DREAMY ITALIAN SUMMER TOUR SAMPLE ITINERARY

Transcription

1 DREAMY ITALIAN SUMMER TOUR Sunday, July 22 nd Sunday, July 29 th 2018 SAMPLE ITINERARY DAY 1 We'll pick you up in Rome's Piazza Bologna (or at the airport in Pescara upon request) at 3 PM and drive you through the mountains to Abruzzo. Unpack and unwind with a glass of wine at your home for the first half of your stay, Agriturismo La Pietrantica in the picturesque mountain hamlet of Decontra, and share in a communal farm-to-table welcome dinner featuring the farm's prized Solina wheat and other local organic specialties.

2 DAY 2 Our guide will lead us on a hike from Decontra to the lush and magical Orfento river valley (what I ve dubbed, "the Land of the Fairies"). For lunch, we'll visit Agriturismo Tholos, part of a network of custodian farmers created by the Majella National Park to protect the territory s agricultural biodiversity. We'll dine on unique dishes prepared with the farm's own grains and legumes served inside a "tholos", a stone hut built by shepherds to protect their flock from the elements, an emblem of the territory's pastoral tradition. We ll travel through the Valle di Giumentina to visit a medieval hermitage carved into the mountains by Pope Celestino V and his followers. These "Celestiani" monks chose isolated locations in the Majella to build sacred refuges as a way to be closer to God in Nature. That evening, we ll enjoy a family-style dinner at Pietrantica.

3 DAY 3 Today we'll explore the ancient villages and wild landscapes of the Gran Sasso mountain range. Our hiking guide will lead us on a trek up to Rocca Calascio, a medieval fortress dramatically positioned at 1460m above sea level, the highest in all of Italy. For lunch, we'll enjoy an al fresco barbecue of Abruzzo's iconic arrosticini (grilled lamb skewers), at Campo Imperatore, the highest and largest alpine meadow in Abruzzo. For dinner, we'll taste traditional dishes based on the highly prized saffron of Navelli and learn about the cultivation of this refined spice.

4 DAY 4 We ll explore the beautiful village of Scanno, called the pearl of Abruzzo, with its cobblestone streets and heart-shaped lake. You ll have free time for lunch and to explore the village and Lago di Scanno where you can choose to rent a pedal boat, bike around the lake or lounge at one of the lakeside beaches. That evening, we'll enjoy a family-style farewell dinner at Pietrantica.

5 DAY 5 After breakfast, we'll bid farewell to the mountains of Decontra and head to the rolling hills of the countryside. We ll go to my vivacious friend Giulia's beautiful country house where she ll lead us in a farm-to-table cooking class. We ll feast on the fruits of our labor for lunch before heading to a wine tasting at a castle in the countryside.

6 DAY 6 Today is all about SUN and FUN! We ll head to the singular Costa dei Trabocchi, where we'll swim in the turquoise Adriatic Sea, lounge on the beach, visit a trabocco - a wooden stationary platform once used by fishermen and enjoy a seafood lunch. We ll head back to the hotel to relax prior to the evening s festivities the annual A Cena Con i Bizantini festival, a recreation of a jovial medieval feast in the village of Crecchio, where you ll have the evening free to sample different foods and join in the revelry!

7 DAY 7 Relax and unwind by the pool this morning * +. In the afternoon, we ll visit my friend Francesca s old stone olive oil mill where she ll guide us through a professional olive oil tasting. We ll then explore the lovely town of Guardiagrele, home to a wide range of artisans, before sharing our final dinner together. After breakfast the next morning, our driver will accompany you to Piazza Bologna in Rome. **We are committed to creating an enjoyable tour itinerary. If improvements can be made prior to the commencement of or even during the tour, or if unforeseen conditions make changes necessary, we reserve the right to vary the itinerary and/or substitute hotels or accommodations of a reasonably equivalent quality and will not be held responsible for any of these types of changes or occurrences.**