Cultural, Culinary & Olive Harvest Experience In Abruzzo

PM Rome Fiumicino airport pick up at 2:30 pm and transfer to the ancient Roman town of Vasto on the Adriatic Coast after crossing beautiful Abruzzo mountains looking at amazing landscapes, hilltop villages and castles Check in at the charming and family run Hotel dei 7 (or a similar accommodation) in the historical downtown Get to know your guide and learn more about the 7-day cultural and culinary vacation Walk to a traditional restaurant to enjoy a welcome group dinner in the heart of Vasto

AM After breakfast we’ll visit an award winning Olive Grove that has been farmed by Giovanni’s family for three generations to produce DOP olive oils. He will unfurl the secrets of what Homer described as “liquid gold” We’ll walk through the olive trees to help to pick olives for a short time (if you prefer to relax you can enjoy some good wines) Next we’ll enjoy a olive oil tasting and a traditional picnic lunch in the olive grove with pairings from local cheeses, salami and other specialties surrounded by a magical atmosphere PM Visit to the olive oil mill to learn the transformation process from olives to extra virgin olive oil and to bottle your own by making extra virgin olive oil with the olives you picked in the morning After a short break to relax, in the afternoon we’ll explore Vasto historic center: Loggia Amblingh, a promenade overlooking the fascinating crescent-shaped coastline, the old town with its medieval Castle, charming lanes, a tower, the Cathedral and Piazza Rossetti, dedicated to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet from the town and father of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Before dinner, we’ll meet some local artisans or artists Group dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto

After a leisurely traditional breakfast made of freshly baked bread, whole fruit country-style preserves, cake, pastries, coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juice: AM We’ll walk and visit Vasto’s colorful market to get seasonal products. Here you’ll have the possibility to practice a little bit of Italian even if you don’t speak any of it Next we’ll drive to the beautiful countryside of Vasto where we’ll meet Fabrizio’s family to have an exclusive cooking class with them and we’ll learn how easy it is to make fresh pasta and we’ll be introduced to Abruzzo sauces An example menu based on Fabrizio’s family recipes, includes Bread with meat sauce, Pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce and polpette (meatballs), Cavatelli with vegetables and Tarallucci (typical biscuits from Abruzzo) – of course this depends on seasonal availability PM Lunch with the scrumptious dishes that we prepared in the morning, while enjoying the relaxing family atmosphere In the afternoon we’ll explore the Abruzzo coastline and we’ll have a short and easy walk inside Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, one of the 10 most beautiful Italian beaches according to the British daily The Telegraph, from where you can also admire snow-capped mountains In the evening you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto. After the big family lunch, based on our many years of experience, we know that nobody is looking for a rich dinner, so our travelers usually enjoy spending time like a local trying a simple aperitif, a gelato or a pizza. Obviously Fabrizio will suggest you his favorite places