|
        
|
 |
La Famiglia at La Lodola
Tuscany, Italy
|
Tour
Description |
 About
the location: La Lodola is a charming family run countryside bed
and breakfast in Southern Tuscany and more specifically in the
Valdichiana. What is unbeatable about staying at La Lodola (in
addition to the food!) is that it is a thirty minute drive to
Arezzo and Cortona in one direction and Pienza and Montepulciano
in the other.
Mario Porcu and Beatrice Caratello own an antique and interior
design business in Pienza and when their children moved out of
the house several years ago they decided to convert a portion of
the their large farmhouse dating back to the 1750’s into a
quaint bed and breakfast. They remodeled the available space
into five distinct bedrooms filled with tasteful antiques and
en-suite bathrooms and have recently added LAN internet access
in the rooms and air conditioning. In the communal living room
one can enjoy sitting by the fire place or reading a book on the
comfortable sofas. If you must stay in tune with the outside
world there is a television here, otherwise they are only put in
the rooms on request. In the summer a homemade continental
breakfast is served on a large marble table outside in the
courtyard and during cooler months breakfast is served on small
tables in a cozy room which opens to the living room. There is a
large garden (where many fresh vegetables and herbs are picked
and used for the cooking classes) and a large inviting swimming
pool overlooks the valley, with tables and lounge chairs for
outdoor relaxing.
About the lessons: We were very pleased to find out that Mario
and Beatrice's son, Chef Carlo Porcu, has recently returned “a
casa” and with his entrepreneurial sense opened up the intimate
Osteria and Wine bar on the ground floor. This small
establishment seats just twenty-five people and is the best way
to enjoy local cuisine, mingling with the locals over a
wonderful bottle of Chianti. Carlo has a growing wine collection
(about 300 labels so far, mainly Tuscan) and the dinner menu
changes daily, depending on what Carlo is in the mood to make or
what he finds fresh at the local market. Carlo spent time
working abroad in a restaurant in New York and then as private
Chef on a sailing yacht. However Tuscany beckoned him back and
he now enjoys sharing his passion for high quality meats and
cheeses and the freshest of products with guests who want to
learn more about Italian cuisine. Although it is becoming always
more difficult, he feels cooking is something that should be
done without being rushed and for his classes he proposes dishes
that have roots in Tuscan and Sardinian traditions (his family
hails from both regions) but can be made anywhere and in a
simple fashion.
La Lodola Cooking Getaway is perfect for those who do not have a
lot of time available but would still like a mini-escape to the
Tuscan countryside to learn more about Tucan wine and cuisine in
an unpretentious family-style environment. It has been designed
keeping in mind the freedom that a car gives and is a perfect
addition to a longer Italian sojourn. "Lodola" means the lark
bird in English, and like this bird our getaway is sweetly
inviting you to come to Tuscany!
|
|
Included
in the Program: |
- Five nights accommodation
at B&B La Lodola on double room basis
- Daily breakfast
- Two dinners at La Lodola
with local wine included
- One hands-on four course
cooking classes, with wine included
- One cheese tasting with a
local cheese maker
- One Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano wine tasting at Avignonesi or similar
- One Brunello wine tasting
with local products
- One salami and wine
tasting with Chef Carlo
- Taxes and VAT Please note
there are about 20 steps from the ground floor to the second
floor, and there is no elevator.
There are 4 double rooms (one of which on the ground floor)
and one double-room suite.
Please Note: This is a
self driving itinerary and you will need your own car. We would
be happy to assist you with a low cost rental.
|
|
Tour
Itinerary |
Day One
Itinerary may be slightly altered due to opening and closing
days and times of establishments. Arrive at La Lodola on own in
the afternoon. Check in and settle into your reserved rooms.
Time to enjoy the manicured grounds or take a dip in the
swimming pool. Meet Chef Carlo and enjoy dinner tonight at his
Osteria La Lodola, local wine included. Overnight.
Day Two
Enjoy a continental breakfast with coffee or tea, homemade cakes
and marmalades, breads, yoghurt and pastries. Travel on own to a
nearby pecorino cheese maker for a special cheese tasting with
local wine. Afterwards you may wish to explore the area around
Pienza. Corsignano was the original name of this town which was
renamed Pienza after Enea Silvio Piccolomini became Pope Pius
II. He radically remodeled the town in the second half of the
15th century creating the “ideal” city, following precepts of
the urban and aesthetic ideals of the Renaissance. Visit the
Porcu and Caratello family antique store and delight in the
sensory pleasures of the many stores which sell local products.
In the late afternoon meet Chef Carlo in the kitchen for your
first hands-on cooking class. Your four course meal will include
an antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno and dolce. Dinner to
follow based on your efforts, local wine included. Overnight.
Day Three
Breakfast at La Lodola. Travel on own to a local winery which
makes Vino Nobile di Montepulicano enjoying a visit to the
estate with tasting. Afterwards you may wish to explore
Montepulciano, a quaint medieval town with spectacular views of
the Val d’Orcia countryside. Lunch on own. Afternoon and evening
free for individual activities. On your way back to the Lodola
you may wish to make a stop in Lucignano, a picturesque medieval
village with its concentric military walls still in place.
Overnight at La Lodola.
Day Four
Breakfast at La Lodola. After breakfast depart to explore the
Montalcino area on own. Time at disposal to discover the town
and its Medieval fortress. Reservations for you have been made
in late morning for a visit of a winery which makes the famed
Brunello. Enjoy a guided visit followed by a tasting of three of
their wines. Lunch, afternoon and dinner on own. Overnight at
the La Lodola.
Day Five
Breakfast at La Lodola. Day at leisure for individual
activities. You may want to explore Arezzo and/or Cortona today.
Both of these cities have been “put on the map” by recent films
– Arezzo with the Oscar award winning Life is Beautiful and
Cortona by popular book and film Under a Tuscan Sun. Both cities
are of ancient origins, with Cortona dating back to the Etruscan
civilization whose heyday was 600 BC! Arezzo, instead, is famous
for being the hometown to the great Tuscan artist Vasari and for
having the fresco masterpiece by Piero della Francesco, which
will take your breath away. Enjoy the quaint alleyways and
charming boutiques. In the late afternoon meet Carlo for a true
tuscan experience, a special salami tasting paired with Tuscan
wines. Farewell dinner to follow.
Overnight at La Lodola.
Day Six
Breakfast and check out. (Other day itineraries could include
Asciano and the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore or the spa towns
of Rapolano Terme and Bagno Vignoni. Your hosts would be happy
to make other suggestions!)
|
| Departure
Dates and Rates |
2008 Price Per Person
US$1100 per person in double room
US$1200 per person in a double-room suite
Single supplement: please inquire
Extra nights available on B&B basis, please inquire.
2008 Tour Dates
Available on request for a minimum of two people (but program
cannot start on Tuesday). |
Back to Itinerary Page
|
