THREE POSTCARDS FROM TUSCANY

Tuscany is a land rich with all sorts of treasures, and perhaps the old adage is true, that an entire life is just not enough to appreciate them all.

“Three Postcards from Tuscany” is a suggestion to our guests to sample three distinctive glimpses
of this marvelous land. We would like to offer you the opportunity to feel the life and breath of the surroundings in Tuscany, with a stay in three very different types of lodgings: (1) a three-star hostel; (2) a country inn; and (3) a small mountain hotel.

The Sea and the Hill:
The sound of the ears of wheat blowing in the wind, much akin to the rattle of porcelain, has the capability to dispel our thoughts and our worries. The delicate lines of blue clay forged in the hills, along with the golden yellow and deep green of the Mediterranean as they culminate in the dark blue of the sea of the Etruscans, provide the same peaceful ambience. Then, there is the whiff of the salty sea breeze which envelops the entirety of the Tuscan countryside.

First Day: Arrive and settle at the Hostel Dinner and overnight stay Second Day: Breakfast Day trip on bike up the hills of Pisa to the Lake of Santa Luce. Food tasting of local meat dishes. [Guide on request] Bag Lunch Dinnner and overnight stay Third Day Breakfast Excursion on the Coast of the Etruscans [Transportation available on request] Bag lunch Dinner and overnight stay Fourth Day: Breakfast Move to Locanda San Ginese Farewell from the staff of the Hostel of Santa Luce

The city of Lucca and the countryside
In order to reach San Ginese and our inn, one must pass through open spaces and in silence . . . interrupted only by the sounds of the countryside .
We are in Compito, where in March the lovely camelias bloom. We are five miles from the sixteenth century walls of Lucca. The entire city consists of level ground, and the street winds along from Lucca to Pontedera, to the slopes of the Serra Mountain where you can hike, picnic, or simply enjoy the extraordinary scenery of the city of Lucca and Pisa, and more . . .

First Day: Welcome and a snack Italian lesson Lunch in Lucca [Transportation available on request] Afternoon visit of the city (in Italian) with an instructor Aperitif Movie (at the theater or a DVD, in Italian) with an instructor Dinner with an instructor Second Day: Breakfast Italian lesson Lunch in the country with an instructor Afternoon visit to the Vespa Museum (transportation available on request), and/or shopping at the Frantoio Sociale del Compitese and at the Pasticeria Fabbrica (transportation available on request), in Italian. Typical Tuscan Dinner with an instructor DVD (in Italian) and Italian “Scrabble” (“Scarabeo”) Third Day: Breakfast Move to the Hotel “La Baita di Corfino” Farewell from the staff of the Locanda San Ginese

The mountains:
With the choir of the Alpi Apuane mountains as a background, the Garfagnana is a living, breathing, region where one walks and savors the landscape. Here, you can find evocative hiking trails, a school of traditional cooking, and a course on aromatic and medicinal herbs, for which this mountain region is quite rich.

First Day: Welcome Lunch Course on aromatic herbs Cooking course Typical Tuscan Dinner Second Day: Hiking in the mountains with a bag lunch [Guide on request] Cooking course Typical Tuscan Dinner Third Day: Breakfast Departure Farewell from the staff of the Hotel “La Baita di Corfino”

Cost per individual: 385 euros

Cost includes:

7 overnight stays with service of half-board
2 Italian lessons
2 Cooking classes
1 Lesson on aromatic herbs
1 Day bike rental
Food tasting of local meat dishes

Cost does NOT include:

Beverages at dinner
Transportation
Guides for excursions [on request]
Everything else not specified in “Cost includes”

Cost for guide and transportation available on request

Minimum participants: 4
Maximum participants: 10
Children up to the age of 3 are free