Join me for an experience of a lifetime in Italy – next trip is planned for the fall of 2011!
Traveling to Lecce in the Puglia region of Italy to attend a cooking school is an incredible experience. I love the region so much I now take groups on culinary adventures each year in either the spring or the fall. I do all the planning and preparation for these trips, and help you organize everything from how to pack and what to wear to how to book your flights and how to manage jet lag.
Rome
We begin our adventures with two days in Rome, my favorite city in the world, adjusting to the time change, sipping our espresso macchiatos, seeing the sights with a culinary slant, dining in a local home of a Cesarina in Rome, and practicing our Italian. I lead the group to all of the Centro Storico highlights in Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navonna, the Pantheon and Il Vittoriano. We share a guided tour through the Jewish ghetto in Rome, essential to understanding much of the culinary history of Rome. Optional guided tours are available for St. Peter’s and the Vatican, the Borghese Art Gallery, and Ancient Rome.
The Awaiting Table
After our short visit in Rome, we travel south by train to Lecce, located in the very southernmost heel of Italy, where a lovingly restored former stable serves as the kitchen for The Awaiting Table cookery school run by Silvestro Silvestori. The week-long program provides the perfect mix of cooking, food and wine, sightseeing, relaxing, and generally becoming one with the charming locals who make Lecce their home. You’ll be awed by the beauty of the baroque architecture in Lecce, and warmed by the friends you will make during the week.
Lecce
While in Lecce we stay at a lovely B&B right in the center of the preserved historic city, just steps away from Antonio’s wonderful bar where he’ll make us cappuccino in the morning and his wife will serve us little snacks. You’ll grow so fond of him you’ll hate to even think of returning home and making your own coffee each morning! We’ll have the opportunity to tour this gorgeous baroque city with a guide who specializes in the history and architecture of the city. Along the way, you’ll make friends with the town’s dog Nina and fall in love with the pace of life in this part of Italy.
Sample Schedule
Wednesday – depart for Italy to arrive on Thursday
Thursday – casual touring as a group through Centro Storico (Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Chiesa del Gesu, Il Vittoriano, Piazza Navonna) to get oriented and adjust to time change; casual dinner for those feeling up to it
Friday – guided group tour of the Jewish ghetto followed by a group lunch; optional guided tour of the Borghese Art Gallery; optional headset-guided tour of Ancient Rome (Coliseum, Forum, Palatine Hill); group dinner at Ditirambo, Da Sergio, or Tonnino
Saturday – optional guided tour of the Vatican; optional self-guided walking tour ( Trastevere, Gianicolo Park, Spanish Steps, Santa Maria della Concezione); optional headset-guided tour of Ancient Rome (Coliseum, Forum, Palatine Hill); dinner in a private home in Rome through Home Food Italy
Sunday – open touring in the morning before taking the train to Lecce; welcome dinner at The Awaiting Table
Sunday through Friday – The Awaiting Table Cookery School
Saturday – farewells in Lecce before taking the train to Rome; farewell dinner in Rome
Sunday – Depart for home or continue your travels on your own
Estimated Trip Cost*
The Awaiting Table – $2500 (double)/$3000 (single), all inclusive – cooking school, hotel, meals, wine, tours
Hotel in Rome – $200-300 per night (depends on hotel selected and single versus double occupancy)
Meals, Taxis, Tours in Rome – $500
Train to Lecce – $300
Booking Fee – $250 (non-refundable)
*Airfare not included – many past participants used miles for free flights. I am happy to provide assistance booking flights or advising how to use miles. Payments may be made in installments over time.
