La Bella Italia!   It's on the cover of practically every travel magazine -   the “Tuscan Sun”, Roma, Amalfi, Venezia.   Many of us have been, and more than once.   And most of us would love to go back, but maybe not to the same places.   Hence, Unusual Italy .   It's the Italy of the connoisseur – of the different, the special, the unexpected.

 

We begin with five days in Puglia (Apulia) – a semi-arid land of vineyards and orchards by the sea, of olive groves that stretch for miles, punctuated by white hill towns reminiscent of Greece, yet with the sophistication that only Italy can offer. Puglia is home to the Trulli, those ancient structures whose origin is lost in time.   Our base is a beautifully restored fortified farm complex set amidst the olive and orange groves (Masseria Torre Coccaro).   Puglia is a fascinating place – a melange of cultures from down through the ages – from the Greeks, to the Normans, from the Byzantine to the Baroque.   It is a study in contrasts and a blend of the predictable and the obscure.   The people are warm and friendly.   The food combines the simple and the sophisticated, and is always delicious.  

 

We spend the next five days in Umbria – the mystical green heart of Italy.   Its gentle rolling hills give birth to such variety – olive oil, wine, truffles, and so much more.   The hill towns are bursting with cultural riches, waiting to be unearthed and enjoyed.   From our country villa base

(Villa Zuccari) we wander from Perugia, to Spello, Assisi to Gubbio, Spoleto, Montefalco, and Bevagna, we will explore and discover – the art and architecture, the food and the wine, and the kind and lovely Umbrian people who will greatly enrich our experience.   Umbrian cuisine partakes of the earth – it is basic, pure, and good beyond measure.

 

Next comes a three day stay in Pietrasanta, with a stop at a grand and wonderful vineyard along the way.   We will steep ourselves in the bounty of the arts offered up by the tiny Tuscan town of Pietrasanta nestled in the shadows of the great quarries of Carrara, it has been the resource of sculptors down through history from Michelangelo to Botero.   From our chic and art-filled base (Albergo Pietrasanta), we will visit a quarry, a foundry, galleries, and spend a special day enjoying the treasures of nearby Lucca.   We eat in small town trattorias and sophisticated enotecas.

 

Our journey then takes us up the coast and then inland to Barolo for a wonderful lunch amidst the vines before reaching our final destination and spending our three final days in the rich and scenic Piemonte region of Italy (Villa Matilde).   The Alps are always hovering in the background as we explore the hidden gem of Northern Italy, Torino, from our base in a country villa.   Torino is truly one of the most sophisticated cities of Italy – with gorgeous shops, and people, intriguing museums, and the birthplace of Italian cinema, royalty, and café society.   It is filled with hidden treasures.   The countryside is dotted with castles, covered with vineyards and fields, and rife with gourmet opportunities. I hope that you will join me in their discovery.