Guided Tours and Cooking Classes in Central Italy http://www.discoversoriano.com Tue, 13 May 2008 14:44:00 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.discoversoriano.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.discoversoriano.com Guided Tours and Cooking Classes in Central Italy http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=229&Itemid=180 Welcome to DiscoverSoriano's Galleries. We want our future guests to really get a good feel for what their time with us will be like, so we have gone way out of our way to collect hundreds of pictures, and many videos that really give you an idea of what you are looking forward to. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand wordsa, so enjoy... Videos (http://www.discoversoriano.com/component/option,com_alphacontent/Itemid,179/) This is our collection of videos we have made in Soriano. They are all fairly high resolution, so be sure you have a broadband connection for these. Photos (http://www.discoversoriano.com/html-photo-galleries/) Hundreds and hundreds of photos of Soriano and all of the places you may choose to visit on day trips while staying there. We even have a section with ancient photos of Soriano! Desktop Wallpaper (http://www.discoversoriano.com/about-soriano/soriano-nel-cimino/soriano-nel-cimino-desktop-wallpaper.html) Feel like staring at Soriano while you work on your computer? We have taken some of our favorite pictures and formatted them for use as desktop wallpaper. Click here to have a look and download them. (http://www.discoversoriano.com/about-soriano/soriano-nel-cimino/soriano-nel-cimino-desktop-wallpaper.html) Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:10:39 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=219&Itemid=176 Airfare We travel between the United States and Italy roughly six times a year. Additionally, we talk with our guests all the time about which travel resources they use for their airfare. Based on our own experiences, when scheduling flights to Italy, we generally suggest that our guests take advantage of the larger travel websites to find the best deals. We usually rely on Travelocity (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2816122-10395159) ourselves, but have also found some good fares at Economy Travel (http://www.tkqlhce.com/o5122vpyvpxCFLEJEFFCEDHJGFDG). On one trip we used Priceline (http://www.tkqlhce.com/cf81zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKNRKKOP) for an emergency 'We have to leave today' trip. While it was disconcerting that you don't know much about your trip until after you have made the purchase, in our one experience, it turned out great. Actually, we wanted to go from Los Angeles (LAX) to Rome (FCO, and our favorite airline for the trip is Lufthansa, but all their flights were either booked or $2,500 each for ECONOMY! We ended up paying something like $400 through Priceline (http://www.tkqlhce.com/cf81zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKNRKKOP), and wound up on one of the same Lufthansa flights that would have cost thousands. Here are some links to the travel sites discussed above: Travelocity.com (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2816122-10395159) EconomyTravel.com (http://www.tkqlhce.com/o5122vpyvpxCFLEJEFFCEDHJGFDG) Priceline.com (http://www.tkqlhce.com/cf81zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKNRKKOP) Car Rentals We strongly urge anyone that is visiting Italy to rent a car, but only for time you spend outside of the major cities. In other words, if you are spending part of your trip staying in Rome, Florence, Naples, Milan, or Venice, use public transportation in those cities. However, the moment you want to venture out into the countryside, wine country, the Tuscan and Umbrian hilltowns, etc., if you are without a car, you will lose a great deal of the experience that awaits you. This is because the Italian train system, while extensive, really focuses on connections between major cities, and many of the smaller and more special destinations in Italy are not connected. Trying to use public transportation in these areas will be a huge waste of time between major train routes, small routes, and busses. If you rent a car, on the other hand, you free yourself to experience the beauty of Italy on your terms. For those that are afraid to drive in Italy because they have heard how crazy Italian drivers are, don't worry. For one thing, extremely strict enforcement of traffic laws in recent years has served to calm Italians down on the road. More importantly, however, the 'crazy' driving is really limited to the major cities. Once you get into the countryside and the small towns, they calm down significantly. As for what to rent, the first rule is to rent the smallest thing you can fit into. Most Italian towns were built centuries ago, and they lacked the foresight to plan ahead for Hummers :-). Instead their concept of a large vehicle was an extremely muscular horse. That said, if you get a big car, you may find places you just can't drive. As for where to rent, we simply suggest Dollar Rent A Car (http://www.kqzyfj.com/rp83iqzwqyDGMFKFGGDFEIMMGFI) . They have multiple locations in Italy, offer Automatic Transmission for those of you that want it, and have generally newer cars than some of the others. Additionally, they are on-site at the airport in Rome and have competitive rates. For cheap short-term car rentals, we generally use Sixti (http://www.sixti.com). Here are some links to the car rental agencies discussed above: Dollar Rent a Car (http://www.dollar.com) Sixti (http://www.sixti.com) Hotels For our guests that will be staying in other areas besides Soriano during their trip, following are some Hotel resources: Rome (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A//travel.ian.com/index.jsp?pageName=hotNetList&cid=131241&city=Rome&stateProvince= &country=IT&hotel=2) Rome Airport (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A//travel.ian.com/index.jsp?pageName=hotNetList&cid=131241&city=Rome&stateProvince=%20&country=IT&hotel=2&landmarkDestinationID=ac108a63-391c-3910-3332-2c6b09907f01) (Leonardo Da Vinci - A good choice for your last night in Italy) Florence (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DFlorence%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) Naples (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DNaples%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) (Close to Pompeii) Sorrento (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DSorrento%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) (Close to The Amalfi Coast) Venice (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DVenice%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) Milan (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A//travel.ian.com/index.jsp?pageName=hotNetList&cid=131241&city=Milan&stateProvince= &country=IT&hotel=2) Pisa (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DPisa%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) Genoa (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A//travel.ian.com/index.jsp?pageName=hotNetList cid=131241 city=Genoa stateProvince=%20 country=IT hotel=2) Cinque Terre (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2797846-10429755?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.ian.com%2Findex.jsp%3FpageName%3DhotNetList%26cid%3D131241%26city%3DLa+Spezia%26stateProvince%3D%2520%26country%3DIT%26hotel%3D2) (These are listing in La Spezia, which puts you in the area) Gulliver's Travel Services (http://www.dpbolvw.net/4n98dlurlt8BHAFABB8A9CFC9FD) - Discount Hotels Travelocity Hotel Search (<a href= http://www.kqzyfj.com/hm122zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKOSTRLN target= _blank onmouseover= window.status='http://www.travelocity.com';return true; onmouseout= window.status=' ';return true; >Top Destination for hotels!</a>) Priceline.com (http://www.dpbolvw.net/88115kjspjr69F8D899687B79DB9) (Name your own price hotels) Best Western (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/46108zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKOLSMLO) (Many locations throughout Italy) Crowne Plaza Hotels (http://www.dpbolvw.net/9k122gv30v2ILRKPKLLIKJNQNJNQ?cm_mmc=CJ-_-1143244-_-2816122-_-Crowne%20Plaza%20Hotels%20-%20Text%20Link%203%25)(Rome) Holiday Inn (http://www.tkqlhce.com/8k101tenkem14A3834413269623B?cm_mmc=CJ-_-1143244-_-2816122-_-Holiday%20Inn%20-%20Text%20Link%203%25) (Throughout Italy) For guests looking to spend a first night or final night near the Rome Fiumicino (Leonardo DaVinci) airport, please have a look at this page on the topic of hotels near the Rome airport. (http://www.discoversoriano.com/faqs-and-travel-tips/during-your-stay/we-have-an-early-morning-departure-from-italy.--what-good-hotels-are-there-near-the-rome-airport.html) Maps Here are some driving and travel maps of Italy that you can purchase before your trip: Rand McNalley Travel Maps of Italy (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2816122-10460177?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.randmcnally.com%2Fcategory%2Finternational%2Bmaps%2Feurope%2Fsouthern%2Beurope.do) Florence Street Map (http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C1352%2C4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D552) Milan Street Map (http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D1402) Rome Street Map (http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D10953) Sicily Street Map (http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D16139) Tuscany Street Map (http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D1427) Venice Street Map (http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C61%2C615%26pid%3D16435) Guide Books Following is a list of Guide books to take along with you: Lonely Planet ROME (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C1352%2C1355%26pid%3D13034) Lonely Planet TUSCANY and UMBRIA (http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C1352%2C1355%26pid%3D13052) Lonely Planet Venice (http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-2816122-10362975?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maps.com%2Fmap.aspx%3Fnav%3DMS%26cid%3D4%2C1352%2C1355%26pid%3D13056) Learning Italian If you are looking to learn some Italian before your trip, I really don't like the standard 'Learn a language' courses, because they tend to teach you phrases that are really not used... so you would be just as well simply speaking English in most cases. If you want to pick up some Italian before your trip, I would urge you to at least get started with a real language course. TELL ME MORE Language Learning Software (http://www.tkqlhce.com/6181xdmjdl039272330215A6257). uses advanced speech recognition technology that engages you in real-life dialogues and conversations while you are learning, rather than just having you learn key phrases. While it is not cheap (compared to the 29.95 software out there), it is far less expensive than some of the other real courses, like Rosetta Stone. For an alternative language course, check out Onlingo. (http://www.jdoqocy.com/r975zw41w3JMSLQLMMJLKPKTKRP) Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:26:30 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=214&Itemid=43 Pienza Distance from Soriano 67 mi / 107km Highlights Wine, Pecorino Cheese, and beautifully flowered streets Region Tuscany (Chianti) Description Pienza is known as the is the 'touchstone of Renaissance urbanism'. It is a magnificent town with streets full of beautiful flowers and lovely shops. It is clean to a fault, with every little thing maintained to absolute perfection. Pienza has been nominated and confirmed as a 'World Heritage Site' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ), which lists it as offering 'outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity'. Pienza is without question worth a visit, especially if you will be visiting the wineries in nearby Montepulciano and Montalcino. Video Tour of Pienza, Tuscany (http://www.italybyvideo.com/travel-videos/travel/tuscany/pienza-siena-tuscany-italy.html) Picture(s) Map Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:34:48 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=213&Itemid=43 Montalcino Distance from Soriano 79 mi / 126km Highlights Wine: Brunello di Montalcino Region Tuscany (Chianti) Description Montalcino is without question one of the top stops for anyone touring Tuscan wine country. Their Brunello is considered one of the world's best wines, and visitors can buy this wine here for a fraction of what they pay back home. It is a Tuscan hilltown of exceptional beauty that produces what is considered by many wine connoisseurs to be among Italy's absolute best red wines: Brunello di Montalcino. * Thousands of tourists book day tours from Florence to this town for visits to cellars and vineyards, but it should be noted that Montepulciano is much closer to Soriano than it is to Florence, so if your itinerary includes a stopover in Florence, you should consider visiting this area from Soriano instead. Some of our favorite stops here include Fattoria dei Barbi and Antico Poggio. It is worth noting that just outside of Montalcino you will find the Banfi winery, which is one of the best known wineries internationally (We see their wine regularly even in supermarkets in the states). While beautiful, it is likely the most touristy thing in the area. Picture(s) Map Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:14:05 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=173&Itemid=161 Untitled Document Directions from Soriano to Corviano Before Going Corviano is probably one of the most amazing things you will see in Italy because it is a largely undisturbed site. There are countless larger and more historically significant sites in Italy, but there is something to be said about the raw beauty of Corviano. You have to visit to really understand. That said, several precautions should be taken before going. Please read this in full before you decide. Be Prepared Make sure you bring along water, some food, and a cell phone. A portable GPS is worth its weight in gold! You will be doing a light hike, but Corviano is very off the beaten path. If you choose to go without a guide, be extremely cautious, as it is not difficult to get lost. That said, at the end of this article, I will show you how to get found should you get lost. Be Adventurous Corviano is not for everybody. You should be in fairly good shape, and able to walk for a few miles. While you don't need to be a mountain climber, there are many uneven surfaces next to very steep cliffs. There is nothing to keep you from falling out of the cave dwellings to the valley below. Additionally, you will be in the woods with poorly maintained trails at best. Be prepared for things like poison ivy and the possibility of snakes and spiders. Know when not to go Corviano should only be visited in dry periods. If there has been a sigificant amount of rain, it may be impossible to arrive, and the trails may be impossible to follow. During the winter months, there is a fair amount of hunting done in the area . While I have never seen them, Wild Boar hunting is done in this area, so there is the risk of being a victim to the boar, and to the hunter. Do you see the hunter in the picture above? This is taken at Corviano in January. I saw the hunter by accident and he gave me a dirty look. I decided I didn't want to be a story on the evening news about an accidental shooting, and chose not to visit that day. If you didn't see the hunter in the picture above, I have exposed him in the picture below. OK, all of the warnings are behind us. Here are the directions to Corviano: Pictures in the article All of the pictures in this article were taken in January. If you go at another time of year, foilage will cause things to look quite different than what uyou see here. Directions to Corviano Before starting, get yourself to the Soriano/Bomarzo exit of the Orte-Viterbo Superstrada (Freeway). This is one of the only two exits for Soriano, and is probably the one just after the one you exited when first coming to Soriano. We will start the directions at the bridge that crosses over the freeway, coming from Soriano. Just after crossing the bridge, you will see an intersection. When you get to the stop sign, turn left. You will find yourself on a country road (SP151) that runs parallel to the freeway, which you will see to your left. As a point of reference, 1/2 mile after you turned onto this road, you will see this large building to your right with 1756 written in fairly large numbers on the side. After about another 1 1/2 miles, you will find yourself entering SANTARELLO, as you will notice by the cluster of buildings and the sign as you enter. SLOW DOWN AND GET READY TO TURN RIGHT. Just after the curve, you will see a sign on your left with a cow on it. Just past it, on your right, you will see a rough road. The road may or may not have a directional sign to Corviano. TURN RIGHT on the rough road. This road will turn into a dirt road very shortly. You will have a hair over 2 miles of dirt road, but it may seem like more because you will be going slowly. After a bit, you will run into a fork. The road to the right is actually a private driveway. TAKE THE ROAD TO THE LEFT. As you continue on, you will arrive at another small fork. You will see a tiny house on the right, and there should be a directional sign for Corviano. STAY TO THE LEFT After a few more moments, you will find a wide bend with a beautiful country villa. Have a good look at this villa as we use this as a point of reference if you get lost later. CONTINUE ON THE ROAD. Shortly after the villa, you will find yourself facing this stream. This is the first of 2 big decision points. If it has been raining, the stream may be impassible. Please use good judgement here. From here you have 3/4 of a mile to go. Just after the stream, you will have another fork. TAKE THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT. Here is decision point #2. As you approach the road to the right, you will see that the dirt road becomes quite rough and a little steep. This small hill is the last place where you may get stuck (I have been stuck here). As long as the dirt is dry, if you take it slow and steady, you should have no problem getting past it. The road from this point is quite rough, but this is the only part that is difficult to pass. Soon you will see several directional signs. I don't know why there are two identical signs for Corviano, but they do point in the only direction you can go. The third sign 'parcheggio' means parking. DO NOT PARK HERE. Just keep driving. Here we find another fork with no directional signs. STAY TO THE RIGHT and continue. You will come upon yet another fork. This one has another 'parcheggio' sign. Ignore it and continue on the right to Corviano. As you continue, you will see another road to the left with a fairly large clearing. Just continue on the right. You are almost there. Finally you will see this road with a sign that tells you to turn right to Corviano. Note the barrier gate at the beginning of the road so that you know you are at the right place. DO NOT TURN HERE! Your car will not make it on this road. Just ahead, you will see a turn out where you can park. As you see, there is a little turn off for parking. There are rarely other people at Corviano, but if there are cars parked here, you should still have no trouble finding another spot to park without blocking the rest of the road. Once you have parked, go back to the road with the barrier gate and follow it on foot. It isn't a long walk at all. Soon you will find youself ina clearing, which is where the cave dwellings can be found. You will see a trail that can be followed to see more cave dwellings, the necropolis and more. Following the Trails The trails in Corviano are fairly easy to follow, and they take you to the things you will want to see. However, after the necropolis, I suggest that you turn back. Once you pass the necropolis, the trails get difficult to follow, and you can get easily lost. If you get lost If you do end up lost, the trails in the area will generally lead to the dirt road you took to get to Corviano in the first place. The main trail will end up next to the beautiful villa we passed driving to Corviano. If you get to that point on foot, your best bet is to continue on to the road, and walk back to the car along the road. Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:00:47 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=160 Soriano Shuttle Bus Soriano’s shuttle bus runs during business hours throughout the day, circling town roughly every hour. It costs €1 to board and ride wherever you like. It makes a total of 25 stops, including the train station, larger bus stops, shopping areas, residential areas, and several stops in the town center. Because of the route and frequent stops, you should allow yourself about 30 to 40 minutes when scheduling. The following is the posted schedule for the main Piazza and station stops. Keep in mind that there are 23 other stops before and after the ones listed here: Soriano Shuttle Bus Schedule Piazza Station Piazza Station 7:00 AM 7:13 AM 1:00 PM 1:15 PM 7:05 AM 7:25 AM 1:18 PM 1:38 PM 7:45 AM 8:05 AM 3:00 PM 3:20 PM 8:04 AM 8:17 AM 4:00 PM 4:20 PM 9:00 AM 9:20 AM 5:00 PM 5:20 PM 10:00 AM 10:20 AM 6:10 PM 6:32 PM 11:00 AM 11:20 AM 7:20 PM 7:42 PM 12:00 NOON 12:20 PM Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:59:12 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=171&Itemid=159 Bus Schedule Soriano - Orte Train Station Soriano offers bus service to many destinations, but we have only included the schedule for Orte Train station here. This schedule is valid as of January 2007. These schedules may change Stations Buses stop at the Train Station and at the Papacqua bus stop. Please look at the Soriano Map for details. Bus from Soriano Train Station to Orte Station Monday through Saturday Leave Soriano Arrive Orte Leave Soriano Arrive Orte 4:15 AM 4:55 AM 8:40 AM 9:20 AM 5:05 AM 5:40 AM 12:10 PM 12:45 PM 5:10 AM 5:50 AM 12:10 PM 12:50 PM 5:55 AM 6:30 AM 12:50 PM 1:30 PM 6:00 AM 6:40 AM 4:15 PM 3:50 PM 6:10 AM 6:50 AM 4:20 PM 5:00 PM 6:50 AM 7:35 AM 5:10 PM 5:45 PM 7:05 AM 7:45 AM Bus from Soriano Papacqua Bus Stop to Orte Station Monday through Saturday Leave Soriano Arrive Orte Leave Soriano Arrive Orte 6:10 AM 6:50 AM 12:30 PM 1:10 PM 7:05 AM 7:40 AM 12:30 PM 1:15 PM 7:05 AM 7:45 AM 2:20 PM 3:00 PM 7:05 AM 7:50 AM 5:10 PM 5:50 PM 11:10 AM 11:50 AM 5:15 PM 5:55 PM 12:30 PM 1:10 PM 5:45 PM 6:45 PM Bus from Orte Station to Soriano Train Station Monday through Saturday Leave Orte Arrive Soriano Leave Orte Arrive Soriano 7:50 AM 8:30 AM 2:20 PM 3:05 PM 9:05 AM 9:45 AM 3:25 PM 4:05 PM 11:05 AM 11:45 AM 4:05 PM 4:45 PM 12:40 PM 1:15 PM 5:05 PM 5:45 PM 12:40 PM 1:20 PM 7:05 PM 7:45 PM 1:15 PM 1:55 PM 8:05 PM 8:45 PM 1:30 PM 2:10 PM 9:05 PM 9:45 PM 2:20 PM 3:00 PM 9:15 PM 9:50 PM Bus from Orte Station to Soriano Papacqua Bus Stop Monday through Saturday Leave Orte Arrive Soriano Leave Orte Arrive Soriano 5:25 AM 6:05 AM 7:40 AM 8:20 AM Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:58:23 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=158 Orte Train Schedules We don't list the actual schedules here, because there are just so many trains, and it would be impossible to keep up to date. Instead, visit http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html where you can search train schedules in real time. Below you will find some information on common destinations that will help you on the Trenitalia website. Rome Airport In doing your search, enter FIUMICINO AEROPORTO as the station nameThere are trains roughly every 30 to 45 minutes between the airport and Orte all day and night. Be sure to check for direct trains by selecting the 'According to Journey Time' button on the results page. The direct trains take about 90 minutes between the airport and Orte. Central Rome There are several train stations in Rome. The central station is called ROMA TERMINI. There are trains to and from this station roughly every 30 minutes, with higher frequency during the morning and afternoon commute. The travel time is usually between 36 and 45 minutes, depending on the train. Florence The fastest train to florence will be to the Campo di Marte station (to search, enter Firenze Campo di Marte), which should take about 1 hour and 50 minutes. If you would like to go to the central station in Florence, enter Firenze S.M. Novella. Other Destinations You will find that Orte is an extremely convenient train station, since it is a hub on a major route. Because of that, you can get just about anywhere in Italy with no more than 1 or 2 trains. Simply enter the destination you are looking for on the website. Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:57:39 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=169&Itemid=154 2008 Pricing for 8 Day / 7 Night All-Inclusive Cooking Tours Base Price: US $2,695 per person, based on double occupancy. $100 off per person if you join a confirmed tour. 2009 Pricing for 8 Day / 7 Night All-Inclusive Cooking Tours Base Price: US $2,995 per person, based on double occupancy. This price is valid if booked by October 2008 Supplements / Discounts: Single occupancy in home: Add $350. 3rd, 4rth and 5th person in same home: Deduct $300 per additional person. Each person that does not participate in classes on cooking tours: Deduct $300. Group staying in accommodations not provided by DiscoverSoriano.com: Deduct $300. per person Multiple Week Tours If you wish to combine multiple weeks, we offer discounts as long as they are consecutive weeks. Additionally, we will help you fill in transition days between tours and to make sure tour itineraries do not repeat during your stay. Deposit Payment Requirements: 20% of the total is due at time of booking to secure your dates, half of which is non-refundable, the remainder of which is refundable up to 120 days before your tour begins. The balance is due 90 days before your tour begins. What's Included : 7 nights accommodation in a beautiful medieval village home or B B Hands-on cooking classes (as per itinerary) Lunch and Dinner out or catered when we are not eating the results of our class. Daily day trips and excursions 7 Traditional Italian Breakfasts (Cappuccino Pastries) Wine with all meals, plus after dinner drink. All transportation (Including Rome Airport, Train Station or Cruise Terminal Transfers ) All entry fees for tours English speaking guide throughout the week 1 cell phone per party. What's Not included: Airfare Personal Expenses Click here for available dates (http://www.discoversoriano.com/guided-tours/organized/browse-tours.html) Click here to request more information or initiate a reservation request. (http://www.discoversoriano.com/book/book-online.html) Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:29:02 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=167&Itemid=43 Montepulciano Distance from Soriano 59 mi / 94km Highlights Wine: Vino Nobile Region Tuscany (Chianti) Description This is a Tuscan hilltown of exceptional beauty that produces what is considered by many wine connoisseurs to be among Italy's absolute best red wines: The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It also produces an exceptional 'Rosso di Montepulciano * Thousands of tourists book day tours from Florence to this town for visits to cellars and vineyards, but it should be noted that Montepulciano is much closer to Soriano than it is to Florence, so if your itinerary includes a stopover in Florence, you should consider visiting this area from Soriano instead. When you are in Montepulciano, you will find dozens of little wine shops that all offer wine tasting, as well as fantastic cheeses, salame, etc. Among our favorite stops here is the Cantina del Redi, (http://www.cantinadelredi.com/) which is a beautiful and ancient wine cellar. Here is a video that gives you a view into Montepulciano wineries (http://www.italybyvideo.com/travel-videos/culture/food-and-wine/wine-and-cheese-pienza-and-montepulciano.html) Picture(s) Map Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:37:24 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=120 Specialized Group Tours Events Would you like to coordinate a Yoga Workshop in which you hold daily yoga classes in mystical forests, ancient castles, Tuscan sunflower fields, etc? We can arrange that for you. Perhaps you would rather arrange a a group ride with 20 Harleys through the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside for a week? Yeah, we can do that too. How about a vegetarian retreat, or a week of wine making the old fashioned way. This is what we do. All you need to do is contact us and let us know what your goals are. Special Events Weddings Have you been dreaming of a wedding in an 11th century church, followed by a reception in a medieval castle atop a hill? Or perhaps you are putting together an annual conference, and want to make it something everyone will remember for the rest of their lives. Whatever the case, we can handle groups of up to 100 people. We handle everything from catering, entertainment, special arrangements, conference rooms, meeting space, to reserving your very own castle for the night. All you need to do is contact us and let us know what your goals are. Corporate Tours Getaways Paintball weekends and fishing trips getting old? Would you rather try wild boar hunting in the rolling hills of Italy? How about a Porcini mushroom hunt? Or a week of wine making? Perhaps you would like to try harvesting olives in the hills of Umbria, or a simple week of utter relaxation in one of Italy's most breathtaking regions. All you need to do is contact us and let us know what your goals are. Family Reunions How would you like to arrange your family reunion as an unforgettable tour through Italy? Everything you see in our tours is available (and highly customizable) for family reunions. All you need to do is contact us and let us know what your goals are. Mon, 21 May 2007 06:19:40 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=121 There are so many companies offering guided tours of Italy that choosing can become a daunting task. Here are some things you may consider when choosing: 01. Our vacations are truly All-Inclusive We encourage you to browse other websites and look at their itineraries, but look closely. Most of the time you will find that they are peppered with 'free days' or 'optionally you can...', etc. Many only include meals resulting from the classes. Our tours are truly all-inclusive. We offer much more in terms of classes, excursions, and included features. Of course, if you would rather venture out on your own one day, you are free to, but if you want to go on an excursion with us, it is there, and it is included... everything including entry fees, transportation, meals, even quick little coffee or water breaks along the way. What makes this important is that if we were to simply remove 3 meals and 3 excursions from our week, it would increase our profit by 20%, so the while our pricing is in line with (and sometime higher than) others, the value is much greater. 02. The Personal Touch Most of the Italian tours you will find out there are operated by huge global operators that cram as many people as they can ona giant tour bus. It is all 100% pre-programmed and impersonal. We keep our groups very small, and a great deal of our schedule is very flexible and organic in nature. If everyone wants to spend a little more time in one place and a little less in another, we can usually work it out. If everyone decides they would rather cancel one place in favor of another, we can often make it happen. With a smaller, more personal tour, we can bend for you, and have a lot more fun. 03. A More TRUE Experience When you are shuffling on and off of big tour busses, there is something lost in the experience. When you dine, you are forced to dine as a huge group, which limits your choices. The places you stop are limited to places that can accomodate large groups. All in all, it is more artificial as a whole. With smaller groups, we use a passenger van to get around. We can stop and eat where we want, when we want, instead of going to huge places. We save a ton of time and have a much better experience. 04. A small oeprator with BIG features When you find other operators that offer smaller personal tours, you generally find yourself dealing with people a world away that speak broken english. While endearing, many people don't feel completely comfortable sending thousands of dollars a world away, outside of the assurances and legal rights of their own country. Additionally, when you deal with U.S. companies that offer tours, they are generally nothing more than tour brokers that have little to do with your tour, and can't really help you if any problems come up while you are away. DiscoverSoriano is a United States based company, and we operate our own tours. When you call us, you are calling the U.S. When you pay us, you are paying U.S. Dollars to a U.S. company with U.S. responsibilities. If you have a problem, we are the ones that take care of it. In fact, in most cases, we even own the lodging accomodations. While this may seem insigificant to some, keep in mind that Italy is a very different culture than yours, and things you take for granted may not be so normal here. This ranges from the inconveniences to the major emergencies. For example, on your tour in July, are you sure you will have air conditioning? Just because someone says you will, does not make it so. Air conditioning is very rare in Italy, but as Americans, we make certain that our homes have it. What if there is a medical emergency? We have a stable infrastructure in place to accomodate you... everything from seeing a doctor, to getting to the hospital... to helping assist and interface with doctors and insurance companies back home. None of this takes away from the experience in any way. We have gone to great lengths to provide the true Italian experience, while mixing in conveniences you are accustomed to and assurances you would otherwise demand. They are there if you want or need them, but they are not in your face. This is one of the things that makes us so incredibly unique. 05. An infusion of real Italian culture Most tours operate where the tourists are. Naturally, they flourish in areas buzzing with tourism. However, an Italian cooking tour is as much about culture as it is about food, and Italian sightseeing tours are singnificantly more interesting when you discover the hidden treasures. We mix in many of the popular destinations, but we are always sure to expose you to some wonders that few people have experienced. With us, you won’t wake to a buffet breakfast. Instead, we will have traditional Italian breakfast in cafés alongside the villagers. When we eat out, we will probably be the only foreigners in the restaurant. Our goal is to make you feel the real Italian culture as much as possible. You will feel more like a family guest than someone on a tour. We went out of our way to make sure that the excursions are both unique and awe-inspiring… Places the tourism books missed… places you will talk about for the rest of your life. 06. Accomodations Most tours will put you up in impersonal hotels. We believe that living within the Italian culture is essential to making your time with us as magical as possible. You will stay at one of our breathtaking village homes. These are truly 1st class accomodations. Each one is completely independant, and beautifully decorated. They feature all modern conveniences, such as dedicated high speed WIFI Internet, satellite television (with dozens of English channels), air conditioning, full kitchen, and much more. When our village homes are not available, our overflow goes to beautiful bed and breakfasts that offer the similar amenities. 07. Location Many people are not really familiar with the various regions in Italy, but they know certain buzzwords like 'Tuscany' or 'Umbria'. People often tell us they want to go to Tuscany and Florence. That is like hearing someone say they want to go to Los Angeles and California. The area of Italy that most people think of when they hear terms like 'Tuscan Countryside' or 'Tuscany Hilltowns' is an area known as 'Tuscia', which is made up of Southern Tuscany, Southern Umbria, and Northern Lazio. In fact, many places people think of when they think of Tuscany, aren't in Tuscany at all. Soriano nel Cimino is right at the center of this area, at the northern rim of the Beautiful Tiber Valley, bordering with Umbria and just south-east of the Tuscan border. Soriano also has the added benefit of being very close to Rome, compared to most of Tuscany. 08. Tour Guides that are always there for you Most tour guides are pretty much just there for the times you are touring, and leave you to fend for yourself most of the time. Our tour guides are there to help you in every way, from the moment you begin your stay with us, until the moment you leave us. 24 hours a day. They are knowledgable, They speak english, and they are there to help you with everything from interpreting on your behalf, to just about any minor or major personal needs you may have. 09. You are family This can't be stressed enough. A week with us just doesn't feel like a tour at all. You will feel like you are visiting extended family, and we will feel like extended family is visiting. This isn't part of some formula to make your trip special, it is just the way it all works out. This is part of the reason we don't do identical tours week after week... it just wouldn't be fun for us! We have a very casual attitude toward it... this is fun for us, and we love sharing this wonderful place with others. Perhaps it is because we get to know you well before you arrive and we can't wait to finally meet, perhaps it is the Soriano air, or perhaps it is our little slice of the Tuscan Sun that does it. :-). Either way, you will go home having had the most amazing vacation of your life, having made amazing new friends, having seen remarkable things few tourists have seen, and having felt an uncanny sense belonging in a place so far away. Long before you get home, you will have started planning your return to Soriano nel Cimino. Click here to see a sample itinerary (/guided-tours/all-inclusive-tours/compare-to-others.html) Click here to book a TOUR ONLINE (/book/book-online.html) Click here to request more information (/book/request-information.html) Mon, 21 May 2007 06:19:23 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128&Itemid=151 Christmas New Year Tour (12 days, 11 nights) The Holidays in Rome, Tuscany Umbria Limited to just 8 people, you will experience the magic of a Country Italian Christmas and New year with our family on this incredibly intimate tour. In Italy, Christmas isn't commercial as it is in the States. You won't find red and green lights everywhere with lawns covered by plastic reindeer and giant snow globes. Instead, you will experience a holiday season that centered around family, religion, and yes... we are talking about Italy... Food. We'll bask in Italy's most endearing holiday traditions as we visit stunning full-scale recreations of ancient Bethlehem, tour Assisi, the home town of St. Francis, experience the dazzling lights of Christmas in Rome, marvel at the official Nativity Scene at the Vatican, tour the incredible museums of Florence and so much more. We will eat and eat and eat. You will become a part of our family as we invite you into our home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts. We will ring in the new year in Soriano's stunning 12th century castle as we watch thousands of fireworks at the stroke of midnight. This is the experience of a lifetime you are certain to never forget. Day 1 If you are arriving in Italy today, You will be greeted at the Rome airport and taken to Soriano nel Cimino, where you will get settled in. If you are already in Italy, we can either meet at the Rome airport, the Orte train station (36 min north of Rome), or in Soriano if you have a car. That evening, we will all dine in Soriano’s best restaurant and talk about how the remainder of the week will unfold. At this time, if the group wishes to alter the itinerary, we can plan accordingly. Places Arrival, Transfer to Soriano, Check-In Day 2 This morning we will get up and have breakfast at around 9AM. We’ll then take the short drive to the Orte Train station and board a 1st class train* for the 36 minute ride into central Rome. We’ll spend the morning visiting some of Rome’s highlights, such as The Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. All the while we will also do some Christmas shopping in Rome’s most famous shopping districts. We will have a fantastic lunch together at our favorite pizzeria in Rome, then visit Piazza Navona, which hosts a huge traditional outdoor Christmas market, complete with Santa Claus, nativity scenes and booths that sell Christmas items, toys and sweets. Kids can visit Santa Claus and parents can take in the holiday atmosphere of the market. In the evening, we will visit the Pantheon, have dinner in a local café’ then stroll around the beautifully lit cobblestone streets of Rome’s historical downtown. Places Rome Sightseeing Shopping Day 3 - Christmas Eve After breakfast, we will take a drive to Assisi, the home of St. Francis and Greccio, the site where St. Francis held history’s first ever nativity scene (Christmas Crèche) in 1223. We’ll spend the better part of the day soaking in the beauty and history Assisi, and experiencing the Christmas tradition of this amazing place. We will have lunch in Assisi, explore a bit more, then proceed back to Soriano. For the evening of Christmas Eve, you will be our guests at our villa, where you will enjoy a wonderful and traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast with our family. At around 11:00 we will go back up to town, where those that wish to join us will attend midnight mass in one of Soriano’s beautiful churches. Places Assisi Greccio Day 4 - Christmas Day On Christmas day, we will leave you to sleep in (or take a jog to shed a few pounds!). As though you haven’t already eaten enough by now, at around 12:30 PM, we will get together and go back to the villa for the traditional Christmas Day feast with our family. These often last upwards of 6 hours, so eat light that morning! There will most certainly be something under our tree for you, too! That evening, we will go to the nearby town of Bassano to visit their Living Nativity. Bassano converts the medieval quarter of their village into a recreation of ancient Bethlehem. Hundreds of townspeople dress up in theme and play their own role in this amazing experience. You will truly feel as though you are walking through time two-thousand years in the past. You will sample local wine, local cheeses and much more as you take in this magical experience. Places Soriano Bassano Day 5 Wednesday morning we will take it easy in the morning. We will have lunch in Soriano’s Taverna dei Frati, then proceed to Viterbo in the afternoon, where we will visit many churches to enjoy their nativity scenes. That evening we will visit our second living nativity. This one is in Soriano’s suburb of Chia, and is even larger and more impressive than the one we saw in Bassano. While the theme of this one is still ancient Bethlehem, instead of creating it in the medieval quarter, Chia creates theirs along a hillside full of ancient grottos. You will walk down torch-lit paths past Roman soldiers guarding prisoners, you will see small shops set inside of caves, food stands that offer free samples of ancient delicacies, and much more. When you get to the valley below, you will be in the re-created bustling village of Bethlehem, completely re-created, and as you continue outside the village, you will find an amazing living nativity scene. You will leave Chia in total awe over this elaborate production. Places Viterbo, Chia Day 6 Thursday morning we will have breakfast before driving to the nearby provincial capital of Viterbo, which was the home of the Vatican centuries ago. We will visit the ancient Papal Palace, as well as the mediaval quarter of San Pellegrino, which is considered to be the best preserved medieval quarter in Italy. We will have lunch in Viterbo, then cross into Tuscany and visit the breathtaking Tuscan hilltown of Pitigliano. Dinner will be at a local Soriano trattoria.. Places Viterbo, Pitigliano Day 7 Friday morning we will get an early start as we board a first-class train for Florence. We will have breathtaking views as we take the 1 hour and 50 minute ride through Umbria, Tuscany and its Chianti region. We will spend the day in Florence with Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, etc., visiting the world-famous Uffizi gallery, the Academia gallery Ponte Vecchio, and much more. We’ll dine in Florence before returning home for the night. Places Florence Day 8 Today we will be back in Rome. After all, you simply can’t see Rome in a day. We’ll spend time at the Vatican, visiting St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, etc. Then we’ll visit the Colloseum and the Roman Forum Finally, we will visit the recently re-opened Domus Aureus, which was Emporor Nero’s 400 room ‘Golden Palace’. Places Rome Day Sunday morning after breakfast we will go to Civita di Bagnoregio, the dying city. This beautiful place was founded by the Etruscans over 2,500 years ago. The village, with only 12 year-long residents, is a sort of island on top of a cliff of volcanic rock that has been eroding over the years, making it one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world as it crumbles away. Once we leave Civita, we will take a short drive to one of the most beloved towns in Umbria, Orvieto. Orvieto is most famous for its stunning cathedral, underground caves, ceramics, and its world-famous white wine Orvieto Classico. We’ll have lunch in Orvieto, tour the town, then go to a special Pizzeria in the town of Vetralla for dinner. After dinner, we will see our third Living Nativity production in Vetralla. This one is quite different. While the others recreate the Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago, Vetralla chose to convert their town to the bustling Vetralla of the early 19th century! Again, hundreds of townspeople are in full costume, playing their individual roles. You will see a Blacksmith, a schoolhouse, a tax collector, children playing in the streets, weavers, mills, etc. You will watch as artisans craft, and even watch people make Ricotta cheese (which you are free to sample as it is made). Again, this is a spectacle you have to see to believe. You will never forget it! Places Civita di Bagnoregio, Orvieto, Vetralla Day 10 - New Years Eve Weather permitting, we will take a special light hike with those that are up to it this morning. In the outskirts of Soriano are the precious ruins of a place called Corviano that few people know about. Corviano was an Etruscan village that dates back 3,000 years. You will enter the actual homes the Etruscans had carved in the cliffs. You will walk through the village necropolis, looking at clearly defined graves carved out of rock. You will hike through the ruins of a medieval castle, and more. For those that visit us, Corviano is generally the highlight of their trip. It gives you a completely different perspective, allowing you to truly feel the presence of an extinct race. In the afternoon we will rest a bit and get ready for tonight. We will spend New Year’s Eve attending a huge party in Soriano’s castle. There will be tons of music, dancing, and…. Well, we are in Ital, right? A grand feast! At the strike of midnight, you will experience fireworks like you have never seen before. Imagine all of the fireworks of the fourth of July happening at the same time, everywhere. The sky lights up virtually everywhere you look with skyrockets, firecrackers, etc. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, the sky will look as though Italy is at war. Places Corviano, Soriano Day 11- New Years Day We probably didn’t get to bed until 4 or 5 in the morning, so today we will take it very easy. Feel free to sleep in, or come down to the villa where we will have some movies showing, and perhaps a football game from back home on the TV. Tuesday evening we will have our farewell dinner. Places Soriano Day 12 Departure Day. Wednesday morning we will have breakfast and take you back to the Rome Airport, Rome City, or Civitavecchia. Places Soriano to Rome Dates Prices Dates: • December 23 2007 - Jan 2 2008 • December 23 2008 - Jan 2 2009 Prices $3,995 per person based on double occupancy $300 single occupancy suppliment What's Included: 11 nights accomodations in your private first-class village home All transportation, including transfers to and from Rome Airport, Cruise Terminal or train station All 1st class train tickets for Rome and Florence days Traditional Italian breakfast every day (Cappuccino Pastry) Lunch with wine during all sightseeing tours All entrance fees as required for sightseeing tours (Museums, Monuments, etc.) Dinner every night with wine Christmas Eve, Cristmas Day and New Years Eve feasts English speaking guide throughout 1 cellular phone per party The time of your life! Notes Conditions *In many major Italian cities, driving in the historical districts is not permitted. In these cases we use trains, subways and cabs where needed. This also saves a great deal of time. ** Due to the fact that we cannot predict weather, the schedule may be altered or rearranged in order to provide the best possible experience. Click here to book a tour now (/book/book-online.html) Click here to request more information (/book/request-information.html) Mon, 21 May 2007 06:18:53 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=118 All-Inclusive Guided Tour - Sample Itinerary This itinerary is a sample. When you book a tour, you have the option to create your own custom itinerary based on the destinations you see here, plus many more. You can choose days in Rome to see the Colosseum, The Vatican, The Domus Aurea, etc. Or perghaps you would like to visit Florence, Cortona and Siena. We even offer daytrips down to the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii on our tours. 7 Day All-Inclusive Tour of Tuscany, Umbria and Alto Lazio Instead of following the crowds of tourists through Rome and Tuscany, try this extremely unique and rich experience, and see the real Italy, the other Italy that so few tourists have had the opportunity to experience. We take care of everything from the moment you arrive in Rome until the moment you check in to go home. We will take you to ancient Roman and Etruscan archaeological sites few tourists have ever seen. We will travel through vineyards, we will visit Italy's most coveted hidden treasures, and we will eat amazing Italian food and indulge in local cheeses and wines. Day 1 (Saturday) If you are arriving in Italy today, You will be greeted at the Rome airport and taken to Soriano nel Cimino, where you will get settled in. If you are already in Italy, we can either meet at the Rome airport, the Orte train station (36 min north of Rome), or in Soriano if you have a car. That evening, we will all dine in Soriano’s best restaurant and talk about how the remainder of the week will unfold. At this time, if the group wishes to alter the itinerary, we can plan accordingly. Places Soriano nel Cimino (Lazio) Day 2 (Sunday) At around 9:00 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We will then proceed to the nearby town of Bagnaia and visit the beautiful Villa Lante. Then we will proceed to Viterbo and visit the San Pellegrino district, which is considered one of the best preserved medieval quarters in Italy. We will also visit the Palazzo Papale (Papal Palace), which was the Vatican in the 13th century during troubled times in Rome, and was the location of the famous 33 month enclave (1269-1271) in which citizens tore the roof off the vatican to force them to elect a new pope. From Viterbo, we will go to the Faggeta and have a picnic lunch. In the late afternoon, we will take a tour of Soriano’s castle and medieval quarter. That evening we will have dinner in a local Soriano trattoria. Places Bagnaia, Viterbo, Faggeta Forest, Soriano Day 3 (Monday) At around 9:00 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We will depart for Carsulae, an ancient Roman archeological site in Umbria. There will be a little light hiking here. From there, we will have lunch and spend the early afternoon at the beautiful Lake Piediluco. Finally, we will visit the Marmore falls in Terni, the tallest man-made waterfall in the world, which was constructed by the ancient Romans. Dinner will be at an extremely unique and fantastic pizzeria in a town called Gallese, which serves countless types of pizza 'by the meter'. Places Carsulae, Lake Piediluco, Marmore Falls (Umbria) Day 4 (Tuesday) At around 9:00 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We will then depart for the ancient Civita di Bagnoregio, which is a beautiful 3,500 year old ‘Dying’ city that is crubling away. We will then cross over to Umbria and go to Orvieto, which is famous for its amazing cathedral, underground city and the world-famous white wine, Orvieto Classico. We will then venture into southern Tuscany where we will drive through some beautiful hilltowns and visit the breathtaking Tuscan village of Pitigliano. Places Civita Bagnoregio, Orvieto, Pitigliano (Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio) Day 5 (Wednesday) At around 8:30 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We will then travel to the ancient ruins of Corviano, an ancient Etruscan village and necropolis in the outskirts of Soriano. This will be roughly 2 ½ hours of light hiking through the woods, so you will have to dress appropriately. We will picnic in the ruins of an ancient castle. After we have rested up, we will proceed to the Monster Park at Bomarzo, which is a 14th century amusement park believed to have been designed by Michelangelo himself. Dinner Wednesday night will be a pizza cookout at our villa. Places Corviano, Bomarzo (Lazio) Day 6 (Thursday) At around 9:00 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We begin by visiting the ancient Etruscan tombs at Tarquinia. We will then have lunch at an amazing Pizzeria in Vetralla, followed by a visit to an ancient roman amphitheater in Viterbo. From there we will drive through the Cimini Mountains, visit Lake Vico, and back to Soriano. Dinner in Soriano. Places Tarquinia, Vetralla, Sutri (Lazio) Day 7 (Friday) At around 9:00 in the morning we will have breakfast in Piazza. We will go to Ostia Antica, widely considered to be 'The Better Pompeii'. Ostia was Ancient Rome's port city, and is one of the best preserved ancient Roman sites, covering roughly 10,000 acres! Linch in Ostia, then back to Soriano where you can rest and prepare your bags. That evening we will have a BBQ at our villa for our last evening together. Places Ostia Antica (Lazio - Ancient Rome) Day 8 (Saturday) Today is departure day. How it unfolds will depend on your travel plans, but we will have breakfast and take you back to the Orte or Rome train station if you are travelling onward by rail, The Rome Airport if you are going home, or to the Civitavecchia Cruise terminal if you are proceeding on a cruise. Places Rome and beyond... Mon, 21 May 2007 06:18:32 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=126&Itemid= Mon, 21 May 2007 06:18:13 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=128 There is no shortage of websites advertising cooking vacations in Italy, and they certainly all look wonderful. How to choose? This guide will help you decide if ours is the best for you. 01. Our vacations are truly All-Inclusive We encourage you to browse other websites and look at their itineraries, but look closely. Most of the time you will find that they are peppered with lines like 'this afternoon you are free to...' , or 'optionally you can...', etc. Many only include meals resulting from the classes. We include everything, If one morning we are not doing a class, we will have an excursion. Of course, if you would rather venture out on your own one day, you are free to, but if you want to go on an excursion with us, it is there, and it is included. What makes this important is that if we were to simply remove 3 meals and 3 excursions from our week, it would increase our profit by 20%, so the while our pricing is in line with others, the value is much greater. 02. 100% Hands On, Full immersion classes Many of the others do a great deal of 'Demonstration'. In other words, your class will include a 5 course meal, but you are only preparing one or two courses, while a great deal of the meal is being demonstrated for you. We don't believe this makes sense. With us, you will be 100% involved in preparing 100% of the meals. 03. The week is created for you Most of the others run a standardized program.That which they do with you on Monday is exactly what they did last Monday with a different group, and will do next Monday with yet another group. While they are certainly fun and personal, this creates a certain detachment. When you reserve with us, you will quickly find that we are very different. For one thing, we don't do this week in and week out. We do it on demand. Additionally, every week-long vacation is completely different. You will find that we create the week based on your preferences. We may have a completely different menu with you than we had with a prior group, and we may have spent a few days in Rome with the last group, but completely avoid Rome with you. This is because when you reserve, we will get to know you and design a week based on what you want, not what we have decided you will want. In fact, you will get to know us quite well long before your trip, and certainly long after! 04. Home Cooking vs. High Cuisine While this is a matter of preference, it is important to note that we focus our classes on home cooking. Some others focus more on high cuisine, which doesn't translate well into the real world. We focus on traditional Tuscan and Umbrian dishes that you can make at home. We believe that you should be able to use all of the knowledge you have gained while you were with us once you get home. Because of this, we carefully select recipes that can be made with ingredients found outside of Italy, and when you leave we will provide you with a recipe book that includes both metric and imperial measurements, as well as substitutions for ingredients that you may not find at home. 05. A home kitchen vs. an industrial kitchen Many others hold their classes in a restaurant kitchen or a modified villa kicthen for large scale classes. We hold our classes in the same kicthen that we have used for our family meals for years. We believe that if you are learning to cook Italian food for home, you should learn it in a kitchen that is equippped for home cooking, not large scale cooking. Our classes will be at Villa Eddarella, our summer home in Italy. This is a 380+ year old restored country farmhouse that has been in Paola's family for centuries. In other words, we welcome you into our home for your classes. 06. Accomodations Some others will put you up in a hotel, while others will house you in a shared villa for your trip. We believe that living within the Italian culture is essential to making your time with us as magical as possible. You will stay at one of our breathtaking village homes. These are truly 1st class accomodations. Each one is completely independant, and beautifully decorated. They feature all modern conveniences, such as dedicated high speed WIFI Internet, satellite television, air conditioning, full kitchen, and much more. When our village homes are not available, our overflow goes to beautiful bed and breakfasts that offer the same amenities we do. 07. Location Many people are not really familiar with the various regions in Italy, but they know certain buzzwords like 'Tuscany' or 'Umbria'. People often tell us they want to go to Tuscany and Florence. That is like hearing someone say they want to go to Los Angeles and California. The area of Italy that most people think of when they hear terms like 'Tuscan Countryside' or 'Tuscany Hilltowns' is an area known as 'Tuscia', which is made up of Southern Tuscany, Southern Umbria, and Northern Lazio. In fact, many places people think of when they think of Tuscany, aren't in Tuscany at all. Soriano nel Cimino is right at the center of this area. Soriano also has the added benefit of being very close to Rome, compared to most of Tuscany. 08. You are family This can't be stressed enough. A week with us just doesn't feel like a tour at all. You will feel like you are visiting extended family, and we will feel like extended family is visiting. This isn't part of some formula to make your trip special, it is just the way it all works out. We have a very casual attitude toward it... this is fun for us, and we love sharing this wonderful place with others. Perhaps it is because we get to know you well before you arrive and we can't wait to finally meet, or perhaps it is just the Soriano air :-). Either way, you will go home having had the most amazing vacation of your life, having made amazing new friends, having learned to make incredible Italian home cooking, having seen remarkable things few tourists have seen, and having felt an uncanny sense belonging in a place so far away. Long before you get home, you will have started planning your return to Soriano nel Cimino. Click here to see a sample itinerary (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/itineraries/cooking-tour---4-classes-wine--off-the-beaten-path-tour.html) Click here to book a cooking vacation online (http://www.ntzone.com/book/book-a-cooking-tour-online.html) Click here to request more information (/book/request-information.html) Sat, 19 May 2007 14:36:48 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid= All-Inclusive Cooking Vacation - Sample Itinerary This is just a sample itinerary. When you choose to book, you will have many options for day trip excursions, as well as cooking class menus. Day 1 (Saturday) -Arrival If you are arriving in Italy today, you will be greeted at the Rome airport and taken to Soriano nel Cimino, where you will get settled in. If you are already in Italy, we can either meet at the Rome airport, the Orte train station (36 min from Rome’s Central Station), or in Soriano if you have a car. If you are arriving by ship, we will pick you up at the Civitavecchia Cruise terminal. We will have a light lunch, and give you a few hours to get settled in. For those that are up to it, later in the afternoon we will take a drive to Lake Vico and have some Gelato while we look at this beautiful volcanic lake and get to know one another. Tonight we will go out to dinner at an extremely unique Pizzeria that serves seemingly endless varieties of pizza ‘by the meter’. After dinner, we will go home so that you can get a good night’s sleep. Places Soriano nel Cimino, Gallese Classes None Meals Light lunch, Gelato, Pizza Dinner Day 2 (Sunday) -Getting to it.. We will kick off Sunday morning at around 9:00 AM. We’ll start by going into town to have some cappuccino. Since you are probably tired today, we won’t have an intense class. Instead, today we will learn how to make Limoncello and Biscotti while lunch is catered for us. After lunch, we will rest a bit, then take a tour around Soriano nel Cimino to visit the castle and the medieval quarter. We’ll stop in a local artist’s studio to see what he is working on, and how this amazing place inspires him. We’ll stroll, have a gelato and get to know one another a little more. This is a day to take it easy after the long trip. For dinner, we will have Soriano’s famous roasted suckling pig with roasted potatoes and dessert. We will be dining in a beautiful restaurant that was converted from an ancient monastery. Places Soriano nel Cimino Classes Biscotti Limoncello Class Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch - (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert*) * Class #1 will be held before lunch, and will be part of today's dessert. This is the only class that is only part of a meal. Appetizer Prosciutto e Melone (Prosciutto Melon) First Cannelloni al Forno (Baked Cannelloni) Second Salsicce in padella al vino bianco (Sausage sautéed in white wine) Side Insalata mista (Fresh garden salad) Dessert Biscotti Limoncello Dinner (at the Taverna) Appetizer Olive Ascolane, Antipasto misto (Deep fried sausage-stuffed olives, mixed Italian appetizer) First n/a Second Porchetta (Roasted suckling pig) Side Patate arrosto, Insalata mista (Roasted potatoes Fresh Garden Salad) Dessert Charlotte alla crema pasticcera e frutta (cake with pastry cream and fresh fruit) Day3 (Monday) -A full day of cooking Today will be a full day of cooking. After breakfast, we’ll do some shopping at the local family groceries, bakeries, and butchers. At around 11:00 AM, we will begin our dinner preparations. We will make a delicious sausage and cheese bruschetta, lasagna made completely from scratch, and more. Lunch today will be casual Italian finger foods and sandwiches as we will spend most of the day on our dinner preparations. In the afternoon you will have a few hours to rest up after this intense day, followed by the dinner you have spent all day preparing. Places Soriano nel Cimino Classes Dinner Class (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch Today is a full day of cooking for dinner, so lunch will be about an hour break with Italian finger foods and sandwiches. Dinner - Class #2 (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Appetizer Sausage Cheese Bruschetta First Lasagna made from scratch Second Involtini Eddarella (Veal rolls stuffed with mortadella and celery, sautéed in white wine) Side Sautéed Porcini Mushrooms Dessert Crema Fredda con amaretti (Ameretto mousse) Day 4 (Tuesday) -The Monsters, The Enchanted Forest and GNOCCHI! After breakfast we will go to The Park of Monsters in nearby Bomarzo. This park is one of a kind in the world, with huge sculptures of monsters and fantasy. It is regarded as the 14th century Disneyland. We will then go up to the enchanting Faggeta forest, where we will have a nice walk, followed by a traditional Italian picnic with Focaccia, Prosciutto, local cheeses, other local cold cuts and fresh fruit. The picnic will be just under the forest at Sasso Naticarello (Shaking Rock), which is a huge volcanic rock that was made famous by Pliny the Elder, the famed Italian philosopher who died at Pompeii. In the afternoon, we will learn how to make home made Gnocchi from scratch for today’s class. Places Soriano nel Cimino, Bomarzo, Faggeta Forest Classes Dinner - Class #3 (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch A traditional Italian picnic with Focaccia, Prosciutto, local cheeses, jams, other local cold cuts and fresh fruit. Dinner - Class #3 (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Appetizer Bruschetta Mista (Assorted varieties of Bruschetta - Olive, Peppers, Porcini Cream, etc.) First #1 Gnocchi con Panna e Gorgonzola (from scratch) (Gnocchi with cream and Gorgonzola cheese) #2 Gnocchi alla Bolognese (from scratch) (Gnocchi with Bolognese Ragu) Second Pollo alla Contadina (Sautéed Chicken with pearl onion, mushroom, cream and vodka) Side Patate Pasticciate (Sautéed sausage, ground beef onion in a tomato cream sauce, mixed with mashed potatoes and topped with Parmesean cheese and grilled) Dessert Chiacchiere alla canella e zucchero ( Fried pastry with sugar and cinnamon ) Day 5 (Wednesday) -Pizza Night! In the morning we get up early and prepare the dough for tonight’s pizza class, then take off for Assisi. In the evening we will visit a local farmer where we will spend our evening making our pizza in an outdoor wood-fired oven. You will make amazing pizza and focaccia like you have never had before. In between, as we visit with the farmers, we will have a chance to tour his vineyard, olive orchards, hazelnut orchards, and his private cantina, where we will sample his private wine. Places Soriano nel Cimino, Assisi Classes Dinner -Class #4 (Pizza) Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch Trattoria in Assisi Dinner - Class #4 (Pizza, Pizza and more Pizza) It’s all about different varieties of pizza (even a dessert pizza), wine, beer, and laughs tonight. We will learn how to make pizza from scratch and cook it in an outdoor wood-fired oven. Day 6 (Thursday) -A day for touring You have had at least one cooking class every day this week, so today we will let you rest. However, your stomach gets no rest until you go home. Today we will go to see the beautiful Villa Lante. We will then visit the provincial capitol of Viterbo, where we will see the ancient Papal palace and what is considered to be one of the best preserved medieval quarters in Italy. For lunch, we will stop in a local restaurant that specializes in Neapolitan cuisine. After lunch, we will visit the dying town of Civita di Bagnoregio, and finally the beautiful city of Orivieto, best known worldwide for its Orvieto Classico wine. We will arrive home to a gourmet dinner that awaits us. Tonight we will have a very traditional menu from Soriano’s immediate area. Places Soriano nel Cimino, Bagnaia, Viterbo, Vetralla, Civita di Bagnoregio, Orvieto Classes None, take a break from cooking Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch Neapolitan restaurant in Vetralla Dinner - A traditional Sorianese Dinner at the Tre Scalini restaurant in Soriano tonight. Appetizer Cold cuts First Strozzapreti al’amatriciana (A local hand-made pasta with Amatriciana sauce) Second Arrostino Sorianese (Sorianese Pork Roast with local herbs and garlic) Side Cipolline all’agro dolce (pearl onions sautéed with caramelized sugar and vinegar sauce) Dessert Macedonia (fresh seasonal fruit cup in white wine, lemon juice and sugar) Day 7 (Friday) - Farewell Dinner Today is your last day, and we have saved the best for last. We will be going to town at 7:45 for those that would like to see Soriano’s Friday market. However, at 9:00 sharp, we will be taking those that are up to it to a place very few people (tourists and locals alike) have ever seen: Corviano. Corviano is an archeological site near Soriano that reveals an ancient Etruscan village which is thousands of years old. You will explore ancient cave dwellings, an abandoned castle, an ancient necropolis, and more. This will certainly be one of the highlights of your trip. Corviano is a light hike, so we will return early to rest. Lunch today will be light since we have a mega dinner tonight, and you need time to pack, but as afternoon approaches we will begin our final class… the one that will leave your mouth watering on your trip home. Places Soriano nel Cimino, Corviano Classes Dinner - Class #5 (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Meals Breakfast Cappuccino Pastries Lunch Panini after Corviano Dinner - Class #5 (Appetizer, first course, second course, side dish, dessert) Appetizer Tortellini in Carrozza (Tortellini in cream, peas and pancetta sauce stuffed in puff pastry baskets) First Canederli al burro e salvia con Porcini Trifolati (Pancetta and Onion bread balls, served with melted sage butter on a bed of sautéed Porcini mushrooms) Second Spezzatino con carote, patate, cipolla (Veal Pot Roast with carrots, potatoes, onion red wine) Side Gnocchi fritti (Fried home-made Gnocchi) Dessert Tiramisu’ Day 8 (Saturday) - Farewell In the morning you will check out of your home before we have our last breakfast together. We will then take you to the Rome Airport for your flight home, to a train station if you are travelling onward by rail, or to the Civitavecchia Cruise Terminal if you are taking a cruise. Places Rome Classes None Meals Breakfast Menu Variations The menus listed on the itineraries are subject to change depending on season. We use only fresh ingredients, so if we are unable to prepare a certain dish, it will be substituted.If it expected to rain Wednesday, Pizza night will be replaced with Grill night, in which we will grill sausages, pancetta and other meat and veggies in our huge 17th century fireplace. Sat, 19 May 2007 10:58:11 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=95 If you love to cook, love to travel, and love Italian food, you will absolutely love the experience of our cooking classes while you are in Italy. We offer classes one on one right in your village home, or at our villa in Soriano's countryside. You can choose anything from a one-day class, to a class every day of your trip. Whether you are a beginner, or a gourmet, you will not only have the time of your life, but you will leave with amazing new skills and appreciation for the delicate balance of ingredients that makes the best Italian food. These classes are open to our guests, as well as Palazzo Catalani (http://www.discoversoriano.com/palazzo-catalani--discoversoriano.com-in-soriano-nel-cimino.html) guests and those staying at other places in or around Soriano. If you are just passing through (perhaps you are driving between Rome and Florence) , a class in Soriano is a great way to make your day! Our Single-Day Classes Events Homemade Gnocchi & Tiramisu Price $195 per participating person, $50 per non-participating person Time Morning (for lunch) or late afternoon (for dinner) When Available All Year Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. * DiscoverSoriano guests can have this class in their village home if desired. Menu Tartine Rustiche Gnocchi al burro e salvia Gnocchi ai funghi porcini Pollo ai Pepperoni Patate Arrosto Tiramisu What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description In this class you will learn our family secrets of making homemade Gnocchi from scratch, and prepare two delectable sauces for it. The first is a delicate butter and sage sauce, followed by a traditional local Porcini mushroom based sauce, made with fresh Porcinis from our local forests. For our appetizer, we will make fresh goat cheese and grilled Pancetta atop fresh Ciabatta bread. For our second course we will learn to make Pollo ai Pepperoni, with Tuscan-roasted potatoes as a side dish. To cap the meal off, for dessert we will teach you to make our own very unique and special recipe of Tiramisu that is certain to be the best you have ever tasted. Homemade Lasagna Frappe Price $195 per participating person, $50 per non-participating person Time Morning (for lunch) or late afternoon (for dinner) When Available All Year Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. * DiscoverSoriano guests can have this class in their village home if desired. Menu Bruschetta alla Salsiccia e Formaggio Lasagna Involtini Eddarella Insalata di Rucola* Frappe di cannella e zucchero What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description For this class, we will focus on our family recipe for homemade Lasagna. As always, everything (including the pasta) is made from scratch with only the freshest ingredients. Our appetizer in this class is an amazing sausage and cheese bruschetta. For our second course, we will learn to make Involtini Eddarella (Veal rolls stuffed with mortadella and celery, sauteed in white wine). We’ll make a Rucola salad*, topped with cherry tomatoes and shaved parmesan for a side dish, followed by Frappe con cannella e zucchero (Fried pastries with cinnamon-sugar) for dessert. * The Rucola salad is reserved for summer months when the fresh ingredients needed for it are available. When not available, this will be substituted with cauliflower sauteed in garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese. Homemade Fettuccine & Tiramisu Price $195 per participating person, $50 per non-participating person Time Morning (for lunch) or late afternoon (for dinner) When Available All Year Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. * DiscoverSoriano guests can have this class in their village home if desired. Menu Ananas con Pancetta Fettuccine al Ragu Fettuccine alla Vodka e Salsiccia Tiramisu What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description In this class we learn the secrets of making homemade Fettuccine from scratch, and prepare two wonderful sauces for it. Our first is our special family recipe for Ragu, passed down through the generations. Following the ragu, we will learn to make a delicious sausage, onion and vodka cream sauce. In addition to Fettuccine, you will also learn to make a delicious appetizer made of pancetta-wrapped pineapple. To cap the meal off, for dessert we will learn to make our own very unique and special recipe of Tiramisu that is certain to be the best you have ever tasted. Since we made two heavy sauces for our pasta today, we skip the traditional second course. Limoncello Biscotti Class Price $195 per person, * All people attending must participate Time Afternoons (4 hours) When Available All Year Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. * DiscoverSoriano guests can have this class in their village home if desired. Menu 2 varieties of Limoncello 3 varieties of Biscotti What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description Our most popular course! Join us in this course as we teach you how to make Italy's famous after dinner lemon liqueur, and delicious and authentic Biscotti. Limoncello, which is served chilled from the freezer, is a liqueur that takes weeks to make, but is completely worth the effort. It is a multi-stage process, so you will start a new batch, then pick up at the second stage where a past last class left off. During the class we will bake and eat fresh Biscotti together while we drink chilled Limoncello made in past classes. You will make two types of Limoncello: The traditional Limoncello Our special Crema di Limoncello (Limoncello Cream Liqueur) Additionally, you will make three types of Biscotti: Ciambelle Spizzicate - Biscotti with a White wine and Anise base. Tozzetti alla Nociolla - Traditional Hazelnut Biscotti Fave dii Morte - All Saints Almond cookies When the class is finished, you will take home a hand-painted 1/2 liter bottle of each type of Limoncello, as well as the fresh biscotti, and recipes for everything we made during the day. Country Wood-Fired Pizza Night Price $195 per person, $50 per non-participating person * Minimum 4 people per group Time Evenings When Available Mid May thorugh Mid August Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. Menu Focaccia Pizza Margherita Sweet Onion pizza Potato pizza Sugar Pizza Nutella Pizza What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description In Italy, making Pizza is a social event, similar to the way many of us think of having a Barbeque. It is a time of fun and laughter where bonds are forged. It is a truly special experience while the group shares the homemade pizza one tray at a time as it is pulled from the wood-fired brick oven and carried piping hot to the garden table under the vines and stars. We will prepare several kinds of dough, and prepare the fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and many other ingredients for this wonderful evening together. Each person will help while they learn every stage of this event. You will make the dough, drink some wine, prepare the ingredients, drink some wine, help fire up the oven, drink some wine, and even handle the peel as the pizza cooks.... and then we will drink some wine! It will be true Italian country pizza, like nothing you have ever experienced. We’ll learn to make Foccacia, Pizza Margherita, Sweet Onion pizza, Potato pizza, and for dessert we will have Sugar Pizza and finally Nutella Pizza. NEW! - Ricotta Cheesemaking Price $195 per person, * All people attending must participate Time Mornings When Available May through October (Starting May 2008) Where At Villa Eddarella in the Soriano countryside. Menu Fresh Ricotta Various Ricotta Pastas Various Ricotta Desserts What's Included Everything. (Tips are accepted, but by no means expected) Description The best ricotta you will ever have outside of Italy pales in comparison to what you will have in Italy. This is because in Italy, ricotta is always truly fresh... made the day you eat it, while in other places it is always processed at least to some extent. In this class we will teach you to make true, fresh ricotta, that you will be able to easily make when you go home. We will prepare a light meal, completely based on ricotta today.. Click here to book a cooking class online (/book/book-a-cooking-tour-online.html) Click here to request more information (/book/request-information.html) Fri, 18 May 2007 05:55:20 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120&Itemid=94 A week-long adventure in cooking, sightseeing real Italian culture... ...the Experience of a Lifetime Browse Our Tour Dates Itineraries (http://www.discoversoriano.com/guided-tours/organized/browse-tours.html) View a Sample Itinerary (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/itineraries/cooking-tour---4-classes-wine--off-the-beaten-path-tour.html) Compare to other Tours (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/all-inclusive-cooking-vacations/compare-to-other-cooking-vacations.html) Submit a Booking Request (http://www.discoversoriano.com/book/book-online.html) Request more information (http://www.discoversoriano.com/book/request-information.html) Tour Prices (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/all-inclusive-cooking-vacations/prices.html) It’s all about fun, laughter, friends… and food, of course. This is the core of Italian culture, so it is the core of every vacation we organize. Our week-long cooking vacations are extremely unique, as they are designed not only to teach you to cook fantastic Italian meals, but to fully immerse you in Italian culture. You will savor the meals you prepare while you soak up the culture behind them. You will make new friends that are as interested in learning about you and your culture as you are about theirs. It is as much about the food as it is about the experience. Whether you are a beginner, or a gourmet, you will not only have the time of your life, but you will leave with amazing new skills and appreciation for the delicate balance of ingredients that makes the best Italian food. Click here to view a video of our 2007 tours. (http://www.discoversoriano.com/about-soriano/organized-tours/soriano-2007-video.html) Classes for the Real World Our classes, which are held in the family kitchen of our country villa, focus on traditional Tuscan and Umbrian dishes with a few truly special dishes from other regions. We take great care to make sure these are recipes you will be able to make at home, and are sure to impress. When you leave, you will bring home a recipe book that includes everything we made during the week, with metric to imperial conversions, as well as shopping lists for each recipe based on products you will find at home. It’s like visiting family in Italy Before you even arrive in Italy, you are family. We will have spoken many times and gotten to know one another. We will know your likes and your dislikes. There is a simple reason for this: Unlike cookie-cutter tour operators and cooking schools, we structure what we do so that we can fine-tune your vacation for you. Our groups are extremely small and intimate, rarely exceeding 8 people. This gives us tremendous freedom to shape the week on the fly based on your desires. The itinerary is not set in stone, and it is not fixed week to week. So if we can stay somewhere longer if we like, or we can add stops to our day trips… whatever we want as a group. In other words, we treat you the way we treat visiting family. We don’t want to structure your vacation on our terms, we want to do it on your terms. When we're not cooking, we're exploring If we have a dinner class today, we will have an excurion in the morning. If we have lunch class, we will have an excurion in the afternoon/evening. That gives us at least six excursions during the week. Of course, if you feel like resting or going out on your own, you are free to, but if you want to explore with us, it is part of our all-inclusive policy. Our excurions change with every group, because we select them with the group! We can explore Ancient Etruscan Ruins, or visit Assisi for the day. We can spend a day in Rome, or head off to the beach. We can spend the day at the ruins of the Ancient Roman port of Ostia, or climb down the underground caverns of Grotte di Frasassi. We can tour Tuscan hilltowns, or the Marmore falls (The tallest man-made waterfall in the world, created by the Ancient Romans). There are seemingly endless options based on what kind of excurions attract you. Experience it like a local When we shop for our classes, we will shop in the local stores, where you will get to know the people behind the counters. Before you know it, you will be on a first name basis with the butcher. The grocer will welcome you in recognition as you get shop. The fruit and vegetable stands will be genuinely proud to share the product of their farms with you. On the occasions that we eat out, we will be sampling true local cuisine in trattorias and cafes where the locals eat. After a few days, you will see people at other tables that you have encountered in town at one time or another. Many of our guests tell us that after a few days, they feel a sense of ‘home’ here… that they belong… they can’t believe that in such a short amount of time, they made so many connections and felt themselves such a part of the town. It is really an amazing feeling to be a world away, yet feel such a strong connection. Even on the sightseeing tours, you won’t be among crowds of tourists. Instead, you will be seeing the amazing Italy few people know exists, and you will see it more like a local would. A typical all-inclusive cooking vacation includes: 7 nights accommodation in a beautiful medieval village home or B B 3 or 4 hands-on cooking classes (as per itinerary) Lunch and Dinner out or catered when we are not eating the results of our class. Daily day trips and excursions 7 Traditional Italian Breakfasts (Cappuccino Pastries) Wine with all meals, plus after dinner drink. All transportation (Including Rome Airport, Train Station or Cruise Terminal Transfers ) All entry fees for tours English speaking guide throughout the week 1 cell phone per party. Cost: $2,695 per person, based on double occupancy. $300 single supplement $2,395 per person that does not participate in classes. $2,495 for a 3rd or 4th person in same room Custom vs. Scheduled Weeks If you choose to book a cooking vacation on a week that we have not already scheduled one, you have the opportunity to create a custom itinerary. The limitation to this is that there must be at least four people in your party. If there are fewer than eight people in your party, your week will be added as a scheduled tour that others can join, based on your custom itinerary. If there are fewer than eight people in your party, andyou would like to keep your tour completely private, we can arrange to close your tour to others for a suppliment, depending on the number of people in your group. Minimums and Maximums There is a minimum of 4 people per week, and a soft maximum of 8 people. A soft maximum means that we will not book a week with more than 8 people unless the other guests for that week agree to it. We do this so that our guests can be assured that the group will be small and intimate, while also allowing room for groups of more than 8 people for private tours. For private tours, we can accomodate up to 50 people. All-Inclusive Policy Everything mentioned above is included in the price quoted. These prices do not include: Airfare (http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2816122-10463203) , Tips (welcomed but not required), food or drink between meals (except during classes). Personal expenses, excess baggage charges, or anything not indicated in the ‘includes’ section above. Browse Our Tour Dates Itineraries (http://www.discoversoriano.com/guided-tours/organized/browse-tours.html) View a Sample Itinerary (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/itineraries/cooking-tour---4-classes-wine--off-the-beaten-path-tour.html) Compare to other Tours (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/all-inclusive-cooking-vacations/compare-to-other-cooking-vacations.html) Submit a Booking Request (http://www.discoversoriano.com/book/book-online.html) Request more information (http://www.discoversoriano.com/book/request-information.html) Tour Prices (http://www.discoversoriano.com/cooking-vacations-and-classes/all-inclusive-cooking-vacations/prices.html) Fri, 18 May 2007 05:54:26 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116&Itemid= Wed, 16 May 2007 13:32:45 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid= Sample Itineraries for Day Trips These itineraries are available as HTML, which you can view and print from your web browser, and also as MapPoint files. If you have Microsoft MapPoint with European maps, you can import the mappoint files directly. Otherwise, select the HTML option and print the itineraries from your web browser. Web Page Itinerary Open (/directions/html/bomarzo-bagnoregio-orvieto-montefiascone.htm) Bomarzo - Civita di Bagnoregio - Orvieto - Montefiascone The day starts with a visit to the Monster Park at Bomarzo, a wonderland of obscure 14th century statues and carvings that are considered to be the medieval Disneyland. You then proceed to Civita di Bagnoregio, the dying village that is literally crumbling away. Next you go to the beautiful Umbrian city of Orvieto, home of the famous Orvieto Classico wine, and finally Montefiascone, home of the famous Est! Est! Est! wine. Open (/directions/html/capodimonte-pitigliano-sorano-tuscania.htm) Capodimonte - Pitigliano - Sorano - Tuscania.htm On this day trip, you will see the breathtaking Bolsena lake from the beautiful village of Capodimonte. You will then proceed into the countryside of Southern Tuscany where you will visit two of Tuscany's most beautiful towns. Finally, on your return, you will visit the beatiful village of Tuscania. Open (/directions/html/Carsulae-Marmore-Labro-Piediluco.htm) Carsulae - Marmore - Labro - Piediluco The day begins as you visit the ancient archaelogical site of Carsulae, an Ancient Roman stopover on the Flaminia. Next you visit The Marmore Falls, the tallest waterfall in Europe.Next the beautiful village of Labro, which overlooks Lake Piediluco, and finally the town of Piediluco, where you can take boat rides on the lake. Open (/directions/html/Chiusi-Cortona-Pienza.htm) Chiusi - Cortona - Pienza A day of Southern and Central Tuscany as you tour three of the best known towns in Tuscany, and drive through wine country. Open (/directions/html/Etruscan Sites.htm) Etruscan Sites For those interested in the Etruscan civilizatiion that was wiped out by the ancient Romans, this day trip takes you to the three most important ancient Etruscan sites in the world: Tarquinia, Cerveteri, and Vulci. Open (/directions/html/ostia antica.htm) Ostia Antica A site that is said to rival Pompeii, these ruins made up the port of ancient Rome. Open (/directions/html/pompeii-vico equenze-positano-amalfi.htm) Pompeii - Vico Equenze - Positano - Amalfi Coast For a long day with an early start, this day trip takes you to the ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, with hours to spend in the beautiful seaside village of Positano. We added in a stopover for lunch at Vico Equenze, where we suggest 'Da Gigino - Pizza al Metro', which is the most famous pizzeria in all of Italy, widely considered to be the best Pizza in the world. Open (/directions/html/spoleto-assisi-perugia.htm) Spoleto - Assisi - Perugia A day through some of the most popular towns in Umbria, including Assisi, the home of St. Francis. Open (/directions/html/sutri-bracciano-anguillara-caprarola.htm) Sutri - Bracciano - Anguillara - Caprarola Lakes and Ruins - This trip takes you around two of the three major lakes in Central Italy: Bracciano and Vico. Sutri is the site of ancient Roman ruins, that include an amphitheater carved completely out of tuff. The castle at Bracciano was the site of Tom Cruise's wedding in 2006. Open (/directions/html/Vitorchiano-Bagnaia-Viterbo.htm) Vitorchiano - Bagnaia - Viterbo This trip keeps you extremely close to Soriano, highlighting the 14th century Papal Palace in Viterbo, the San Pellegrino district, which is known as one of the best preserved medieval quarters in Italy, The stunning Villa Lante, which rivals the Tivoli Gardens, and more. Wed, 16 May 2007 12:37:56 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=113&Itemid=157 This page includes a collection of maps sample itineraries for day trips from Soriano nel Cimino. Click here to download it. (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) Wed, 16 May 2007 12:37:35 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112&Itemid= This page includes a collection sample itineraries for day trips from Soriano nel Cimino. The links below are available as Microsoft MapPoint files that can be edited. You must have the Microsoft MapPoint software installed on your computer with European maps in order to view, edit or print them. Click here for information on Microsoft MapPoint. (http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint) Wed, 16 May 2007 12:37:10 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=111&Itemid= These directions are available as HTML, which you can view and print from your web browser. Web Page Destination Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Amelia.htm) Amelia Beautiful Umbrian town. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Argentario.htm) Argentario Coast Crystal blue waters, day cruises, more. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Assisi.htm) Assisi The home of St. Francis. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Capodimonte.htm) Capodimonte Beautidul lakeside village at Lake Bolsena. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Cerveteri%20Etruscan%20Necropolis.htm) Cerveteri Etruscan Necropolis One of the most important Etruscan digs. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Cinque%20Terre.htm) Cinque Terre Popular seaside area in the north. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Civita%20di%20Bagnoregio.htm) Civita di Bagnoregio The dying town, crumbling away. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Civitavecchia.htm) Civitavecchia Cruise Terminal All of the cruise ships for Rome arrive and depart here. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Cortona%20Train%20Station.htm) Cortona Town made popular in 'Under the Tuscan Sun' Open (/directions/html/soriano-to-corviano/index.html) Corviano / La Selva di Malano ( Click to Open in Adobe Acrobat Format (directions/pdf/soriano%20to%20corviano.pdf) ) This is the prehistoric archaeological site near Soriano. It features ancient cave dwellings, an Etruscan necropolis, a medieval fortress in ruins and more. There is no MapPoint download of this because most of this drive is on dirt roads. Instead, we have provided pictorial driving directions so that you don;t get lost. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Faggeta%20Forest.htm) Faggeta Forest Soriano's enchanting forest. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Ferentillo.htm) Ferentillo Among the best preserved mummies in the world. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Florence%20Train%20Station.htm) Florence Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Labro.htm) Labro Beautiful Umbrian town overlooking Lake Piediluco. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Lake%20Bracciano.htm) Lake Bracciano Rome's nearest Lake, beautiful castle where Tom Cruise was married. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Lake%20Piediluco.htm) Lake Piediluco Beautiful Umbrian lake. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Lake%20Vico.htm) Lake Vico The closest lake to Soriano. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Marmore.htm) Marmore Beautiful waterfalls in Umbria. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Marta.htm) Marta Beautidul lakeside village at Lake Bolsena. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Monster%20Park%20at%20Bomarzo.htm) Monster Park at Bomarzo Considered the Disneyland of the 14th century. A must see. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Montefiascone.htm) Montefiascone Home of the world famous wine, Est! Est! Est! Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Orte%20Train%20Station.htm) Orte Train Station The major train hub near Soriano. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Orvieto%20Train%20Station.htm) Orvieto Popular Umbrian tourist destination. Home of the world famous Orvieto Classico wine. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Perugia.htm) Perugia Beautiful city in Umbria. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Pisa.htm) Pisa Home of the leaning tower. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Pitigliano.htm) Pitigliano Beautiful southern-tuscany hillside village. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Pompeii.htm) Pompeii The ancient ruins of Pompeii Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Positano.htm) Positano Beautiful seaside town at the Amalfi Coast. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Rome%20Saxa%20Rubra.htm) Rome Saxa Rubra The easiest place to park your car if you drive to Rome. From here there is a short rail connection into central Rome. This allows you to avoid the hassles of driving and parking in downtown Rome. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Rome%20Villa%20Borghese%20parking.htm) Rome Villa Borghese Probably the best parking garage in Rome if you elect to drive into the city. This also exits across from the American Embassy. We strongly urge people to elect to take the train to Rome from Orte, or drive to Rome Saxa Rubra, and take rail into the city. Driving in Rome is very difficult. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Saturnia.htm) Saturnia Hot sulphur pools in a giant cascading waterfall. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Siena.htm) Siena Beautuful Tuscan city, home of the famous Palio di Siena. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Sorano.htm) Sorano Beautiful southern Tuscany hillside village. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Spoleto.htm) Spoleto Umbrian home of the Spoleto Jazz Festival. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Sutri.htm) Sutri Some amazing ancient Roman ruins, including an amphitheatre carved out of tuff. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Tarquinia%20Beach.htm) Tarquinia Beach The closest seaside resort to Soriano. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Tarquinia%20Etruscan%20Necropolis.htm) Tarquinia Etruscan Necropolis Considered the most important Etruscan necropolis in the world. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Tivoli%20Gardens.htm) Tivoli Gardens The famed water gardens of Villa D'Este. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Villa%20Lante%20at%20Bagnaia.htm) Villa Lante at Bagnaia A beatiful villa that rivals that of Tivoli. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Viterbo%20Papal%20Palace.htm) Viterbo Papal Palace This was the Vatican during much of the 13th century. The surrounding area (The San Pellegrino district) is considered o0ne of the best preserved medieval quarters in the whole of Italy. Open (directions/html/Soriano%20to%20Vulci%20Etruscan%20Necropolis.htm) Vulci Etruscan Necropolis An imortant Etruscan necropolis. Wed, 16 May 2007 11:57:21 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=110&Itemid=156 This page includes a collection of maps and driving directions from Soriano nel Cimino to popular day trip destinations. Click here to download it. (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) Wed, 16 May 2007 09:21:24 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109&Itemid= This page includes a collection of maps and driving directions from Soriano nel Cimino to popular day trip destinations. The links below are available as Microsoft MapPoint files that can be edited. You must have the Microsoft MapPoint software installed on your computer with European maps in order to view, edit or print them. Click here for information on Microsoft MapPoint. (http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint) Tue, 15 May 2007 17:48:57 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid= Tue, 15 May 2007 09:32:52 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=58 This page includes a collection of documents that will help you prepare for your trip. These include maps to Soriano, directions to the rentals, travel checklists and much more Click here to download it. (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) Tue, 15 May 2007 09:26:36 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105&Itemid=57 Airport Pick-Up and Drop-Off service While we strongly suggest that you rent a car in the name of freedom and free roaming, we understand that some guests prefer not to drive. If you would like for us to arrange private transfers to and/or from Soriano for you, we can do so for the following rates: Rome Fimincino Airport <--> Soriano nel Cimino €200 each way Rome Ciampino Airport <--> Soriano nel Cimino €200 each way Florence Airport <--> Soriano nel Cimino €350 each way Pisa Airport <--> Soriano nel Cimino €350 each way Civatavecchia Cruise Terminal <--> Soriano nel Cimino €225 each way Downtown Rome <--> Soriano nel Cimino €250 each way Downtown Florence <--> Soriano nel Cimino €250 each way Rome Termini Train Station <--> Soriano nel Cimino €250 each way Orte Train Station <--> Soriano nel Cimino €50 each way Viterbo <--> Soriano nel Cimino €50 each way There is a limit to 4 people and a total of 6 standard sized bags for this service. Please call us if you are interested. Cell Phone Rental We offer cell phone rentals while you are in Soriano for $75 per week. This includes €25 .00 worth of calling credit and free incoming phone calls. Your phone will be ready for you when you get the keys to you apartment, and we will provide your phone number to you about 1 week before you arrive. Please call us if you are interested. GPS Navigation System Rental Don't worry about maps and driving directions. We offer portable TomTom navigation systems that we have pre-loaded with all of the points of interest and itineraries you find here on our website. You can even use it for walking tours of Rome, Corviano and other sites. The rental is US$75 per week. Call for details Private Guided Day Tours You can have a personal guided day tour of anywhere in the area for a flat daily rate of US$350. Call for details Mon, 14 May 2007 14:06:12 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid= Guest Preferences Mon, 14 May 2007 14:06:00 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=54 Mon, 14 May 2007 14:00:00 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=43 Labro Distance from Soriano 40 mi / 65km Highlights Restored Medieval Village overlooking lake Region Umbria Description A beautiful town, overlooking the lake. This town was completely restructured and remodeled. Picture(s) Map Fri, 11 May 2007 22:54:35 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=43 Spoleto Distance from Soriano 30 mi / 49km Highlights The famous Umbrian town, Spoleto Region Umbria Description The famous Umbrian town, Spoleto Picture(s) Map Fri, 11 May 2007 22:53:34 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=43 Carsulae Distance from Soriano 30 mi / 49km Highlights Ancient Roman Archeological Site Region Umbria Description One of the most important archaeological ruins in Italy, probably had its origins as a rest stop and watering place for travelers, traders and soldiers, but most historians fix the town's official founding to about 300 BC. Carsulae's growth into a major town only took place, however, with the building of the ancient Roman road, the via Flaminia, in 220-219-BC. This interesting archaeological site, located between Terni and Sangemini, has not been completely excavated. Yet you can see the Forum area with the remains of the cathedral and two twin temples, the Theatre and amphitheatre, both well preserved. The beautiful St. Damian Arch and, further on, the interesting sepulchral monuments. Just next to the Forum the beautiful St. Damian mediaeval church was built with archaeological stones from the area. Picture(s) Map Fri, 11 May 2007 22:52:09 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=43 Assisi Distance from Soriano 78 mi / 125km Highlights Saint Francis' Basilica Region Umbria Description An absolute must visit town, the home of St. Francis Picture(s) Map Fri, 11 May 2007 22:49:57 +0100 http://www.discoversoriano.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=43 Ferentillo Mummies Distance from Soriano 42 mi / 68km Highlights Mummies Region Umbria Description Not for the faint of heart, the 'mummies' kept in the Museo delle Mummie directly under the central church of Santo Stefano are accessible to the public all year round. Brought here by order of Napoleon, these are the bodies of past inhabitants of Ferentillo tha