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The Flavors of Italy 2009May 18, 2009 - May 29, 2009
Food/Wine/Medieval Hill Towns
Join us for the vacation that will begin the journey of your life. Feast on a meal that you wish would never end. Drink wine from ancient vineyards. Explore medieval hilltop towns. Stay in an 17th century villa. Join Changing Gears for the ultimate journey through the heart of Italy in beautiful, mystical Umbria and evocative Tuscany, the regions that will bring dreams alive!!
 Day 1 – Begin your travels in Florence where we will meet you at the airport and whisk you off to Montisi, a charming medieval village located in the heart of the Super Tuscan wine country. We will greet you with an antipasti party at Villa Maddalena, your home for the next 12 days, located in the center of Montisi. |
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Day 2 – Today we explore and get acquainted with Montisi and Villa Maddelena. Then in the afternoon we will visit Montepulciano, located atop one of Tuscany’s highest hills, and home of the world famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Montepulciano has been making wine since AD 789. We will be having a wine tasting at two of the many wine cellars found throughout the town. |
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Day 3 – Day Trip to Siena.
This town is defined by its Gothic architecture, built in a namesake shade of reddish brown. Start your visit from the famous fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, where you will meet your local English speaking guide who will take you to all the hidden treasures of Siena. Shopping is great here, especailly ceramics and pottery. Have lunch on the piazza and watch the world go by. |
Day 4 –
Today a guided walk around Montisi and the surrounding countryside. Dinner tonight will be in one of Montisi’s best restaurants and, we think you will probably agree with us, one of the best restaurants in all of Tuscany. |
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Day 5 – Deruta/Todi.
This morning we will drive to Todi, with a side trip to Deruta for pottery. Deruta, in the true heart of Umbria, started working in clay in 1296. By the 14th century it had become a center for the production of bricks and terra-cotta, supplying the nearby cities of Perugia and Assisi. You will visit the only surviving kiln from the Renaissance era. (There once were 52 kilns.) You can shop for ceramics where many importers from the U. S. shop and where you will have more to choose from than you can imagine. Leave space in your luggage for this world famous pottery. Dinner will be in Titignano, an ancient village a few miles from Todi. You will experience a gourmet feast of a lifetime in the Castle Hall. We will staying overnight in Todi, a wonderful Umbrian hilltop town. |
Day 6 – Assisi.
Today we visit Assisi, a beautiful medieval town, before heading back to Montisi. The main attraction is the Basilica, which is one of the artistic highlights of medieval Europe. The painters of Deruta designed the gorgeous ceramic floor in the Church of St. Francis. We will take you on a guided tour from the top of the town, winding through the back streets of Assisi, to the bottom where the Basilica is located. |
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Day 7 – Pienza/Montalcino.
Today we explore Pienza and Montalcino. We will have lunch in Pienza, the birthplace of Pope Pius II, and a great Renaissance town. After some time for exploring Pienza, it’s off to Montalcino, home of the magnificent Brunello di Montalcino, one of the reigning kings of Tuscan wines. You will have time to explore the fortress and then sip some wine at the Enoteca before heading back to Montisi for dinner. You will believe you are in another time that should never change. In the evening, a wine expert from the village will pair wines perfectly with the food that you will be feasting on in the grand dining room in the villa. |
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Day 8 – Bagno Vignoni.
Today we will head over to Bagno Vignoni, a famous medieval spa town. We will spend the day enjoying the thermal pools. Optional spa treatments are also available. In the evening we will have dinner at a Slow Food restaurant right in the heart of Montisi. |
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Day 9 – Florence.
A day in Florence, which will start with a guided walking tour around the city. The tour ends at the spectacular Duomo and its orange-tiled dome, Florence's most famous symbol. Then there will be time for shopping and sight-seeing, so make sure and visit the Accademia where Michelangelo's David is housed. |
Day 10 – Orvieto.
Day trip to Orvieto with its magnificent Cathedral and breathtaking façade (one of Italy’s greatest Romanesque-Gothic cathedrals). Also, beneath the streets and shops, is a labyrinth of caves hidden in the silent darkness of the cliffs. We will take a guided tour of these ancient tunnels and tombs dug during the Etruscan age, which will take you back three thousand years in history. And, of course, some more great shopping including the famous Orvieto wines. |
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Day 11 –
Today we will do some local area exploring. We will visit Sant’Antimo, an abbey first occupied by Benedictine monks in the 8th century and may even be able to hear the Gregorian chants that are still sung by the monks today. We will also explore Sant'Anna Monastery where the English Patient was filmed. The evening will end with a fabulous farewell Italian feast at the villa. |
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Day 12 –As you wake up on your last day of this journey, take a moment to savor all the experiences you have had these past 12 days – wonderful hilltop villages, great food and wine, incredible shopping. After breakfast, we will drive you back to Florence for your trip home. |
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Price: $3800.00 or $7400 per couple. Tour is limited to 12 participants. Tour price includes lodging, all breakfasts and dinners and most lunches, wine with meals, wine tastings, and all tours in the cities you visit. Price does not include airfare and some lunches. |
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