Help with planning a trip to Italy
 

I've barely finished my report from my last trip to Italy and now I am planning again!

My husband and I were going to go to another European country but we had some dear friends ask us to go with them to Italy. It has been their dream and they have asked me to take the lead in trip planning - although we will all have input. We have traveled with this couple before and it has gone well so I think we will have a great time.

The trip will be in May. We will have 11 days on the ground. Our friends are not art people. They like history and they LOVE food and cooking and wine. (so do we)

Questions:

Where would you go? They mentioned Rome and Tuscany. We are thinking three locations.

Where would you base in Tuscany?

Got any suggestions for cooking/food related things to do? I'm considering Minchelli's food tour in Rome that someone recently wrote about in a trip report. It sounded great. Other ideas? Suggestions for cooking classes? I want to really think through restaurants, etc. more than I have before.

My friend is crazy about fountains. Does anyone know of a fountains of Rome walk anywhere on the internet? I thought that would be a fun thing to do for her and an interesting way to see Rome. I can come up with one myself, but if one is already out there floating around I'd prefer not to reinvent.

I'll start there, but any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!

I am already excited to read your report of this trip. Your last one kept me coming back again and again. Good luck with your planning. My DH and I will be there in May as well!

thanks so much drchris! I hope that you and your husband have an amazing trip. I know you will.

I forgot to ask one of the most important questions. I'm thinking about going a week before the rest of the crowd to do an italian language class. Any suggestions about the best ones? Geared toward adults and I can only stay a week.

Look up annhig - she has done a few Italian courses and wrote excellent trip reports!

Here is one she did in Rome http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...an-in-rome.cfm

And one in Tuscany
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-tuscany.cfm

Thanks so much for linking those trip reports, jamikins! I had read the one about Rome, but not the one about studying in Tuscany. I think I would prefer to study in a smaller city. Il Sasso in Montepulciano sounds wonderful, but like Annhig mentioned in her Tuscany report - there is the problem of getting there. I don't really want to rent a car.

Very helpful!

For a different idea altogether, if you all like food and cooking and wine, then consider the Piemonte (the Piedmont), the Barolo wine region. I have never eaten so well and so indulgently as on our trip to this area. Of course, the history is not as big a feature of the area, though there are some sights to see.

Emilia-Romana is probably known as the culinary capital of Italy, though I'm sure people will argue with that. I certainly love the food in Bologna, and love the city itself.

On the fountains tour, I created a similar tour for myself (though I admit I didn't take it) of the obelisks in Rome. I found locations on the internet, then mapped them for myself on google maps.

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/romes-fountains

For cooking and Tuscany you might want to to take a look at this site: http://www.tuscany-cooking-class.com...ltural-program

Their week long offering combines cooking with touring Tuscany. It is not just a cooking class.

Florence: Stay at the Hotel Pendini and have dinners at Buca Mario and Il latina.

Cortona: two nights at the Hotel Italia. One lunch and two dinners at La Buccacia; daytrip to Orvieto.

Rome: stay at the Hotel Italia. One reserved lunch at Armando al Pantheon. Dinners at Antica Boheme and Al Boschetto

"Our friends are not art people. They like history "
It may be very difficult to dissociate these 2 things.

For Italian fountains, you may have a look at
http://viaggi.nanopress.it/fotogalle...elle_4587.html

We took a cooking class through Cooking Vacations Italy and had a great time.

Lexma90 - thanks for the suggestion. After more conversation - I think they are stuck on wanting to go to Tuscany - but I will definitely keep that region in mind for the next time my husband and I travel to Italy alone!

dulciusexasperis - thanks for the link. That will be a great start. I've sent the cooking/touring link to our friends. It sounds great, but I don't think that we will have a full week.

RonZ - Perfect! I have made notes of your suggestions.

neckervd - I totally agree that it is hard to dissociate the two. But at least I know not to plan an entire afternoon at the Uffizi. The photos are wonderful! Thanks for the link.

Paquintravel - thanks! I just went to the website and this is exactly what we are looking for.

Just to let those who helped with my initial question know. We decided on Rome, Southern Tuscany, and Venice as our three stops. Arrive in Rome - 4 nights Rome, 4 nights Tuscany and 3 nights Venice. Depart from Venice.

Hotels and flights are booked.

Sounds perfect! Where will you be staying? Enquiring minds want to know!

http://www.istitutoitaliano.it/eng/index.htm

This is where DD took Italian language lessons through her US college, when she arrived in Florence for her study abroad. Except the classes are at least 2 weeks.

IMO
Love of Food and Wine=Piemonte

Where in southern Tuscany?

I'll give some thought to the fountains of Rome walk...

kwren - although hotels are booked - we still have plenty of time and are open to changing them as email responses are still coming in from those we contacted.

Currently we are staying at Albergo del Senato in Rome. Pietramonti estate in Tuscany and Al Ponte Antico in Venice.

Tabernash2 - I am going to Il Sasso in Montepulciano. I've heard very good things about it and they will allow me to stay for only one week as I already speak a little Italian.

flygirl - We are staying just outside of Pienza. Thanks for thinking about that walk!