A Flavour of Italy
Organizing a tour of Italy for lovers of good food and wine connoisseurs is a truly challenging and a highly rewarding task at the same time. This is because Italy has not simply one national cuisine, but rather many different regional ones. Our tour attempts to offer our customers a panoramic view of this reality. Beginning from Trentino and Veneto, we shall introduce our friends to the delights of regional dishes typical of northern Italy, such as canederli, polenta e osei or baccala' alla vicentina, accompanied by local wines like Merlot or Cabernet. Obviously, a driver guide will help everyone appreciate the traditions and customs linked to the various dishes and select the appropriate food, depending on each customer's taste. The tour will proceed to Emilia Romagna, a region with a culinary tradition second to none: pastas and meat are its forte, as transpires from the world-famous ragu' alla bolognese (bolognese meat sauce) originally from here. Tuscany is the next area to be visited and... relished. Tuscan cuisine needs no introduction: suffice it to say that it was already popular with all courts of Europe centuries ago. Some specialties are ribollita, bistecca alla fiorentina and maiale ubriaco just to mention a few dishes and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino to recall names of wines that are famous the world over. Umbria, though less known abroad, has an excellent cuisine, mainly based on game and various kinds of salumi (cold meats and salami). In fact this is the one place in the world where you will find norcinerie, which specialize in the production and sale of pork meat. Why not try Montefalco Sagrantino or Torgiano Rosso Riserva to wash down these delicacies? The cuisine of Rome and the whole of its region, Lazio, has changed immensely over the ages; indeed it bears no resemblance to the food that the ancient Romans used to eat. It is fairly simple, yet tasty and highly enjoyable: rigatoni alla pajata, bucatini all'amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara are some of its most common dishes. Naples, instead, is a byword for pizza because that's where it was really born. In addition to the countless types of pizza, though, there are also many excellent food products typical of this area, such as caciocavallo, pastiera napoletana, mozzarella di bufala campana and caprese. A quick dash to the end of the boot and across the strait of Messina will take our friends to Sicily. An amazingly rich and varied cuisine will surprise them both in the first courses and in the main dishes, which are often based on fish or seafood. And they will never forget their first taste of the original cassata siciliana, a fitting end to a gourmet tour, particularly if enjoyed together with a drink of Malvasia or Marsala. This tour, however, has one more surprise in store for our customers so that they may bring back home lovely memories of their stay with us: they will be treated to a wine-tasting event in each of the regions they will be visiting. In addition, at our customers' request, we shall be glad to arrange a hands-on cooking lesson to learn to prepare a typical meal of a Region of your choice among those visited during the tour.
Please note that the tours we are describing below are sample tours that have proved particularly popular with our customers. Each tour under the heading of "A Flavour of Italy" has been named "Course".
As promised, at your request, each "Course" may also include a hands-on cooking lesson for the preparation of a typical meal of the regional cuisine of your choice.
Each participant will receive a booklet containing sample recipes of one meal for each of the four Regions to be visited during the tour.
A tour with a driver-guide from Rome to Rome through Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Umbria and Lazio.
First day - This tour, starting around 8.00 am from your hotel or other accommodation, proposes to introduce you to the delicacies of the areas mentioned above, with an initial stop at Orvieto. This town, located in Umbria, just across the border with Lazio, boasts some of the oldest - and best stocked - cellars in Italy. They are so old that the farm you will be visiting has cellars going back to Etruscan times (they are, in other words, older than ancient Rome). The wine you will be tasting there, though, is much closer to us in time and includes the best vintage selections of the whole area. And the flavour will be enhanced by the slivers of various types of cheese that will be offered to you along with the wine. After this mid-morning break, the Umbrian countryside will gradually change into its Tuscan counterpart to enable you to prepare for a lunch featuring typically Tuscan cuisine at Bagno Vignoni. The enchanted, almost magic atmosphere of this village has attracted visitors from all over the world, particularly because of the warm water springs located in the very heart of the village, while the houses have preserved, almost untouched, their original Medieval character. Tuscan countryside, everybody agrees, is as splendid as are Tuscan cities, and Siena, your next port of call, is no exception. In fact, Piazza del Campo and the ancient buildings surrounding it make a perfect setting for the world-famous "palio", the horse race that takes place twice yearly in this very square. Sipping a drink at one of the bars on the square will be a truly enjoyable experience that, we feel sure, you will always remember with nostalgia. Leaving behind you, no doubt with some regret, this lovely city, you will be heading for Sinalunga, where you will have dinner. As is the case for every meal of your tour, the menu has been particularly studied to provide a first quality sample of typically local cuisine. You will spend the night at a holiday farm, which has been selected because it may be considered a typically Tuscan holiday farm.
Second day - Sinalunga, as you will have realized by now, is bordering on the Chianti area, but today you are going to spend the day travelling across the whole area. Your first direct contact with a Chianti producer will take place at Castelnuovo Berardenga. You will have an opportunity to see for yourself a top-quality wine-producing farm, while an English-speaking member of their staff will explain the various steps of the process, answer any questions you may have and ....lead you to the wine-tasting function. On this occasion, as is normally the case with the special wine-tasting events organized by our Company, you will also be offered some local delicacies, such as cheese, salami and other titbits to show you how to best match the various types of wine. No lunch will follow because we know from experience that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for you to have lunch a short time later and fully appreciate the flavour and taste of each tessera of the mosaic, called "A Flavour of Italy", especially created for you by our Company. The afternoon will be dedicated to an exploration of the Chianti area, with a stop at Greve in Chianti, a town in the very heart of this wine-producing region. Connoisseurs will enjoy sipping some "sweet nectar of the gods" at a local tavern. Your dinner will be served at Impruneta, where the chef's ability in producing dishes of unparalleled taste and quality has become proverbial. Only a short distance away you will be able to rest for the night at an exclusive, yet traditional, holiday farm at San Casciano in Val di Pesa.
Third day - A morning of complete relax will enable you to absorb all that you have seen and experienced until now and prepare for the visual and emotional impact that entering Florence will almost certainly have on you. After a wine-tasting event you will be moving on to Tuscany's main city. Florence needs no introduction as its history, beauty and artistic value have long made it famous throughout the world. Thus, for the rest of the day you will be free to visit the city and, if you are interested, our Company will offer you a free entry to the Academy Gallery and the Uffizi Museum. After such an exciting afternoon, you will welcome the dinner that we have arranged for you at one of the best restaurants in Florence. A moonlight walk after dinner along the Arno, possibly on the Ponte Vecchio, will prove as romantic as this city can be. You will then be glad to rest for the night at an excellent hotel located in the central part of the city.
Fourth day - You are now on your way to Emilia Romagna, a Region that, in addition to its historical buildings and monuments, boasts the University of Bologna, which is the oldest continually operating degree-granting university in the world (to set it in a historical context, it was reputedly established in 1088, only 20 years after the Battle of Hastings). Food and wine here, however, are also second to none, as you will soon find out. However, we have a little surprise in store for you before we arrive in Modena for lunch. Modena's balsamic vinegar has acquired world fame because of its particular taste and smell. We thought you might appreciate a visit to one of the oldest and best known vinegar producers in the area and have made the necessary arrangements for you. An English-speaking member of their staff will describe the production process and answer any questions you may wish to ask. You will then resume your tour and reach Modena where you will be savouring the local cuisine at its best. From this inland area you will then be travelling to the Adriatic Sea where you will be checking-in at your hotel in Riccione and later move off to nearby Rimini for dinner. You are still in the same Emilia Romagna Region, but flavours are somewhat different, though as agreeable as ever.
Fifth day - After a good night's rest at Riccione, you are off to Umbria, but this time you will tour the Perugia area. As a starter you will have lunch at a Xth century castle housing a restaurant specialized in traditional local dishes. After lunch, a tour of Perugia, a Medieval city and the seat of a famous international university, will end with an aperitif leading to a dinner at another historical building complex which will also be your accommodation for the next two nights.
Sixth day - This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Umbrian countryside in an exquisite setting, as well as the pleasures of selected menus listing local specialties. As an alternative to spending the day in the complex, we have also arranged a visit to a wine museum in Torgiano, where you can taste several types of the best local wines and subsequently have lunch.
Seventh day - As you resume your tour, you quickly reach the surroundings of Spoleto. A stop for some wine-tasting will introduce you to Norcia, a town known for its black truffle, its pork products, as well as a number of other delicacies that you will be able to taste together with the wine. Camporoppolo, where you will dine and stay for the night, is not far away and this will give you time for a brief tour of the area.
Eighth day - The last day of your tour will take you first to a little-known Medieval town, Stroncone. There you will find excellent local dishes and a good selection of wines in an atmosphere that harks back to people and events of many centuries ago. Then, the last lap of your tour will take you to Rome. Once there, you will check in at your hotel, and will have the rest of the afternoon free to take a walk around the central part of the Eternal City. Alternatively we have arranged a cocktail at one of Rome's most famous bars in Piazza del Popolo. At dinner time one of the most traditional and exclusive restaurants will provide a fitting conclusion of your flavour tour, an experience that we feel certain you will always recall with pleasure. As a parting memento, our Company is pleased to offer a "Rome by Night Tour" to thank you for choosing our services and to express the hope that you may be here again with us in the future.
Second Course
A tour with a driver-guide from Florence to Florence through Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Trentino and Tuscany.
First day - You leave Florence for Bologna, a city that, in addition to its historical buildings and monuments, boasts a university, which is the oldest continually operating degree-granting university in the world (to set it in a historical context, it was reputedly established in 1088, only 20 years after the Battle of Hastings). To give you an opportunity to taste the quality of the wines for which the city is also famous, the tour will call at one of its oldest "osterie" located in the heart of town. As you will realize, Bologna is one of the main cities in your tour and we thought that you might appreciate having time to do some sightseeing in the city centre. Its arcades, towers, churches and historical buildings certainly deserve a visit as they are living testimonies of a great ancient past that is throbbing with dynamic vitality. You are no doubt aware of the fact that Bologna is also home to a host of excellent dishes. The variety is so vast that you will find it hard to discern among the many alternatives. We have, however, arranged lunch for you at a very typical restaurant offering an excellent menu of local delicacies. After lunch you shall be free to tour the city until late in the afternoon when you will be enjoying an aperitif and then move off to dinner. We might mention here that every single restaurant, osteria, wine bar and hotel that we have chosen for your tour is definitely among the best in its category and, based on our experience, has proven to be of the highest quality. The end of the first day of your tour will see you comfortably resting for the night at a hotel in the centre of the city.
Second day - You are now on your way to Reggio Emilia, but, just before passing Modena, you will make a short detour for a very particular visit. Aceto Balsamico di Modena (Balsamic vinegar from Modena) being known throughout the world for its quality and flavour, we have arranged for you to call at a vinegar-producing farm, where an English-speaking member of their staff will explain the various stages of production and answer any questions you may wish to put to him. Reggio Emilia is only a short distance away and you will get there just in time to enjoy your second lunch in Emilia Romagna. We believe that you will agree that cuisine in this area is unbelievably tasty and appetizing, which explains why it has been imitated, often unfortunately with very poor results, all over the world. One product that you are certainly familiar with is Parmigiano Reggiano. This famous cheese is produced in a fairly large part of the Po Valley (Pianura Padana), but the area between Reggio Emilia and Parma is really where it originated from. A little trip to a town not far from the motor-way will take you to a leading producer of this cheese. The experienced, English-speaking staff will show you around the plant and describe the production process "from the cow to your mouth". You will then resume your way to Parma where you shall be dining and staying for the night. Incidentally, at dinner, your "antipasto", or starter, will no doubt include slices of Prosciutto di Parma, or the world-famous ham from Parma.
Third day - Your next destination is Verona, a name that is a synonym for Romanticism. Before you discover how charming this city is, however, we believe you will appreciate tasting some of the wines from this area that have earned a reputation as top quality wines not only in Italy, but also at world level. Valpolicella, Soave, Custoza, Bardolina, Lugana and Durello are names that ring familiar to connoisseurs everywhere. A wine-tasting event has been arranged for you not far from Verona at a cellar where an English-speaking member of their staff will describe the various steps followed by them from the vines to the barrels to obtain that vast array of wines that will be shown to you. Since you will be introduced to the art of matching food and wine flavours, we have not planned for you to have lunch as well on this occasion (for your information, this will apply also to all other wine-tasting events during your tour). You will instead be taken to Verona, where you will have the afternoon free to tour the city. We mentioned before that Verona is known to be a romantic city. While this is certainly due to its famous Arena and beautiful city centre clustering along the River Adige, part of the credit also goes to Shakespeare, who immortalized the story of Romeo and Juliet in his famous drama entitled to them. The balcony - without a doubt the most famous balcony in the world - may still be admired in the very heart of town. In the afternoon we have arranged an aperitif for you at a typical wine bar and, a short while later, dinner at a quality restaurant nearby. For the night you will be staying at a hotel we have selected for you in town.
Fourth day - Soon after leaving Verona, you enter the Region called Trentino - Alto Adige. The panoramas here are somewhat different from what you have seen until now. The motor-way runs in the valley along the river Adige and is flanked by mountains for a good part of the way. Rovereto is the first important city you meet on your way to Trento. Its architecture gradually introduces a more northern style of housing and the town certainly deserves a visit. It is also known, however, for the local wines and excellent food. Obviously, the food reflects changes in the physical environment and the climate. Canederli (bread and meat balls in broth or with tomato sauce), venison, various types of meat and cheese, apple strudel, zelten (a kind of sweet) and a variety of fruit-based (berries, almonds and apples) cakes are only some of the local delicacies that you will be able to taste at lunch which you shall be having at what we believe to be by far the best restaurant in the whole area. Trento, your destination today, is the capital city of Trentino. It is a lovely city that incorporates architectural styles from the Middle Ages, Renaissance Venice and Northern Europe into a unique whole that is particularly pleasing to the eye. It is fair to say that, throughout its history, Trento, which was founded by the Romans, has always been the main point of contact between the Germanic and the Latin worlds. A tour of the city will bear this out and will show how Trentino has acted as a bridge between the two cultures. Food and wine too attest to this. The list of specialties is fairly long, as you can imagine, but is similar to the one described above. In any case you will have an opportunity to experience local delicacies at dinner: the restaurant we have selected for you will especially prepare a menu that is characteristic of Trento cuisine, with excellent wines to match. The hotel where you will be staying for the night is located close by so that you may take a short walk there after dinner, unless of course you wish our driver to take you to your hotel.
Fifth day - On your way back, you will cross Veneto again and, as you are no doubt aware, "grappa" is the most famous and popular Italian liquor. Its name derives from Mount Grappa and the town of Bassano del Grappa is, predictably, the very centre of "grappa" production. You cannot miss this opportunity of experiencing real "grappa" and we have arranged a stop on purpose for you at one of what the locals call wine bars. After a quick walk, as tradition requires, on the Bridge of the Alpine Troops, you are off again, this time to Ferrara, which is located in Emilia Romagna, just over the boundary with Veneto. No doubt you will recall the flavour of the food from this area from the early part of your trip. Nevertheless, you should always keep in mind that Italian cuisine as such does not exist in reality; rather, it breaks down into many regional cuisines and these in turn are made up of typical local specialties. Thus, even though you are again in Emilia Romagna, at lunch you will be tasting dishes here that are different from the ones you had in Reggio Emilia or Parma. Ferrara is also known to be a beautiful city that boasts many sights of considerable interest: from the Castello Estense, a castle located in the heart of the city, to the Romanesque Cathedral, from the Palazzo dei Diamanti, or Diamond Building, housing the National Picture Gallery, to the 9-Km-long walls surrounding the city's centre and many others. A walk around the streets of this charming city will prove enjoyable both for the spirit and... the stomach. When time comes for dinner, however, we feel sure you will appreciate the fine food that the restaurant we have chosen has prepared for you. After such a challenging day you will look forward, we know, to an oasis of peace and quiet: your hotel is waiting for you.
Sixth day - The last day of your tour will see you back in Tuscany. Before you go to Florence, however, we would like you to enjoy the local food as it is prepared outside Florence in a delightful place surrounded by a charming natural environment. You will be having lunch near San Casciano, just south of Florence. As you know, Tuscan countryside is known the world over for its soft colours and gentle slopes. We have found that our customers appreciate an opportunity to sit and relax, while taking in all the beauty surrounding them. So we have arranged this out-of-town lunch for you and hope you will relish not only the flavour of the food, but also the unique landscape. Later in the afternoon you will be driven to Florence where you will have the rest of the afternoon to tour the city. Dinner has been arranged for you in the centre of the city and the day, as well as your tour, will end at the hotel which we have also selected for you.
Third Course
A tour with a driver-guide from Rome to Rome through Naples, Sicily and Lazio.
First day - You leave Rome for Naples where you arrive at approximately lunch time. A stop at a typical high-class restaurant will introduce you to Neapolitan cuisine. If you have ever tried Neapolitan-style food back home, it may be interesting for you to compare tastes. You may be assured that what you are eating now is the genuine original product of this area. After lunch you will probably want to admire some of Naples's sights and your driver will be happy to oblige. Later in the afternoon you might like to enjoy a welcome-to-the-tour aperitif at the best known coffee-shop in the city. Dinner will follow at another renowned local restaurant. You will rest for the night at a hotel which we have selected for you. We might mention here that every single restaurant, osteria, wine bar and hotel that we have chosen for your tour, is definitely among the best in its category and, based on our experience, has proven to be of the highest quality.
Second day - Your driver-guide will take you to Naples's airport as you will be flying straight to Palermo, Sicily, where you will be picked up at the airport. Your first contact with Sicily will be in the form of a wine-tasting event which we have arranged for you at a local winery. No doubt you will notice the change in the environment as much as in the flavour of wine and the taste of food. Since you will be introduced to the art of matching food and wine flavours, we have not planned for you to have lunch as well on this occasion (for your information, this will apply also to all other wine-tasting events during your tour). Palermo is certainly a city worth seeing and your driver-guide will gladly show you around the central parts of the city during the afternoon. By the way, we suggest you try some typical snacks, such as panelle or arancini, at one of the many frying stands to be found in the city streets. In the evening you will have dinner at a restaurant located in a recently restored ancient building. For your information, we would like to mention that most menus that will be submitted to you during this tour will give you a choice of either fish or meat, since, particularly in Sicily, there is a wide variety of delicacies in both alternatives. The hotel where you will be staying for the night is not far away. So, why not go for a walk and try one of those gorgeous ice-creams Sicily is known for? Third day - After breakfast you will leave for Siracusa on the opposite side of the island, facing the Ionian Sea. Along the way you will have an opportunity to see the inland part of the island, with strong colours marking its springtime and gradually fading away in the summer. Approximately half way across the island, we have arranged a wine tasting event for you at a well known holiday farm in the neighborhood of Piazza Armerina. You will thus be able to savour wines which are somewhat different from the ones you have had until now. Then you will be off again towards Siracusa. This city, which clusters around one of the most beautiful harbours in the Mediterranean, was founded in the 8th century BC by Greek settlers and over time became so important as a trading centre that it matched Rome and Carthage as a sea power. Traces of its past glory may still be admired today: the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Castle of Eurialus are just some splendid buildings that have survived to date. Perhaps the most visited part of Siracusa is the little island of Ortigia which stands very close to the mainland and is in itself worth a trip to this city because of its historical and artistic value, as much as for its wonderful panorama. This is exactly the place where you are going to have dinner and where your hotel is located.Fourth day - You will resume your trip along the coast in the direction of Taormina. Breathtaking panoramas will attract your attention all the way and you will arrive at Aci Castello for lunch before you know it. In the afternoon you will be heading for Taormina and you will be having dinner in a nearby town where the position of your restaurant affords a splendid view of all the surrounding area, including both the sea and the volcano Mt. Etna. Taormina has long been a favourite holiday resort for European nobility and celebrities: its indescribable beauty, unparalleled views (you can see as far away as the coastline of the Italian mainland) and the warmth of its inhabitants all contribute to make it a truly unique place. If we may offer a suggestion, we would recommend that you visit the ancient Greek Theatre, which stands right next to the centre of the town. You hotel is located in the heart of town. This will allow you to take, if you like, a leisurely walk through the quaint little streets departing from the main artery towards the higher parts of Taormina. Fifth day - In the morning, if you are a party of at least 4 people, you will travel a short distance for an experience that, we feel sure, you will find of great interest: a hands-on cooking lesson held by an English-speaking cook of international fame, who specializes in Sicilian cuisine. You will learn how to prepare typical local dishes and, guess what?, you will be having for lunch what you have just learned to do. Alternatively you will have the morning free to do shopping in Taormina. The afternoon will be just as original: your driver-guide will take you up Mt. Etna (Rifugio Sapienza, in other words, as far as you can reach by car). You will then proceed to Catania, where you will have dinner and rest for the night.Sixth day - Your driver-guide will take you to the airport, where you will catch the plane for Rome. At Rome's airport you will be picked up by a driver-guide who will take you to Viterbo. Because of your busy morning, we leave it to you to decide whether you prefer to do some wine tasting with snacks or have a full lunch at a restaurant. In the afternoon a tour of the ancient part of Viterbo we believe will prove of interest to you since this Medieval suburb is a living testimony of the city's considerable importance during the Middle Ages. You will be dining in the same building complex where you will be spending the night. Flavours here are definitely different from those experienced until now, but just as agreeable. Seventh day - An inland drive will take you first to Stroncone, a tiny town dating back to the Early Middle Ages. You will no doubt appreciate a wine tasting event of mainly local wines, served together with some tasty delicacies. In the afternoon you will reach Rieti and tour the town until dinner time. Your menu will reflect typically Mediterranean flavours and wines to match. Your hotel is literally next door and you will want to rest for the night to be ready for your full day in Rome.Eighth day - As anticipated, the last lap of your tour will take you to Rome, where you will first check-in at your hotel. You will then have the rest of the morning free to take a walk around the central part of the Eternal City. After you have had lunch at a restaurant selected for you, as a parting memento our Company is pleased to offer an "Ancient Rome Tour" to you to thank you for choosing our services and to express the hope that you may be here again with us in the future. At dinner time you will be taken by our driver-guide to one of the most traditional and exclusive restaurants in the city, so that you may bring back home with you the memory of this particular experience that we feel certain you will always recall with pleasure. The evening and the tour will come to an end when your driver-guide takes you back to your hotel.
Reservations
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info@niceandeasytravel.it specifying your requirements. We shall promptly revert to you. In any case we would also welcome your registration on the website for the proper exchange of information and to facilitate our task in meeting your request.
Payments
Full payment for the services contracted is due 45 days prior to commencement of the tour. Reservations made less than 45 days from the commencement of the tour are subject to an additional fee of Euro 30,00 per person, unless specific arrangements are made with our Company's management and confirmed by an e-mail.
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We are listing below some examples of the Shore Excursions, Tours and Blue Lining offered by our Company. To find out the full list of those available, please go to the "choose boxes" beneath the three respective headings.