A Girls Getaway La Dolce Vita ..................................

Are you ready? Are you ready to sip cappuccino at a café in Piazza Navona? Are you ready to see some of the world's most beautiful and renowned masterpieces such as Michelangelo's David, the Sistine Chapel and Brunelleschi's Dome? Are you ready to walk in the footsteps of Dante, Julius Caesar, Bernini and Sophia Loren (or maybe walk in the shoes of Salvatore Ferragamo)? Get ready to eat delicious food, drink perfect wine, conquer the maze of Florentine streets, dodge Roman Vespas and experience life the way it was supposed to be ~ all'italiana! Spend eight days in Rome and Florence on an adventure designed specifically to embrace the company of women. Cooking, shopping, cocktails and long conversations in idyllic settings all await you - Viva le donne (here's to women)!

Day to Day Itinerary

Day One
Pick up at Rome Fiumicino airport. Once in Rome you will have time to get settled into your hotel room and rest a bit before we have a light lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch join your leader for an easy stroll through the city center so you can get oriented to the area around the hotel. Later in the evening we will walk to a local osteria where we will have light dinner of little tastes, called cicchetti - just enough to whet your appetite for what is to come. Turn in early on this evening and get ready for a great start on Day Two.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day Two
After breakfast at the hotel, head out for a walking tour of some of the greatest highlights of Rome including the Pantheon, Piazza Navona andCampo dei Fiori. We will stop for lunch at a restaurant near Piazza Navona. Following lunch, walk to the beautiful Aventine Hill, an exquisiteneighborhood with a lovely park and several early Christian churches of note. Complete the afternoon on the Capitoline Hill and relax at the Capitoline Café with a glass of prosecco and enjoy the beauty of the late afternoon sun in Rome. The evening is free for you to enjoy one of Rome'smany fantastic restaurants (recommendations will be given).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day Three
Under the direction of Diane Epstein we will discover authentic Italian cuisine. Diane offers an experience like no other as she opens her kitchen to us for a day of learning, savoring and camaraderie. We will review our seasonal menu at a café while enjoying cappuccino and pastries. Then we will shop for the ingredients we will need for lunch. This includes stops at the pasta shop, the bakery and a authentic delicatessen. We return to Diane's home to prepare the meal and chat about Roman life of today. Sounds fabulous! After this sumptuous lunch your afternoon is free to do your own sightseeing, shopping or napping! Dinner is on your own this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day Four
Art Historian Susan Sanders leads us on a guided visit of the Borghese Gallery to see the Bernini masterpieces in marble as well as works by Caravaggio, Titian and Canova. This is a collection not to be missed! Following the visit we will take a leisurely walk through the beautiful Villa Borghese and continue on to the Spanish Steps where you will be free for lunch and for an afternoon of shopping or independent sightseeing. In the evening we will meet at the hotel and have dinner together in a local trattoria.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Five
We say Arrivederci Roma! and make our way to beautiful Florence. Along the way we will stop in the charming hilltown of Orvieto to visit its exceptional cathedral which includes a very special chapel painted by Luca Signorelli. After lunch together and some free time in Orvieto we will continue to Florence, arriving in the late afternoon. We will venture out for an evening walk in the city center, stopping near the Duomo for a light dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Six
In the morning meet you guide for a visit of the historic center of Florence culminating in a stop to see Michelangelo's masterpiece David. We will have a light lunch in a local wine bar.  The afternoon is free for shopping, sipping cappuccino, strolling through the streets - whatever strikes your fancy! For those who are interested we will meet in the hotel in the late afternoon and venture up to Piazzale Michelangelo where we will be greeted with a spectacular view of the city. We then continue up to the church of San Miniato to hear the priests sing Gregorian Chant. Dinner on your own this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Seven

Enjoy a leisurely morning before we will take a coach to Villa di Riboia, a family home outside of Florence in a little hamlet called Impruneta. Here the mammaof the family will teach us some of the secrets of Tuscan cooking. We will feast on our labors in the absolutely splendid setting of the Renzoni family home. In the afternoon, there is the option to visit one of the most delightful places in Florence, Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella. This pharmacy has been in existence for centuries and is where the Dominican monks of Santa Maria Novella put together herbal remedies. The space is beautiful, has a very interesting history and the products they sell are of the highest quality. Dinner on your own. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day Eight

Siena is one of the principle cities of Tuscany, known throughout the world for its famous horse race, il Palio, Accompanied by the colorful Donatella Grilli, a local guide, we will visit the Campo, the Duomo and the Baptistery. Free time will be given in the afternoon to explore the city on your own. Return to Florence in the late afternoon.  At the end of the day we gather for a sumptuous farewell dinner where we will enjoy good food, good wine and good company.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day Nine
A coach will bring you to the airport in Florence.