Experience Italy 12 Day Tour Program 2011

Trip to Italy with Italy 4 Real! Travel packages, Italy Sightseeing, Escorted & Group Tours to Italy

A journey through Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Sicily. This tour features of all of the major sites and areas of Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Amalfi in 12 days. This tour features the major cites of Venice, Florence, Rome as well as the highlights of the Amalfi Coast such as Sorrento & Capri. A fantastic value!

Itinerary

Experience Italy 12-Day Quick View

Customer Experience: SmileSmileSmileSmile Smile(5 out of 5)

Customer Review: "What a great trip! it was the perfect balance between pace and locations" - Charles R.


This tour begins and ends in Rome
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Day 1 Highlights: Arrival to Rome, Welcome to Italy, Relax & Unpack!

DAY 1: Arrival to Rome – Welcome to Italy!

RomeWelcome to Italy! Arrive to your hotel or add the optional airport transfer. Check into your hotel and relax. The first day in Europe is what we call the “Jetlag Day” where all you are to do is unpack and relax.

Today is your day to arrive, get over the long flight and just enjoy the fact that you have just begun your well needed vacation to Italy. Stroll the streets around your hotel for a cocktail, find a local artist studio to look over the latest Roman art or just find a piazza and people watch; the choice is yours!
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Day 2 Highlights: Assisi, Basilica of St. Francis, Siena, Piazza del Campo, Florence

DAY 2 – Umbria to Tuscany

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner
Fuel your full day of sightseeing with pastries, juice, authentic italian espresso andAssisimore at your hotel’s included continental breakfast. Then board your deluxe motor coach for the scenic drive to Assisi, with time at leisure to explore this medieval city. It is the birthplace of St. Francis and is still surrounded by its ancient walls.

We suggest you visit the Basilica of Saint Francis with its early Renaissance masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue. Lunch is at your leisure. You will then proceed to Siena to take in views of the town square, Piazza del Campo, where the world-famous horse race, the Palio, takes place every year.

Also see the elegant Palace and the Cathedral. Reach your hotel in glorious Florence, the capital of Tuscany, in time for an included, multi-course dinner featuring Italian specialties—an ideal time to get to know your fellow travelers.
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Day 3 Highlights: Florence, The Duomo, Campanile Tower, Santa Croce

Day 3 – The City of Art – Florence!

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner
FlorenceToday’s sightseeing tour is dedicated to exploring Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance.

Visit the beautiful Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John, Campanile Tower, and Santa Croce, the 13th-century Franciscan church with Cimabue’s famous crucifix just to name a few.

Lunch is on your own; perhaps sit at an outdoor café for a typical Italian mid-day meal. Be sure to save room for some exquisite gelato! With your afternoon at leisure, you may want to check out the many shops and stalls at the Ponte Vecchio, where you can browse for Italian leather goods and other souvenirs.

Your afternoon is free or you may join an optional tour to see Pisa. Meet back at your conveniently located hotel for an included dinner tonight.

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Day 4 Highlights: Bologna, Padova, Venice

Day 4 – Tuscany, Heartland and Venice

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner
Enjoy your breakfast and prepare for a full day of exploring. It’s on to Bologna for aBolognavisit to the city.

Visit the city’s historical center, Neptune Square and Major Square, King Renzo’s Palace , Podesta Palace and The Basilica of San Petronio to name a few. Lunch is at your leisure and the afternoon is yours to explore.

Later we will continue Padova for a visit to the Basilica of Saint Antonio and then on to the city of bridges; Venice, with its romantic canals, in time for dinner at your hotel.
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Day 5 Highlights: Venice, St Marks Square, Doges Palace, Glass Factory

Day 5 – The City of Bridges – Venice!

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner
VeniceGood morning! As you rise and shine in Venice, the smell of fresh espresso and pastries fill the air.

Today you get to learn about glorious Venice, with its 177 islands, 150 canals and 400 bridges. Venice is your playground this morning; sightseeing includes the famous St. Mark’s Square (watch out for pigeons!) and the ornate Doge’s Palace (outside), once home to the aristocrats of Venice, Bridge of Sighs and more! Also stop at a glass factory where authentic, hand-blown Murano glass is made. Centuries ago, the glassmakers who lived on the small island of Murano were known the world over for their art, even rising to Venice’s upper-class because of their extraordinary talents.

With the afternoon at leisure, you may want to linger over lunch at a sidewalk café—be sure to try some gelato! Or perhaps take a ride in a traditional, hand-built gondola—after all; an authentic gondola ride on Venice’s canals just may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Don’t forget dinner is included tonight as well.

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Day 6 Highlights: Tuscany, Chianti, Montepulciano, Rome

Day 6 – Tuscan Wine Country

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing
Enjoy your breakfast and prepare for your departure to the heart of Tuscany’s wineTuscanycountry. First stop of the day is the Chianti region. Chianti is world known for its landscape and wine.

Located between Siena and Florence, Chianti is synonymous to fine Tuscan wines. The town we choose to visit in Chianti is Montepulciano which is widely known for its famous Brunello red. You will have plenty of time to visit the local wine shops for tastings, photos of the wine barrels and rolling Tuscan countryside. Later in the afternoon we continue to the capitol of Italy; Rome!

This tour includes our free TRIP PAK which has over $50 in free maps, sightseeing, dining and regional guides. Your TripPak will show you plenty of things to do during your free time when you arrive to Rome!

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Day 7 Highlights: Rome, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain

Day 7 – All Roads Lead to Rome!

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing
RomeSip your espresso, take another bit of the fresh fruit and enjoy your breakfast because today you will walk the capital city and learn firsthand the history of Rome. A walking tour of the city will introduce you to Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon , Piazza Navona and end in San Pietro Basilica. Now that you have a basic understanding of the layout of the historical center, the remainder of the day and evening are yours to explore, relax and soak it all in.

Ask your Travel Expert about some of the great optional tours you can experience while in Rome such as renting a Vespa scooter or wine tasting at the International Academy of Wine. Italy4Real has dozens of great things to do!

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Day 8 Highlights: Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Sorrento

Day 8 – Bay of Naples, Pompeii & The Amalfi Coast!

+ Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner
PompeiiBoard your coach this morning as it whisks you south along the “sun route” motorway, driving through the regions of Lazio and Campania—you’ll have a great view of the Abbey of Montecassino along the way.

Upon arrival in Naples, take a short panoramic coach tour of this city rich in history. You’ll see the fishing port of Mergellina; Castel dell’Ovo (“Egg Castle”), built in the 1st century; Piazza del Plebiscito, the main square in Naples; the 18th-century Royal Palace; and the Maschio Angioino, also known as the Castel Nuovo (“New Castle”), a 13th-century home for royalty.

Stop for lunch on your way to Pompeii to visit the excavations of the Roman city that was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 A.D. It was covered in ash for hundreds of years until the ancient city was uncovered in 1748. Because the city was so well preserved, it gives archeologists—and visitors—an unusual peek into the daily life of Romans in the 1st century.

Leave Pompeii and drive along the coast to arrive in Sorrento in time for dinner. Once you arrive to Sorrento you have made it to the crown jewel of the Amalfi Coast. Take a stroll to Piazza Tasso and have a cocktail!

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Day 9 Highlights: Sorrento

Day 9 – The Famous Town of Sorrento

+ Included: Breakfast and Dinner

SorrentoSorrento is famous for the production of limoncello, an alcoholic digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. Other agricultural production includes citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives. Wood craftsmanship is also developed.

There are so many grand things to do from strolling down Via del Corso to the main square to exploring the many local shops for a gift for someone back home.

No matter your choice you will have a great time in Sorrento!

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Day 10 Highlights: Capri, Blue Grotto, Rome

Day 10 – The Amalfi Island - Capri

+ Included: Breakfast and Sightseeing
CapriAfter you enjoy a wonderful breakfast, board a ferryboat to the lovely resort island of Capri, where, weather and sea conditions permitting, you’ll visit the Blue Grotto in small rowing boats.

This sea cave appears to be lit from the bottom of the ocean, and gives off a mystical fluorescent-blue hue. Eat lunch with the group, and then it’s time to explore Capri on your own.

You may want to visit San Michele’s gardens, for a bird’s-eye-view of the island. In the late afternoon, return to your lovely hotel in Sorrento. The evening is yours in Sorrento.

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Day 11 – All Roads Lead to Rome!

+ Included: Breakfast, Transfer & Hotel

RomeAfter you enjoy a wonderful breakfast it’s time to explore Capri at your leisure.

You may want to visit San Michele’s gardens, for a bird’s-eye-view of the island. In the late afternoon, return to your lovely hotel in Rome.

The evening is yours in Rome so make sure you visit Piazza Navona where Rome’s artists come out at night to display their works.

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Day 12 – From Rome to Home!

+ Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, bid arrivederci to your fellow travelers. No matter what your travel plans, the experts at Italy 4 Real can help you with the arrangements.

We recommend adding optional airport transfers to make arriving and departing a breeze.

End of tour.

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Departure Dates 2011: STATUS : ALL DATES AVAILABLE -BOOKING NOW

Get a airfare quote   today

2011
April03, 10, 17, 24
May01, 06, 08, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29
June03, 05, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26
July01, 03, 08, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31
August05, 07, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28
September02, 04, 09, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30
October02, 07, 09, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30

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Recommended Extra:

Airport Transfer from the airport to your hotel and back.
Go to our
AIRPORT TRANSFERS PAGE after booking and add your transfer today!

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Tour Map

This tour includes the following extras at no charge!

Extras at no chargeOur Exclusive TRIP PAK™ that contains over $50 in maps, local and regional travel guides, travel tips, city information, dining suggestions, sightseeing suggestions and more all developed by our staff of Travel Experts and guides to make your trip more enjoyable.

No other company give you so much!

24 Hour HelpAccess to our 24 hour CRS System™
(Client Response System) where you will have access to your personal Travel Expert for questions or assistance during your trip.

Peace of mind while traveling makes your trip better!

Local-AssistThis program includes our Local-Assist™ local assistance service. You will have access to our local representative in Italy by phone or in person for any assistance needed.

Only Italy 4 Real offers a real person at your destination for help or questions!

How to Book:

Visit: http://www.italy4real.com/index.php?mainpage=products_info&pID=113

Have a Questions Now?

Live Chat - ONLINE Click LIVE CHAT Icon to speak to one of our Travel Experts!

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Venice People Watching


People watching is a national pastime in Europe. Café’s, steps, fountains all stage tourists, writers and artists from all over the world who love to people watch.

Venice being 100% tourism boats some of the best people watching around. As I am a guide and take my clients through Italy several times per year I have discovered some great people watching locations and I think I may have found the perfect one.

The Gondola station named Bacino Orseolo which sits between the front of the new Hard Rock Café and the landmark Hotel Cavalletto is by far one of the best spots in the city.

The trick is to go into the Hotel Cavalletto into the bar where you have comfortable chairs and large windows that open at almost water level.

There you can sit in comfort sipping a cocktail and watching the world float by your window. The sounds of accordions echo through the small bay as hundreds of people line up to go on the typical Gondola ride in Venice.

A bonus is to see the throngs of people who line up to go into the new Hard Rock Café which opened here in 2009. Together these two major spots located just one street from St. Mark’s Square give the people watcher hours of enjoyment.

When you come to Venice make sure you take the time to cool off and rest your feet at one of the most prominent people watching spots in the city at the Bacino Orseolo Gondola Station.

If you are going to Italy; let us help; submit your request here: http://italy4real.com/italy-customized-tours.php

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Travel 4 Real is DMC (Destination Management Company) and tour operator committed to providing you with the highest quality and most unique travel experience available. Travel 4 Real LLC is the parent company of some of the most unique travel brands available.

Each travel resource is a dedicated treasure trove of information, services and solutions for any travel need. Each brand offers completely customizable travel solutions, escorted tours and detailed information to research the perfect trip.


Travel 4 Real corporate philosophy is to provide the public and corporate sectors with destination management, event planning and travel resources through our network of travel brands.

Travel 4 Real practices and promotes the Global Code of Ethics of Tourism which has official recognition by the UN General Assembly through its resolution A/RES/56/212.

Travel 4 Real’s dedicated tourism resources are committed to the sustainable development of tourism for all. It is our obligation to provide tourists with objective and honest information on our places of destination and on the conditions of travel, hospitality and stays and that we ensure that the contractual clauses proposed to our customers are readily understandable as to the nature, price and quality of the services we provide.

Year Created: 1995

Services:
Hotels: 1-5 stars
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Our locations include: Europe, North & South America

Italy Regions Interactive Map - Great for Research!

Italy has 20 regions. Each Italy region is almost its own world with each Italy region having its own wine, pasta, customs and language dialects. Each trip to Italy should begin with looking at what Italy regions you want to visit. Many of Italy’s regions are famous for specific things like wine, cheese, meats, history and events. Some of the more popular Italy regions are Tuscany which is famous for wine and the capital city of Florence, Umbria is another popular Italy region that is known for towns like Cortona which was featured in the major motion picture “Under the Tuscan Sun.” The capital of Italy; Rome is located in the Italy region of Lazio. Venice the city of bridges is in the Italy region of Veneto. You can use the interactive Italy region map below to find out more about the cities, cultures and foods of each of Italy’s 20 regions.

Follow the link to use the new Italy Region Interactive Map!

First woman joins official ranks of Venice's gondoliers

First lady joins official ranks of Venice's gondoliers

14 August 10 23:30 ET
Gondola in Venice (file photo)

Authorities in Italy's lagoon city of Venice have granted a full licence to a female gondolier for the first time.

Mother-of-two Giorgia Boscolo, 24, whose father was also a gondolier, passed a year-long series of practical and written tests.

Mrs Boscolo joins the hitherto all-male Venetian gondoliers' guild and can now officially row tourists through the city's narrow canals.

She hopes to have her own gondola tied up in front of St Mark's Basilica.

Venice deputy mayor Sandro Simionato admitted there had been "excessive male domination" inside the 425-strong gondoliers' guild, which jealously guards its ancient traditions and skills.

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Source: BBC

Book your trip to Venice here http://www.italy4real.com/

Dine like a Hillbilly in North Carolina

I drove right by it; not once but twice. I thought, "That's a house; anything but a restaurant." At first glance it looks like a country home complete with rocking chairs and hanging plants but a small simple sign reads: "Hillbilly Hide –A-Way Restaurant".

Located between two of North Carolina's triad cities, Winston-Salem and Greensboro, the remote location fits with the Hide-A-Way name.

Once you park and as you open the thin white screen door you still have the I'm-walking- into-someone's-house feeling in your head until you go through an entry way and into the main dining hall.

This is North Carolina's rustic country atmosphere at its absolute best. Once you pass through the doorway you are transported back to the days of the honky tonk and that "ya'all come on in now and have yourself some supper" southern welcome.

Exposed log cabin interior with family photos, bicycles, framed country art, signature graffiti, and checkerboard plastic table cloths from childhood picnics long gone are all alive and well covering over a dozen tables.

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The simple and welcoming interior

The staff is perfectly typical. Friendly, welcoming and genuine; something that more and more restaurants are forgoing for city center locations and young reality show wannabe wait staff in matching outfits.

A beverage cart pushed by the sister of the owner pulls up to the table with 12-can fridge packs of soda on the bottom and homemade sweet tea riding high served in the finest styrofoam tall-boy cups.

No order taking, no menu passing, no today's special recital just a three-tiered cart filled with the freshest southern comfort food you have ever had the joy to lay your eyes on just rolled up. Not even a choice is given... you get it all.

Mismatched muted green, yellow and orange bowls (the kind you would eat from when you were a kid) fill the table. Each vessel of southern goodness is filled with the likes of creamed potatoes, sweet corn, fresh green beans (southern style with bacon grease, of course) fluffy corn bread, the meatiest, richest meatloaf you have ever had and baked apples. Next, the meat baskets arrive each filled with salty country ham and perfectly cooked fried chicken.

My four-year-old daughter born and raised in the eco-green-no-MSG-not-too-much-sugar Seattle correctness is across the table scarfing creamed potatoes and country ham at a rate that makes the BP oil leak seem like a trickle.

The next minutes, hours and seconds are spent in conversation, a dance of flavors and a myriad of "mmmms" as each bite is savored. As your belly becomes Thanksgiving Day uncomfortable you begin to wonder how this special place came to be.

Once there was a man named Sam who liked to play country music for his friends (gathering folks in your home and playing the simple, traditional tunes that many generations before passed down has been a southern tradition for decades).

Sam Bray was a working man and his passion was playing country music to almost anyone who would listen and because of his schedule he could only play on weekends. Sam's wife; Louise was also getting on his case because the people who gathered to hear Sam play would trash the furniture, eat them out of house and home and basically were a nuisance; in a "ya'll come back now ya' hear" kind of way.

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It's not a house, it's The Hillbilly Hide-A-Way!
In 1978 they opened the restaurant so Sam could play his music, people could eat and Sam's wife would not have to worry about telling folks to get their feet off the couch.

Since then the Hillbilly Hide –A-Way Restaurant has continued its weekend-only hours along with live country music on Saturday's. It's known by patrons from around the world for its honest, carefully prepared southern comfort food.

Hillbilly Hideaway
4365 Pine Hall Road
Walnut Cove, NC 27052
336-591-4861

If you would like to plan a trip to North Carolina, contact
Travel 4 Real
1-800-554-5170
info@travel4real.com

Beach Town on Washington's Coast Well Worth The Visit

For Washington city dwellers looking for a beach weekend, look no further than Ocean Shores; a six mile long peninsula with two fresh water lakes, an old growth forest in the city center and over 250 different species of birds. Located 134 miles – about 2 hours 39 mins – west of Seattle the sparse beach town is known for its summer kite festival and its main attraction, six miles of sandy beaches that allow car access.

The family friendly town offers several places to stay, most being simple motels and vacation rentals. Touted as the #1 hotel in Ocean Shores, we chose the Shilo Inn to bring our family (the two of us, our preschooler and our 80lb 12 year-old Golden Retriever named Rico Suave.

At first glance the Shilo Inn, Ocean Shores (707 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, Tel: 360-289-4600 360-289-4600 ) http://www.shiloinns.com pleases with 113 deluxe two room suites, each with balcony facing the ocean. The rooms are spacious and offer the basic mini fridge, sink, microwave and coffee maker combo. Electric fireplace, good bed presentation with big pillows and a nice touch, an extra sink outside the bathroom for quick wash-ups.

The inn offers some guest services that you would not expect to see in a small hotel chain such as fitness center with wet and dry sauna, indoor heated pool that is actually a decent size, business center and guest laundry. Our Golden Retriever, Rico, was welcomed with open arms, a per night fee and grounded to only first floor rooms which limits the view from the balcony.

The restaurant is actually very good with breakfast being a hit for our family. The eggs were perfectly cooked, pancakes tall and fluffy and coffee/juice was fresh and delicious. Another big bonus of the restaurant was the waitress who had lived locally for 15 years and gave us local tourist information of the caliber of any visitor center or concierge.

The beach was just a few feet from the hotel with foot and car access. The town is filled with small independent shops and restaurants. An Ocean Shores pastime is kite flying and a two-time world champion kite team has a shop in town. Stop by Cutting Edge Kites (676 Ocean Shores Blvd NW Tel: 360-289-0667 360-289-0667 ) http://www.cuttingedgekites.com to pick up a kite and get some professional flying tips.

For eating in I recommend the Shilo Inn restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For eating out there are a few great choices that will please any budget or picky eater.

The best pizza in town is found at Dugan's Pizza (‎690 Ocean Shores Blvd. Tel: 360-289-2330 360-289-2330 ). The simple looking establishment cranks out glorious pies, packed with fresh toppings ‎and perfectly cooked.

Many times beach side pubs are beer joints that are perfect for that get- sunburn -get -beer cycle but not so great for families with kids. A family friendly Irish pub with good food can be found at Galway Bay Irish Restaurant, Pub and Gift Shop‎ (880 Point Brown Avenue Northeast Tel: 360-289-2300 360-289-2300 ) http://www.galwaybayirishpub.com . Live music on weekends and a family section with chalk board table to keep the kiddies busy was just perfect. The extensive menu featured traditional Irish fare such a Sheppard's pie or local favorites such as award-winning clam chowder served with hot Irish soda bread.

After a few days exploring the beach by foot, dune buggy, scooter or with your own car you will be ready to relax, lounge and eat. Ocean Shores offers visitors nature, simple beach life, good food and decent accommodations that will turn any simple weekend getaway into a surprising success.

Ocean Shores Summer Events (source www.tourismoceanshores.com)

Kite Challenge
Saturday, June 5 - Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sponsored by "Team Cutting Edge Kites" - 2005 & 2006 World Champions. Free kite flying lessons, stunt competitions, fun flies, displays and more. Come to the beach and watch the sky come to life with hundreds of colorful kites!

Sand and Sawdust Festival
Friday, June 25 - Sunday, June 27, 2010

Five Star Dealerships Sand and Sawdust Festival welcomes you to the beach! Master, Intermediate, & Novice Sand-Sculpting teams compete for over $5,000.00 in cash prizes.

For help in planning a trip to Ocean Shores or the Pacific Northwest call 1-800-554-5170 1-800-554-5170 or 425-355-3700 425-355-3700 . Send an email to info@travel4real.com

http://www.travel4real.com

A journey to Italy with La Spiga 2010

A journey to Italy with La Spiga 2010

La Spiga Restaurant in Seattle has partnered with Italy 4 Real; the leading provider of boutique travel to Italy for a journey through the food, history and culture of Italy.

The program was personally designed by co-owner Pietro Borghesi to bring you to the ancient places of his family to experience first hand the recipes, towns and people that made La Spiga famous.

Experience Parma, Rimini, San Marino, Bologna, just to name a few; and enjoy cooking lessons, wine tastings and the finest foods Italy has to offer.

Renowned for its Northern Italian cuisine, La Spiga is authentic enough in both food and ambience to make you feel a wave of nostalgia, even if you’ve never been to Emilia-Romagna. Chef and co-owner Sabrina Tinsley crafts the Romagnola cuisine to make it genuine, yet hers alone. Using the very finest ingredients, menus are changed seasonally to reflect what is freshest in local markets. As co-owner and host Pietro Borghesi says, “An evening at La Spiga is like dining in Italy — without the plane fare.”

The osteria is named for la spiga di grano (a shaft of wheat), the symbol of fertility, harvest and good fortune. It’s the essential ingredient of the pasta and quintessential Romagna peasant bread made daily on the premises. The piadina flatbread is served warm and luscious: crisp on the outside and soft inside, it warrants a visit in itself.



When: September 28 - October 9, 2010

Where: Central Italy - Parma, Rimini, San Marino, Bologna, just to name a few

Cost: From $2,992 per person/double occupancy
see pricing chart


Questions: 1-800-554-5170 or info@italy4real.com



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The Program


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September 28, 2010 - Arrival to Italy - Milan Airport to Parma

Included today: airport transfer, 4 star hotel, welcome drink, multi course welcome dinner.

About Parma: Parma, city of traditional aristocratic cultures, rich with preciouys works of art and a capital city in its past, famous for its most illustrious children and for artists who work within her-from Benedetto Antelami to Salimbene, from Correggio to Parmigianino, from Bodoni to Verdi and Toscanini, from Stendhal to Proust- is totally unlike any of the many beautiful cities that attract visitors to Italy.

Today's Events: Day 1

Arrival of the group in Milan. Pick up by private bus driver and departure for Parma. Arrival and check in at the 4 -Star Hotel Farnese in the centre of Parma. Accomodation and welcome drink. Time for you to relax and get familiar with this lovely art town. Welcome dinner in a traditional Trattoria and overnight stay.

About the Hotel Farnese: The recently renovated and upgraded 4-star hotel has always been one of Parma’s most cutting-edge. Its close location to the historical centre means guests can reach Parma’s Ospedale Maggiore, the Tardini Stadiumv, the Law Courts, all the museums, the Regio Theatre and the Paganini Auditorium from the hotel in just a few minutes.


September 29, 2010 - Giuseppe's Home & The King of Cheeses

Included today: minibus transfer, private cheese factory visit and private tasting, multi course lunch, private guided tour of Parma city centre, 4 star hotel.

Today's Events: Day 2

After breakfast, departure by private minibus to visit an amazing cheese factory of Parmigiano Reggiano. The visit will be extremely interesting: from the delivering of milk to the working and transformation of the traditional forms, to the salting and aging phase. This visit will last almost the entire morning and will conclude with a taste of this delicious cheese, famous in the whole world. Back to Parma where you will have lunch in one of the ancient “SALSAMENTERIE” in the town center.

After lunch, meet with your guide for a walking tour of this elegant city, little known by tourists, but loved for its excellent food. You will visit the Palazzo Ducale, the Palazzo della Pilotta, the Teatro Regio and Teatro Farnese, the enchanting Cathedral and Baptistery, etc. The itinerary led by the guide will explain artistic highlights, as well as eno-gastronomic details. Rest of the afternoon free for individual activities and dinner.


September 30, 2010 - The Culatello Experience!

Included today: minibus transfer, ham factory visit and private tasting, tasting lunch, private guided tour of Busseto, Balsamic Vinegar tour and tasting, multi course tasting dinner, 4 star hotel.

Today's Events: Day 3

Enjoy a lovely breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to a local ham factory producing the famous “culatello”. You will enjoy a private tasting and educational tour of Culatello making. During the visit to the maturing factory the visitors will learn that winter mist and humid cellars are essential elements for a good maturing process After the visit and the tasting competition, you will have the opportunity to taste all kinds of salted meats produced by the factory during your pleasant tasting lunch that will complete your visit.

Early in the afternoon transfer to Busseto. The Parma province is known as The Food Valley of Italy. It represents the motherland of a the greatest composer of Italy, Giuseppe Verdi, who wars born in Roncole di Busseto. This afternoon you will travel back in time by visiting his home, St. Agata , the Teatro Verdi and the Casa Museo Barezzi devoted to the artist's life.

Later in the afternoon departure for the area of Modena. The excursion will continue with the visit the ancient “Acetaia Pedroni” www.acetaiapedroni.it producing the renowned Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP – There you will meet the owner who will introduce you to the world of balsmic vinegar and its secrets. The day will end with a delicious early tasting dinner based on Aceto balsamico matched with traditional dishes. Back to Parma and overnight stay.


October 1, 2010 - Cervia & Milano Marttima

Included today: minibus transfer, tour of La Rocca di Fontanellato, 4 star hotel.

About Cervia: The Municipality of Cervia is located in Emilia Romagna, on a wonderful part of the Adriatic coast, 20km south of Ravenna. Its 10km shore characterised by fine sandy beaches and shallow water provides the setting for the resorts of Cervia, Milano Marittima, Pinarella and Tagliata. The office of Fondazione Cervia Ambiente was established here in 1973 for the improvement and protection of the environment. Cervia , the antique city of salt, is not just a seaside resort, but also a town steeped in culture and history. By strolling around the centre you will discover the charm of a city which was completely reconstructed brick by brick at the end of the XVII century. Milano Marittima is an exclusive and renowned resort on the Adriatic Riviera. In recent years it has become 'the place to be' for even the most demanding tourists.

Today's Events Day 4

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, check out and depart for Fontanellato before leaving for the coast, to visit one of the jewels of this area, La Rocca di Fontanellato. It rises high above the town centre surrounded by a wide moat. It contains a precious treasure, one of the masterpieces of Italian Mannerism, the room painted by Parmigianino in 1524 depicting the myth of Diana and Actaeon. The aristocratic apartment of the Sanvitale counts, who held the fortress until 1948, is still intact, with furniture and furnishings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, portraits of various members of the family and frescoes and paintings by Felice Boselli.

The piazza still retains the charm of the Po Valley village, and from the ‘Camera Ottica’ it is still possible to secretly observe life there, as the fortress governors once did, thanks to an ingenious system of lenses and prisms. Lunch in a local nice trattoria. At the end of the visit departure for Cervia. Accomodation in your GRAND HOTEL GALLIA - in Milano Marittima. Dinner on your own and overnight stay.

About the Grand Hotel Gallia: The Grand Hotel Gallia has an excellent location, just a few metres away from the sea and from the Milano Marittima pinewood, an oasis of tranquillity and freshness. In just five minutes’ walk you can reach the centre of active social life and of the most famous and fashionable clubs and shops, and the convenience of having all the most interesting places at such a short distance makes this hotel one of the most famous ones in Milano Marittima.


October 2, 2010 - Ravenna

Included today: minibus transfer, guided winery visit and tasting, light lunch, private guided tour of Ravenna, optional dinner, 4 star hotel.

About Ravenna: Ravenna is a treasure chest of art, history and culture of the highest order, a city with ancient origins and a glorious past and capital three times, of the Western Roman Empire, of King Theodoric of the Goths and of the Byzantine Empire in Europe. The basilicas and baptisteries of the city contain the richest heritage of mosaics dating from the 5th and 6th centuries and eight historic buildings included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. If Ravenna was the most important political and cultural centre of the West during the centuries that saw the decline of the Latin civilisation, it is no less important in later ages, from the archaeology of the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra to the vast Roman port of Classe. It is the city that guards the remains of Dante and keeps alive the memory of the great poet with important cultural events. The winding streets still reveal the past of a city built on a lagoon, the presence of water in the canals that cross it, closed during the period of Venetian rule and at the end of the fifteenth century opening the elegant space of Piazza Maggiore, now known as Piazza del Popolo.


Today's Events: Day 5

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. In the morning departure for your adventure. First stop at a local winery in the area of Bertinoro (province of Ravenna) where you will have a guided visit and tasting of the local wines. Lunch time will be spent at a local eatery that will host you for a light tasting lunch. After the visit depart for Ravenna for a guided visit of the town. After the tour enjoy some free time before going back to your hotel. This evening you can find your own dinner spot have a dinner at Pietro's favorite spot; the Restaurant la Frasca or Il Caminetto in Milano Marittina. Overnight stay.

October 3, 2010 - Repubblica di San Marino!

Included today: minibus transfer, free time in Rimini, multi-course lunch, private tour of San Marino, 4 star hotel.

About San Marino: The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. An enclave situated in central Italy, 15 km from the Romagna Riviera, the Republic sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano, a prominence which gives the first hint of the presence of the Central Apennine Mountains.


Today's Events Day 6

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. This morning will be spent in Rimini, hometown of the great film maker Fellini. Free time to look around the town centre than departure Santarcangelo di Romagna. This beautiful village is as small gem in the territory of Romagna. According to the legend, this would be the town where the tragedy of Paolo and Francesca (the 2 lovers described into the Divine Comedy by Dante) took place. The village is surrounded by an atmosphere out of time and you will be surprised by the visit of the ancient grottos located under the soil of the village. This will be an unique experience that will remain in your memory. Lunch at a famous Osteria - where the flavours of the “Cucina Romagnola” reach their highligh with fresh homemade pasta, piadine, rich sauces and delicious roast meat. After lunch, a nice walk in the centre is suggested than departure for S. Marino. Guided walking tour of the centre with time on your own to take picture from the top of the mountain, with an amazing view of the valley and the coast. Time for a nice shopping along the narrow streets. Arrival at your hotel late in the afternoon. Dinner on your own and overnight stay.

October 4, 2010 - Faenza

Included today: minibus transfer, private guided tour of Faenza, visit to ceramics workshop, winery and cellar visit, tasting lunch, multi-course seafood dinner, 4 star hotel.

Faenza: Brief Area History: Faenza, along the via Emilia, is an ancient Roman city. Only a few architectural examples remain of the medieval period, for example: St. Hippolytus and the churches of St. Maria Foris Portam and the Commenda. The same cannot be said for what was one of the brightest periods of Faenza during the dominion of the Manfredi family. In fact, a thriving era began with the rebuilding of the Cathedral in 1474, with the influence of Tuscan renaissance art. Artists such as Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano, Donatello, the Della Robbia, Biagio d'Antonio of Florence and others moved to Faenza to work. The Baroque period instead boasts many great architectural works that represent the current face of Faenza: the structure of the two main piazzas with fountain, the clock tower, the loggias and the arcade wings of the Palazzo del Comune (Town Hall) and the Palazzo del Podestà. Faenza's Ceramics: The ceramics of Faenza boasts a tradition of many centuries that also today continues to hold significant importance in artisan and industrial expression. The geographic location of the city makes it a meeting point between the Tuscan and Po cultures, becoming a ceramic centre of primary importance since the Middle Ages. The fame of these products of Faenza is such that the majolica is known throughout the world with the French name Faience.


Today's Events Day 7:

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Departure by private minibus to Faenza and guided visit of the town with a stop in a local workshop of ceramics where you can discover this ancient art that made Faenza famous around the world. At the end of the visit, departure for the coutryside to a local wine farm where you will have the chance to visit the wine cellars and have a delicious light tasting lunch of local delicacies. In the afternoon return to Cervia and free time for visiting and relax along the seaside. Dinner with seafood menu and overnight stay.

October 5, 2010 - Crossing the Apennies to the Spa!

Included today: minibus transfer, multi-course dinner, 4 star hotel.

Today's Events Day 8:

Buffet breakfast at your Hotel. Departure by private minibus to Bagno di Romagna, along the E45 speedway that crosses the Apennines chain. Arrival late in the morning and accommodation at the CASA PAOLO TEVERINI. Accommodation and time to enjoy the spa treatments offered by the property. Lunch on your own. Welcome dinner in the gourmet restaurant. Overnight stay.

About the Casa Paolo Teverini: Even though the exact date of foundation is unknown, there are written documents that it existed already in 1600 in the same position where it is now managed by the same family that still runs the business with big enthusiasm. Documents of the 18th century testify that the ancient inn included also a butchery with an attached stable for the change of the horses, the so called "posta". It was the only rest stop for travellers between Cesena and Florence. Nowadays the hotel became the destination of tourists that want to find the highest level of services but with a family management.

About the Spa: An extraordinary experience and a pleasant holiday during which all your senses will be involved by the perfumes, colors, and sweet notes of a relaxing and energizing environment where it is easy to relax and let yourself be fondled with many proposals for a holiday characterized by vitality, fun, and a healthy sport activity in a fairy-tale like landscape. On an ancient sea giving us ancient thermal waters, in the peacefulness of a hilly landscape...a place for senses, body, and mind welcoming you with the delicate perfume of flowers and essential oils, among murmured musical notes, where nature, science, and experience harmoniously mix... for a complete list of spa services just ask.


October 6, 2010 - Becoming a Chef!

Included today: minibus transfer, cooking course in Michelin Star restaurant, multi-course lunch, multi course candlelight dinner,4 star hotel.


Today's Events:

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. This morning will be devoted to the cooking class inside 1 Michelin star restaurant of Paolo Teverini with the pleasure to prepare a 3 course meal that you will enjoy for lunch. Rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy spa treatments, relax and enjoy all the plus of this lovely hotel in the silence of the nature. Candlelight dinner and overnight stay.


October 7, 2010 - Bologna

Included today: minibus transfer, guided tour of Bologna, tasting of area meats/cheeses, chocolate factory tour, visit of medieval market, multi course dinner, 4 star hotel.

Bologna: Brief Area History: The history of Bologna is so closely woven into its architectural structure that the monuments on the average tourist itinerary don’t even begin to tell the whole story. Visiting Bologna means losing yourself among the porticos and alleys, discovering stately old palazzi, and, yes, also visiting those monuments that have become the symbols of the city. The one real monument to Bologna is Bologna itself.


Today's Events Day 10:

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Departure for Bologna. Arrival and meeting with your guide for a panoramic walking tour of the centre. Accommodation at the centrally located Hotel TRE VECCHI . Time on your own for lunch. In the afternoon with your guide, you will continue the tour of the town visiting the historical “botteghe” (food shops) of the centre, where you can taste many traditional delicacies and have some sopping: the “drogheria “ (the spice shop), the “salsamentario” (sauces shop), the “sfogline” (the ladies who makes hand made pasta), the chocolate factory and final the fully coloured medieval market. Dinner in centre to have the first close encounter with the “Fat Bologna” through a traditional dinner . Overnight stay.

About Hotel Tre Vecchi: Your hotel is located on the main street of Bologna in an old building with a characteristic portico. Zanhotel Tre Vecchi is in the heart of the city centre and it is easily reached by any means Its 95 rooms are perfectly and elegantly furnished, all with air conditioning, satellite TV, PAY TV, Internet wi-fi, radio, minibar, and safe. A very rich hot buffet breakfast is served every morning into the characteristic dining room of the hotel.


October 8, 2010 - Tortellini's Passion!

Included today: minibus transfer, guided tour of oldest cooking school of Bologna, hands on cooking course, 3 course lunch, farewell dinner, 4 star hotel.

Today's Events Day 11:

Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Today you are going to prepare the true “Tortellini” in one of the oldest school of Bologna. So, after a nice welcome coffee break where you will be introduced to the “operations” and to the history of the school, you will take your place and start to prepare your handmade tortellini from the making of the dough, use of the roll, preparation of the filling and final creation of the so called “Venus’ navel” (3 hours class), followed by a delicious tasting of your masterpiece. Afternoon on your own for your last visits and shopping and farewell dinner in centre. Overnight stay.


October 9, 2010 - Arrivederci Italia!

Today's Events: Buffet Breakfast at our Hotel. Check out and departure for Milan by private coach. Transfer to Malpensa Airport and end of your trip.

Program Price Chart

20 Passengers: $2,992.00 (Euro 2217) per person

18 Passengers: $3137.00 (Euro 2324) per person

15 Passengers: $3341.00 (Euro 2475) per person

13 Passengers: $3594.00 (Euro 2662) per person

based on 1.35 Euro exchange.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: € 300



This Program Includes:

  • Deluxe 25 seat Minibus ad disposal for the described program,including arrival and departure transfer from Milano Malpensa

  • Check point fees, highway toll and driver’s lunch where necessary

  • 3 nights in classic double rooms at the B.W HOTEL FARNESE –5 stars – Parma, b&b accommodation

  • 4 nights in double deluxe rooms at the GRAND HOTEL GALLIA –

  • 4 star sup. – Milano Marittima – in b&b accommodation.

  • 2 nights in classic double rooms at the CASA PAOLO TEVERINI –

  • 4 stars - in Bagno di Romagna – in HB accommodation

  • 2 nights in classic double rooms at the HOTEL TRE VECCHI – 4 star – centrally located in Bologna – b&b accommodation

  • Welcome dinner in a traditional Trattoria in Parma

  • Lunch in a Salsamenteria in Parma

  • Lunch in a trattoria in Fontanellato area

  • Tasting lunch in a wine estate in Ravenna area

  • Lunch at La Sangiovesa in Santarcangelo di Romagna

  • Tastino lunch in a wine estate in the Faenza area

  • Dinner at the Circolo dei Pescatori in Cervia

  • 2 dinners at the Paolo Teverini hotel restaurants

  • Dinner in trattoria in Bologna

  • Farewell dinner in Bologna

  • Culatello experience in a local farm followed by tasting lunch including wines

  • Guided visit in a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory with tasting

  • Guided visit to a Balsamic Vinegard farm followed by tasting dinner

  • Guided visit and tasting in a wine estate in the Ravenna area

  • Guided visit in a ceramic workshop in Faenza

  • 3 hour hands on cooking class at the Paolo Teverini Hotel followed by buffet lunch

  • 3 hour hands on tortellini making class in Bologna followed by tasting lunch including wine

  • HD walking tour at: Parma – Busseto – Fontanellato – Ravenna – S. Marino – Santarcangelo – Faenza – Bologna

  • Our assistance on the spot.

About your stay at the Casa Paolo Teverini - The stay also includes:

  • Every day a rich buffet breakfast service with a selection of home-made items
  • 1 candlelight dinner to the Paolo Teverini Restaurant
  • 1 inviting and heady dinner to the "Pret à Porter" Restaurant with a 4 courses menu

The quote does not include:

  • Drinks during lunches/dinners where not indicated
  • Entrance tickets
  • Tips
  • Airfare
  • Everything not listed above

THE SELECTED HOTELS:

  • HOTEL FARNESE– PARMA
  • GRAND HOTEL GALLIA – MILANO MARITTIMA
  • CASA PAOLO TEVERINI – BAGNO DI ROMAGNA
  • HOTEL TRE VECCHI – BOLOGNA



Travel 4 Real Radio Show May 10th, 2010

This weeks radio show features how India's rare tigers are threatened by tourists who come to see the great beasts.

Also we cover the Lonely Planet Awards.

Listen in!

http://www.travel4realradio.com/Download/Travel4realradio_May_10_2010.mp3