Map of Location
As featured on the Food Network's "Recipe for Success," Friday, June 27, 2008. DVD available on request.
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!
Sorrento, Amalfi Coast
Four & Six Night Cooking Vacation Itinerary
(Note that the order of itinerary items may be switched from season to season.)
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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.
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Day Two
- 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 tasting of this wonderfully fresh and light cheese follows.
- Venture out into the garden to visit the lemon and olive grove, and learn the secrets of making the tasty limoncello liqueur.
- A light lunch will follow.
- 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.
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Day Three
- 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.
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Day Four
- 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.
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Day Five
- 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.
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This evening, your third cooking lesson, followed by dinner based on your efforts.
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Day Six
- 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.
(Please note that in the event of bad weather,
Capri excursion will be replaced by an alternate excursion.)
- Return to the hotel and prepare your own pizza dough. Time to relax while it rises!
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Pizza dinner tonight at the hotel.
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Day
Seven
- Breakfast and departure from the hotel to the Naples airport or train station
for those ending the six-night program.
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Please note: this program requires a deposit of US$1000 per person.
Six-night program:
US$3875 per person based on double occupancy
US$550 Single supplement
US$3250 Low season (March, April, October and November, excluding Dec. 24-Jan. 2 and Easter week)
US$625 per person Upgrade to junior suite
US$1000 per person Upgrade to penthouse suite
Four-night program:
US$3250 per person based on double occupancy
US$2800 Low season (March, April, October and November, excluding Dec. 24-Jan. 2 and Easter week)
US$400 Single supplement
US$500 per person Upgrade to junior suite
US$850 per person Upgrade to penthouse suite
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Join a week others have confirmed:
May 23-29
July 10-16 (Saturday to Friday)
July 18-24
October 5-11 (Tuesday to Monday)
Available any other week April through October on request.
Unavailable: April 25-May 1, June 1-27.
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Six nights accommodations double occupancy with ensuite bathroom
- Arrival transfer from Naples airport around 12:00 noon and from Naples train station (Napoli Centrale)
around 2:30 pm (transfer times may vary slightly week to week, please
contact us before you finalize your travel itinerary).* If you cannot make the regular transfer times, a special transfer can be arranged at the cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Eu per car if after 6:00 pm), payable directly to the hotel. Please inquire for details.
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Return transfer to Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) or airport around 10 am
the day of departure. If you need to schedule an earlier transfer, it will be at an additional
cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Euro per car if pickup is before 8:00 am), payable directly to the hotel. Please inquire for details.
- Daily breakfast
- Six dinners
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Two lunches, including one tasting lunch after the cheese demonstration
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Local wine, water and coffee with all included meals
(Please note that other beverages and drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
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Three hands-on cooking lessons
- Excursions and food artisan visits
- Transportation
- Taxes and service charges
During Low Season itinerary items may be switched to take advantage of daylight hours.
*Should you wish to take a scenic
helicopter ride from Naples, passing over Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, the
hotel has a helicopter pad on which to land. Please inquire for prices and details. |
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