Bella Tuscany: Florence and Beyond

Diane and I enjoyed the week spent at Villa Bianca for many reasons. The intent of the trip obviously was the cooking school conducted by Chef Luca and his assistants Guido, Enzo and Sandra. The class size was a manageable 8 people who all participated in the food preparation. We learned several meals, sauces, desserts, pates and appetizers most of which we have tried successfully upon returning home. Chef Luca, with Sandra's personalized interpretation, was thorough in his presentation and instruction. His manner was always friendly and inviting and he explained in minute detail so all could grasp the technique. To me though, Friday, or pizza day, was the best. The class size had dwindled to three and the presentation was given at the restored mill owned by the restaurant owners Roberto and Roseanna. By now we were a family and although the formality of the lesson remained the beauty of the setting, the weather, the friendship and the language summed up a week of enjoyment for us. The side trips to Siena and San Gimignano were a great exposure to medieval Italy. A great experience! Mike and Diane T., USA

1. Small Class very nice. 2. Many more recipes prepared than expected. 3. Roberto Buzzoni was most friendly and allowed hands on for all parts of the food prep and cooking. Roberto and Guido are an excelled personality combination. 4. Morning at the market was a great experience, could have stayed longer. Fun to be out with the local folks 5 Touring in the afternoons was a nice break in the day. 6. Visit to the summer home/farm was a nice treat. Being welcomed into a private home was very nice. 7. Villa Bianca staff very accommodating, Villa was attractive and well appointed. * I especially liked the relaxed atmosphere Carol P, CA

The week was fun,informative,elegant,well planned and well organized. The Villa is very lovely, had a state of the art kitchen and the staff and owners were very accommodating. The cooking classes were excellent, the chef down to earth, relaxed, attentive and willing to share.I especially liked the idea of everything being hands on. His assistant was also accommodating and helpful. The whole week was a wonderful experience. I especially enjoyed the trips they planned for us to San Gimigiano, Siena and Monteriggioni. I had been to all three cities and really enjoyed going back. I would recommend Villa Biance to everyone. It is in a beautiful part of Tuscany, has a gorgeous view ,an elegant interior and every convenience. A wonderful experience and a real vacation and a very relaxed vacation. Drivers for our trips including the taxi driver were all helpful, enthusiastic and polite. Bea S., CA

The hotel itself was elegant; each room was unique with handpainted walls that reflected the room's name. The bathrooms were well-proportioned even by American standards with an abundance of marble. The staff was attentive without being obtrusive and catered to our needs efficiently... Chef Roberto is accomplished and walked us through a variety of regional dishes from venison ragu to a salt cod appetizer (sounds iffy, but was terrific) to homemade pasta with an artichoke sauce. We made chocolate souffles (very easy) and the old standby, tiramisu. We learned some interesting sauces and had a chance to polish our technique from chopping to blending ingredients to any of a hundred regular kitchen chores. Our class was relatively large with seven individuals, but each of us was able to do as much or as little as we wanted which took the pressure off everyone. The kitchen got a bit cozy at times when there were several dishes being prepared at once, but the chef never lost control of his wayward students. Guido, the hotel's and kitchen's jack-of-all-trades, was everywhere, acting as sous chef, serving pre-dinner drinks and the meal. He spoke very little English, but communication was never a problem at any time with any of the staff. Everyone had a wonderful attitude and terrific sense of humor as they watched us stumble through our "lessons". There was a lot of laughing and a lot of fun to be had by all. As mentioned, Antonio and Francesca were terrific and well-accomplished in English. An outstanding time was had by all and we really cannot say enough good things about the experience. Bravo to all On a scale 1 to 10 the trip was a 15. Michael & Joyce

Just a few words to let you know how much we enjoyed our time in Italy. ... The cooking school at Villa Bianca was excellent and I would highly recommend it to others. Chef Roberto and his staff were informative, open to preparing foods that the students wanted to experience and we even selected our own ingredients at the farmers' market. The hotel is a wonderful property; the itinerary of side trips was interesting and the restaurants selected for evening meals were outstanding. We had a hard time consuming that much food and wine...but somehow we managed. Thank you for your suggestions and organization of our trip. Sincerely, Tom & Dianne C.

This program was very well organized and well thought out. The agency in Tuscany made sure we had plenty to do and see, Eleonora was a great guide and very helpful, it was like having a good friend with us. All the resturants were we ate were great and fun to see, the people at Hotel Villa Bianca were fun to be around and took care of all our needs, it was a fun week with something to do every day. Even the drivers we had made us feel at home, the rides around the country were exciting and full of historical information. We just plan had fun!!! The cooking classes were great. The size of the class was small, which meant a lot of interaction and participation was possible. We prepared a wide variety of dishes. Chef Roberto taught the basics and then emphasized being creative when cooking. He said, "you cook with your head and with your heart." I would liked to have spent more time in Siena. Theresa T., IN