This exciting new tour takes in Venice and the Italian Lakes
- Sirmione, Como and Lugano in the most beautiful time of the year - Spring !
I invite you to travel with me on this program. Limited to a maximum of 14
participants making it an intimate and personal experience. We stay in
small hotels right in the historic centres of the towns we visit and we include
personal time to make it convenient for your own exploration.
Escorted by Rose Tomassini
- 2 nights VENICE
- 4 nights SIRMIONE on Lake Garda
- 4 nights COMO on Lake Como
Venice's historic centre is made up of 118 islands, most of which began life as a micro-community, each with a parish church or two, and a square for public meetings. All connected by about 400 bridges making Venice the wonderful jewel that has to be lived in if even for only 2 days.
Lake Garda - the largest of the Italian lakes and described by Winston Churchill as “Madonna blue waters lapping at the feet of the Dolomites”. The northern half of the lake is totally blocked by the Italian Alps and along with its great volume the shores create a giant solar battery that has given way to the cultivation of olives, lemon groves, palms and wonderful vineyards.
Lake Como's beauty enraptured the children of the romantic era inspiring some of the best works of Verdi, Rossini, Bellini and Liszt. And it is still here! The Lake Como of the Shelleys and Wordsworths, the grand villas and lush gardens, the mountains and beloved irregular shore of wooded promontories.
From the 14th century Como gained a major market for its textiles and has been a leading producer of silk since 1510. (Cadogan's “Italian Lakes”)
Lake Lugano zigzags with fjorded shores making a striking sight. Lake Lugano's extremities are Italian, but its heart is part of the Swiss canton of Ticino. The lake and the surrounding land are deep and steep making for a most interesting shoreline of ancient towns and villages tucked between wooded cliffs and mountain backdrops.
ITINERARY:
Apr 14 - arrive Venice - our 22 room hotel is right on one Venice's
canals. We meet at the hotel and settle in for our 2 night stay
As our passengers are arriving from different parts of Canada
we are happy to assist with private transfers from the airport
to our hotel on an individual basis.
We area centrally located, so tomorrow after our tour you will have plenty of time
for personal exploration.
Later today, after you have settled in, we shall go together to discover more of the
centre of Venice. We might stop for an 'aperitivo' before finding a charming little
Venetian restaurant for dinner. Later, a stroll back to our hotel; or the Venetian 'vaporetto', water bus.
Venice is magical at night !
Apr 15 - After breakfast this morning we have a walking tour with one of our favourite
guides who will show us the highlights of Venice - Piazza San Marco, the Bridge
of Sighs, the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica and the market at the Rialto
Bridge. In the afternoon you are free to further explore this magnificent city at
your own pace. You can visit the galleries, take a gondola ride or take a ferry to
either the island of Murano (for blown glass) or Burano for the famed hand
made lace. You can ride the waterbus from one end of the Grand Canal to the
other, relax and people watch in Piazza San Marco, shop, or just wander the
alleys and canals searching for more photo ops.
Apr 16 - After breakfast this morning we transfer to Sirmione. On route we will stop in Verona.
This ancient city is so beautiful for many reasons; its history, the Adige River that winds
through its centre, its romance as the home of Romeo and Juliet, its huge Piazza Erbe,
its fine palazzo of rosso di Verona (the local pink-tinge limestone) built by the city's
medieval rulers and of course its Roman arena. It is as vibrant today as it was in the
1st century AD. We continue on to our home for the next four nights at the tip of a four
mile peninsula in beautiful Lake Garda. In order to enter the historic centre to reach
our hotel we must cross the drawbridge through the crenellated fortifications of the
moated fortress known as the Rocca Scaligera. We have chosen to have our welcome
dinner here.
Apr 17 - After breakfast today we will tour the region on the eastern side of Lake Garda -the ancient Valpolicella
Classico region which is enclosed by the river Adige on one side and by the foothills of the Lessini
mountains (pre-Alps) on the other. It has always been an area famous for its wine and it offers visitors
fascinating journeys into the past - with its ancient villages, stone-built mountain hamlets and the splendid
villas built in the valleys. The Valpolicella wines are bright, fruity, medium weight, red wines with a dry finish
and a pleasantly bitter cherrystone aftertaste. The Valpolicella Classico has the same qualities in an intensified
form. Its greatest wine is Amarone, with its strong violet and almond bouquet and dry flavour, (resulting from
late-picking and loft-drying Corvina). We will enjoy a wine tasting with a local producer. If time permits we
will stop at one of our favourite villages 'Borghetto' on the Mincio River for a stroll and coffee or libation.
Apr 18 - After breakfast today we will take you on a breathtaking drive up Lake Garda's western
shore. It is very evident along this route that we are in the lower alps as we travel from
the lush low land through natural vegetation, and oleanders, mimosa, wild roses, acacias
and hibiscus with cultivated groves of lemons, olives and vineyards and right into
tremendous rock promontories. The shoreline is amazing and due to the change in
elevation offers some of the most beautiful lower alpine panoramas of the region.
Our destination is the beautiful and ancient little town of Limone, so called because of its profusion of lemon
trees. Due to its hideaway location it is not known to tourists and the locals are fascinated when we visit their
little corner of the lake. Our coach will be returning the same route but we suggest that you join us to return
to Sirmione by the comfortable hydrofoil - with several stops at the little villages on both shores.
Apr 19 - This is now the perfect time and place to have a free day in Sirmione itself. For any
interest - history, exploration, shopping, spa treatments, or just being Italian for a day.
We've had some time to get used to the myriad of little streets so you will feel
comfortable with your own exploration. For ancient history lovers it is a very pleasant
walk up through the town to the very tip of the peninsula to the remains of Catullo's
Roman villa. The daily hydrofoil service crisscrosses the lake making a wonderful tour in
its own right and we can give you the schedule allowing you to get off and explore several other of
the villages as you go. Now this is a spa town so there are full spa facilities you can enjoy. We will be
happy to obtain a list of options and treatments if you would like to book in advance.
Apr 20 - After breakfast today we are off to discover more of the Italian Lakes as we travel
the short distance to our next destination for four nights - Como on Lake Como.
On route we will take time to visit the lovely old city of Bergamo. Although a
significant settlement in Roman times, Bergamo shows its late-medieval and
Renaissance history very well. Cobbled streets and piazzas with fountains, softly-hued
stonework and surrounding cypress-clad hills make for a visual feast.
We will have time to explore then carry onto Como. This lively little city on
Lake Como's southern shore (of the left leg) is well know historically for science,
silk and architecture. Our hotel is in the historic centre, almost unchanged since
Roman times, opening up to the lake at Piazza Cavour. Shops, cafes, hotels and
the steamer landing all share wonderful views of the deepest of the Italian lakes.
Apr 21 - After breakfast we will take the steamer of this beautiful lake to another of its favourite lakeside towns -
Bellagio. Often referred to as 'Bella Bella Bellagio' it claims to be one of the most beautiful sites in Italy -
spilling over the promontory in the very centre of Lake Como it is as charming as its setting; steep,
stepped lanes of handsome old houses, ornate balconies spilling over with flowers and an endlessly
fascinating waterfront. At the very middle of the lake it is just delightful to watch the waltz of the ferries
gliding to and fro over the mountain-bound lake.
Apr 22 - Today we are taking a quick train ride to show you Lugano on Lake Lugano.
Although very Italian, Lugano is in Switzerland ! Warm, palmy Lugano is an arty
resort city piled between Monte Bré and Monte San Salvatore, a lovely setting
that has been compared to Rio de Janeiro. It's enough to explore its higgly-piggly
streets and alleys that lead down to the waterfront to search out a lovely café for
lunch. For art lovers there will be time for a visit to Villa Favorita, the home of
Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza's fabulous collection of the Old Masters and his
collection of European and American modern art, with a special emphasis on the
Luminists and Hudson River School. We return to Como late in the afternoon.
Apr 23 - Today is a free day to relax and enjoy the beauty and atmosphere of Como at your own pace. We've
seen a tremendous amount of gorgeous scenery, stunning architecture, historic towns along with time to
meet the people who live in this gorgeous region, let alone sample wonderful food and wine. This is a day
to relax and take it all in. For those who just have to see more we can take the funicular up to the
mountain village of Brunate with famous views across the lake and Alps as far as Monte Rosa. We will
meet up for a farewell dinner this evening to enjoy new friends and memories of this wonderful tour.
Apr 24 - After breakfast our program is complete. Como is just a 45 minute transfer from Milan
airport and we are pleased to assist with making your connection to the airport or rail
station, or any other travel arrangements you would like to add on.
COST: $ 3269.00 Cdn funds - per person sharing twin accommodation
$ 550.00 Cdn funds - single supplement
MAXIMUM 14 PASSENGERS!
Includes:
- 10 nights accommodation with private facilities
- Breakfast each day
- 2 Dinners
- 1 Wine Tasting
- All transportation and sightseeing tours as mentioned in the itinerary
- All Taxes
- Fully escorted by Rose Tomassini
- Time built in for personal exploration and relaxation
