Hey Everyone!
As I get ready for our fabulous tour of England, I wanted to put out there that I have another tour happening in MAY of 2015!
Wouldn't you like to go to Tuscany with me?
Springtime in Italy?
What could be better?!
I've shared our our itinerary below so you can read through it, ponder it, print it out and tell your significant other that you want this for Christmas. Or how about an Anniversary? Or Mother's Day -- or...grab a girlfriend and come JUST BECAUSE!
| TOLL FREE TELEPHONE 877-887-1188 |
 |
MONTICATINI TERME · LUCCA · PISA · SAN GIMIGNANO · CINQUE TERRE · FLORENCE
9-Day Tuscany Tour
MAY 2- 10, 2015
 BONNIE HUNTER Quilt Designer & Educator |
 JIM WEST Sew Many Places Founder |
PACKAGE INCLUDES: Round-trip airfare, all taxes,
deluxe hotel accommodations, all sightseeing as mentioned in the
itinerary, an “optional” authentic, hands-on Tuscan cooking lesson,
visiting family owned wineries, most meals, private motor coach,
professional local guides and much more! This tour is personally
escorted by Bonnie Hunter and JIM WEST!
Reservations
To make your reservations you can call us toll free at 877-887-1188 or make your reservations online.
For additional questions regarding airfare, transfers, insurance,
pre-night packages, or our convenient payment plan, please call our
toll-free number or use our contact form.
Itinerary:
Saturday, May 2
Our adventure begins with an evening flight departing NEW YORK to TUSCANY.
Sunday, May 3
Upon our arrival into Tuscany, we will collect our luggage, meet our
tour escort and drive to our 4-star hotel, located in the resort town
of MONTECATINI TERME. This will be our home for
the next seven nights.
Depending on the room availability at the
hotel, we will check into our rooms. Later in the afternoon we will
meet in the lobby of our hotel and enjoy a leisurely stroll through
the streets of the town, as we learn what makes this place one of the
most attractive resort spa towns in all of Italy. Following our
tour, we will all enjoy a special “welcome dinner” at our hotel before retiring for the evening. D
Monday, May 4
This morning, following breakfast, we will enjoy a morning class with Bonnie. For those of you who are interested, we are offering an “optional tour” in the afternoon to the historic town of PISA.
We will have an opportunity to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa and
walk around the area of the Baptistery and Basilica before returning
back to our hotel. Cost of this optional tour is only €20 per person. For those who do not participate in this tour, you will have the remainder of the day is at your leisure. B
Tuesday, May 5
This morning following a delicious breakfast, we will depart for the medieval town of SAN GIMIGNANO.
Here we will have an opportunity to shop in the special boutique
shops for all kinds of items, including Italian ceramics and artwork.
In the early afternoon we will drive to a nearby family-owned winery,
where we will enjoy wine tasting and a special Tuscan lunch. It will
be a great opportunity to learn how wine is produced and also taste
some of the special wines of Tuscany. We will drive back to our hotel
later in the afternoon and the remainder of the evening is free to
enjoy on your own. B
Wednesday, May 6
Today, following breakfast, we will journey to the famous CINQUE TERRE. The Cinque Terre
consists of five small villages along the West coast of Italy, and is
considered one of the most beautiful and photographed areas in all of
Europe. We will travel northwest and drive past the Carrera Marble quarries, along the coast line and through the harbor town of La Spezia. The first town we visit is Riomaggiorie. We’ll have time to take photographs and walk around until we board a train for our next stop, the village of Vernazza. Here we will have time for lunch and shopping before we continue onto our last stop, the village of Monterosso.
Later in the afternoon, we will take the train back to La Spezia,
where our driver and coach will be waiting to take us back to our
hotel. Tonight for those who are interested, we will enjoy dinner (at
an additional cost) in the hillside town of Montecatini Alto. B
Thursday, May 7
This morning, following breakfast, we will be joining Bonnie for
a morning workshop. You will have the early afternoon to enjoy
Tuscany on your own. For those who might be interested we will be
offering an 'optional tour” to VINCI, a town surrounded by Tuscan Hills and the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. We will also be touring the Slitti Chocolate Facility
for a chocolate tasting. We will drive back to our hotel later in the
afternoon, where the remainder of the evening is free to enjoy on our
own. B
Friday, May 8
Following a delicious breakfast this morning, for those who are interested, we are offering an “optional tour” to a family-owned winery. Here we will have the opportunity to participate in an authentic TUSCANY COOKING CLASS taught by a local Italian chef we affectionately call “Papa.”
We’ll enjoy a hands on class as we learn to prepare homemade pasta,
and learn the recipes for making different sauces, crostini and for
making the typical Italian drink, Limoncelo. Following our
cooking class, we will walk into the vineyard and see firsthand how the
grapes are grown and processed into wine. A special five course
lunch will be prepared for our group and we will sample wines with
each course that is presented during our meal. In the middle of the
afternoon, we will travel back to our hotel, where the remainder of
the afternoon is at your leisure. Cost of this optional tour is €98 per person. B
Saturday, May 9
Today we will journey to the “Cradle of the Italian Renaissance,” the beautiful city of FLORENCE
Our first stop will be at the Piazza Michelangelo, where we will take
our group photograph and enjoy the sights of Florence from high above
the city. Next we will meet our local expert guide who will enlighten
us with many highlights of the city’s priceless treasures. We will
take a leisurely walking tour from piazza to piazza, as we pass
special boutique shops, historic sights, churches and art museums
that will beckon us to step inside. There will be time to enjoy
shopping and lunch on your own in the afternoon. Later in the day we
will meet and return to our hotel. Tonight, we will enjoy special a “farewell dinner” at our hotel and bring our Treasures of Tuscany tour to an end. B
Sunday, May 10
Today following breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and drive to the airport for our flight back to JFK in New York. B
*PLEASE NOTE: Depending on weather conditions
and circumstances beyond our control, the itinerary, pricing and
escorts are subject to change. We will make every attempt to adhere to
the program, but we ask that you be flexible if alternative choices are
made to enhance the schedule. Terms and Conditions
apply once first deposit is made. Gratuities are not included in this
price and will be collected in advance with the final payment. This will
pay for your waiters, porterage at the hotel, your guides and the bus
driver. Insurance is available and highly recommended. Single rates are
available upon request.
5 comments:
Went two years ago, similar itinerary.... It is Fabulous!! Go, if you are able...Italy is charming!! Chao!!
How lovely. This would be so much fun
Does sound like a great trip, I worry about dietary requirement's. I am gluten free, not sure how that would work in Italy! One day I will join Bonnie :)
Hi, I am writing to Julie Kennedy in regards to the "gluten-free" necessity of her diet. I have been fortunate enough to have taken 3 different high school groups to Italy. On one of my trips I had a girl who was gluten-free. This was before it was on everybody's lips here, and I wasn't familiar with it at all and was worried. I was reassured by my tour guide that it wouldn't be a problem. She was right. Italy was light years ahead of us. The restaurants were very familiar with gluten free and I don't think my student ever had any problems.
So, I just wanted to say we had no problems with gluten free requirements. I'm sure if you tell your tour guide ahead of time, it probably would be the same for you. Anyway, you could check with the tour company. I just wouldn't want you to miss out on such a great sounding trip for this reason. As far as I could tell, everyone in Italy, and probably Northern Europe as well, are familiar with the dietary requirements of gluten free and it's not considered a problem at all :) So, go if you can, and lift a glass of vino to all of us slaving over a hot sewing machine left behind!
Beth
Hello -- I now live in Tuscany, and my mother is gluten intolerant. She has found travelling around not to be a problem, and indeed there is a huge awareness of this issue here. Chemists (Pharmacists) stock large ranges of appropriate foods too, as do supermarkets. The only problem with travelling (and living!) in Tuscany is the near total absence of quilting shops -- although other fibre crafts are more popular.
Don't miss the textile museum in Prato: an awful pity to come this far and not see it!
Have a lovely time exploring this beautiful country, if only for a few days. http://www.museodeltessuto.it/
x JJ
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