ITALY
Valdobbiadene Follo
Marostica Bassano
Vicenza Verona Padua Venice del Grappo
Venice, Verona & the Veneto 8 Days / 7 Nights from $4,290 plus airfare
Maser Follina
Asolo VENETO
1. A TASTE OF LIFE IN VENETO Tour begins: Verona at 6:30 PM. A transfer from Verona Airport to the Hotel Gabbia D’Oro is included. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner at a nearby restaurant, housed in a centuries-old villa. Meals D
2. OF ROMEO, JULIET AND VERONA Put your walking shoes on for a day of learning... seeing... doing in Verona. First and foremost, you’ll discover that Verona is second only to Rome for its vast number of Roman ruins. A walking tour includes Arena di Verona, third-largest amphitheatre in Italy. Listen carefully... it is so well preserved you might hear the crowds cheering for the gladiators (or maybe cheers for the spectacular operas performed there today). Romance is everywhere. Pastel villas, built from the native pink limestone called rosso di Verona, line the old cobblestone streets. Visit locales that inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet... dare we mention a certain famous balcony?... Lunch at a delightful restaurant in the heart of the city. Spend the remainder of the day as you wish. An Italian class at the hotel will teach you a few useful words – and of course the art of how to speak with your hands. Meals BL
3. CITY OF CHESS & MOUNT GRAPPA Get acquainted with Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), an architectural visionary and designer to the rich and powerful as you explore
“We liked the trips to local points of interest, and the feeling of being pampered and special – a superb experience... we enjoyed the walk through wine country...
Asolo is a fabulous village... we really enjoyed walking through neighborhoods, getting a behind-the-scenes look at Italy... the pace of this trip was wonderful, and our local guides were great.
”
the streets of Vicenza, filled with fine examples of Palladian architecture (a style imitated by architects all over Europe), including the lavish Teatro Olimpico, Europe’s oldest indoor theatre (Is that the set from its first production still on the stage?). Later, you arrive in Marostica. The mind ponders... what’s in Marostica? And then the eyes reveal... a walled medieval town with storybook castles and the pièce de résistance – a giant stone chessboard where tournaments are played with live human “pieces.” Journey on to Bassano del Grappo, famous for its grappa, the exquisite firewater revered for centuries as “aqua vitae.” Get acquainted with this potent spirit in a tasting at the Poli Grappa Museum, then arrive in the beautiful medieval village of Asolo, in the cypress-clad foothills. Meals BD
Call your travel agent or Culturious at 800-788-7885 – excerpts from guest comment cards
4. VILLA BARBARO & WHAT’S COOKING Get a taste of aristocratic life in the Veneto at Villa Barbaro, a private residence built in 1560 by Palladio, who redefined European villas from walled medieval fortresses to airy, landscaped arcadias. Lunch on the grounds of this heavenly estate, adorned with art, sculpture, gardens, and fountains... Return to Asolo, and explore the boutiques on the Via Browning (named for the English poet who lived here). This afternoon, learn the secrets of Veneto cuisine – which combines culinary influences both “East” and “West” with elegant simplicity – in a cooking class at magnifico Albergo Al Sole Asolo... dinner at the hotel tonight will draw upon the cooking class menu. Meals BLD
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