Tuscany & With Creative Castle

May 2 -16, 2013 (trip begins on May 2 so departure from the US is on May 1)

Thursday, May 2: Participants arrive in to be met by Maggie at our hotel in the Aventine Hills. The day is free to explore (or rest!) with suggestions from Maggie.

Friday, May 3: After breakfast, our bus driver meets us for our trip to Tuscany. The drive is about 3 hours with a stop along the way. We arrive at our villa and settle into our rooms and Maggie will give an orientation to the trip. The villa is located on top of a hill with fantastic vistas near a small village outside of and is renowned as a winery and producer of olive oil. There are lovely walks around the property and one path goes through the vineyards to the ruins of an Etruscan grave. We will have a wine tasting and tour some time during our stay. There is a welcome dinner for the group (included).

Saturday, May 4: We are off to the town of . I find this town fascinating. It is world famous for the Palio (horse race held in the Piazza). The Palio dates back to medieval times and it is much more than a horse race – it is a cultural phenomenon. We will have a film presentation of the Palio with guide and author Dario Castegno. He will then give us a tour – if possible – of his contrada. Afterwards we will have lunch at a local restaurant (included) and then you are free to explore this city and shop. We meet in the late afternoon and have dinner at the villa.

Sunday, May 5: Workshop day. Today we begin our workshop. Maggie will design a project particularly for this trip. It is a full day with a break for lunch. Dinner and lunch are included.

Monday, May 6: We are off again to Siena and will have a guided tour of the cathedral and other sites of the city. The floors of the cathedral are inlaid with marble with magnificent patterns and scenes from antiquity. Then it is off to the hillside town of to visit the sites and shop. We return to the villa for dinner (included).

Tuesday, May 7: Today we are off to Florence with a guided tour in the morning of this beautiful Renaissance city. The tour will be about 3 hours and the rest of the day is free to explore and shop in this world‐renowned city. We return after dinner (on your own) to the villa.

Wednesday, May 8: Another workshop day with a winetasting and tour in the afternoon. Lunch and dinner are included.

Thursday, May 9: We head south to Napoli! The drive is about 4 hours and we arrive at Villa Giulia in the afternoon. Villa Giulia is a restored building from the 16th century with all the modern conveniences and surrounded by the most beautiful gardens. There is also a swimming pool for those interested in taking a refreshing swim. Dinner (included) is at the villa.

Friday, May 10: This morning we head to downtown Napoli and meet our guide, Aldo Sparice. His knowledge and love for his city is incredible. He will take us to see some of the sites of this diverse city. Perhaps we will visit the underground sections of this city. Lunch (included) is at a local pizzeria. Napoli is the home of the original pizza created for the visit of Queen Margherita. In my opinion it is the best in the entire world. We return to the villa to relax before dinner – perhaps a little beading???

Saturday, May 11: We are off to the with Aldo. He will explain the history of this world‐renowned coastline. National Geographic lists it as one of the top 50 ultimate road trips. Photo opportunities abound and we stop for lunch in Priano at a family‐run restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean (included). We return to Villa Giulia for a light dinner (included).

Sunday, May 12: After our visit to the coast of , we will have a wine tasting in the countryside of Campania. The drive through the mountains is lovely and we stop at a local winery. Campania winemaking dates back to the 12th century BC. The area is known for its Taurasi wine and a few varieties of white wines. Lunch is at the winery (included).

Monday, May 13: Today Aldo will take us to Villa Oplonti that belonged to the Poppea, the wife of Nero. It is perhaps my favorite archeological site in the region. Oplonti was excavated with modern techniques so the frescoes remain intact on the walls, mosaics with semi‐precious stones are still on the floor. Afterwards, we will visit the town of , also destroyed in 79 A.D. by the eruption of Vesuvius. We return to the villa to relax and have dinner (included)

Tuesday, May 14: We will visit the town of San Leucio near . San Leucio was home to a Bourbon hunting palace and to a silk factory. Charles VII and his son Ferdinand created an industrial village for silk production – unusual for that time. The town has created silks for Buckingham Palace, the White House and many others. We will visit the palace that has now been turned into a museum documenting the production of silk. We return to Giulia’s for some beading time and dinner (included).

Wednesday, May 15: We are off to one of the islands in the Bay of Naples – either Capri or Ischia to visit the sites and shop. Farewell dinner at Villa Giulia (included)

May 16: Depart from Naples Airport. This is the day you fly home!!!

Cost: 3700 Euro. Includes 13 dinners, 7 lunches, all breakfasts, lodging, tuition, private bus transfer, licensed guide tours, entry fees to sites on itinerary, tips.

Not include: airfare, alcohol (except at Villa Giulia)