ITINERARY
DAY 0—SUNDAY
Departure for Piedmont region of Italy.
DAY 1—MONDAY
MORNING: Arrival at Milano's Malpensa airport. Transfer to Hotel Metropole, situated on a charming spot on the shores of Lake Como in the picturesque village of Bellagio.
AFTERNOON: Lunch at a local restaurant (included). At leisure to explore Bellagio, a dream of a place-the views are matchless, the cobbled streets are quaint, and the villas are as pretty and perfumed as any in Italy. Welcome dinner at the award-winning Hotel Metropole restaurant (included). The restaurant, which features fresh lake fish, has a terrace with stunning views of Lake Como.
HOTEL: Hotel Metropole / Bellagio
DAY 2—TUESDAY
MORNING: Travel via traghetto to Varenna, a small town east of Bellagio (just 10 minutes away by boat). Take part in a 2-hour hands-on cooking lesson with locally renowned chef Moreno Maglia at "Il Caminetto," an excellent and well-known local restaurant, followed by a meal prepared by guests (included).
AFTERNOON: Guided walking tour of Varenna to see Villa Cipressi, a complex of buildings and gardens, and Villa Monastero, once a convent for Cistercian nuns. Visit the Castello Vezio for breathtaking views of the lake and walk along the shoreline to the Fiumelatte (river of milk). Dinner at Ristorante Silvio, a family-owned trattoria in Bellagio with a lakeshore terrace that specializes in fresh fish (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Metropole / Bellagio
DAY 3—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Guided tour of Villa Serbelloni and Villa Melzi in Bellagio. The Serbelloni, owned by the Rockefeller Foundation, was reputedly built over a villa belonging to Pliny the Younger (AD 61-112), a noted Roman man of letters born nearby. The Neo-Classical Villa Melzi was built in 1810 for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, vice-president of Napoleons's Italian Republic. It overlooks the lake in an undulating English landscape park, richly planted and decorated with ornamental greenery. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included).
AFTERNOON: Travel via traghetto to Tremezzo to tour Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta. Villa Balbianello is considered by many to be the most magical house in all of Italy. It sits on its own little promontory, Il Dosso d'Avedo. The villa is composed of loggias, terraces, and palazzini (tiny palaces), all spilling down verdant slopes to the lakeshore, where you'll find an old Franciscan church, a magnificent stone staircase, and a statue of San Carlo Borromeo blessing the waters. The intergalactic romance of Star Wars: Episode II was shot here as well. Villa Carlotta, built as a summer residence for a Milanese aristocrat, combines dramatic terracing, parterre and grottoes with an extensive landscape park and arboretum.
Dinner at the famous La Locanda dell'Isola Comacina, a restaurant on Lake Como's principal island (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Metropole / Bellagio
DAY 4—THURSDAY
MORNING: Travel to Vercelli to visit the Cascina Veneria estate, one of the largest rice producers in the area. Rice tasting and lunch (included). The Riseria Veneria became famous in July of 1948 when the noted Italian director Giuseppe De Santis used it as the backdrop for his film Riso Amaro, with Silvana Mangano, one of the classics of Italian cinema.
After lunch transfer to Torino, a much underrated and surprisingly elegant Baroque city. The region's capital was also the first capital of a unified Italy from 1861 to 1865.
AFTERNOON: Guided walking tour to see some of the major sites of the city, including Torino's main street Via Roma, Piazza San Carlo (the main square), Mole Antonelliana (the Torinese equivalent of the Eiffel Tower in Paris), the Royal Palace of Turin, which was the seat of the Savoy royal family from 1660 until the unification of Italy in 1861, and the Duomo, home of the Holy Shroud. Dinner at Ristorante La Badessa, featuring recipes originally developed from a noble abbess that are a part of la cucina dei monasteri (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Victoria / Torino
DAY 5—FRIDAY
MORNING: Visit Porta Palazzo, Europe's largest food market. Every morning a huge group of stands invades Piazza della Repubblica, behind the city center. The market of Porta Palazzo dates all the way back to 1825. Stop to sample pastries at the Al Bicerin Caffé, located in the magical Piazza della Consolata. The shop, the most characteristic in all of Torino, has been serving its coffee with chocolate and whipped cream practically since it opened in 1963. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
| Buon Appetito |
| Piedmontese cuisine is a sophisticated blend of northern Italian peasant staples and elegant French garnishes. Butter replaces olive oil, and cheese, mushrooms, and white truffles are used more than tomatoes, peppers, or spices. Agnolotti (ravioli stuffed with lamb and cabbage) is the local pasta specialty, but polenta, often topped with fontina cheese, is the more common starch. The three most outstanding red wines in Italy, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera, are available in Torino's markets and restaurants. |
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AFTERNOON: Travel to see the Basilica of Superga, the Castello Reggia di Venaria Reale, and the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, all just outside the city proper. Superga, a stupendous baroque basilica that contains the royal tombs of the Savoy is one of the city's architectural jewels. The basilica is situated on the top of a hill 6 miles east of the city, offering superb views of the city. Known as Piedmont's Versailles, the Castello Reggia di Venaria Reale was designed by Filippo Juvarra. Stupinigi was a magnificent hunting lodge used for sumptuous ceremonies and parties and was part of the corona di delizie (crown of delights)-one of the many palaces that the House of Savoy embellished around it capital at Torino. Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
HOTEL: Hotel Victoria / Torino
DAY 6—SATURDAY
MORNING / AFTERNOON: Day at leisure to explore Torino—shop on Via Roma for boutiques and celebrated confectioners, stroll amid the greenery of the city's many parks; or visit one of the many famous museums such as the Museo Egizio, one of the most important Egyptian museums in the world, or the Museo dell'Automobile, one of the world's greatest collections of cars. Lunch and dinner on your own.
HOTEL: Hotel Victoria / Torino
DAY 7—SUNDAY
MORNING: Transfer to Villa Tiboldi in the village of Canale, the epicenter of Piedmont's gastronomic heartland. Featured in the June 2005 issue of Gourmet Magazine, the restored villa is set on a hill overlooking the Roero wine region. Mid-morning visit to the market and restaurant at Cascina del Cornale, a co-operative which supports small, artisanal farmers. Lunch at the Cascina del Cornale (included).
AFTERNOON: Wine tasting at the Enoteca Regionale di Barbaresco, located in the deconsecrated church of Saint Donato in the centre of Barbaresco. Late afternoon visit to Alba, renowned for the truffle festival held every October. Dinner in the historic center of Alba (not included).
HOTEL: Villa Tiboldi / Canale
DAY 8—MONDAY
MORNING: Morning hands-on cooking lesson and lunch at the villa (included). Tour the Malvirà estate vineyards, (Villa Tiboldi is part of the estate complex). Sample the local Roero wines at the villa's cantina.
AFTERNOON: Afternoon at leisure to explore the gardens at Villa Tiboldi or use the outdoor swimming pool. Nearby are bike rentals, scooter rentals, tennis, and horse riding facilities. Dinner at the villa, where the chef prepares daily specials with fresh ingredients from the Roero region (included). The wine list features the best local and Piemonte wines.
HOTEL: Villa Tiboldi / Canale
DAY 9—TUESDAY
MORNING: Excursion to the medieval town of Cherasco to visit an historic pasticceria and observe the production of the local specialty baci di cherasco (chocolate kisses made with hazelnuts). Sample cascè alla grappa, lumache, peccati del cardinal, and other artisanal products. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included).
AFTERNOON: Wine tasting at the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, which is housed in a castle. There is also a wine museum in the building. Late afternoon at leisure to experience the beauty of Villa Tiboldi and fare le valigie (pack your suitcases). Gala farewell dinner at the villa (included).
HOTEL: Villa Tiboldi / Canale
DAY 10—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Early morning group transfer to Milano's Malpensa airport and departure. Arrivederci!
