Abruzzo: Learn Italian, Gastronomy and Culture – 7 days small group escorted tour

Rome Fiumicino airport picks up at 12:30 pm and transfer to the ancient Roman town of Vasto on the Adriatic Coast after crossing the beautiful Abruzzo mountains and looking at amazing landscapes. After checking at the charming and family-run Hotel San Marco (or a similar accommodation) in the historical downtown, get to know your guide, learn more about the 7-day Italian cookery holiday, and enjoy a welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto.

After breakfast we will visit an award winning winery that lies between a marine park and the mountains in Vasto. We will have our first “funny” Italian language class (a couple of hours) where we will discuss about food, olive oil, and Italian wines; we will learn how to ask these information in a restaurant/bar or in any situation where you need to know how to speak in Italian about food and wine. In the following day we will also visit olive oil and wine producers where we will use Italian to interact directly to the owners as well as during the cooking class and the market visit in order to buy local products .We will tour the vineyard and cellars with winemakers Emanuele and Nicola and we will then enjoy wine tasting and lunch with pairings from local cheeses and salami.
After a short break to relax, in the afternoon we will explore Vasto historical center: Loggia Amblingh, a promenade overlooking the fascinating crescent-shaped coastline, the old town with its medieval Castle, charming lanes, a tower, the Cathedral and Piazza Rossetti, dedicated to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet from the town and father of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Before having a break free timing, we will meet some local artisans or artists.
In the evening you may experience dinner on your own in one of the various restaurants of Vasto.

(After lunch together, based on our long years of experience, we know that nobody is looking for a rich dinner, so our travelers usually enjoy spending time like a local trying a simple aperitif, a gelato or a pizza so that you could practice some Italian by yourself. Obviously, we will suggest you our favourite places)

We will walk and visit Vasto’s colourful market to get seasonal products. Here you will have the possibility to practice a little bit of Italian. Next we will drive to the beautiful countryside of Vasto where we will meet Fabrizio’s family to have an exclusive cooking class with them (we will speak Italian) and we will learn how easy it is to make fresh pasta and we will be introduced to Abruzzo’s sauces preparation. A sample menu based on Fabrizio’s family recipes includes bread with meat sauce, Pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce and polpette (meatballs) and Tarallucci (typical biscuits from Abruzzo).
Lunch with the scrumptious dishes that we prepared in the morning, while enjoying the relaxing family atmosphere. We will visit an Olive Grove that has been farmed by Giovanni’s family (we’ll speak in Italian) for three generations to produce DOP olive oils. He will unfurl the secrets of what Homer described as “liquid gold” and we will finish with an olive oil tasting. In the evening you may experience dinner on your own in one of the various restaurants of Vasto.

After breakfast we will explore the famous Trabocchi coastline. We will start with a short and easy walking inside the “Punta Aderci” Nature Reserve, one of the 10 most beautiful Italian beaches- according to the British daily “The Telegraph”- from where you can also admire snow-capped mountains. During this day, depending on the weather, we will take our Italian course (a couple of hours) right here, surrounded by nature, a relaxing atmosphere and the colours of the seaside. We will speak about Trabocchi, the seaside, the fish world, natural parks, and Mediterranean vegetation. We will visit (in Italian) a trabocco (the symbol of the area), mostly built with acacia wood and railway iron sleepers. Depending on the weather, Rinaldo -our host- will show us how to fish from Trabocco, the secrets and history hidden behind Abruzzo’s unique fishing platforms that have been featured in the BBC TV show: Escape to the Continent.
His wife- Maria- will prepare fish from the Adriatic Sea for our exclusive lunch above the ocean. In the afternoon feel free to relax or to take some great photos of the surrounding beautiful marine scape. Free afternoon for your own activities, which could be: going to one of the beaches around, biking, taking part into some extra activities/ excursions or whatever you prefer to do. In the evening, you may experience dinner on your own in one of the various restaurants of Vasto.

After breakfast, we will make our way to a farmhouse where Pina and Berardino will reveal farming secrets, immersing you in an authentic slow food experience. After our Italian course (a couple of hours) in the agriturismo about rural life and medieval castles and history, you could relax in the beautiful Abruzzo countryside or take part in some or all of these experiences:

• We will milk a cow
• We will learn how to make a special bread called “pizza scima – stupid pizza”, a pizza without yeast
• After collecting some organic wine from their winery, we will have an aperitif including a taste of their production: cheeses, salami and extra virgin olive oil
• Next, we will learn how to prepare ricotta cheese
• Finally, we will collect the fresh vegetables from their garden that will be used for our farm-to-table lunch

A delicious traditional farm-to-table lunch will be prepared and served.  Almost everything we will eat is produced on the farm (wheat for producing the organic flour to make different kinds of bread, cookies and fresh pasta together with eggs from their hens, organic extra virgin olive oil, wines, liquors, juices, jams, cheeses, a lot of variety of salami, meats and vegetables). In the afternoon, immersed in nature and surrounded by amazing sceneries, we will drive inland to explore the enchanting Abruzzo’s castle in the sky in the charming village of Roccascalegna- ranked by Condé Naste Traveler as one of the 9 Most Beautiful Hilltop Towns in Italy.  After a big lunch at the farm, in the evening, you may enjoy a dinner or aperitif on your own in one of Vasto’s many restaurants and wine bars.

After breakfast, we will drive to the little hilltop village of Lentella at Ettore’s “Fattoria d’Arte” (Art farm). Surrounded by an amazing landscape with a stunning view of the seaside, mountains, hills and small towns, we will have our last Italian language class (a couple of hours) about Italian art, flowers and plants. Next, you can enjoy an artistic experience with Ettore, which will let you create your postcard with natural colours produced while mixing leaves and flowers that you can pick at Ettore’s property. We will have an aperitif and a traditional farewell lunch with Ettore and his wife, Barbara. Free time to relax and pack or for doing a “last minute” shopping

After breakfast departure (generally at 09:00 am) for Rome Fiumicino airport or your next destination (3,5 hours driving from hotel to Rome Fiumicino airport)

NOTE: Your itinerary is a guide to your activities during the week. However, sometimes we modify the final itinerary to take advantage of the season and the weather. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has a fabulous time, which sometimes means tweaking the schedule even after your arrival. Your guide will provide suggestions during the week, and the group will decide if any modifications are desired. I want you to know that only enhanced experiences are ever considered.