My book group of eight women needs ideas for a trip to celebrate our 25th year. We would like a house in a lovely spot with a kitchen, in an interesting area. We are all interested in cooking so a day or so of cooking lessons/ excursions might be fun. We would need at least 4 bedrooms. We are thinking of October of '06 so we have some time to plan.

Any particular country?

First let me urge you to re-post this question with a message header that asks for what you are actually seeking: "Looking for a house, suitable for eight, with options for cooking lessons in the vicinity".

That said, you might look at the apartment La Contessa at Fattoria Camporomano, a 500 year-old country estate. See http://www.domani-usa.com/lucca/camporomano/index.htm

There is the possibility of cooking school at nearby Toscana Saporita; more info at http://www.domani-usa.com/activities...king/index.htm - - it appears that normally are booked for week-long school for all of October, but might offer single-day lessons during the period Oct 31-Nov 6 (these are based on 2004 schedules; don't know about 2005, let alone 2006).

If this doesn't seem like a match for you, consider contacting the owner of domani-usa.com (Larry Haase) directly by telephone. Nice guy, tell him I said hello.

Best wishes,

Rex Bickers

I know Italy always sounds good, but you may want to consider the Basque Country in October 06, especially when it comes to cooking. Basque cuisine is undoubtedly the most noted cuisine in Europe today. There are dozens and dozens of great country homes in the Basque Country to choose from, and with the right connections, an introduction to one or more of the most noted chefs working today.

If you consider the Basque region, you might be interested in this month's publication of www.francemonthly.com. Patricia Wells has a cooking school at her residence in Provence. I think it is quite expensive. She suggests living quarters for her students.
Boots

Oh boy, I can see a group of women in Tuscany! ( or was that a movie already) LOL
I do think Italy is a lovely idea, shopping in the markets, cooking lessons..that time of year would be so beautiful!
Or Provence
What a fun idea! Is it too late to join?

How about Umbria? Or the Dordogne?

These are some programs that might fit your requirements to varying degrees:

Very good cooking classes (with interesting regional cooking history) with a well known Sicilian cook (classes of various lengths from 1/2 day to weeks) in her house in a town near Mt. Etna (Sicily). I don’t think excursions are included, though, except possibly cooking-related ones. http://www.cucinadelsole.it/idgtweb/...eWWW)/ChiSiamo

Tour of both the Dordogne and Provence, with excurisons to places of interest and strong focus on cooking (shopping for ingredients in markets, cooking together in kitchen of each house), stay split between two country houses, one in the Dordogne one in Provence. http://www.amoveablefeast.net/

Cooking and/or French language classes while staying in a chateau in Burgundy. I don’t think tours are included, and I don’t personally know anyone who has done this one. http://www.frenchcourses.com/ http://www.3ponts.edu/cooking/

Very good tours in Italy, a few of them with a slight culinary focus, but not staying in houses with your own kitchen: http://www.italian-connection.com/

For some reading fun before you go, a book that's set in the Dodorgne is A Castle in the Backyard about a couple of UWisconsin professors who bought a getaway there (Who knows...maybe they'll rent it to you!)

Great recommendation tuckerd!