Fall
Tours –
an
amazing time
Rome, Umbria, Amalfi
Every now
and then I reflect on the dynamics of how my groups come together
and am amazed. When someone first registers they’re usually one
dimensional; an unknown. Even though I have probably spoken or
emailed with them, they’re still uncharted waters. Then these
strangers meet in a foreign country, encounter each other (and me)
for the first time, and wonder of wonders within days they have
bonded and formed relationships – some that endure beyond the tour.
I even have people who go on subsequent tours together. And, of
course, everyone leaves having fallen madly in love with Italy.
I can’t
begin to describe how much pleasure it gives me to share the many
unique treasures that each region of Italy has to offer and observe
as groups learn that there is, indeed, a distinct difference from
region to region – what is Tuscan is definitely NOT Neapolitan nor
Ligurian. It is observing this sense of discovery and enlightenment
as well as the camaraderie that is so rewarding to me.
All of
which brings me to state once again that my groups this far were
outstanding – we had some amazing times and true bonding
experiences. I doubt we’ll ever forget them.
ROME – The Eternal City - October 3-10
Arrivederci Roma
This was
THE BIRTHDAY trip – three people in the group celebrated birthdays
that week - a total of 4 Libras which made for a VERY mellow and
balanced group. Lisa and Carol celebrated their birthdays at the
restaurant built within the Old Roman Wall; I suspect it will be
difficult to top that one in future years. Later in the week, we
celebrated Lynn’s day at lunch in a fabulous wine cellar near Campo
de’ Fiori – does it get any better?
Our week
began with a spectacular dinner at our hotel restaurant. Dining
under
the stars and lighted by numerous gigantic candelabra – really
set a wonderful tone to begin the week.
This trip
we had two new guides, Piera and Daniela, and one repeat; Mauro –
all were excellent, as usual. Our new drivers were also great –
Mario and Alfredo. I was especially taken with Alfredo because everytime we had a discussion about a cheese producer, he giggled
and told me “nobody never asked me to take them there before”. He
was amazed at the places we visited but even Mario, our main driver,
admitted he learned a lot about products that he simply took for
granted. He had never seen pecorino cheese made, nor had he visited
a winery.
And, they were on time!
Monday
morning, after our Colosseum & Forum tour, we grabbed
a quick lunch
in order to be on time for our Tastes of Italy Seminar. Another fabulous, fun and educational culinary experiences with our favorite
Roman Salumeria – cheeses, meats, baked goods, pizza, wines, olive
oils, truflfes, balsamico – they have it all from every region of
Italy. Claudio and Alessandro do a superb job of explaining how
products are made and letting us taste them. It’s a great
introduction that immediately expands your palate – ready or not!
As we can all attest, prosciutto isn’t the only ham in the shop!
In the
evening we went to a trattoria in Trastevere, the oldest part of
Rome, for a somewhat noisy but fun dinner (outstanding sausages) where we were serenaded by
traveling troubadours. Warm breezes, strolling minstrels, good
food, enjoyable companions - great combination.
Next day
we had a market tour and cooking class with Chef Dana that was
great. One class was on typical Roman Cuisine, the other Jewish
Roman – which was delicious and historically fascinating. She’s
from the US but has been living in Rome for many years and teaching
those of us just passing through.
We
actually walk lots more than we’re driven because when you’re
visiting the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona,
Vatican/Sistine Chapel, Ostia Antica, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia
– the only way to see them is on foot. Having said that, I should
tell you that a favorite event is the Twilight Driving tour of the
major monuments. The views of these famous sites at night is, in my
opinion, even more beautiful than in da
ylight. But of course, we
visited them in daylight too – this was just to wet our appetites
for what was to come. Interesting enough, the monument that most
captivated Steve was the pale orange Lamborghini parked on the Via
Veneto – we just had to stop and photograph it. (L- Piazza
Venezia)
After the
public Papal Audience on Wednesday came the guided tour of the
Vatican/Sistine Chapel with Mauro. Followed that evening by a new
restaurant near us that has just reopened. We had the friendliest
waiter ever! He made me promise to send him one of the photos I
took. He helped make the evening so much fun – they won’t forget us
soon.
Had a
great morning at Campo de’ Fiori – the famous open air market of Rome
– that’s us
among the flowers. Then we had Lynn’s birthday lunch
in a private room in the wine cellar. Had a burrata
from Puglia, a fabulous assortment of regional cheeses and meats –
washed down with an Amarone from the Veneto. Of course, we then
indulged and helped Lynn eat her birthday cake. Tough life.
Friday
morning was our cheesemaker visit. Gianni was a wonderful host and
very eager to show us everything. It didn’t hurt that he was so
friendly and photogenic. The bonus was that he could vacuum pack
his cheeses, so we got some real treasures!
In the
evening we attended our musical event “light opera arias” (the ones
we all know) that is so special because the
performance is in a small church putting you very close to the
performers. Voices aren’t amplified, just very natural and
intimate. A real treat. Afterward we had an “after theatre”
antipasti spread back at our hotel – once again outside with
candlelight. They certainly treat us well.
Our last
day began with a phone call from our guide for Ostia Antica telling
us she’d been in an auto accident and was slightly delayed. No one
hurt, just delayed. So we went to the beach at Ostia – a
lovely way to start the day. Finally Daniela guided us
through “Rome’s Pompeii” – a fascinating ancient city.
Then we
dashed to our winery for our lunch and tour. Adriana, the owner,
was as delightful
and enthusiastic as ever. I love their Bombino wine so much I
always carry some home even though it means carting it with me for
the remaining weeks I’m in Italy. This time the biggest attraction
– aside from the food & wine – was the new baby donkey, just 23 days
old. I’ve never seen such a cute critter.
We
finished off our week with our Pizza Party Farewell – I REALLY like
Roman Pizza and this place does it especially well. Two tables away
from us was a group of nuns sharing pizza and wine – we did the more
traditional pizza and beer. We said our farewells that evening –
some were staying on in Rome, others going on to other cities, but
we had carefully thrown coins in Trevi Fountain on our Twilight Tour
so we knew we’d be coming back to this lovely city some time in the
future.
Ciao-Arrivederci Roma
UMBRIA –
The Green Heart of Italy - October 10-17
Chocolate & Truffles & Olive Oil - Oh my!
This was
the “maiden voyage” for this new trip and it exceeded expectations.
I defy you to find more generous, hospitable people anywhere – they
stopped just short of giving us the keys to the city! Before we get
lost in narrative, let me introduce the cast of characters:
Sauro & Carla - co-owners of our lovely country inn
Valentina - right-hand to Sauro & Carla, our
guide/interpreter/Jill of all trades
Leandra & Antonio - Sauro's parents - who also taught and
cooked for us
Fabrizia - Carla's sister, art historian, shopping queen,
Italian Imelda
James - Sauro's new assistant and jack of all trades
Paolo - Sauro's friend that visited in January
Perugia
was a total contrast to the bustling city of Rome. We were
ensconced in our charming Country Inn just 2km from town, but on a
private estate that made us feel we were off to ourselves – just the
doves cooing outside the windows. We quickly settled into our
spacious apartments, marveling at how electronically sophisticated
it was – satellite tv for those interested plus INTERNET!
Three of
us arrived in the early afternoon and the other four arrived in the
early evening with my Rome driver, Alfredo. After we all freshened
up it was time for our welcome dinner, a traditio
nal Umbrian meal
cooked by Host Sauro’s mother & father, and served downstairs by
Fabrizia, sister of co-host, Carla. Fabrizia set the tone for the
evening showing up in sparkly space-age headgear. As the week wore
on, we became more and more fond of Fabrizia – she has a wonderful
sense of humor and a definite sense of style!
Monday
morning it was off to Assisi – the second most visited city
in Italy. We were guided by a lay nun, Sister Jenny, (photo
left) who really
brought the history of the city to life. The city is truly
beautiful and the various churches awesome. We all felt as though
we could have spent the entire day there.
Instead,
it was off to the winery that Host Sauro favored for a combination
lunch and wine tasting held in their 1000 year old Norman tower –
completely restored. I lost count at 6 wines, so I’m not sure how
many we had but I do know we were all very satisfied.
That
evening Mamma Leandra took over and taught us how to make pasta the
REAL way – from scratch. No machines at all. We mixed, kneaded,
and rolled out by hand – each batch being carefully inspected to
make certai
n it was thin enough to read through! When we sat down
to eat, we were all convinced it was the best pasta we’d ever eaten
and the standard by which all others were to be measured throughout
the week.
Next day
we head to the town of Norcia for our cheese experience.
This was a major consortium and they produce a wide range of cheeses
as well as fresh yogurt. We watched fascinated as they turned milk
into curds, then cut curds, filled molds, flavored, them. Saw aging
rooms and then did a full tasting. We were amazed at how much hand
work is involved. Of course, then we all bought a wide variety of
cheeses – my favorite was the pecorino featuring the truffles
of the area. Can’t think of a better combination.
Speaking of truffles, Norcia is the town most famous for truffles
so we did a fair amount of shopping at the local truffle shop – hard
to believe a shop whose main sales item is truffles.
Lunch in
Norcia remains in my memory as one of the best of the trip. This
town is so tiny it’s impossible to believe that you can have a lunch
as elegant as we enjoyed, but I’m here to bear witness that it’s
so. Everything was perfect – of course, the truffle bruschetta was
a GREAT way to start and, believe it or not, it got better with each
course.
Afterward we had a quick visit to a nearby chocolate producer and
once again made a few judicious purchases. I was delighted to find
a chocolate high heel shoe that we decided was a perfect gift for
Fabrizia – who is an Italian Imelda.
Morning
saw us heading for our olive oil adventure. We visited the frantoio
(producer), had the process explained to us, then went to the
owners house for a tasting. It was wonderful olive oil – so
wonderful that I needed to cart home 10 liters (added to my cache of
wine from Rome pushed my suitcase over the edge.
Onward to
Deruta – a town synonymous with fine ceramics. The tradi
tional
ceramics of this area are just breathtaking. Almost as impressive
was the clay throwing demonstration he put on with Peggy – it was
really show-stopping. He is an impish man, with a wonderful
personality and sooo proud of his work. I was gratified to learn
from the owner that his 15 year old son is learning the craft and is
the major painter of the designs. Nice to know that the traditions
will be continued. After he wrapped or made shipping plans for our
purchases, he took us to town for his favorite restaurant. Well,
lunch was a real find – we had views overlooking the countryside,
and the tables were all magnificent pieces of ceramic ware. And to
top it off – the food was GREAT! Tough to top.
Then it
was back to Perugia to visit the Artisan Hand Loom facility – the
last working hand loom of it’s kind in Italy! Now this is a
national treasure. They demonstrated the intricate techniques used
in making these fabulous linens. We were astonished at how many
days or weeks (sometimes months) went into a finished product. The
young woman who explained it all to us explained in detail exactly
how the patterns were done, but we just couldn’t imagine it.
Our
cooking class that evening was in the Professional school in Perugia
with Chef Antonio, an Umbrian native. He was delightful and a very
good cook. Class this evening was a traditional Umbrian meal.
Friday evening was Chocolate Desserts and was even better – but
then, this group was really up for desserts. We were surprised to
learn that Antonio was a late substitute for the original chef who
was in a motorcycle accident. We decided we came out ahead –
definitely the other chef didn’t.
Truffle day was Thursday, but first a stop in Gubbio - a city
considered to be one of the most
beautiful in Italy. We had a
delightful guided tour, then headed out for the truffle lunch to end
all truflfe lunches. Believe me, you will never have this many
truffles at one sitting in your life – plates looked like they
snowed truffles.
After
that lunch I didn’t think we’d ever eat again, but we did. This
time another new trattoria that treated us so royally, they drove us
back to our country house!
The city
of Perugia, capital of Umbria, was our destination
Friday. We had a fabulous tour with Fabrizia that morning, then
headed to Gino’s for lunch. Lunch was supposed to be two small
serving of each course but Gino was having none of that. We
had multiples of everything – soups, meats, wines - but for dessert we had Carol’s Birthday Cake. I think celebrating your
birthday in Italy is a grand thing to do for yourself!
Saturday
was the Chocolate Festival – need I say more? Armed with the
schedule prepared for us by Valentina, we took the Chocolate Train
into Perugia to ogle and spend the day immersed in our chocolate
experience. But believe it or not, the best was yet to come.
That
evening for our Pizza Party Farewell, Papa Antonio demonstrated how
to make pizza the RIGHT way then
he, Leandra, Carla, Fabrizia, et
al, went to work baking them. Meanwhile, Sauro had invited his
friends (that had visited at my house) and others, to join us for our
farewell dinner. What an absolutely marvelous evening it was. Surrounded by new friends, eating great home-made pizza with good
beer (or wine), laughing, talking loud – I wished the week didn’t
have to come to an end. But happy knowing it had been perfect
Amalfi Coast – Cooking In Paradise – October
17-24
We
all arrived at the Napoli railroad station within 30
minutes of each other. Andrea, our driver, was there holding a
sign, but it was amazingly easy to pick everyone out of the crowd –
we all look VERY American. There was a light drizzle as we headed
for Ravello, but the scenery was still show stopping – Vesuvius is
amazing to see from any angle. (Rt-Amalfi views)
After
showering and settling in we had our usual grand welcome dinner in
our hotel’s gracious dining room. It’s great fun to be greeted as
old friends – a real bonus for returning to the same place each
time. We wasted no time at all in become familiar with that famous
liqueur – limoncello as we toasted to the upcoming week of
adventures. 
Started
the week the next morning with an informative guided tour by Anna,
our local guide. In addition to the many historical monuments, it’s
always amazing to learn how many famous people have come to this
tiny town (2500 population): D.H. Lawrence, Greta Garbo, Humphrey
Bogart, Gina Lollobrigida, Truman Capote, Jackie Kennedy, Henry
Kissinger, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astair. Last year when we were there
Bill Murray was there filming. We knew we were in a very special
place as we strolled through the pedestrian paths with bougainvillea
in full bloom spilling down the walls, other colorful flower in
bloom everywhere, plus the magnificently manicured gardens with
their spectacular views of the Bay of Salerno – breathtaking isn’t a
big enough word. A panini lunch in the town square was a perfect
ending to our introduction to Ravello.
Later in
the day, we headed to Mamma’s for our first cooking class. The way
we wolfed down Mamma’s famous lemon cake, you’d think we hadn’t
eaten the entire day. We were intrigued to learn from Mamma the
favorite dishes of some of her f
amous clients: Fred Astair liked
salads, Humphrey Bogart preferred spaghetti with meat sauce, Sinatra
seemed to prefer liquid items.
We got
down to work on our pasta sauce class for fear we wouldn’t have
enough to eat – that’s a joke of course – no one ever goes hungry at
Mamma’s. It would be difficult to say which was our favorite dish,
but my personal is always the peppers & sausage in cream with pappardelle. Mamma now makes extra of this one so I can have it
again at the next class! All our pasta & sauces were washed down
with Pappa’s wine. The finishing touch was Mamma’s homemade
Limoncello (and tangerine and fennel).
In the
morning we began our artisan tours with the Mozzarella Lady. She
was finishing up by the time we got there at 10 – her day starts at
4am! She always saves a batch to demonstrate for us to see and
taste. It’s a real treat to eat cheese that is just minutes old
– tough to duplicate anywhere else.
Then it
was on to the limoncello demonstration and tasting. Twice a week
450 pounds of the gigantic Amalfi lemons are peeled and processed.
It’s a simple procedure, but because of the unique flavor of the
Amalfi lemons the product is incredible. I also think the liqueur
made from tiny Alpine strawberries is outstanding. Next stop was
Giorgio, the cameo master carver. He graciously escorted us to his
private museum where he has magnificent carvings contained in
protective vacuum domes – a treasure trove.
By then
we were getting hungry so it was off to the town of Amalfi for our
wine & cheese pairing lunch. Angela carefully explained the various
attributes of the Campania wines we were tasting and shared their
philosophy in pairing the foods we were eating with each wine.
While the wines of this area may not be household words, they are
fabulous with the food. The setti
ng of the cantina is quiet and
restful with beautiful music in the background. Afterward we had
some free time in Amalfi for a little shopping and a gelato. Then
it was back to Ravello for our second cooking class.
Fish was
on the agenda for tonight’s class. We never know what we’re going
to have until
Mamma goes to the fishmonger that morning. The hit of
the evening was the stuffed fresh anchovies – a complete surprise to
those cooking. Believe me, if you’ve never had a fresh anchovy
you’d be shocked at how delicious they are – they bear NO
resemblance to the canned product. The meal was topped off with
Mamma’s extraordinary
pear/ricotta tart
(click for recipe) – yum! Once again, we
were almost as stuffed at the fishes – but we persevered and
triumphed!
More
artisans the next day as we headed to the small waterside town of
Minori for a demonstration of fresh pasta. It was great fun to
watch the various local pasta shapes being extruded from the big
machine or shaped individually with unusual pieces of equipment.
Then it was off to Vietri sul Mare for a visit to a famous ceramic
producer – we saw many examples of ceramics used in well-known area
restaurants. In fact, the one we visit on Capri purchases his
tableware there.
Anchovies
were once again on our menu, but this time at the processing
facility in Cetara. Again we were astonished that those anchovies
are arranged in jars by HAND, as are the pickled vegetables.
Repeatedly we saw how much is still done by hand – it’s reassuring
to know that the old ways of doing things are still practiced and
produce such fine end products.
The Chef
in Cetara treated us to another spectacular lunch – this time he
gave us two portions of each course – a perfect solution to our
inability to choose one over the other. Everything was delicious,
but we all thought the desserts were outstanding. W
e relaxed that
afternoon – it had been a full morning.
Later we
grabbed a quick dinner and headed off for our musical evening at
Villa Rufulo. Once again we had front row seats for a piano
concert. It really is a a remarkable experience to be sitting so
close to the piano that you could almost touch it. I truly treasure
these experiences.
Next day
we headed out for Capri and the weather was perfect – not too hot,
just right. The day for me was a bit more memorable than I’d care
to admit in that I had apparently picked up “something” that laid me
low for part of the morning, fortunately I was ok after lunch – although I
had to rely on everyone’s evaluation that the food was as
outstanding as ever; I had boiled rice. We rounded out the day
with another al fresco dinner, this time on the terrace of
our hotel. What a day.
It was
off to Pompeii the next morning and our charming guide, Nino. Nino is
knowledgeable, articulate, funny AND erudite about food (as are so
many
of the Italians). In May he had promised that on my next visit
he’d take us to the BEST place for pizza in Naples and he delivered
on his promise. We were the only people in the restaurant speaking
English – truly authentic setting. Nino proudly explained that this
is the only restaurant in town still making Pizza Margherita with
fresh tomatoes NOT tomato sauce. Of course we had to order Pizza
Margheritas and when they arrived Nino guided us in the correct was
to eat pizza in Naples – not with knife and fork! We topped it off
with the famous local dessert baba rhum – another splendid meal
After
lunch Nino guided us around some of the notable parts of Naples and
discussed its extensive history – about which most of us know
very little. As usual, I listen to these narratives and resolve to
read more when I get back home. It’s just that there’s soooo much.
Following
a quick stop at the overlook for the Bay of Naples it was time to
head back to little Ravello. That evening we had another memorable
meal at Cumpo Cosimo and Mamma was in rare form – pinching
everyone’s cheeks (though I still think she favors the men). Julie
had a very unforgettable experience as the waiter hand fed her the
final bites of her dinner. It’s always a fun evening with really
good food. Unbeatable combo.
We got a
late start on the next day as we headed to Positano and the
beach. After some very productive shopping in the many artisan
shops, we met at our beachfront restaurant for another impressive
lunch. The seafood salads here are always outstanding, but I have
to say the gelato desserts walked off with the prize for that meal.
Our
farewell dinner at Villa Maria was again outside on the terrace and
made for an ideal setting in which to savor every morsel. This
kitchen is sooo outstanding, I’ve never had anything here that
wasn’t first rate. It was a picture perfect setting, flawless meal,
convivial companions, and the perfect ending to a fabulous week. If
only it could go on forever. However, it was a great ending to
a GREAT fall season -
That's it
for now - Hope to see YOU soon on a tour –
Ciao,Ciao,
Beverly
2005 TOUR SCHEDULE
|
SPRING |
2005 |
SUMMER |
2005 |
FALL |
2005 |
|
April 24- May 1 |
Sicily |
June 26-July 3 |
Amalfi |
Sept. 25-Oct 2 |
Cinque Terre/Riviera |
|
April 24- May 1 |
Rome |
July
3-10 |
Rome |
Oct 2 – 9 |
Rome |
|
May 8-15 |
Amalfi Coast |
July
10-17 |
Tuscany |
Oct 9 – 16 |
Amalfi Coast |
|
May 15-22 |
Tuscany |
July
17-24 |
Umbria |
Oct 16-23 |
Umbria |
|
May 22-29 |
Riviera & Cinque Terre |
|
|
Oct 23 – 30 |
Tuscany |
|
May 29-June 5 |
Umbria |
|
|
Nov 2 – 9 |
Sicily |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 22-March 1, 2006 |
VENICE CARNIVAL!! |
