GOLDEN WEEK IN TUSCANY: For Women Only!
NOVEMBER 3-10, 2012

Join Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, for an inspiring adventure in the Tuscan countryside. Immerse yourself in breathtaking surroundings, celebrate the olive harvest, indulge your taste buds with delicious traditional food and wine, stroll through hilltop villages, stand awestruck before world famous masterpieces, shop for artisan treasures, relax in natural thermal springs.

This Golden Week is a Harvest Gift of La Dolce Vita=the Sweet Life, custom-designed by Susan so that women can fully experience the rejuvenating pleasures of bell’Italia. You’ll join in with a small group of kindred spirits, settle into an idyllic villa south of Florence, wake up to birdsongs, and each day Susan will lead you off to experience Tuscan splendors.

The Golden Week includes:

—Arrival and Departure transfers from Florence train station or airport
–7 nights’ accommodations in a lovely, spacious Tuscan residence, Il Borgo di Villa Bossi-Pucci, with living room, breakfast kitchen, terraces opening to spectacular valley views of olive groves, vineyards, and distant castles
—Arrival antipasti and wine reception
–Daily Traditional Breakfasts, delivered to your room in a basket
—8 multi-course meals, including wine:
*4 dinners at local favorite restaurants
*1 cooking class followed by dinner
*1 Vineyard lunch or dinner
*1 Sunday lunch in Arezzo
*1 Dinner at Susan’s favorite Florence Trattoria
–5 Excursions:
*Insider’s tour of Chianti wine province, with private visit to a winery and frantoio (olive press)
*Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance, where you’ll delight in Susan’s guided tour of the Uffizi, admiring masterpieces that glorify all things female, and have free time for sightseeing and shopping
*Montecatini Terme, an elegant spa town, where you’ll be rejuvenated by the experience of drinking natural thermal waters, and have free time to dip in curative pools or indulge in a spa treatment
*Arezzo, a Medieval hill town, famous for its outdoor antique and flea market, where you can pick up unique souvenirs or holiday gifts (such as jewelry, linens, knick-knacks)
*Pisa and Lucca, where you’ll be awestruck by Pisa’s shimmering Field of Miracles and Leaning Tower, then enchanted as you wander the cobblestoned vias of Lucca, one of Tuscany’s most beloved spots
—Deluxe transportation for off-site events, entrance fees to museums and monuments
—Free time to relax at the Villa or wander the surrounding quiet walking paths
—A Trip Journal to fill with wonderful memories of your Golden Week

Space for the Golden Week in Tuscany is limited to 14 participants, so reserve now!

Questions? Please e-mail Susan Van Allen at 100placesinitaly@gmail.com, and we can arrange to talk by phone

Prices:
One person in private bedroom with private bath: $3995 (Sign up before June 30^th for $200 discount: $3795)
Two people in shared bedroom with private bath: $3595 each (Sign up before June 30^th for $200 discount: $3395)

Price Excludes:
Airfare
Travel Insurance (Strongly recommended, inquire at info@villavita.net for more information)
Meals not listed above
Montecatini Terme Spa treatments or thermal pool entrance fee (prices start at 12 euro)
All the wonderful things you’ll bring home in your suitcase

Terms:
$500 per person deposit required
Final Payment due by August 31st, 2012
Payment accepted by Visa, MC, Amex, Discover, or Personal Check
Cancellation penalties:
$250 per person once booked
100% non refundable if cancelled 60 days or less prior to arrival

Click here for Registration Form

Click here for Rave Reviews and Photos of Il Borgo di Villa Bossi-Pucci

November Is Golden Time In Tuscany

The beginning of November has long been one of my favorite times of year to visit Italy. The weather is mild, the light is golden. This is when the olive harvest begins, so we’ll experience the treat of tasting olive oil, right after it’s been pressed–a culinary revelation! November is also when tourist crowds have thinned, so visiting museums and monuments will be much more pleasant than high season. And I made sure our trip dates matched with the monthly Arezzo Antique Fair & Flea Market—it’s Italy’s largest, that sprawls out over the beautiful town’s historic center.

Early November is also a perfect time for us to stop and take a breath before the holiday season begins. We’ll gather up olive oil, cheeses, and wines to bring home for our Thanksgiving tables. We’ll leisurely shop for gifts, made by Tuscan artisans. We’ll discover new places and flavors, rest, reflect, and celebrate this Golden Harvest Time with the natives. It will be delicious.

As the Italians say: Non vedo l’ora…=I can’t see the hour=I can’t wait!

Allora…Andiamo! Let’s go!