Award-winning watercolor artist and gallery owner Nancy Smith Couick will
assist you in creating delightful plein air watercolor images of the seaside town of Portofino and the
villages of the
Cinque Terre in the first half of this tour, before leading you to the Piedmont region, which will
provide delightful opportunities for painting the wine country and the Alps in the distance!
For more on Nancy Smith Couick, please see:
www.nancycouick.com.
About the location: Start your trip in Chiavari, one of the charming seaside towns of the Italian Riviera, in a prime location to reach the
elegant towns of the Riviera as well as the extraordinary five linked towns known as the Cinque Terre. Chiavari boasts a range of things to see,
from beautiful cathedrals to local antique shops. Enjoy time sitting at a little cafe sketching a sea-side village,
or paint on a promontory in the Cinque Terre overlooking the sea.
Your accommodation, the Hotel Monte Rosa, is in the heart of the arcaded medieval center of Chiavari and just a few yards from the sea.
The Bacigalupo family has renovated the Monte Rosa to provide all modern comforts and has
been providing outstanding Italian hospitality since the beginning of the twentieth century. Rooms include amenities such as
satellite TV and air conditioning.
After five glorious nights on the Italian Riviera, travel to the nearby region of Piedmont, home to the
famous Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and (most famous of all) Barolo wines. The Langhe area of southern Piedmont
is a well-known destination for wine connoisseurs and travelers interested
in a superior culinary experience. In addition to the amazing food and wine you can enjoy sketching and painting
some of the most stunning views in all of Italy: medieval castles and towns standing majestically
on the Langhe’s tall hills; the snow-covered Alps encircling the entire region;
steep hills and valleys blanketed with vineyards. The cuisine of Piedmont tkaes the best of Italian cooking and embraces the region’s
proximity to France, featuring dishes such as as home-made pasta al ragù (meat sauce), melt-in-your-mouth
gnocchi in a creamy sauce flavored with the region’s famous cheeses, the traditional
“Brasato al Barolo,” or veal marinated and cooked in Barolo wine, and the delicious torta
di nocciola (hazelnut cake) in chocolate sauce. Topping it all off is the genteel hospitality of the
residents, who will impart their pride of place to you.
Your accommodations will be at the exquisite 4-star Relais Villa d'Amelia. Perched on a country hillside and surrounded by the
Langhe's famous rolling vineyards, the recently renovated hotel offers all the modern comforts with a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Its location in the heart of the Langhe and just 10 minutes from the charming town of Alba makes it an ideal place to eat, paint and relax!
About the cooking lessons: Your cooking lessons will take place in Chiavari at
the Ristorante Monte Rosa, which for almost a hundred years has been one of the most
well-known restaurants in the area. You will have the opportunity to learn Ligurian cuisine from either Chef
Roberto del Seno, with twenty years experience in Italy and abroad, or Chef Ave, the Bacigalupo matriarch,
who will share with you her forty years of experience in regional recipes.
Italian Riviera and Piedmont: Watercolors, Wine and Cooking with Nancy Couick
Chiavari and Benevello
Itinerary
Day One - Saturday, May 17
- Pickup at Milan Malpensa airport.
- Arrival at the Hotel Monte Rosa in Chiavari.
- Welcome dinner at the Ristorante Monte Rosa, wine included.
- Overnight.
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Day Two - Sunday, May 18
- Following an early breakfast, meet with your English speaking guide.
- Set off to a full day driving tour on the Tigullio Gulf with a visit to some of the most elegant towns of the Italian Riveria:
Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Portofino and Sestri Levante, with of course taking time to stop and paint along the way.
- Lunch on your own in Santa Margherita.
- Return to Chiavari in the early evening for a dinner at Ristorante Monte Rosa.
- Overnight.
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Day Three - Monday, May 19: Chiavari
- Breakfast followed with time to visit the town of Chiavari, shop or paint.
- Today’s lunch on your own. The hotel can assist you in making a reservation at Ristorante Monte Rosa or another characteristic local restaurant.
- Return to the hotel for your first cooking lesson.
- Dinner will follow, based on your culinary efforts.
- Overnight.
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Day Four - Tuesday, May 20: Cinque Terre
- Early monring breakfast.
- Free day to explore the charming towns of the Cinque Terre.
- You will have the afternoon to enjoy the villages with time to paint.
- Lunch on your own in Cinque Terre.
- Dinner tonight at an authentic local Ligurian restaurant.
- Overnight.
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Day Five - Wednesday, May 21
- Breakfast followed by morning at leisure for shopping or relaxing.
- In the afternoon, follow your English-speaking guide to a local wine shop
in Chiavari, complete with tasting and degustation.
- You will have the afternoon to enjoy the villages with time to paint.
- Return to the hotel for your second cooking class with farewell dinner to follow.
- Overnight.
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Day Six - Thursday, May 22
- Breakfast and transfer from Chiavari to Piedmont’s famous Langhe region.
- Check into the charming 4 star Relais Hotel Villa d’Amelia in Alta Langa.
- Some time to relax followed by dinner in a restaurant located in a stunning panoramic area.
You will have an opportunity to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of a small village in the Langhe, amidst the hazelnut groves.
- Overnight.
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Day Seven - Friday, May 23: Alta Langa Tour
- Following breakfast, meet with your English-speaking guide.
- Departure for a panoramic tour of the Alta Langa, through Borgomale, Cravanzana, Cerretto Langhe, Serravalle Langhe and Bossolasco,
the "village of the roses," where you will have an opportunity to paint.
- In the afternoon transfer to Sinio for a visit to a nougat producer.
- Light lunch with cheese and typical products of the area with a cheese producer at Borgomale with another opportunity to paint.
- Return to the hotel and relax.
- Dinner in a restaurant in Montelupo; experience the breathtaking views of the Langhe and the entire arc of the Alps through its large windows.
- Return to the hotel and overnight.
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Day Eight - Saturday, May 24: Alba and Asti
- Breakfast.
- Accompanied by your English-speaking guide, transfer to Alba, the "town of 100 towers."
Here you can stroll in the old center amidst the stalls of the weekly market and visit its churches or the
public and private palaces built from the Middle Ages up to the Liberty period.
- Free time to shop along the traditional street market or in the elegant boutiques and specialty shops of Langhe.
- Lunch on your own.
- Transfer to Asti and visit the historical center, with time for shopping.
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Dinner in a refined Michelin restaurant in Barbaresco.
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Return to hotel and overnight.
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Day Nine - Sunday, May 25: Cherasco and Canelli
- After breakfast, transfer to Cherasco, a town rich in history and art.
Cherasco is called the "Città delle Paci" (City of Peace), because it is where the famous "Peace of Cherasco" was signed in 1631 and also the town
of the Armistice of Napoleone Bonaparte in 1796.
- Free time to explore the town or to paint or draw.
- Lunch in a characteristic osteria in Cherasco.
- After lunch, transfer to Canelli.
- Visit a historical wine cellar excavated in the tuff-stone to a depth of 32 meters, into the heart of the hill overlooking Canelli.
- In the majestic grandeur of these underground "cathedrals," the legendary "metodo classico"
sparkling wine and Moscato d'Asti is produced. At the end of the visit, enjoy a wine tasting.
- Return to the hotel and relax, with dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
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Day Ten - Monday, May 26: Barolo Tour
- Breakfast.
- Join your English-speaking guide and depart for a tour of the Barolo area, where the "king of wines" and "wine of kings" is produced.
Stop first at La Morra for a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape composed of vineyards, medieval villages,
castles and towers seen from the "Belvedere" point. Here you will have an opportunity to paint or draw.
- Following, you will visit a well-known historical and traditional wine producer in La Morra, where Barolo is produced.
Barolo is a robust red, full-bodied and very dry.
- Lunch today is in a wine bar with typical Langhe dishes.
- In the afternoon, transfer to the city of Barolo and visit "The Corkscrew Museum."
The tour continues on to Grinzane Cavour with its castle, which was for some time home to
the great Italian statesman Cavour, who was hugely influential in the unification of Italy in
the nineteenth century and who studied new winemaking techniques. The castle houses a permanent
Museum with mementoes of Cavour, an Ethnographic Museum and the Regional Enoteca.
- Following the museum, sometime to paint or draw.
- Farewell dinner in the castle's restaurant.
- Return to the hotel and overnight.
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Day Eleven - Tuesday, May 27
- Breakfast followed by group transfer to Milan Malpensa airport.
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Included in the program: Italian Riviera
- One group transfer from Milan Malpensa airport
- Five nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- Two hands-on cooking classes
- Five dinners, local wine included
- Excursions as per itinerary
- English-speaking guide as per itinerary
- Wine shop visit with tasting
Included in the program: Piedmont
- Five nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- Four dinners and Three lunches, drinks NOT included
- Excursions as per itinerary
- English-speaking guide as per itinerary
- Transportation for all excursions
- One group departure transfer to Milan Malpensa airport
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