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012*345,67$8, 93$'7:73, !"#$"%&"'()*$+&"',-.//, ;+74,<",74,=>+'"4*", 3$,?"27@"4*",A3,B+4$"22743 You are invited to experience the pleasures of,012*345CD$3>5,in, an exciting new way - not in a countryside villa, but in your own apartment in the heart of fabulous Florence! You will have the whole city to explore without the hassle of driving or arranging daily transportation. You can be out and about day and night on foot to see the wonderful sights of the ultimate Renaissance city. Unpack once, move into your apartment, then enjoy traveling throughout Tuscany and beyond at a leisurely pace with a private guide. With Florence as our home base we will visit the hills of Tuscany, the vineyards of the Chianti countryside and the lovely towns of Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano, Greve in Chianti, Fiesole, Pisa, Orvieto, Cortona and the enchanting Cinque Terra region. An orientation tour of Florence and the guide services of your hostess will add to the pleasure of your stay in Italy’s most beautiful city. The possibilities are almost limitless as you discover the churches, museums, art, gardens, palaces, restaurants, fine wines, shopping or just strolling along the Arno River and over its unique bridges. If you are not already in love with Italy, this experience will surely lead you there! EF4@73%+GH,IA"$J2,K+HL, I*+4$741",M+',$8",93*N3O",P,9'7*"L, 08",93*N3O", INCLUDED : Accommodations at La Contessina apartments in the historic district two blocks from the train station, near the San Lorenzo market and a 10-minute walk to the cathedral in the heart of the city. Each apartment is furnished with a complete kitchen, loft bedroom (double or twins), spacious bath, and a great room for relaxing and dining. A foldout sofa bed is in the living area. See La Contessina apartments at this website: www.residenceinflorence.com A buffet breakfast is provided in the dining room daily. Other meals are on your own. We will share some “home cooked” pasta dinners together. There are good local restaurants just steps away from the apartments. Transportation by train or bus for escorted day trips to Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Greve in Chianti, Pisa, Orvieto, Cortona, Fiesole, and Cinque Terra. (See the following pages describing these day trips). Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour of Florence. This will be one of our first excursions to familiarize you with this wonderful city. From the open air doubledecker bus you will get a great overview of the historic center and surrounding areas. Museum admissions to The Accademia to visit Michelangelo’s masterpiece - David. We will also visit the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi and just for fun, the Ferragamo Shoe Museum. (See a following page for descriptions) Information, rec- ommendations and assistance in visiting other Florence museums on your own will be offered. Private guide services of your hostess, Patrizia, for orientation walks of Florence and other outings throughout your stay. This will be my ninth visit to Florence and there are so many places I’d like to show you! We will explore many neighbor- hoods together and find Florence’s hidden treasures.. There will be plenty of time for relaxation and exploring on your own. Tuscan cooking class with dinner and wine in Florence where you will prepare and enjoy a four-course meal. This will be a highlight of your stay in Tuscany! (See the special page following for photos and details) English speaking staff at La Contessina to help with any arrangements or emergencies with 24-hour service at the front desk. You will love the friendly Pelagotti family, owners of La Contessina. Daily “blog” of your activities with photos will be provided online so family and friends back home can wish they were there! Check out the 2009 daily blog at this website: www.itsabouttimepat.blogspot.com NOT INCLUDED: AIRFARE to and from Italy. You will arrange your own air flights. However, you will be met at the Florence airport or train station upon arrival. Flights are available into the Florence airport. Flights into Pisa or Rome are possible with a train con- nection to Florence. Transportation to and from the airport is included. OPTIONAL DAY TRIPS to Rome and Venice as well as other places you may want to visit can be arranged for you. 08",9'7*", $2199 per person per 14-night stay with two people in the apartment. Additional persons in an apartment can be arranged, however single travelers cannot be accommodated. The above price is based on a two-week stay in one of these three time periods: September 16-30, October 1-15, October 16-30*. Remember that you will depart the USA on the day prior to the beginning of the package date as you will have an overnight flight to Italy and you will depart on the fi- nal day of the package date. Only six apartments per two-week period are now available for this package price. Reserva- tions are on a “first deposit, first reserved” basis with a $250 deposit per person and final payment by August 1, 2011 Please make payment by check only to: It’s About Time Tours - P. O. Box 10387 - Southport, NC 28461. Important:: Please include the attached reservation form with your deposit. *Note: Dates are tentative and will be confirmed by January, 2011. D$J2,F&+1$,07%",0+1'2, Contact “Patrizia” (Pat) Kirkman by telephone at 910-457-0579 or by e-mail: [email protected] Q35,0'7#2,74,012*345,P,R"5+4@, B74S1",0"''3I*874TS135,$"'T'38L, This is a wonderful area of the Italian Riviera on the west coast. Five (cinque in Italian) beautiful villages (or lands - terra in Italian) “hang” from the cliff sides along the Ligurian Sea. It is truly an exceptional place and will be a highlight of your time in Italy. We will take a morn- ing train from Florence to La Spezia, then board the “local” train that stops in each of the five towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Between two of them we will take a leisurely thirty minute walk along the Via Amore on the very edge of the sea. Your camera will be overloaded by the end of the day! This trip is guaranteed to be a highlight of your stay in Italy. A1**3,I>++T*3L, , , , Ah, lovely Lucca! The train will bring us right to the 16th century Renaissance wall that encircles the old town. These ramparts are idea for a stroll or bike ride (rentals available). Inside the walls there are streets filled with shops, cafes, churches, villas, tower houses and the delightful Piazza Antiteatro that is the architectural ghost of an earlier Roman amphitheater (which seated 10,000). Other plazas, mu- seums and sites of Lucca will capture your imagination and heart. An afternoon train back to Florence will get you home in plenty of time for a nice dinner in a local trattoria. !7"43CI2""T74T38L,!34,K7%7O434+CIU7%7T38T4+L,34@,9723I#"32T38L, , , , , Today we will have a special treat as we board a motorcoach to explore ideal Tuscany. Just driving through the beautiful countryside is a thrill in itself. We will be accompanied by an experienced Italian guide who will fill our minds with lots of Tuscan history and folklore. Our first stop will be a visit to Siena with its beautiful cathedral and main plaza, Il Campo. A local guide will show us around the city and there will be some time for shopping, sight seeing or just having a wonderful cappuccino in the plaza. Moving on, we drive through the wine producing hills of Chianti with a stop at a local wine estate for an included lunch and wine tasting. Within sight is our next stop, San Gimignano (the Manhattan of Italy) known for its surviving 14 towers from the 13th century. The fascinating cobbled streets and views from the hilltop fort are worth every step! Wander all you like or just sit in the plaza and watch the tourists (that’s us!). “San Jimmy” is the epitome of an Italian hilltop town. And what would a trip to Tuscany be without a stop in Pisa? Even if you’ve already seen the fa- mous leaning tower, you will enjoy this sunset visit to the Field of Miracles. Doze on the motorcoach on our way back to Florence where we will arrive at dinnertime. Maybe takeout pizza in your apartment will be the end of a fabulous day in Tuscany! I<+'",Q35,0'7#2,+4,$8",4"V$,#3O"L, =7"2+>",IM""T+T2+T>35L, , A short distance from the heart of Florence by bus is the charming town of Fiesole. The Etruscans (earliest inhabitants of Italy) knew a good spot when they saw one and they established Fiesole 400 years before the Romans founded Florence. Beautiful Renais- sance villas surround the hillsides. It’s all about the views here as you look down on the Arno valley and the expansive city of Flor- ence. This excursion is included on our ‘hop-on-hop-off “ bus tour. B+'$+43,I*+'T$+4"T38L, , , Cortona, made famous by the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun, is a favorite visit for our travelers. Another typical Italian hilltop town, you can see Lake Trasimeno in the distance from our “top of the hill” viewing point. One of the best gelato (ice cream) shops in all of Tuscany is found in Cortona! This is a good shopping town with lovely things to purchase or just enjoy in the windows.