Here is the rough plan of our adventure!
Where we are staying: Agritourismo Il Colle in Poggio alle Croce ( near figline valdarno/incisa)
this is Il Colle, where we are staying
Tuesday Oct 28 Day 1
Group picked up at Florence airport, mid afternoon. Welcome reception at Il Colle- Marcie is cooking!
Unpack, relax!
if anyone is feeling energetic: drive around the neighbourhood: San Polo, Incisa, Poggio alle Croce or short walk.
Wednesday Oct 29 Day 2
Hill Towns
Radda: stroll through the medieval town, visit cashmere goat farm. Panzano for lunch at McDario’s.
castle of verrazzano
greve town square
street scene in Radda
The scenery is spectacular, lots of castles, small villages,etc. we can stop wherever we like!
Thursday Oct 30 Day 3
Florence
Morning: “Introduction to Firenze” tour
Lunch at ‘Il Latini’ ‘Buca Mario’, or ?
Afternoon: options: Top of Duomo , or Bargello Museum, or Piazalle Michaelangelo or on your own
view from up high at Piazelle Michaelangelo
Friday Oct 31 Day 4
Morning: Jewish Florence tour
monument in old jewish cemetry
synagogue in florence
Lunch at the bar in Palazzo Strozzi or Ruth’s
Afternoon : on your own or tour with Marcie- includes art supply stores/paper places, prosecco /tartufo snack http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/what-to-do/procacci and other gems .
best smells of your life here, a museum of scent
oldest orphanage in europe
my favorite hardware store in florence
Saturday Nov 1 Day 5 note: today is a civic and religious holiday in Italy, most stores will be closed
Visit to Paterno where my friend and teacher, Cristina, lives on a farm. Cooking class and lunch. Create Tuscan salts/ cosmetics/ remedies, all concocted from products grown on the land nearby. Samples to take home.
view of San Martino from Cristina’s house
tuscan salt! by cristina with my help
Drive in the beautiful Vallombrosa mountains, in the Apennines, stop at the abbey if it’s open.
at the vallombrosa abbey
Sunday Nov 2 Day 6
Day trip to Arezzo antique market, also see the famous frescoes by Piero della francesca
main square in Arezzo is on a slant, making it one of the most beautiful ones in all of italy!
paintbrushes for sale
Monday Nov 3 Day 7
Florence: Morning: CLASS: marble paper/book binding/mosaics or on your own
Lunch: Santo Spirito area
Afternoon: tour of artist’s studios/workshops, meet my dear friend, Susan Nevelson at her home and studio. She is a textile artist and just celebrated her 90th birthday!
http://susannevelson.tumblr.com/
Tuesday Nov 4 Day 8
Morning: Figline open air market, meet the cheese man! Besides fresh food, great prices on scarves, clothes, kitchen ware, tablecloths etc
My favorite cheese man
For sale at figline market
Free Time @ Il colle or other activity, TBD
Later Afternoon: Hill town of our choice and dinner
Wed Nov 5 Day 9
Morning: Olive picking or basket making class w Malo, depending on weather/ripeness of olives
Malo at work
Afternoon: open: possible visit to textile museum in Prato
Thursday Nov 6 Day 10
Florence: Tour of Uffizi, and Accademia or on your own in Florence.
Sicilian ice cream at Carabè in via Ricasoli
Friday Nov 7 Day 11
Day trip to Siena: Tour with focus on Jewish community
one of the gates to Siena
Saturday Nov 8 Day 12–
Olives/activities with Cristina
entrance to cristina’s house
Fresh pressed oil
Sunday Nov 9 Day 13
Olive Sagra at the Bonsi Farm
i bonsi farm
Afternoon ; TBD
Monday Nov 10 Day 14–
Florence shopping, – last call! Or other activities TBD
Dinner party, our last night together!
Tuesday Nov 11 Day 15
Depart: you will be taken to Airport or to Florence
NOTES
- breakfasts and most dinners will be at Il colle
- 2 people volunteer to cook at night, ( in Italy, the biggest meal is usually lunch)
- evening entertainment will be more spontaneous, with friends invited over, art projects worked on individually, or as a group, cooking demonstrations, music etc.
- plans for next day refined each night, shopping list created etc.
- While it is my hope that we will be visiting each place together, you are welcome to head off in a different direction if a place doesn’t appeal.