This morning meeting the guide for the guided tour of the secret passages of the Doge Palace!! Then leisure time in the unique Venice!
VENEZIA CARPE DIEM
Today in Palazzo Ducale ..from the halls of power to the prisons to enter the secret and non-secret history of the powerful Venetian maritime republic and a historical walk to enter its fascinating history and style where a happy hour to taste the Zaeti is a must. corn that the Venetians also dip into wine!
Today a historical walk through the history of the Serenissima republic of Venice to get to the center of power !! But first a "Zaeto" for our Tappa Foodies ..but today with a Coffee.. and then the Doge's Palace. The Palazzo Ducale represented for centuries the seat of the Venetian political power. In his splendid rooms, plastered and immersed in hundreds of masterpieces of painting, the Duke and his Council controlled the fate of a thousand-year history republic. You’ll live it together with a Guide that will show you the halls of power, plunging you in a very particular historical context: the European Middle Ages and the immediately following centuries. You’ll be surprised of the rich details of the gold staircase, of the realism of the scenes depicted by many artists who have decorated this building, you will relive the anguish of the prisoners crossing the famous Bridge of Sighs, and entering the Venetian prisons, famous for hosting Giacomo Casanova. An unforgettable tour not to be missed! [....]
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SAT 3TH AUG
VENICE
Enjoy the time in Venice!!!
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY
--- FREE TIME ---
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SUN 4TH AUG
VENICE - FLORENCE
According to your train arrival time, meeting your driver Italian lifestyle tutor at Florence train station, meeting point the FELTRINELLI BOOKSTORE” behind the security gates, and transfer to Florence food market… a heaven of scents and colours! Here, you can also do some food shopping to take to your holiday home! Drop off at your villa in Figline area
ACCOMMODATION TO FIGLINE VALDARNO
PRIVATE TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOMMODATION
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY
FLORENCE THROUGH COLOURS AND SCENTS OF MERCATO CENTRALE WITH LIGHT LUNCH
A journey through the colours and scents of San Lorenzo in the historic central market to enter the Florentine lifestyle with a light tasting lunch.
Today a fantastic experience for all senses… we will visit the Central market in Florence, a place where you can do your food shopping but that is also an experience to see and learn about local producers…a heaven for food lovers! The central market of Florence is done in an iron building with large windows in the historic center of the city, in the San Lorenzo area. It can be considered the most active and lively in the historic center and is built on two floors; in the lower floor you can buy cheeses, meat, fish and typical local products while in the upper floor there is a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers. The structure is the work of the architect Giuseppe Mengoni (1870-1874), who for the event 'Florence capital of Italy' also built the loggia of 10 arches on each side of the building. It was evident that the New Market under the Loggia del Porcellino was insufficient to meet the needs of the population; so it was decided to realize a new one by rehabilitating old quarters of the historic center those that were once called the 'Camaldoli'. let's go to visit and Enjoy our Foodies pit stop with tasting light lunch [...]
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MON 5TH AUG
FIGLINE VALDARNO - CHIANTI - FIGLINE VALDARNO
Today with your driver Italian lifestyle tutor departure to discover the Upper Arno Valley with lovely villages less touristic,! In the afternoon meet the truffle hunter and his dog! Now your truffle hunt commence and into the woods good luck!! With your basket full of truffles (we hope!!) arrival to Chef Claudio time to cook using the truffle you found! Finally.. the perfect end to your day… dinner with the truffles’ dishes you prepared of course with matching wines!
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY
ARNO VALLEY TRESURE HUNTING: TRUFFLE, COOKING AND VILLAGES
Today we will enter the lifestyle along the ancient Roman road of Cassia Vetus to find out what we do not imagine to find from hunting the truffle to the secrets to cooking it up to those hidden in the lands of Monnalisa between Balze and villages out of time
Here, immersed in a slow time, we will meet, early in the morning, in a place designated with the expert truffle hunter and his inseparable, friendly dog Bracco and our experience begins !! While we will walk in the woods to reach the area where the truffle grows .. but we would not know if we would find it: the hunt is authentic !! We would learn that waiting is not wasting time .. but understanding nature .. and the smells .. unfortunately not those of the truffle that only Syrano can warn .. and once the dog stops we would know that our "treasure" is been found .. then we will go to the excavation procedure .. delicacy is a must in this which is a delicate phase ..so Happy hunting !!! After about 1 hour and a half we went to Chef Claudio with our treasure and immediately to the kitchen: we have to prepare our lunch !! Only after lunch we will resume .. and the hunt will be for different treasures: the crags, the surreal Tuscan canyons and tiny timeless villages !! [....]
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TUE 6TH AUG
FIGLINE - FLORENCE - FIGLINE
Meeting your driver Italian lifestyle tutor to your accommodation and transfer to Florence including first a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence balcony, to admire an unforgettable view of the city… then drop off at Palazzo Vecchio where you will meet your guide for the guided tour of the Secret Passage!!... Rest of the day to leisure walk in the city and transfer back to your accommodation at your time ... and shuttle transfer for dinner to Chef Claudio restaurant
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY
FLORENCE: THE SECRET PASSAGES OF PALAZZO VECCHIO WITH ICE CREAM
A fun journey through the secrets in the power rooms of the Old Palace between painted closets and narrow stairs to understand the 500 of the Medici ending with a gelato tasting happy hour ..the same invented for a Medici's wedding!!
Today an experience to discover the secret places in the "rooms of Florentine power": Palazzo Vecchio. This special and interesting guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio allows you to visit some particularly precious halls: among them, the staircase created by the will of Gualtieri of Brienne and obtained in the thickness of the wall; the Studiolo of Francesco I de'Medici, a refined "casket", the studios' of knowledge, where ,behind the paintings, were the cabinets full of "rare and pretiose things", and then climb the narrow steps into the walls of the majestic palace to return to the magnificentness where immediately exposed the desk of his father Cosimo I (better known as Tesoretto); Finally, the imposing trellis structure that supports the coffered ceiling of the Salon dei Cinquecento . Climbed the narrow steps of the medieval staircase of Duke Gualtieri, you will discover an unexpected path beyond a door hidden by a painting, you will be able to observe from an unusual and privileged perspective of the Hall of the Five Hundred and explore the Medici's royal Palace from a different and intriguing point of view....But it won't be over... another secret will be revealed: what was the wedding gift of Buontalenti architect for a wedding in the Medici house?... ice cream.. a tasting will reveal the mystery!! [...]
DINNER RESERVATION
PRIVATE SHUTTLE TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOMMODATION/DINNER
This morning after breakfast, time to depart with your driver Italian lifestyle tutor to discover one of the Unesco sites of Italy… the Orcia Valley… stunning and truly enchanting… and here visits to hilltop towns jems… Montepulciano with its narrow streets, and home to one of the best wines… the Nobile… and we won’t miss taking a wine tour & tasting with some food, in one of the most fascinating wineries… the continuing.. Bagno Vignoni .and here enjoy the amazing hamlet .. But your day is not finished… time to recharge some batteries… so you must take a dip at San Filippo hot springs…truly regenerating even in summer!
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY
ORCIA VALLEY: VILLAGES AND NATURAL HOT SPRING WATER WITH WINE TASTING
An evocative journey through charming villages and meditative lands where natural spas will be the magical ending after strolling villages and delighting of the palate with a wine tasting and local specialties and gelato
A feast for the palate and a feast for the eyes all in one day. This excursion will take us through the delightful Val D‘Orcia, where the already beautiful landscape was sculptured during the renaissance not only to meet agricultural needs, but also to reflect the aesthetic sense of the period, and this concept has been maintained to the present day. There is nothing casual or even rational regarding the roads, and vegetation. Here two pearls : Bagno Vignoni “the spa hamlet ” and Montepulciano "the wine village", home of “Nobile” wine. A walk along the main street in both the charming town you will discover the difference : the first, renaissance town, with a regular and harmonic design the second , Etruscan town, hilly and rounding design .Here you will take the chance to visit a fascinating underground winery for our 1st Foodies pit stop with wine tasting of Nobile wine accompanied by some food and a 2nd Foodies pit stop with Gelato happy hour . Continuing the day, we will stop at san Filippo hot springs…. where dip your feet in the warm waters… or take a full bath….it will be real wellness even more energizing also in full summer! [...]
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THU 8TH AUG
FIGLINE BYE BYE
According to your time schedule private transfer to Florence train station for 4 of you and 2 people to Florence airport
VENICE
Today a historical walk through the history of the Serenissima republic of Venice to get to the center of power !! But first a "Zaeto" for our Tappa Foodies ..but today with a Coffee.. and then the Doge's Palace. The Palazzo Ducale represented for centuries the seat of the Venetian political power. In his splendid rooms, plastered and immersed in hundreds of masterpieces of painting, the Duke and his Council controlled the fate of a thousand-year history republic. You’ll live it together with a Guide that will show you the halls of power, plunging you in a very particular historical context: the European Middle Ages and the immediately following centuries. You’ll be surprised of the rich details of the gold staircase, of the realism of the scenes depicted by many artists who have decorated this building, you will relive the anguish of the prisoners crossing the famous Bridge of Sighs, and entering the Venetian prisons, famous for hosting Giacomo Casanova. An unforgettable tour not to be missed! 
