Join us October 9 to 15th, 2016 for an exclusive experience for eight guests highlighting the food, wine and stunning beauty of northern Italy from the home base of a recently-renovated, truly beautiful 18th c Italian villa. This is a perfect sojourn for travelers seeking the full experience of Northern Italy with a more relaxed pace of travel.
Sunday Oct 9 – Arrival, farm lunch among the vineyards. You will be picked up with the group at Malpensa airport and delivered, with your bags, to Poggio Verde. You will have time to unpack and stroll around the grounds before our driver takes us to La Scarpata, a tiny rustic farmhouse restaurant 20 minutes away, where we will enjoy a leisurely lunch and wine tasting in the middle of a protected State Park immersed in vineyards. Those who would like to may take a short walk amongst the pretty vineyards before we are taken back to Poggio Verde to relax a little before our first dinner at home together.
Monday Oct 10 – Little Red Train through the nearby Swiss Alps. Early departure for St Moritz Switzerland and our beautiful ride on the Bernina Express, better known as the Little Red Train! Starting out in Tirano at the base of the Swiss Alps, this amazing train ride in 1st class observation cars will thrill you as it makes its majestic way through the breathtaking Swiss alps. With its 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and a height of up to 2,253 metres above sea level, it is no wonder UNESCO has named this feat of engineering a World Heritage Site. We’ll have lunch in elegant St. Moritz and then return by bus back through the lakes to return to Poggio Verde.
Tuesday Oct 11 – Milan – Fondazione Prada, Lunch at Villa Necchi, car tour of city highlights. Our driver will take us to the Fondazione Prada to visit this stunning revisiting of an industrial building and its contemporary art exhibition. After lunch at the 1930s national treasure the Villa Necchi Campiglio in central Milan, we will escorted on an architectural tour of Milan all by car, with a quick stop at the chic Corso Como area, with Milan’s new world-famous architectural highlights explained to us an by an architect. We will return to the Villa in time to relax before a delicious home-cooked meal.
Wednesday Oct 12 – Varese – Villa Panza – Lake and Stresa. The Villa Panza is a National Trust (FAI) property and aside from being a beautiful villa filled with weird and wonderful contemporary art, it is a great place for lunch and a short but leisurely walk. We will follow this up with a drive to the beautiful lake-side town of Stresa for high tea, at the stunning 18th c. Regina Palace Hotel overlooking the magnificent Lago Maggiore. Dinner will be back at the villa with Luigi.
Thursday October 13 – Piedmont! Barolo & Barbaresco, truffles and cheese. We will drive two hours to the gorgeous town of Bra in the heart of the Barolo and Barbaresco wine country. We’ll visit a vineyard to taste different varieties of the amazing local wines. We’ll have a cheese tasting lesson and enjoy lunch featuring the famed tartufo bianco at an excellent but low-key “slow food” restaurant in the village. After exploring the village we’ll drive back to Poggio Verde and a delicious dinner at home featuring some of the cheeses we’ve purchased in Piemonte.
Friday Oct 14 – Bellagio and the Villas of Lake Como. Our driver will take us up the western side of Lake Lecco to the stunning village of Bellagio with views of Lake Como to the east, north and west. We will board the ferry and take a tour of the gorgeous lakeside Villa Carlotta before returning to Bellagio where our driver will pick us up and take us back to the villa for one more wonderful dinner together.
Saturday Oct 15 – Pack your bags, everyone, it is time to return home. We will miss you…. and hope you miss us and decide to come and stay again next year!
The price of $2900 per person, double occupancy (king or twins), includes airport pickup and dropoff, all transportation (to/from the airport and to/from activities), lodgings at Poggio Verde Country Villa, our Italian continental breakfast, all meals and wine. Everything but your personal purchases and an optional golf outing are included. A $500 non-refundable deposit will save your spot; balance is due 120 days before departure.
Hosted by Gretchen Romig