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Renaissance Italy - 14 Day Extended Tour - (Tour No. IT) |
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Special Note: please do note that there is considerable walking
on this tour. Many of the historic Italian cities do not permit motorised
vehicles in their centres, and many are sited on hilltops. This tour
is not suitable for anyone with a mobility problem. Unfortunately, anybody
joining with walking difficulties would often find themselves unable
to join in group activities. Todi and its neighbouring villages and towns are fascinating. Built as medieval fortresses, their town walls still dominate the hilltop and protect myriad small alleyways and streets. The impossibly quaint Monte Castello di Vibio boasts the smallest theatre in the world. It's exquisite and reflects the finery of the ancient merchants and land-owning families it was constructed for. On our Spring departures we take in an evening performance. DAY FOUR - WEDNESDAY Tonight we stay in Greve in Chianti. This attractive village is at
the very centre of this famed wine and olive producing area. At night,
the village centre is left to residents and you'll love the atmosphere,
sitting at a table at one of the small café bars overlooking
the piazza, with a glass of local wine in hand. Bello! A short drive through the Tuscan hills to Florence with the opportunity to explore this wonder of the Italian 'rinascimento'. Because of logistical problems with parking, you may spend much of today on your own but you'll, of course, be fully briefied as to where to go and what to visit so as to get the most from this unique city. Please note, the city can be very busy and if you are wishing to visit
major galleries you must expect to line for a considerable time. A view of Pisa's 'torre pendente' (leaning tower) and a visit to the magnificent baptistry are on this morning's agenda, before visiting the Vinci to see Leonardo's birthplace and museum of his inventions. After this, you'll perhaps agree with those who claim Leonardo to have been the man of the last millennium. Time permitting, we may also see the spectacular towers of medieval San Gimignano. DAY SEVEN - SATURDAY Time to cross the Apennines which we'll do in typical Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd fashion, marvelling at the beauty of the Tuscan countryside which is untramelled by modern development. Although a driving day as we make our way east, we'll surely find some undiscovered villages and country hostelries. One outstanding memory will be of looking back on Florence from the villa-clad hills of Fiesole. DAY EIGHT - SUNDAY Abandoning our heroic minibus for the day, we'll mingle with the locals on a brief public bus ride over the lagoon to the Pearl of the Adriatic. Trips by 'vaporetto' to the glass producing Murano island and optional gondola rides will provide highlights as well as discovering the hidden beauty that lies only just behind the throngs in the 'serenissima'. Venice is, naturally, a great tourist city but with your Back-Roads Touring guide you'll enjoy getting behind the tourist façade and seeing something of the Venice known by the locals rather than the tourists. Our accommodation is a 15-minute train ride outside old Venice, in Mogliano Veneto. This small, pleasant village allows us to get a better feel for real life in the region, and past tour participants have enjoyed spending an hour or two experiencing modern Italian life in the local shops and streets. DAY NINE - MONDAY Today we have a choice. Some tour participants may enjoy another day exploring Venice; its size will probably surprise you. It's very easy to spend some time with 'organised independence' here and your guide will be able to assist in helping plan a day for anyone wishing to exploit the opportunity for a less structured visit to this absorbing city. Dinner is not included tonight. Alternatively, your guide will be offering a tour to Verona, that famed
city of ill-fated lovers, Romeo and Juliet, and/or to Padua, a medieval
university city and perhaps, depending on group interest, Vicenza. Across the flatlands of the Po delta, homeland of Guareschi's Don Camillo, through the pine forests to Ravenna with its Byzantine mosaics and historic mystique. In the afternoon we'll cross the border to the independent state of San Marino or San Leo and visit its castle with splendid views over Romagna and the Marches. DAY ELEVEN - WEDNESDAY Who knows that the 'old Master', Raffaele Sanzio, was a Marchigiano? Yet, a visit to the university town of Urbino reveals not only his birthplace but a splendid gallery and a vibrant youthful atmosphere. This afternoon a contrasting visit to some of Europe's largest caves which have recently hosted the world's 'isolationist' records, in the depths of the 13 mile 'grotte'. Our final base while on tour is under the enchanting and little known
Conero mountain. A journey to the mysterious Sibylline mountains is on today's agenda with a lunch of local lentils and sausage on the upland plain of Castelluccia. This is a time to really 'feel' like a local! Returning this afternoon, we drop south to the provincial capital of Ascoli Piceno where you'll be astounded by the magnificent piazza with its marble flooring. DAY THIRTEEN - FRIDAY Alas, time to cross the Apennines, Romeward bound again, but how better than through the tunnel of the 9,000 ft high 'stone of Italy' with its most southern permanent glacier and lunch in the upland town of L'Aquilla (the eagle). Before heading for the Eternal City, we'll perhaps have time to visit Tivoli's splendid gardens or Hadrian's majestic villa. Dinner not included. DAY FOURTEEN - SATURDAY Airport transfers or transfers into Rome for those extending their stay. |
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