Our Program - 13 Nights

• 4 Nts Monterosso, Cinque Terre
• 2 Nts Lucca, Tuscany
• 4 Nts Pienza, Tuscany
• 2 Nts Montepulciano
• 1 Nts Florence

Detailed Itinerary

SAT Sep 24th - DEPART Home City
Board your overnight flight to Italy. (As a full service travel agency were happy to assist with flight and travel arrangements to join this tour. We suggest booking early to obtain the best flights and rates available).

Day 1: SUN Sep 25th - ARRIVE in ITALY
Welcome to Italy! Our program begins in The Cinque Terre ("Five Lands"). These five picturesque towns, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore for a long time were accessible only by boat, walking track, or train and have preserved their character as fishing villages, ports, and hilltop fortress towns in the face of piracy and foreign incursions. Now, UNESCO, world heritage listed, they are truly a feast for painter, photographer, or walker. The dramatic nature of their position on a stunning coastline make them a principal scenic highlight of the whole Italian Riviera.We will spend the next 4 nights at our base: Monterosso. Our hotel is in the 'oldtown' overlooking the beach and the Mediterranean. Dinner is included at our hotel tonight. The must-do activity in this stunning area is to walk from village to village and there will be plenty of time to accomplish this.

Day 2: MON Sep 26th - THE CINQUE TERRE "FIVE LANDS"
This morning we take The Cinque Terre train (30 mins) to Riomaggiore where we will explore and enjoy a coffee break before walking (20 mins) to the village of Manarola. Here we will have time for exploring and lunch, then walk (40 mins) to the next village of Corniglia. After time for exploring we will take the train back to Monterosso.

Day 3: TUE Sep 27th - PORTOVENERE
This morning we will take the ferry to Portovenere, an upwardly mobile resort of garden villas, seafront bars, trattorias and gift shops. Overlooking the "Golfo dei Poeti" (named for it's association with the writers and poets who fell in love with this place, Petrarch, Shelly, Byron & D.H. Lawrence among them. Ancient, narrow lanes on the very tip of the bay offer breathtaking views. We will have time for lunch here before continuing on the ferry back to Montorosso, viewing the villages as they look from the water.

Day 4: WED Sep 28th - MONTEROSSO
Today we have arranged a cooking class in a lovely winery right in Monterosso. Enjoy the smell of the sea rising up the steep cliffs with vineyards clinging to their sides and the aroma of herbs growing wild and the scent of flowers ornamenting the narrow shelves. The vineyards here were stepped by hand in the last century and are so steep that the wines have to be tended and harvasted by hand. This is a lovely setting for our class to produce some local specialties that nicely compliment the owners own vintage wine.

Day 5: THU Sep 29th - LUCCA
After breakfast we travel to Lucca, an important road junction in Roman times and the capital of the Lombard Duchy of Tuscia. Referred to as Tuscany's most graceful walled town, Lucca is set inside a well preserved swathe of massively thick 16th-century walls, featuring some of Italy's finest medieval and Renaissance architecture and fronted by gardens and huge bastions. Lucca is the only town in Italy entirely surrounded by walls. A wealthy and colorful "Jewel of a Tuscan Town", we will settle into our hotel which will be our base for the next 2 nights.

Day 6: FRI Sep 30th - LUCCA
This morning after breakfast we have a walking tour of this amazing city whose structure is and has remained 'Roman-medieval'. It has a fascinating story to tell from its prominence as a major Roman 'municipum', its growth from the middle ages to the renaissance as a major silk marketing town to its feast of classic architecture and famous sons like Puccini. The afternoon and evening are free to wander the maze of streets and explore on your own and to enjoy a walk along the 60 metre wide, tree-topped battlements.

Day 7: SAT Oct 1st - LUCCA to PIENZA via SIENA
Today we move to our next location - Pienza. En route we will make a stop in Siena.

Siena's swift decline from a Renaissance republican capital to little more than a market centre explains the city's astonishing state of medieval preservation. Its central core is a myriad of woven narrow streets converging on Italy's most beautiful square “The Piazza del Campo”. All the buildings are the colour sienna with tiled roofs punctuated by stunning marble in the Duomo with food and patisserie shops lining every lane.

We are now in Southern Tuscany and home of the famed 'Vino Nobile' (claiming the title "King of Wines"). Pienza was labelled "The Ideal Renaissance City", and is still much as it was in the 15th-century overlooking the Val d'Orcia. We stay within the walls of the village of Pienza in a converted 15th-century convent, now a 4-star Hotel Relais "Cloister".

Day 8: SUN Oct 2nd - PIENZA
After breakfast we are transfer to the walled village of San Quirico d'Orcia. We will have time here to explore the town, an established stop along the 'Via Francigena'. The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. In mediaeval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route. To pilgrims headed south, it was the Via Romea; to those headed north, the Via Francigena. We will see the baroque exterior Corallo frescoes on the 17th-century Palazzo Chigi, along with its spectacular 16th-century "Horti Leonini Gardens". From here we will begin our walk along the ancient Pilgrim track now used by shepherds to the charming village of Bagno Vignoni. At the heart of the village is the "Square of sources", namely a rectangular tank, of 16th-century origin, which contains the original source of water that comes from the underground aquifer of volcanic origins. We will have time for lunch and and for a swim in the thermal pool, so bring your swimsuit! After this enjoyable day in the midst of nature and history, we will be transported back to Pienza with the remainder of the afternoon and evening free. (8 kms walk).

Day 9: MON Oct 3rd - COOKING SCHOOL
Today we walk on the 'White Road', from Pienza down into the Val d'Orcia (about 8 kms) to arrive around 11am at our cooking school. We will visit Lorenza's farm which is close by. Lorenza teaches a hands-on course in English from scratch in real time. The 3 courses are traditional Tuscan dishes and includes a handmade pasta. We will enjoy the lunch we have prepared with one of Lorenza's wonderful wine selections and of course be given copies of the recipes. We then make our way back to Pienza.

Day 10: TUE Oct 4th - MONTALCINO
Today we take a day off from walking and we will go to the lovely hilltop town of Montalcino. The town is easily recognizable on approach by it's protruding battlements brandishing the Medici crest. It is crowned by the Fortezza with a wonderful story to tell as a last Sienese outpost, eventually capitulating to the Florentines resulting from the long conflict between the Guelfs and Guibellines. The remainder of the afternoon is free to walk the battlements of the 'Fortezza' with breathtaking views down on the Val d'Orcia. Montalcino has an amazing array of shops and trattorias. Relax in the square with a gelato.

After lunch we will be driven to a belveder which presents the stunning 'Abbazia Sant'Antimo'. You are truly viewing a piece of heaven splendidly isolated - it really evokes an impression of eternity. This Benedictine Abby (founded by Charlemagne in 791), is actually referred as 'The Singing Stone'. From the belveder we will walk to the Abbey. Once inside its cool quiet interior, take time to reflect and notice its unadorned symmetry. If we time it right, we hope to hear the haunting Gregorian chant. We will then be driven back to Pienza for the evening. Have an al fresco dinner tonight - Be Italian!

Day 11: WED Oct 5th - PIENZA to MONTEPULCIANO via MONTICCHIELLO
After breakfast we will walk from Pienza to Monticchiello, a true medieval town. Here we have lunch planned on a terrace with panoramic views of the stunning 'Val d'Orcia' offering glimpses to most of our destinations. The lunch will feature homemade 'pecorino cheeses', a famous local delicacy along with wine. After lunch we will be driven to Montepulciano, the highest of Tuscany's hill towns and the home of the famous Vino Nobile wines. We should take time for a visit to the coppersmith here. We will stay here for 2 nights. (7 km walk).

Day 12: THU Oct 6th - MONTEPULCIANO
This is a free day to do some last minute exploring and or shopping. Montepulciano is also home to a wonderful nearby thermal spa, so this would be a great day to reward and rejuvenate yourself. Note: The thermal spa requires an advanced booking so if interested please let us know as soon as possible.

Day 13: FRI Oct 7th - FLORENCE
After breakfast we travel to Florence. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel in the historic centre. We then meet with our guide for a walking tour of this beautiful old city. Tonight we have our farewell dinner. For anyone who would like to extend their stay for extra nights we are happy to assist with this.

Day 14: SAT Oct 8th - DEPART for HOME CITY
After breakfast our program is complete. As a fully licensed travel agency we are happy to assist in making any extension arrangements you may have in mind.

Pricing:

• $3,789.00 CAD per person sharing twin/double accommodation (taxes included)
• Price is LAND ONLY (See inclusions and exclusions below)
• Single supplement on request
  
• An Early Booking Bonus of $100.00 will be offered if booked by June 1, 2011
  (Will be deducted from final payment)
• Non - Refundable $500.00 per person deposit required upon booking
• Balance payment due by July 31st, 2011
  
  Please Note: We can assist to find roommates for ladies who want to share twin accommodation.

Includes:

• 13 Nts in hotel accommodation with private facilities
• Breakfast daily, 1 lunch, 2 cooking class lunches and 4 dinners
• All transportation mentioned in the itinerary
• Fully escorted by Rose Tomassini of Canadian Woman Traveller
• 4 guided walking trips
• Luggage transfers
• All taxes

Excludes:

• All flights. Debbie Lloyd of The Travel Broker & Cruise Centre would be happy
  to assist you in arranging flights from your home to join us!
• Personal travel insurances
• Items of a personal nature and souvenirs

Cancellation Charges:

Once a deposit has been paid the following scale of cancellation charges will apply: (Note that insurance premiums, once paid, are non-refundable)

• Cancellation notice received 60 + days prior to departure – 100% of deposit
• Cancellation notice received 46-59 days prior to departure – 25% of total cost
• Cancellation notice received 30-45 days prior to departure – 50% of total cost
• Cancellation notice received 22-29 days prior to departure – 75% of total cost
• Cancellation notice received 21 days or less – 100% of total cost

For more information about this tour please contact Debbie Lloyd at:

Canadian Woman Traveller
A division of The Travel Broker & Cruise Centre
1758 Bath Road Kingston, ON Canada
Telephone: 613-389-7914 or 1-888-830-5324
Email:info@cwtraveller.ca