Day 1: We meet at your town of departure to board our bus to O’Hare Airport for our early evening departure on our major international airline for our flight to the eternal city of Rome. We will be served dinner and can watch a movie during our overnight flight. (In-flight meals)
Day 2: Upon arrival in Rome, we are met by our Tour Manager who will be with us for the duration of our time in Italy. We will be coached through the beautiful Italian countryside to Montecatini Terme. Tonight we will enjoy a welcome dinner at get together at our hotel. (D)
Day 3: This morning we drive to Florence and enjoy a locally guided tour of the birthplace of the Renaissance. Included in our tour will be the Duomo, Baptistry and, of course, Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, “David” at the Accademia. The afternoon is left unstructured, so that each of us may explore what interests us most in Florence: art museums, cafes or shopping for leather are just a few of many ways to spend the afternoon. (B, D)
Day 4: Our sight seeing today will include the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and a visit to Lucca, a Roman style city. A local guide will introduce us to the city. Lucca is enclosed by massive red brick walls, which help to give the city its special character by shutting out traffic and the modern world. Built in 1504-1645, the walls are among the best preserved-Renaissance defenses in Europe. Unlike many Tuscany hilltop cities, Lucca is flat, many locals use bicycles which adds to its charm. (B, D)
Day 5: This morning we have time free to explore Montecatini on our own. Early in the afternoon we drive into Chianti country and visit San Gimignano with its thirteen towers. The main item on our agenda today, however, will be the lovely city of Siena. A locally guided tour of this fabulous Gothic city will acquaint us with its sunken Piazza del Campo and the Duomo, perhaps the finest Gothic cathedral in Italy! Before returning to Montecatini we will enjoy a wine tasting dinner in the gentle hills of Chianti country this evening. (B, D)
Day 6: This morning we meet a local chef, who will take us on a shopping trip to the market to purchase ingredients for today’s cooking class. The lunch we prepare could include egg pasta, speccatino di carne (a meat stew), and biscotti. The chef of course may decide there is a better menu for the day. This afternoon you may wish to visit one of Montecatini’s many fine spas. (B, L)
Day 7: While not located in Tuscany, the five villages of the “Cinque Terre” are not to be missed while in this area of Italy. Nestled into the cliffs, high above the Ligurian Sea, these picturesque villages were accessible only by sea for centuries. Today, some villages have roads linking them, while others are only accessible by the sea or train. We begin with a boat ride along the sea and then return by train and foot, including a lovely walk down Lovers’ Lane, a spectacular walk along the sea. These villages have a special character, as we see the life of the fishermen and the abodes they come home to. We return to Montecatini in the late afternoon to relax and freshen up before dinner. (B, D)
Day 8: Today we depart Monecatini; we head in a southerly direction and enter the region of Umbria where we arrive at its most beautiful town, Assisi. Here a local guide will acquaint us with the life of Saint Francis and show us the magnificent Basilica di San Francesco where he is buried. We drive on to Rome for overnight. (B, D)
Day 9: Sadly it is time to say farewell to Tuscany as we transfer back to Leonardo Da Vinci International airport for our return flight home. We return with memories of Tuscany and a wealth of new friends. (B, in-flight meals)
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| Air Transportation |
| We will use a major airline from Chicago to Rome round trip – the flight might operate either out of O’Hare or from Midway Airport. |
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| Hotels |
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Monecatini
Hotel Vittoria or Hotel Columbia
Rome
President Hotel Rome
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| Travel Insurance |
| The cost of this trip includes full third-party insurance which covers trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage loss, medical coverage and coverage against financial default of all suppliers including the airlines used. The medical coverage also covers pre-existing medical conditions. |
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B = Breakfast
L = Lunch
D = Dinner
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Remember to turn in your digital cameras to your group leader so that we can have our video done for this trip. We will plan a get together in a few weeks so that we can share those video and other stories of this beautiful journey. |
