DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Day one Arrive Pisa and transfer to Loro Ciuffena
ADepart from London to Pisa , on the British Airways morning flight . You will be met and taken by mini-bus to the Villa Belpoggio in Loro Ciuffenna . The journey time is about two hours . If you want to travel by another airline , or to another airport or have a hire-car , we can adjust the details and the price for you . Once you have checked in to the Villa , there is time to explore it and its grounds , perhaps enjoying a refreshing drink before your invitation to join a guided tour at 6.30 taking you through the history of the villa and its gardens . Dinner with wine this evening at Villa Belpoggio is included . The Relais Villa Belpoggio is a boutique hotel of only 10 rooms and two apartments , in the countryside near the village of Loro Ciuffenna just 35 kms from Florence in the direction of Arezzo . It is set in a secluded part of the valley of the River Arno , upstream from Florence , and its belvedere looks out over the valley and its wooded hills . Hills , woods , fields , olive groves and vineyards are all to be found nearby . The Villa dates back to the 17th Century , having been built for the aristocratic Fiorilli family . Today it is a boutique hotel , run by a husband and wife team and combines charm and cosiness with high standards of service and comfort .
Day two Visit Arezzo and first cookery lesson
This morning we arrange for you to be taken into Arezzo ( about 40 minutes ’ drive ), birthplace of Piero della Francesca and home to numerous churches , mediaeval palaces , fine town square and Roman amphitheatre , for some free time to explore and then you are transferred back to the hotel ready for the first cookery lesson given by the chef , which takes place at 3pm , followed by dinner at 7.30 pm of the menu you have created in the afternoon .
Cookery at Villa Belpoggio
fruits of your labour after a pleasant walk in the surroundings . If the pasta-making is not available , it will be substituted with a visit to an organic farm that produces wine and vegetables or truffle hunting . The afternoon is free for you to walk , potter around nearby Loro Ciuffenna or relax beside the pool and in the gardens . Tonight dinner with wine at the Villa Belpoggio is included .
Day five To Pisa and flight home
You have the morning at leisure , depending on the time of your return flight , before you bid farewell to your charming hosts at the Villa Belpoggio and the transfer back to Pisa for your filght .
Day three Visit local market and second cookery lesson
AThis morning you will visit a local market from about 9.30 until 11.00 with an Englishspeaking guide . Then there is some free time before your afternoon cookery lesson at the Villa . This two-hour session is hands-on and provides an insight into the preparation of regional dishes as well as traditional cooking methods . At the end of the session , you share the evening meal together .
Day four Pasta making or visit organic farm
In the morning after breakfast there is a pasta making class nearby . Lunch consists of the
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