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 Tuscany, Italy - 3 or 7 nights
Available April to November - Sunday to Sunday
Learn to cook in a recently restored, spectacular villa set in the hillsides close to Arezzo. There is a truffle estate surrounding the villa, making it famous in the area and wonderful for seeing how truffles are found and of course how to prepare these in many wonderful dishes. You may choose from a 3 or 7 night holiday.
 The original villa dates back to before 1700 and over the centuries pieces have been added on as the community grew. The owners have brought it up to the twenty first century with top class finishing, beautiful floors with marble inlay, marble bathrooms and all the modern comforts without damaging the beautiful original Tuscan charm. The villa is very secluded with a view that seems to go on forever but yet close to Arezzo (15 minutes) and Cortona (30minutes) with Florence and Siena being about an hour away. The villa lies on an estate of about 120 hectare and is surrounded by truffle land which grows under Hazelnut and Oak trees. Apple orchards and a Deer farm are also part of the estate and make walks around the area truly beautiful. Behind the villa is a lake with breathtaking views of the surrounding hills.
 The villa has 12 double bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms. In the “Torre” (tower) part of the villa there are five bedrooms all en-suite with bath and shower and a large communal lounge with a computer, internet access area, kitchenette and television.
In the west wing there are three apartments each with two or three bedrooms en-suite and each with a lounge area for communal use. The accommodation has been comfortably furnished with great attention for detail. All the romantic bedrooms have adjoining stylish marbled bathrooms with bath and shower.
Living areas all have fireplaces and a kitchenette. The large private outdoor area has many different possibilities. The "piazza" is set up between the Torre wing and the west wing of the villa and the two wings are connected with an arch where breakfast will be served and dinners if weather permits.
 The cantina, bar, dining room and lounge open out in this square making it a wonderful space to meet and dine together. The view will make you speechless! From the Piazza you can walk 20 meters down to the swimming pool and sauna/fitness areas. The pool has been built on a plateau. Down here is the solar heated swimming pool (15 x 8m) with baby pool, Jacuzzi, hydro massage, jet stream features.
 Other features include and a hot tub made out of a wine barrel, a sauna, steam room and fitness area. The pool area is equipped with garden furniture, barbecue and this breathtaking spot looks out on the hills and valleys and extensive woods and is the ideal place to relax and enjoy nature.
Your Cooking Lessons
Your chef, Franco, will choose dishes that you can easily make at home using ingredients that generally can be found in most specialty or general stores. You will have cooking lessons on four of the days with enough time to relax and enjoy the surroundings or to do some sight seeing in the area. Learn to make complete four- course Italian dinners covering all the basic Italian cooking techniques. You will make a wide range of antipastas including crostinis, bruschetta and torte verdura, to mention but a few.
You will make your own gnocchi and roll out your own pasta - the authentic way with typical Tuscan fillings and delicious sauces. On top of that you will learn to make pizza which is baked in our own wood burning pizza oven. Meat dishes include Wild Boar with polenta, Tagliata with green pepper sauce and baked vegetables and much much more. Desserts include Franco’s warm lemon pie with Italian meringue.
 Franco believes that the only way to learn to cook is to do it yourself. While he will demonstrate the techniques, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and put what you have seen into practice. The lessons are informal and your chef is flexible and willing to add those special dishes you always wanted to learn to make.
A one-day excursion is organized with visits to a salami factory, pecorino and goat cheese farm and an olive oil mill for oil tasting. It also includes wine tasting and lunch at a vineyard near Arezzo, time for shopping in Arezzo and sightseeing. At the end of the day a visit to a Tuscan fabric manufacturer in Anghiari and it’s rounded off with a dinner in a Rustic Tuscan restaurant near the castle of Poppi.
It is also possible to bring along a non-participating partner who can spend the day enjoying the surroundings, sightseeing or playing golf and could then join the group at dinnertime and join in the excursion.
*Three night course is either Monday to Thursday or Thursday to Sunday.
GROUP SIZE
A minimum of 2 participants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
HOW TO ARRIVE
Florence Airport - 1 hour and 15 minutes
Pisa Airport - 2 hours and 15 minutes
Rome Airport - 3 hours
*These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour.
BOOKING INFORMATION
THREE NIGHT PROGRAM
Double Room/US$1950
Single Room/US$2050
Non-participating guest/US$1100 (double occupancy for accommodation)
SEVEN NIGHT PROGRAM
Double Room/US$3100
Single Room/US$3400
Non-participating guest/US$2350 (double occupancy for accommodation)
Non participating guests are welcome on the excursion and can use all the facilities at the villa and join in all the meals.
**All bedrooms have private bathrooms
*Pricing may vary depending on market fluctuation
After availability is confirmed, a 30% deposit and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. The balance must be received in full 60 days before the course commences.
THREE NIGHT PROGRAM
May 14-17
June 4-7
July 16-19
August 20-23
September 10-13
October 22-25
SEVEN NIGHT PROGRAM
April 29-May 6
May 6-13
May 20-27
June 10-17
June 17-24
July 1-8
July 8-15
July 22-29
August 5-12
August 12-19
August 26-September 2
September 2-9
September 16-23
October 7-14
October 28-November 4
THREE NIGHT PROGRAM
*Breakfast daily, lunch and dinner as presented in the itinerary
*Three (3) nights' accommodation and use of all facilities of the villa
*Two (2) cooking lessons of approximately 4 hours each
*Full-day culinary excursion including lunch and dinner
*Cookbook, apron and certificate after completion Italian cooking holiday
*Superb Tuscan wines during dinner, liquors for after dinner
*House wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee are freely available
*Email, Internet and Telephone facilities available.
NOT INCLUDED
*Transfers to/from the airport (can be arranged)
*Airfare
*Tips
**We can arrange transfer to and from airport on request; however we recommend car hire, because if you do not want to relax around the pool, you do have time to explore the area. We can help you with suggestions as there are many places with great historical value and beauty in the area. The villa is an 8 minute drive from the closest village so quite remote.
For further inquiries or to register, click here.
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CANCELLATION POLICY
Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.
CLIENT REMARKS
Furnished upon request.
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MAP*
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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