Please join us for a pre-trip experience in beautiful Florence, Italy!
April 28 - May 1, 2022
At the beautiful Hotel L’ Orologio
PRICING
Pricing begins at 255 Euros per night including the following amenities:
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40 Euro Food & Beverage credit, per room, per stay
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Welcome bottle of Prosecco and seasonal fruits bowl
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Upgraded room at time of check-in when available
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Early check-in when available / Late check-out when available
TRIP DETAILS
April 28:
Check-in and day at leisure
Group dinner:
7 pm
Restaurant: https://www.belledonneosteria.it
Gluten Free Options available, just please advise any dietary needs.
Pre-fix Menu:
FIRST DISH
RAVIOLI RICOTTA CHEESE AND SPINACH WITH SAGE AND BUTTER
MAIN COURSE
MEATBALLS WITH MUSH POTATOES
OR
PARMIGIANA EGGPLANTS
DESSERT
TIRAMISU’
WATER
HOUSE WINE ¼ PP
COFFEE
EURO 35.00PP
April 29:
Private three-hour tour for our group that includes the following:
This Insider’s walk ends at the famed Galleria dell’Accademia where we will visit several of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, including the David. The walk covers Piazza Della Repubblica, the Duomo and the Baptistery, Orsanmichele, Palazzo Strozzi, Santa Trinita, Piazza Della Signoria, Loggia Dei Lanzi, Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi (exterior), Ponte Vecchio and the Accademia. Depending on special interests, we can pop into some of the smaller churches or side streets along the way.
Meet out our guide, Alexandria! Born in Alabama and raised in Northern California, I first moved to Florence in 1999 after a degree Political Science at the College of Charleston. I then studied Italian Literature—with an emphasis on Dante’s Purgatorio—at the graduate level, and completed an exciting 800-hour journey through Florence’s art and history to become a licensed guide for the city and province. I am the former Managing Editor of The Florentine news magazine, as well as a lecturer on contemporary Italian culture at several local American and British universities.
I am passionately enthusiastic about the city’s past and present and love to share my knowledge with short- and long-term visitors. I believe in sustainable travel, in taking a slower look and connecting with the history, art and culture of a place to create a meaningful experience that will hopefully ignite the desire to continue learning even after your trip is over. Beyond the museums and churches it is also about exploring the rhythms of life in contemporary Florence, which can often mean seeking out the city’s most unique cafes, eateries, bookshops, gardens, artisan workshops and more.
Constantly on the hunt for different ways to explore my city, I am always open to new ideas and itineraries. Please let me know what your special interests are and I will happily tailor a walk or a visit expressly for you.
Afternoon and evening at leisure.
April 30:
Private all-day tour beginning at 10 am that will include the following:
Local food tastings, olive oil tastings and a tour of the facility to learn how it is done, truffle education and tastings, wine tastings, a visit to the Gucci museum plus much more insider visits to the beautiful city of Florence.
Meet our wonderful, guide! Australian Lisa Brancatisano studied fashion design in Melbourne before deciding to travel to Italy to learn Italian at the age of 22. She fell in love with the city of Florence and stayed here for the next 2 years, learning how to paint watercolours which she would sell alongside the local street artists in the courtyard of the Uffizi gallery.
During her time in Italy, Lisa traveled to her father’s home-town of Motticella in Calabria, learning about her family's history as well as how to cook many traditional recipes.
She returned to Italy in 2006 and worked for a fashion distributor for the next 12 years, responsible for research, acquisition and marketing of new brands.
In 2016, she founded This Tuscan Life, a lifestyle magazine that celebrates the historic borgos, vineyards, talented artisans, festivals, traditional recipes, wines and cocktails of Tuscany. The printed magazine is distributed to 4 & 5 star hotels in Tuscany and available for sale in two bookshops in Florence. The digital version has been downloaded from her popular blog of the same name in Italy, America, Canada, the UK and Australia. Lisa now offers This Tuscan Life Experiences, including food, fashion and artisan walks.
May 1:
Depart for Venice to board the ship.
Pricing for both days of all-inclusive tours is 205 Euro per person. Dinners and other activities are on your own.