May 21 to June 5, 1999   $3,195 (plus air)

Italy, the Art of Passionate Living

Venice, Tuscany and the North

Program itinerary:

May 21 — Departure from USA

      Overnight connection to Venice.

(Dinner, Breakfast on airplane)

May 22, 23, 24, 25 — Venice

      Venice is truly one of those few places on the earth which is a unique testament to the greatness, imagination, adaptablility and ingenuity of the human spirit. It is still staggering to contemplate that a great and powerful city, which attracted the finest art, architecture, music and cultural events of each age for well over 1000 years ónot to mention attracting riches from the exotic ends of the worldó, could have risen on the mud flats and small islands of a shallow lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. In few other places did human beings become so wedded to a watery environment (almost becoming amphibians, some have joked) and then transform those inhospitable surroundings with such magnificent style.

      By the time Marco Polo and his father NicolÚ set off for China and the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century, Venice had already been a powerful force in the trade, politics and warfare of the known world for centuries. Venice had grown wealthy and also had developed a unique system of political leadership under the rule of the Great Council and the doges.

      We will spend 4 nights Venice. We will explore on foot and by boat the different districts and islands which make up the city. With the help of colleagues and friends who make this their home, we will wander along the maze of streets and waterways, but we will also help you and allow you the time to find your own passions and interests.

      And we will savor the taste of Venice’s culinary tradition with its wealth of sea-food dishes, pastas, risottos and more. Although there is no room for vinyards in Venice’s urban center, wine is an import-ant part of Venetian good living, and we will spend several days in the areas of the Veneto region where that wine is grown.

      On one day, we will take a day trip from Venice to the stroll in the historic city of Padua in the Veneto region, where one of the first universities was founded,and where Galileo Galilei taught physics. We will also explore the historic villages, such as Arqua Petrarca, and the hills and vinyards where the great 14th-century poet Petrarch spent his last days.

(3 Special Meals)

May 26, 27 — Countryside near Asolo

      The Veneto region is a land of contrasts. Not only are incomparable cities, such as Padua, Vicenza and Verona here, but it has rich agricultural land, lovely lakes, the dizzying Alpine peaks of the Dolomites, and some of Italy’s most charming towns. It is rich in cultural heritage. The 16th-century masterpieces of one of the most famous of all European architects, Andrea Palladio, dot the landscape. We have chosen to spend our nights away from the bustle at an inn among the vinyards! Here we will enjoy the mingling of the natural and the historic worlds.

      On one day, our Italian host for 2 weeks, my friend Teresa Carta, will proudly show us her native city Vicenza (home also, by the way, to Paladio’s most famous works). Together we will also visit the beautiful old town of Bassano at the foot of Monte Grappa, and here we will have dinner with Teresa’s local friends. You will want to sample some of the many varieties of one of Italy’s most famous firewaters here, because this is the homeland of grappa.

      You may choose to spend part of one day strolling the countryside through the vinyards, or you may choose a more robust hike on the edge of the Dolomites. But part of our day will belong to Asolo, a jewel of a hilltop town in the cypress-clad hills, which was beloved by Italian and foreign writers, including Robert Browning.

(Special Dinner)

May 28 — The Ligurian Riviera

      As we leave the charms of the Veneto region behind, we plan to stop in Verona. The historic center has been the bustling heart of the city since the days of the Roman Empire. At its core the Roman arena still stands today. And here we can remember the lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The original tale was written by the poet Luigi da Porto of nearby Vicenza ó but it is Shakespeare’s version of the fate of these “star-crossed lovers,” which has become an indelible part of our collective Western consciousness.

      We will then hasten on to a romantic interlude in our trip. The Ligurian Riviera is more than one of the major stops for the yachts of the jet set and for the paparazzi who follow them; it is one of the most lovely parts of the Mediterranean coastline, and some of it is still nearly inaccessable to visitors. We will stay near the Portofino peninsula, so that you can follow your heart and soak in the beauty. We can spend the evening and the following day exploring óby boat and on footó Portofino, Santa Margerita, or Rapallo, and rocky coastline, crowned with cypresses and washed by gentle waves. With considerable justification, the tiny harbor of Portofino is often said to be the most picturesque in Italy.

May 29, 30, 31, Jun 1, 2, 3, 4 — Castello Montegufoni, Tuscany

      Tuscany! The word itself is somehow magic! In so many ways Tuscany seems to be the very cradle of our Western culture: we think of artists and architects: Michael-angelo, Leonardo, Boticelli, Brunelleschi….; of poets: Dante, Boccaccio….; of political leaders, demigogues and reformers: the Medici princes, Machiavelli, Savonarola …..; of scientists and engineers: Galileo came to the leaning tower in Pisa to test his theories about gravity, and Leonardo’s imagination planned machines which could not be built until the 20th century….

      Yet Tuscany is so much more than Culture with a capital “C.” It has kept its rural, small town, folk atmosphere to a remarkable degree. Farmers, housewives, shopkeepers and children gather in town squares which have appeared the same for centuries; local residents may live in stone farmhouses or in village apartments above the bakeries and butcher shops which have been managed by their families for generations; many of them tend vinyards which may have produced wine at the time of Caesar; they meet in hilltop cafes and on country roads to chat, to gossip and to strengthen their bonds of family and friendship. In the Chianti Valley and in neighboring regions, winegrowers, large and small, tend their vines to produce an incredible variety of tempting beverages. Along with those wines, country inns serve up local cheeses and sausages, fresh vegetables, tasty pasta and succulent meats.

      We will spend an entire week in apartments at the historic hilltop Castle Montegufoni!! It is in the countryside, surrounded by gardens, its own vinyards, and olive groves. The week will be organized to allow for flexibility, depend-ing on your interests. On many days, you will have options. Some of you will want to spend more time among the artistic glories of Florence, and some would prefer to loiter in towns in the Chianti region, or just take a day to relax and stroll to nearby towns. We will do our best to help you find your own favorite places .

      Your choices will include excursions to nearly every part of Tuscany: We will see Florence, of course; the glorious old city of Siena and the fantastical hilltop towers of the village of San Gimignano await us; the towns and local wines of the Chianti region are incomparable; you can visit the great walled city of Lucca (and also Pisa, if you wish); the towns and monasteries near Arezzo and the fortified hilltop towns, like Montepulciano are magical invitations to another time and another world.

(4 Special Meals)

Jun 5 — Florence to USA

      Transfer to airport for flight to USA.

(Lunch, Dinner on airplane)