June 18-26,2010 (Arrive Rome June 18;Leave Rome June 26)
Sept.17-25,2010 (Arrive Rome Sept. 17; Leave Rome Sept. 25)
Oct. 8-16, 2010 (Arrive Rome Oct. 8; Leave Rome Oct. 16)
Nov. 5-13, 2010 (Arrive Rome Nov. 5; Leave Rome Nov. 13)
"A Taste of Italy" is the fastest growing and most popular
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 cuisine of Umbria and the people who prepare
it are truly art and artists. "A Taste of Italy" showcases these
culinary artists.
Umbria is an enchanting place of great beauty, a region called
"The Green Heart of Italy". In this eight day culinary adventure
you will experience firsthand the delicious cuisine of Umbria. 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 this enchanting region. The group size, which
is limited to 3-6 people, allows your hosts to be able to provide
you with a unique gourmet experience. You will come to know and
appreciate the Umbrian chefs, vintners and artisans 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. These experiences will delight and inspire you. You will
come to know the true emotion and passion of the Umbrian people in
a way which could not be done without these local contacts.
Your Umbrian gourmet adventure will include three half days of
hands-on instruction in preparing the best of Umbrian cuisine which
will culminate in luncheons of your creations served with regional
wines. These classes will be taught by an Umbrian chef. You will
also be treated to:
- Wine tastings at various Umbrian wineries and a tour of the Lungarotti
- A tour of the local factory where the famed truffles are fabricated into various gourmet delicacies
- A tour of a distillery where Umbrian beer is produced
- A tour of an agritourismo famous for its production of a typical Pietralungese liqueur
- An opportunity to browse through the famous ceramic shops in the antique city center of Deruta
- A farewell banquet at Locanda del Borgo, prepared by Chef Paolo, which will feature local cuisine, cheeses,
meats and wines. Your host there will explain the menu and the method of preparation.
Our detailed schedule for this all-inclusive program is:
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DAY 1 - Friday:
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Arrive in Rome, Italy where you will be
met by Caifiordi personnel and your guide. (This probably
will mean that you depart from your home country on
Thursday for arrival in Rome on Friday morning). From
Rome, your host will meet you at the airport and travel
with you to Pietralunga. You will have lunch along the
way. Once in Pietralunga, you will be checked into
Locanda del Borgo, the charming 16th century country house
which has been beautifully converted into a hotel and
restaurant. For more information on Locanda del Borgo,
visit their website at www.LocandadelBorgo.com. There
you will be greeted by the bi-lingual 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 2 - Saturday:
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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
your choice of beverage. Following breakfast, you will
enjoy a day of sightseeing, shopping and eating in
Urbino, a beautiful medieval city in Umbria. Dinner will
be back in Pietralunga at Locanda dei Fiorucci where you
will meet Irene and Monica who own and operate this
picturesque restaurant.
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DAY 3 - Sunday:
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Your third 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 will be in Gubbio, a
beautifully preserved medieval city. You will eat at Il
Pichio Verde ("The Green Woodpecker") in a beautiful
restaurant located in a medieval palace. After lunch,
you can explore Gubbio including the ruins of a Roman
amphitheater. Dinner and a wine tasting will be at
Locanda del Borgo that evening.
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DAY 4 - Monday:
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On Monday, after breakfast, you will
join your guest chef in the beautiful kitchen at Locanda
del Borgo. There you will spend the morning learning to
prepare various dishes typical of this region. This
session will culminate in a mid-afternoon lunch where
your preparations will be served in the exquisite dining
room accompanied with local wines. Following lunch, we
will visit the local truffle facility where the famous
Umbrian truffles are prepared into delicious food items.
Dinner will be in Umbertide at Les Trois Freres, the
Italian restaurant with the French name.
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DAY 5 - Tuesday:
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Today you will once again join Chef in
the Locanda del Borgo kitchen for a half day cooking
class followed by lunch. In the late afternoon, we will
drive to the Collesi Distillery, where the traditional
Italian liqeur "grappa" is manufactured. You will be
given a tour of the distillery and a tasting of the
grappa. Dinner of traditional dishes will be served at
the distillery in a typical rural Italian building
located on the premises.
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DAY 6 - Wednesday:
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Following breakfast, you will again cook
at Locanda del Borgo. After lunch, you will drive to
Deruta, where you can explore the famous and historic
ceramic shops where the Italian majolica has been
produced for centuries. Dinner will be back in
Pietralunga.
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DAY 7 - Thursday:
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The next morning following breakfast at
Locanda del Borgo, you will travel to near-by Citta di
Castello where you will tour the Center of Popular
Traditions, a re-creation of a traditional Umbrian farm.
Lunch is back in Pietralunga and the afternoon is free
for you to relax, explore Pietralunga and pack. That
evening you will have a banquet at Locanda del Borgo.
Chef Paolo will prepare for you a feast of local culinary
specialties accompanied by local wines. Your host will
explain to you the significance of the menu items and the
method of preparation.
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DAY 8 - 9: Friday & Saturday |
On Friday,you will leave Locanda del
Borgo and tour the Lungarotti winery and wine museum in
torgiano. Following lunch in Torgiano, you will travel
to the 18th century bed and breakfast where you will spend
the night before returing home on Saturday morning. This
delightful bed and breakfast is named Zia Cathy’s. You
can get more information about this facility by visiting
the website at www.ziacathys.it. Dinner will be at Zia
Cathy’s where you will come to know your
Australian/Italian hostess, Cathy, and her daughter,
Adriana. Following an early breakfast the next
morning,you will be driven to the Rome airport where your
hosts will say "arrivederci" and you will board your
plane for home..
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COST:
The cost for your trip is $3,500. This cost includes the following items:
- All lodging
- All meals
- Costs of all cooking classes
- Ground transportation from the Rome airport and back
- Ground transportation to all daily excursions
- Admission to all museums and attractions
- All gratuities
- All baggage handling
ENROLLMENT:
To join us for this gourmet holiday, a non-refundable deposit
of $500 is required. This deposit will guarantee you space in this
group which will be limited to no more than 6 persons. One-half the
balance will be due thirty days later and the remainder will be due
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 859-553-5474.
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Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Larry Harshbarger
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell
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