Tuscany, Italy - 6 nights
Available April to June, September to November - Sunday to Saturday
Whether you are a novice or experienced cook, this holiday will teach you all there is to know about Tuscan cuisine. Classes are taught by experienced and professional instructors in a beautiful state of the art kitchen where lessons are truly hands-on and conducted in English. Located between Viareggio and Lucca, the school lies within a beautiful 16th century old estate and all rooms have ensuite bathrooms and air conditioning. In your down time how about some bicycling, horseback or kayaking? One of our best selling cooking holidays! If you already have a place to stay, ask about joining in a day cooking class or truffle hunt followed by a truffle based lunch!
Your host and founder is an accomplished author, contributing to Italy's most prestigious cooking magazines and also conducts private cooking lessons. She is a true Tuscan, extremely knowledgeable as well as very entertaining! The lessons focus on traditional Tuscan techniques, the innovative use of ingredients, and esthetic presentation. What changes is the seasonality of the food. Each course devotes special attention to pairing foods with appropriate wines.
You will arrive on a Sunday and are welcomed with lunch. Spend the rest of the day exploring your new surroundings and relaxing before you enjoy a delicious four course dinner prepared by your instructors.
Monday through Friday, lessons are held from 10:00-1:00. Classes are small, completely hands-on, and make use of all-natural, seasonally-fresh ingredients. Essential Tuscan techniques you will master include: homemade pasta, ravioli, gnocchi, pizza, focaccia, risotto, bruschette, crostini and other types of canapes, vegetable and grain soups, grilled, roasted, fried and stuffed vegetables, fish and meat preparation, sweet and savory tarts, pastries, ice creams and sorbets.
Lunch is from 1:00-2:30 and features foods prepared during the mornings' lessons. Each meal consists of three courses accompanied by local wines.
Afternoon tours take place from 3:00-7:30 and are led by professional, English-speaking guides. You will visit the following:
Pisa - Students will visit the Piazza dei Miracoli and be able to see the leaning tower, the Duomo and the Battistero. Those interested in the Jewish cemetery please inquire as it is not always open. You will also tour the town and pass over the Arno river. On this day, our guides will also take you to Torre del Lago Puccini to see the lake and the house where the Maestro lived and composed most of his operas.
Viareggio - Viareggio is a seaside resort of Italy, where you can spend the morning at the market, walking on the boardwalk, or laying in the sun. The beach in Viareggio is beautiful and sandy. The promenade with buildings in Liberty Style offers a lot of options: bookstores, cafes and pizzerias and great stores.
Pietrasanta - Located about 20 minutes away Pietrasanta is a beautiful art center. Your guides will take you to a marble studio where artists extract beauty from marble just like Michelangelo used to do. After the visit to the studio, students are taken to the town for a visit. The Duomo and the Cittadella are beautifully preserved and so is the Rocca on top of the hill. Statues by Botero enrich the town. It is possible to see exhibits during the Spring period. Folon, Botero, Mitoray and many more chose Pietrasanta as cultural center for their art.
Lucca - You will visit this beautifully preserved Roman and Medieval 11th century walled city surrounded by 3.5 miles of perfectly preserved walls. Located about 20 minutes from the school, you will visit the town with its beautiful churches and cathedral, the walls and the Roman Amphitheater. You will have plenty of time to buy ceramic, gold, fabric and the famous Buccellato, a rustic cake used to be made centuries ago.
Forte dei Marmi - This is the the port where the marble used to be shipped from, Hence the name Forte (Fort) dei marmi (of the marbles). This little town faces the Thyrrenian sea, has a nice park with Pine trees, a boardwalk and many beautiful and expensive stores. Here you can spend time shopping, relaxing or having a coffee in one of the exclusive cafes.
Dinner is at 8pm each night and features four delectable courses prepared by your instructors and accompanied by a variety of excellent local wines. One night during the week, you will be our guest at a famous local wine bar, whose owners will personally prepare an exclusive dinner, each course paired with wines from their incomparable collection. Your Tuscan experience reaches its finale on Friday night at our graduation festival dinner, where you receive a diploma certifying your newly acquired status as an "Authentic Tuscan Cook." **Saturday is solely a departure day and no breakfast or meals are served that day so please plan accordingly.
*Food allergies and dietary and religious restrictions will be respected. Please let us know your preferences.
*The content or order of the itinerary may change depending on dates, availability of services or activities, local festivals/holidays, weather constraints, etc. Menus are samples and may vary according to the season
GROUP SIZE
A minimum of 4 participants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
(The number of participants refers to how many persons are required to run the tour, not to how many persons you must have in your party. Please inquire.)
HOW TO ARRIVE
The Cooking School is located 12 miles from Pisa International Airport which has direct flights from Rome, Milan and most other major European cities. The driver will pick you up at Pisa Airport or Pisa Centrale Train Station but arrival information must be provided at least two weeks ahead of time. This service is included in the price. Included transfers are only from Pisa Airport or Pisa Railway Station. For Pisa Airport: Pickups only on Sunday (arrival day) at NOON or 4PM . For Pisa Railway Station (Centrale): Pickups only on Sunday at 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Drop offs start on Saturday morning (last day) at 8AM. Earlier flights would require a cab to be arranged
*These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour.
2020 Fees Per Person
Double Occupancy/US$2990
Single Supplement/US$550
*Pricing may vary depending on market fluctuation
Deposit
A non-refundable deposit of US$600 per person and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Balance is due no later than 90 days before course date. We reserve the right to cancel the booking if the balance is not paid 90 days before the course starts.
2020 Dates
April 26-May 2
May 3-9
May 10-16
May 17-23
May 24-30
May 31-June 6
June 7-13
June 14-20
June 21-27
June 28-July 4
September 6-12
September 13-19
September 20-26
September 27-October 3
October 4-10
October 11-17
October 18-24
October 25-31
November 8-14
Included
*Airport or train transfers
*Six (6) nights' accommodations
*All meals paired with excellent wines
*Wine and olive oil tasting
*All cooking lessons (18 hours of hands-on lessons)
*Tours to Lucca, Pietrasanta, San Gimignano, Viareggio and the Roman Ruins of Massaciuccoli
*Truffle hunt and truffle tasting
*All tours with English-speaking guides
*Taxes, tips and gratuities
(There are no hidden costs or additional expenses).
NOTE: Included transfers are only from Pisa Airport or Pisa Railway Station (Centrale). For Pisa Airport: Pickups only on Sunday (arrival day) at NOON or 4PM . For Pisa Railway Station: Pickups only on Sunday at 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Drop offs start on Saturday morning (last day) at 8AM. Earlier flights would require a cab to be arranged
Airfare, personal expenses and breakfast on Saturday departure day are not included.
For further inquiries or to register, click here.
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CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.
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This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE.
*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location.
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