Tuscany Treasures - Italy 2012 Garden Tour

Sept. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- From those two spots we will venture out to visit some very beautiful areas like Lucca. The gardens are beautifully set in some of Italy’s most verdant and green landscape, peppered along the way with many greenhouses.

Siena is a state of mind they say … and on this last tour we had a couple of our guests visit Siena and her daughter told me that her Mother was moved to tears as she saw the beauty of this place. We must include it for you to discover for yourself. Siena, one of Italy's best preserved medieval towns, located in the heart of Tuscany. The historic center of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site

In Montecatini Terme you will discover as we did this past tour that this small city is rich…in history, spas, green space and restaurants. It is truly a gem worth discovering. Tettuccio Terme Spa with its Liberty Architecture is, well, it is hard to describe as it is so beautiful. We will also enjoy a ride up to Montecatini Alto by Funicular (1898 cablecar) to enjoy a soul inspiring view and a meal. On your free day take in the market for some great deals.

In Siena we will stay four nights right inside the walls at the 4 Star Hotel Athena in Deluxe Rooms. In Montecatini we stay at the 4 Star Croce de Malta in Prestige Deluxe Rooms.

PLEASE NOTE: The tour actually starts in Siena and ends in Montecatini Terme, however we have put Florence down on the registration form as that is the closest airport. It will cost approx.. 130 euros to take a cab from Florence Airport to Siena and approx.. 100 euros from MT to Florence Airport. (2 or 3 per cab with one piece of baggage each)

‘Dear Donna…While downloading a few hundred photos of Tuscany I couldn't get over the sheer beauty of it all. It will stay in my memory forever. The whole tour was so well planned and we all fell in love with Marco. What a wonderful guide he was...so informative, witty, attentive and easy on the eyes too! The food was great and dining al fresco up at Montecatini Alto was a delight on a warm evening. So many great memories to cherish of a truly special area of Italy shared with a friendly group of traveling friends. Thank you for all your planning and attention to details.’ Barbara, Italy 2011


June 4th Arrival day

June 5th Tour of Siena including the Cathedrale di Santa Maria, better known as the Duomo, a gleaming marble treasury of Gothic art from the 13th and 14th centuries and Duccio’s Maesta 1311, private visit to Contrada dell ‘Oca, 3 course lunch including wine, water and coffee, visit to Castello di Celsa including drinks and snacks. Celsa has the quality that dreams are made of. A castle with turrets surrounded by a formal garden, a Renaissance chapel and a beautifully converted conservatory - the Limonaia - look across the valley towards the skyline of Siena, surrounded by 250 hectares of land. The Castello di Celsa is one of Italy’s best kept secrets as it is not open to the public, visit to Tenuta Monaciano - The most noteworthy are: the heated green house, the Lemon house, the Aviary, the Water Lily Pond, Venus’s Grotto, the temple, water fountains and other wonders interspersed with flowering hedges, forests and pathways followed by a 4 course dinner at a charming local restaurant in a villa.

June 6th Visit to Villa La Foce - The garden, designed by the English architect Cecil Pinsent, is considered today an ideal combination between the landscape and 20th-century architecture, blending Italian and English traditions and taste. 3 course lunch including wine, water and coffee in Pienza

June 7th A day of Leisure to discover on your own or just sit on the roof terrace of our hotel and watch the Italian world go by. ‘La Dolce Vita’

June 8th One of the highlights on this tour… Our cooking class at Tenuta di Corsignano - the dishes are cooked by you, the Chefs! A wine tasting of their wines will accompany each of your lunch courses plus an olive oil explanation and visit to the wine cellar. This day we also visit Villa La Petraia –You will hear the story of bringing the buildings and the fields of Petraia to an organic and biodynamic agricultural life after a forty year dormancy; the restoration of a 900-year old casa colonica; the rebuilding of ancient stone terrace walls; the planting of vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and vegetable gardens; and the reintroduction of animal husbandry. Owned by Canadians!
We then continue on to Montecatini Terme, through some of the most incredible landscape of hills covered in all kinds of trees, and growing operations lining the highways with row upon row of topiary and shrubs and roses.

June 9th We are now in Montecatini Terme where you have just woken up in your beautiful room, had your breakfast and now you are ready to enjoy a wonderful and relaxing walking tour of this gorgeous town, then a Funicolare trip up the hill to Montecatini Alto with its stunning views and lunch – a 3 course meal including wine, water and coffee.

June 10th A full day to Lucca – starting out with a guided walking tour including the Lucca Botanical Garden and the magical Villa Pfanner Gardens. Then off for a very special treat into the country to a true Tuscan Villa for olive oil and wine tasting plus a 3 course lunch. We next visit Villa Massei – the garden of Paul Gervais de Bedee and Gil Cohen. Paul is a thirteenth generation New Englander, descended from the family of Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand. Gil is the rose lover and philanthropist.

June 11th, Your leisure day to get last minute shopping done. This evening we enjoy our final time together with a 4 course dinner in the hotel.

June 12th departure

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