Art~ Women~Wine Tour of Italy’s Amalfi Coast

Itinerary March 29-April 8, 2017 Buongiorno! Welcome to the Art~Women~Wine’s 2017 Tour of Italy’s Amalfi Coast! Are you ready to experience a trip of a lifetime? I hope so, because we have a full itinerary of fun traveling adventures planned for you and are so excited to share with you the very best of Italy. Ciao, Elida & Bruno Please note, this itinerary includes the additional Rome Tour. If you are not attending this portion of the tour, your tour will start on Saturday, April 1st.

Wednesday, March 29 Arrival! Buongiorno...Welcome to Italy! (for Rome Tour patrons) This is arrival day! Our meet up in the lobby of our hotel will be determined after we know the various arrival times. After a meet and greet, maybe a glass of wine (or two), we stroll into Rome to enjoy famous sights such as the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Our opening dinner is served Italian style with copious amounts of food served in courses over a long period of time. We finish the evening with gelato or a nightcap.

Thursday, March 30 Rome is ROME! (for Rome Tour patrons) Breakfast at the hotel, then meet up in the lobby by 9:30 am for the extensive walking tour of Rome. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Start by seeing the statue of Moses sculpted by Michelangelo. A legend goes that after Michelangelo finished this statue, it looked so lifelike he commanded the massive being to breathe. Peter’s chains are also claimed to be housed here. Next, we visit the Colosseum where we sketch and get a short history lesson from Fr. Bruno about Rome. The Pantheon, San Pietro on Vincoli, The Spanish Steps, and the capital are a few of the other stops. This is a Fr. Bruno-led walking tour so there are always extra sites added in. We finish our day with a toast from Pincio (gardens above Piazza Del Popolo) looking out over the city and catching a Roman sunset together. Dinner will be at one of our local favorites. Then, back to the hotel for a welldeserved rest!

Friday, March 31 The Jewish Quarter and The Vatican! (for Rome Tour patrons) After breakfast and a cappuccino, we saunter into Rome for another fun-filled sightseeing day. We aim for the other side of town to walk through Piazza Navonna, Campo De Fiori, and the Jewish Quarter. Lunch today will be a group meal in the Jewish quarter at one of my favorite restaurants where they serve world famous “carciofi” (artichokes like you’ve never experienced before). After a few more sites, we travel to the Vatican for the Vatican/ Sistine Chapel/ St. Peter’s tour. Following our evening tour, we cross the city for some free time and dinner on your own. This is a great night for dancing or checking out the nightlife Rome has to offer because our next morning is for leisure as we await the rest of our group.

Saturday, April 1 Off to Sorrento! For those of you who are not attending the Rome Tour, this will be your first day of our tour. Welcome! After everyone’s arrival, we will meet up late morning/early afternoon to either bus or train to Sorrento. The trip is about 3.5 hrs. Once we arrive and get settled in at our villa (remodeled into little apartments with a rooftop lounge and a massive garden), we will meet up for a walk around town, an evening swim or hang at the marina to draw and paint. We’ll gather for our Opening dinner which includes Napoli pizza, wine, and limoncello at our little Villa in Sorrento! Mmmmmm.

Sunday, April 2 Artisan Lane and Sketching/Painting Day in Sorrento! Breakfast at 8:30am and meet up in the garden by 9:30am for a stroll around town. Spend time down by the water and marina for sketching, painting, and sightseeing. Sorrento is a picturesque town with fantastic shopping and food. There is also a trail off the other other side of the campo where our villa sits that will take you to another smaller marina. This is a great place to bathe in the sun or enjoy a glass of wine at one of the local restaurants and soak in the culture.

Monday, April 3 Day Trip to Capri! After a delicious breakfast, we leave the villa to catch the ferry for day-trip in Capri. We tour with Bruno, lunch on the beach or at the cafe, and then visit the Blue Grotto to see the glowing water (bring extra money for a visit inside the cave, open air taxis, gondola rides, and shopping). Remember your camera for breath-taking pictures. Depending on the weather, we may walk or have some beach time. Then, we catch the last ferry back to Sorrento and cook together at the villa! The rest of the evening is open for painting and sketching or seeking out world famous gelato!

Tuesday, April 4 Tour of Naples & Pompeii! After breakfast, catch a morning train or boat to Naples where we start our day with a brief walk about town before heading to the optional underground tour. The underground tour is a long journey below the city of Naples, leading through small passageways and into the aquaducts and wells, along with exciting history. Cost is 8-12 euros. More options are available for those who may not want to participate. Lunch instead of dinner is provided at world famous L’ Antica Pizzeria Da Michele (the pizza place where Eat, Pray, Love was filmed). We train from Napoli to Pompeii after lunch to see the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii is vast and archaeologists continue to discover new places. It is wonderful to navigate this historical museum with Fr. Bruno, who gives you the most important parts without getting lost (which can easily happen). Then, we return to Sorrento in early evening for dinner in town or at the villa on your own. Enjoy an extra glass of vino at the villa or hit one of the local bars for a nightcap or gelato.

Wednesday, April 5 Positano! After breakfast, we ferry or bus to the romantic city of Positano, most famously noted in the movie Under The Tuscan Sun. Spend the day on the beach, eating, drinking, and painting or basking in the sun. (If time and energy allows, visit Amalfi and Ravello.) Hike up the steps to see the lovely shops, beautiful cathedral, and fantastic galleries dotting the hillside. Positano is one of my favorite cities on the water. Have lunch or a cocktail at Chez Black, a fabulous seafood restaurant ran by a famous Napolian actor and his family. Take the late ferry or bus back to Sorrento where we will either make dinner together or eat at our little restaurant on site.

Thursday, April 6 Leisure Day in Sorrento! Today is a free day! Lounge by the pool, take a stroll, or shop in Sorrento. Last time, Fr. Bruno ferried back to Capri to do some cliff diving, then made it back to the villa in time to cook dinner! Do whatever fits your fancy! Meet back at the villa in the evening to make a group dinner together around 7pm for our last night in Sorrento. Those interested in more painting can join Elida in the garden that afternoon or evening to paint or sketch together.

Friday, April 7 Rome or Bust! Back to Rome, and if time permits, stop at the Appian Way to take some pictures and have a glass of wine. After checking into our hotel, we have free time in the afternoon for those who’d like to do any last minute shopping, (Elida can help you with that) or for more sight seeing in Rome. We will meet back in the lobby at 7:30pm for our last meal together. Finish the evening with a “capper” (Bruno’s way of saying night cap) or a dish of your favorite gelato as we enjoy our last meal and time together in Italy.

Saturday, April 8 Buon Viaggio! Make arrangements with the concierge to taxi back to the airport for the return home. You are welcome to stay until checkout at the hotel. Please have a safe flight home and grazie for joining us! Thanks for the adventure and stay in touch! Elida & Bruno

One last note: This is an “Art~Women~Wine” tour led in part by Father Bruno so we ask you to “BE FLEXIBLE!” It is possible that Father Bruno will get us all invited to a local's home for a glass of wine or will decide that we should take advantage of an incredible opportunity that drops in our laps. We may not always stick precisely to the itinerary but we promise to give you our best! Additionally, there may be times where things happen that are outside of our control. In these cases, we will need your patience and understanding. Try thinking less American and more Italian! No worries. Take a break! Have a cappuccino!