STANFORD TRAVEL/STUDY Piemonte Walk With the Cinque Terre and French Riviera April 29 to May 11, 2013 Two of Europe’s most outrageously gorgeous seacoasts, Italy’s Cinque Terre and France’s Côte d’Azur, lie close enough to the Piemonte region for us to include them on our newest walk. With Professor Roberto D’Alimonte and popular medievalist Peter Watson as our guides, ramble through vineyards and enjoy sweeping views of the Mediterranean. During our invigorating walks, sample the superb wines and fragrant white truffles of the Langhe district and dine at the restaurant where the Slow Food Movement began. Walk through the forested valleys of France’s La Turbie natural reserve above the Riviera, then visit swank Monte Carlo and sunny Nice. Join us as we walk through this land of exquisite terrains and terroirs! A Program of the Stanford Alumni Association FACULTY LEADER Roberto D’Alimonte is currently a professor at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. He has strong connections to Stanford, having taught courses on Italian politics, comparative politics, European integration and U.S.-European relations for many years at Stanford’s Bing Overseas Studies campus in Florence. At Stanford he has taught both in the political science department and in the MBA program at the Graduate School of Business, where he was a Bechtel International visiting professor in 2001–2002. Professor D’Alimonte is well-known throughout Europe as a political journalist, writing for Il Sole 24 Ore, the major financial newspaper in Italy. His comments have appeared in several European newspapers and magazines and in The New York Times. He has worked with the Olivetti Foundation and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on public finances and the budget process in western European democracies. During our program, Professor D’Alimonte will discuss contemporary issues related to Italy, France and the EU in general. Director, Italian Center for Electoral Studies, since 2005 Former Ford Foundation fellow, Yale University American Council of Learned Societies fellow, Harvard University PhD, University of Florence ITINERARY Monday & Tuesday, April 29 & 30 U.S. / GENOA, ITALY / SANTA MARGHERITA Depart the U.S. on overnight flights to Genoa. Upon arrival on Tuesday, transfer to our hotel in Santa Margherita. This evening, join fellow walkers at a welcome wine reception and dinner. GRAND HOTEL MIRAMARE (D) Wednesday, May 1 CINQUE TERRE Travel by bus to the famed Cinque Terre, a group of five picturesque fishing villages strung along the scenic Ligurian coast. Today we walk high above the dazzling Mediterranean Sea, then return to our hotel by train. GRAND HOTEL MIRAMARE (B,L) Thursday, May 2 PORTOFINO / SAN FRUTTUOSO Today’s walk takes us from the elegant resort town of Portofino with its pastel seafront façades and enormous yachts anchored offshore to the isolated Abbey of San Fruttuoso. After visiting the abbey, return to our hotel by boat. A less strenuous option is to travel both to and from San Fruttuoso by boat. GRAND HOTEL MIRAMARE (B,L) Stanford Travel/Study • Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center • 326 Galvez Street • Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 725-1093 • [email protected] • alumni.stanford.edu/goto/travelstudy Friday, May 3 CINQUE TERRE Take a private boat ride back to Cinque Terre, a group of five picturesque fishing villages strung along the scenic Ligurian Coast. Today we walk between Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola, perched above the dazzling Mediterranean Sea. Return to our hotel by boat. GRAND HOTEL MIRAMARE (B, L) Saturday, May 4 GENOA / BENEVELLO Drive along the Ligurian coast to the bustling port city of Genoa, birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Walk along the streets lined with palazzi that were once home to explorers and merchants, then continue to the famed wine region of Le Langhe in Piemonte (“at the foot of the mountains”). Our home for the next four nights is the small village of Benevello. RELAIS VILLA D'AMELIA (B,L,D) Sunday, May 5 BARBARESCO / ALBA Walk from our hotel through leafy vineyards to the tiny village of Barbaresco, known to wine lovers throughout the world. Continue to the town of Alba, renowned for its wines and also its treasured and expensive white truffles, a gourmet delicacy. Explore the delightful town, once home to the Count of Cavour, an important political figure in il Risorgimento, the 19th-century movement for a united Italy. RELAIS VILLA D'AMELIA (B,L,D) Monday, May 6 ROERO Amble through the Roero, another region of equally fine but less expensive wines that faces Le Langhe across the valley. Our walk takes us around the high cliffs of the escarpment before we lunch near a sanctuary outside the town of Montà. After continuing our walk this afternoon we return to our hotel by road. RELAIS VILLA D'AMELIA (B,L,D) Tuesday, May 7 BAROLO / BRA Our walk today takes us to Barolo, perhaps the most famous of all the wine villages of Le Langhe. Enjoy a comparative tasting of wines at the local wine museum. This evening, drive to the modern town of Bra to dine in its famous restaurant, Osteria Boccondivino, birthplace of the now-worldwide Slow Food Movement, dedicated to leisurely fine dining on local products. RELAIS VILLA D'AMELIA (B,L,D) Wednesday, May 8 ALPES MARITIMES / NICE, FRANCE Say arrivederci to Italy as we drive past the provincial capital of Cuneo and cross the southern Alps to France’s Alpes Maritimes. Our walk today explores the forested Roya Valley; afterwards we drive to the Cote d’Azur and check in to the famed Hotel Negresco in the sunny resort city of Nice. HOTEL NEGRESCO (B,L,D) Stanford Travel/Study • Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center • 326 Galvez Street • Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 725-1093 • [email protected] • alumni.stanford.edu/goto/travelstudy Thursday, May 9 ST.-PAUL-DE-VENCE Drive inland to the arriere-pays (“backcountry”) for a stunning walk that takes us from the Col de Vence through beautiful countryside, with views in every direction. After lunch, visit the medieval village of St.-Paul-de-Vence, replete with local artists’ shops and galleries. Continue to the Maeght Foundation in a woodland area just outside of town to view its magnificent collection of modern paintings, drawings, and indoor and outdoor sculpture. HOTEL NEGRESCO (B,L) Friday, May 10 LA TURBIE / MONTE CARLO On our walk today, traverse the high corniche in La Turbie natural reserve, overlooking the Cote d’Azur. At the highest point of the Appian Way, linger at the ancient Roman monument known as the Trophee des Alpes that memorializes the conquests of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. This afternoon, visit, either on foot or by coach, the cosmopolitan city of Monte Carlo, set on a stunning stretch of the Mediterranean coast. Enjoy a farewell cocktail reception with fellow walkers before dinner this evening. HOTEL NEGRESCO (B,L,D) Saturday, May 11 NICE / U.S. Depart from the Nice airport on flights to the U.S. (B) WHAT TO EXPECT The terrains of southeastern France and northwestern Italy consist of mountain ridges, rolling hills and valleys, and some open farmland and dense forests. The excellent countryside trails are often farm tracks that wind among vineyards, olive groves and shaded woodlands. The paths are sometimes rocky or have exposed roots and can be muddy or wet at times. The weather in this region will be warm, but may be overcast at times. We consider this to be a fairly strenuous and physically demanding program, depending in part on your choice of the two walk options offered on most days. Daily walks range in length from approximately three to six miles for our moderate walks or five to 12 miles for our more challenging walks. All are led by experienced guides. To participate fully in this walking tour, you need to be physically fit, agile and used to moderate exercise. Several of our daily excursions might be considered by some participants to be hikes rather than walks. You should plan to walk with the group you’ve chosen for the entire day. We welcome travelers 15 years of age and older on this program. INFORMATION DATES April 29 to May 11, 2013 (13 days) SIZE This program is limited to 32 participants. Stanford Travel/Study • Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center • 326 Galvez Street • Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 725-1093 • [email protected] • alumni.stanford.edu/goto/travelstudy COST* $8,595 per person, double occupancy $10,610 per person, single occupancy *Association nonmembers add $200 per person. INCLUDED • 11 nights of deluxe hotel accommodations • 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 7 dinners • Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions • Bottled water on excursions • Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers for all group activities • All tours and excursions as described in the itinerary • Transfers and baggage handling on program arrival and departure days • Minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance • Educational program with lecture series and pre-departure materials, including recommended reading list, a selected book, map and travel information • Services of our professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program NOT INCLUDED • International and U.S. domestic airfare • Passport and visa fees • Immunization costs • Meals and beverages other than those specified as included • Independent and private transfers • Trip-cancellation/interruption and baggage insurance • Excess-baggage charges • Personal items such as internet access, telephone and fax calls, laundry and gratuities for nongroup services TERMS AND CONDITIONS DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT A $1,000 per-person deposit is required to hold your space. Complete and return the attached reservation form or sign up online at alumni.stanford.edu/trip?walk2013. Final payment is due 120 days prior to departure.