Mediterranean Cooking: Amalfi Culinary Vacation: Relais Oasi Olimpia

Mediterranean Cooking Experience
Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi

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About the location: Sant’ Agata sui due Golfi is situated about 10 km from Sorrento. It is one of the “pearls” in the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, facing Capri. The site of your Amalfi Coast culinary vacation will be a lovely four-star relais hotel of only seven rooms (and five suites) situated on one of the hills of Sant’ Agata sui due Golfi. The villa was originally built in 1892 for a rich German aristocrat as a luxurious residence. It has recently been painstakingly restored and is now a splendid hotel, complete with impeccably furnished interiors and a fine ambiance. There are also three recently completed apartments on the property. The facilities include a gorgeous 15 meter swimming pool with jacuzzi and sauna, tennis court, outdoor dining, wine bar, exercise room, and lush vegetation. Just completed is a charming cantina in the main building (complete with Cuban cigars) and an incredible wine cave with premium wines from Italy, France and Australia. The relais has also acquired a breathtaking private beach, with shuttle service from the hotel.

The Amalfi region is truly one of the most idyllic on earth. From the time of Etruscans to present movie stars, this has been area that has long enchanted travelers. Sundry excursions during this week-long Amalfi culinary vacation will take you from the posh island of Capri to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, and the cobblestoned medieval streets of Amalfi at the cliff’s base. An expanse of precarious road will take you between villages, running through lush greenery and vineyards nestled in the folds of the jagged cliffs.

About the cooking lessons: Your cooking classes will be held in the large teaching kitchen built specifically for your culinary vacation with The International Kitchen. It features spacious granite counters, a large professional range and an outdoor veranda, where you can enjoy a break between courses. Your Mediterranean cooking classes will be led by Chef Carmen. Carmen will teach you such typical southern Italian dishes as Sorrento-style gnocchi, stuffed calamari, and Neapolitan-style artichokes. All dishes use the freshest ingredients and recipes that have been passed down for many generations. Your final cooking lesson of the week will teach you the essentials of preparing true Neapolitan style pizza! After your cooking lesson you will feast on what you have made, so be prepared to cook, eat, drink and laugh!

Mediterranean Cooking Experience Itinerary

Day One Of Four - Or Six - Night Program

  • Pickup from the Naples airport (around 12:00 noon) or train station (around 2:30 pm).
  • Arrival at the charming hotel where you check in to your deluxe room. If you are not jet-lagged, you may wish to take a short walk into Sant’Agata to do a little exploring. This is a charming little town; perhaps stop with the locals for a coffee and one of the pastry specialties of the region, or just stroll along the old streets.
  • Time to rest before your welcome dinner at the hotel’s elegant restaurant, enjoying a superb dinner of local cuisine.

Day 2

  • A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you.
  • In the morning you will head to a local farm, where they have been producing top quality olive oil for years, and where the matriarch has been making mozzarella cheese by hand for six decades; she is one of the true local food artisans. If you like, you can try your hand with the preparation. A light lunch including this wonderfully fresh cheese follows, along with a tasting of olive oil and the tasty limoncello liqueur.
  • Return to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation. If weather permits, you might want to take a dip in the pool. You can also schedule a massage in the newly completed massage room (advance reservations of at least 48 hours is required).
  • This evening, your first cooking lesson, followed by dinner with wine.

Day 3

  • Breakfast.
  • Depart for Pompeii by train, where you will enjoy a guided visit of the city that was buried alive by the eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. As you wander among temples, past pottery ruins, and through houses still adorned with frescoes, don’t forget to seek out the city’s former inhabitants, whose forms were preserved in the hardened volcanic ash.
  • Lught lunch at a local trattoria in Sorrento.
  • This evening your next cooking class, followed by dinner with wine.

Day 4

  • Breakfast followed by an excursion to visit the towns of Amalfi and Positano, or Amalfi and Ravello.
  • Amalfi is a town that seems to have climbed up from the sea like froth and crystallized onto the land. The town is dominated by the impressive Duomo, rivaling in size the cliffs that rise up behind it. You can sit and observe in the Piazza Duomo or wind upwards through the cobblestone streets, exploring the little shops along the way. Positano clings to the mountainside, navigable by a narrow winding road set against the backdrop of palms and citrus groves. At the city’s center is the magnificent Santa Maria Assunta Church with its gaily-colored dome. And Ravello is a charming town also perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea. It is home not only to the best Amalfi ceramics, but also the lovely gardens of the historic Villa Cimbrone.
  • Today’s lunch will be on your own.
  • Return to the hotel for a bit of relaxation before dinner out tonight at a charming restaurant.

Day 5

  • Breakfast. For those on the four-night program, transfer back to Naples.
  • Morning free, perhaps to explore Sant’Agata or Sorrento.
  • Lunch on your own. You may wish to try one of the restaurants in Sant’Agata or if you have spent your free morning in Sorrento or one of the Amalfi Coast towns, you may wish to remain there for lunch. There is a wide variety of wonderful restaurants from which to choose, from gourmet dining to local characteristic trattorias. The hotel will be delighted to assist you in making a selection.
  • This evening, your third cooking lesson, followed by dinner based on your efforts.

Day 6

  • Breakfast.
  • Today will be a full-day visit to the enchanting isle of Capri, weathering permitting. (Traditionally the hydrofoils to Capri run approximately mid-May to mid-October, and during the winter only if the temperature is mild and the water calm.) You can visit the magical Blue Grotto, walk private paths past secluded villas, and gaze across the aqua water from the harbors.
  • Today’s lunch will be on your own.
  • Return to the hotel and prepare your own pizza dough. Time to relax while it rises!
  • Pizza dinner tonight at the hotel.

(Please note that in the event of bad weather, Capri excursion will be replaced by an alternate excursion.)

Day 7

  • Breakfast and departure from the hotel to the Naples airport or train station for those ending the six-night program.

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