Ultimate Italy Culinary Vacation with Dorothy Tague 2024

Day One – Thursday, August 22

• Group pickup from the Naples airport around 10:00 am and transfer to Sant’Agata.
• Arrival at the charming Oasi Olimpia Relais.
• Time on your own. 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.
• We can also schedule a massage for you (at an additional cost) if you let us know in advance.
• Welcome dinner of local cuisine at the hotel’s elegant restaurant, Villa Oasi.

Day Two – Friday, August 23

• A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you.
• In the morning you will head to a local farm for an Amalfi Coast food tour, where they produce top quality local cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone, and caciotta. Visit the farm, meet the animals, and then settle in for a cheese-making demonstration! A light tasting lunch will follow, including the wonderfully fresh cheese and other products from the farm.
• Return to the hotel and enjoy a bit of free time – perhaps take a dip in the pool – before your first cooking lesson, which will include a gelato-making demonstration.
• Dinner to follow based on your culinary efforts.

Day Three – Saturday, August 24

• Fantastic buffet breakfast followed by your second cooking class, which will include step one of your limoncello class as well.
• After class, enjoy a light lunch and then depart for an exploration of the Amalfi Coast towns of Amalfi and Ravello.
• Your first stop will be for a local olive oil tasting.
• Next, Amalfi! 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. Next stop: Ravello, 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 and Villa Rufolo. You will have free time to explore both towns at your own pace.
• Return to the hotel with time to freshen up before dinner based on your morning culinary efforts with wine.
• Overnight.

Day Four – Sunday, August 25

• Breakfast.
• Today will be a visit to the enchanting isle of Capri, weather permitting.  You might visit the magical Blue Grotto (sea permitting), walk private paths past secluded villas, shop in Capri town or Anacapri, or book a boat ride around the island. You will have an English-speaking guide to help you with logistics, but transportation costs on the island are not included, to be paid locally.
• Today’s lunch on Capri will be on your own.
• Return to the hotel mid-afternoon, and enjoy a pizza-making class, as well as the conclusion of your limoncello making class.
• Pizza dinner to follow.

Day Five – Monday, August 26

• Buffet Breakfast.
• Time for one last walk into town or one last dip in the pool before packing up and departing around 10 am for the Naples train station.
• Arrive at the train station, and board your train for Bologna, departing Naples around 12:30 pm! The ride is around 3 1/2 hours.
• Afternoon arrival in Bologna and transfer to your hotel in the city center to check in. You will have a bit of time to stroll through this charming city on your own before meeting for your welcome dinner within walking distance of the hotel. You will discover quickly how the food of the Emilia Romagna region differs from the southern cuisine in Campania!
• Return on your own to the hotel. Overnight in Bologna.

Day Six – Tuesday, August 27

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• This morning, meet your guide at the hotel for your 3-hour guided tour of Bologna’s city center. It will be a cultural tour of the town with a main focus on food and lifestyle: you’ll stop at some traditional food shops and taste the local products such as typical cheese & cured meats, a fresh daily pasta (perhaps tortellini or tagliatelle, both common in Bologna), along with a glass of local wine. You will also learn about the legends, stories and jokes of Bologna.
• This afternoon, time to explore on your own. You might decide to shop or visit one of the city’s museums. Or you can hike through the famed porticos up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca – a quintessential Bolognese experience!
• This evening, enjoy a hands-on cooking class at a private home within walking distance of your hotel. You’ll learn how to make traditional Bolognese dishes (the focus will not be on pasta, as you’ll make Emilian pasta dishes later in the week).
• Dinner to follow with wine, then enjoy an evening stroll back to your hotel.
• Overnight in Bologna.

Day Seven – Wednesday, August 28

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• This morning head first to Modena, a city known for art, automobiles such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, music, and excellent food, including its famed balsamic vinegar.  Enjoy a 1 ½ hour guided tour of the famous and picturesque old town center. Sites you might explore include the Duomo, Palazzo Ducale, Piazza Grande and the Estense Gallery. Your tour will also include a focus on the town’s historical gourmet shops.
• Head to the nearby Ferrari museum for a short visit (1-1 ½ hour) of the museum focused on the life and work of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Ferrari sports car.
• Next, visit of a producer of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (the famed balsamic vinegar of Modena). Learn about this DOP product and enjoy a light lunch with a tasting of local products.
• Head to the Antica Corte Pallavicina, a beautiful country estate with a 700-year old castle, ancient farming techniques, a Michelin-star restaurant, and some of the most famous cured meats in the world. Featured on Top Chef season 17 (“All Stars”), it is a true paradise for foodies and cooks. Check in to your rooms.
• This evening, enjoy a pasta class featuring traditional Emilia pastas. Dinner to follow based on your efforts.
• Overnight at the Antica Corte Pallavicina.

Day Eight – Thursday, August 29

• Depart around 8am for a guided half-day gourmet tour. Head first to a local dairy farm, about 45 minutes away, where the famous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is produced, and have a tasting of this delectable cheese!
• Along the way stop to take some photos of the spectacular fifteenth-century Torrechiara Castle.
• Next, visit a local producer of the famed Prosciutto di Parma ham, and enjoy a tasting.
• After the Prosciutto visit, enjoy a short winery visit at a nearby winery, along with a three-course lunch with wine pairings.
• Next, head to Parma, a small but prosperous city full of old world charm and Romanesque buildings. Arrive around 3 pm and have a 2-hour guided tour of Parma’s old town center, including the Duomo (Cathedral), the pink-marbled Baptistry, and the Farnese Theater, among other local points of interest that make this city of art famous worldwide. Parma, although very well-known and very beautiful, is small, and you will have time to stroll through its picturesque streets for a bit of shopping.
• Return to the Antica Corte Pallavicina and time to freshen up for a tasting dinner at the Michelin-star restaurant.
• Overnight.

Day Nine – Friday, August 30

• This morning, head back into the kitchen to cook with the chefs of the Michelin-star restaurant, learning to make some of the restaurant’s iconic dishes.
• Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
• This afternoon have a short visit of the farm and museum to learn about the production of culatello, one of the most famous cured meats of Italy!
• Time after the tour to enjoy the grounds, take a walk through the forest, to pack, or to relax with a glass of wine.
• Dinner this evening with be a 3-course menu at a local restaurant about 500 meters from the property.

Day Ten – Saturday, August 31

• Check out and group transfer at 6:00 am to the Florence airport (arrival at airport around 9:30 am).