Souvenirs in Knitted
  Stitches

  20 to 27 September, 2008
  $2600 per person, double occupancy
  $500 single supplement

H illtop towns and the rolling countryside of central Italy provide the backdrop for our week in northern Lazio and Umbria. Our transfer picks up the maximum twelve Tactile Travellers at either Rome’s Fiumicino airport or the Attigliano train station, bound for the Lazio/Umbria border. The Castello di Santa Maria, a recently renovated 15^th Century castle, will be our home and hearth for the week.

Nestled in orchards and olive groves, the castle was originally a convent, its chapel walls bearing frescoes from the era. It offers modern amenities (including a pool with sunset views and rose garden) yet with respect to the historical setting. Beyond the art and architecture, our base also tempts us with delicious meals.

A Paul Bocuse Culinary Institute (Lyon, France) graduate supervises both the menus and preparation of morning pastries! Our first evening introduces the Souvenirs in Knitted Stitches seminar, regional textiles and the latest Italian hot scoops. She will share her expertise during our group cooking lesson. We will help prepare a meal together, learning both cooking techniques and regional food and wines. Together, we’ll enjoy the fruits of our effort.

Each day we’ll discover towns, gardens and markets. Viterbo has strong historical ties to the Vatican, reflected in beautiful palaces and churches. Its medieval neighborhoods evolved around fountains. Indeed, this area is known for its wonderful waters and mineral baths.

But the fountains were social centers as well. Lively, crooked streets branch off from the piazzas that host the fountains. We’ll learn about the traditional dishes, regional cheese and wines.

We’ll also visit the gardens of Villa Lante, where Catholicism, Ovid’s Metamorphoses and other Italian gardens are eclectically represented.

Both young and mature Popes put their impressions on this hillside water garden, originally established in the 16th Century.

Nearby is also the volcanic perch of Orvieto. Like Viterbo, it has a rich Etruscan and Medieval history. It also boasts strong ties to the Vatican and has many palaces and churches dating from the Middle Ages to the 17^th century.

Underneath Orvieto there are caves, wells and tunnels that pock the volcanic tufa rock. The large Gothic Duomo gives us clues of yesterday’s grandeur, while artisans and small shops allow us to discover what makes Orvieto thrive today.