WHATSCOOKIN in Tuscan Riviera
with Britt Bunyard
Mushrooms in Tuscan Riviera*
Cost per person
Oct. 20 - 29, solely mycological portion € 3200
Oct 20 - Nov 1, with extra 4-day extension € 4100
*at the moment this tour is only for people sharing a room
Program
Day 1 - Oct. 20, Mon
Arrival at Pisa Airport Galileo Galilei and transfer to Casa Piero in Viareggio. There will be a limited amount of transfers offered which will be established once everyone’s flight schedules are in. It is recommended you book a flight that lands after 11am and before 4pm. If you remain within our suggested time slot you can avoid having to wait at the airport for a long time if you should arrive too early or having to reach Casa Piero by your own means if you arrive too late. The venue in Viareggio is a newly renovated, early twentieth-century town house with five en suites that's just a five-minute walk from the beach and right around the corner from the market and the city's best cafés and restaurants. Go on an orientation walk and enjoy a gelato at one of the many excellent gelaterie in town. Welcome aperitifs and dinner.
Day 2 - Oct. 21, Tues
After breakfast go on a walking tour of Viareggio, a seaside resort in northern Tuscany boasting a two-mile-long esplanade lined with decorative Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings, historic cafés and fancy boutiques. Lunch oyo. In the afternoon go on a foray with Britt in the wooded park just a short walk away from home. When you get back to Casa Piero take part in a fun, hands-on cooking class preparing a full-course, traditional Viareggio meal to have for dinner.
Day 3 - Oct. 22, Wed
After breakfast, visit the Cinqueterre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, five ingeniously constructed fishing villages set amid a dramatic coastal scenery. Free time to get a bite to eat. Take a ferry down the coast to admire the scenery from out at sea, hopping on and off to visit the towns. Dinner in the Villa.
Day 4 - Oct. 23, Thurs
After breakfast meet the local mycologists who will take us to a mushroom-hunting spot in the nearby mountains. Have lunch in a local trattoria. In the afternoon visit the beautiful, late Baroque gardens of Villa Reale in Marlia with a stately, French-inspired rectangular pool, a Pan grotto, a nymphaeum, an English-style park and a most original, trimmed boxwood theater with terracotta statues depicting performers. Return to Viareggio for dinner oyo.
Day 5 - Oct. 24, Fri
After breakfast go on a mushroom foray in a stunning beech forest. Have a picnic lunch. Before returning to Viareggio visit one of the many reputable wineries found in the area, tour the estate and enjoy a wine tasting. Return to Casa Piero. Dinner oyo.
Day 6 - Oct. 25, Sat
After breakfast foray in the nearby mountains. Have lunch in a local trattoria. In the afternoon visit Pietrasanta, a charming little town that has attracted celebrated artists from around the world. Artists like Henry Moore, Joan Mirò, Botero and Niki de Saint Phalle have at some point been drawn to this tiny artists' mecca. Beautiful palazzi, churches and lively cafés overlook the vast, open, central square that is frequently the site of whimsical sculpture exhibits. Return to Casa Piero. Dinner oyo.
Day 7 - Oct. 26, Sun
After breakfast we are off to Pisa! For our first stop we will foray in the San Rossore Park, the largest pine forest in Europe, made up of a lush wooded area, sandy dunes and boggy marshes. After lunch oyo see what is perhaps one of Italy’s most famous symbols: The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Admire the other stunning buildings that make up this majestic piazza. Be surprised to discover how many other noteworthy sights there are to see in this charming and lively university town. When we return home you'll take part in a second hands-on cooking class preparing dinner.
Day 8 - Oct. 27, Mon
After breakfast visit Florence, cradle of the Renaissance and a city that needs no introductions. Go on a walk to see some of the extraordinary art and architecture the city is packed with (approximately a three-mile walk). Lunch oyo. On returning to Viareggio have dinner in Casa Piero.
Day 9 - Oct. 28, Tues
After breakfast go foraying in another beautiful area. Have lunch in a local trattoria. In the afternoon visit the endearing city of Lucca, hidden behind imposing Renaissance walls. Its cobbled streets, handsome piazzas and shady promenades make it a perfect destination and with a ratio of 1 shop per every 3 inhabitants it's a great place for shopping. Return to Viareggio in the late afternoon. Dinner oyo.
Day 10 - Oct. 30, Wed
After breakfast, departure from Pisa International airport Galileo Galilei. Check out time at villa is by 11 am.
For those guests staying on the extended tour you'll have free time in the morning. After lunch oyo visit the surprisingly little-known town of Sarzana that possesses a remarkable old city center brimming with lots of great architecture. Enjoy a wine tasting in a winery before returning to Viareggio for dinner.
Day 11 - Oct. 31, Thu
After breakfast drive up the mountains to gawk at its spectacular marble quarries followed by a hair-raising jeep ride to the very summit for a breathtaking birds eye view. After lunch oyo stretch your legs visiting the charming historical center of Carrara. Try the specialty from this area, pork fat back cured in marble vats with herbs and spices. Have it thinly sliced on warm rosemary-scented focaccia: heavenly! Dinner in Casa Piero.
Day 12 – Nov. 1, Fri
After breakfast journey to Siena, one of Italy's most beautiful cities full of spectacular art treasures. The splendid Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and the magnificent shell-shaped main square the stage of the Palio horse race. Free time for lunch. In the early afternoon drive through the idillic Tuscan countryside to San Gimignano, the 14 towers of the walled town rise up like a medieval Manhattan. Here there is a palpable sense of history with its intact medieval streetscapes and enchanting rural setting. Farewell dinner in one of the many excellent restaurants found in Viareggio.
Day 13 – Nov. 2, Sat
After breakfast, departure from Pisa International airport Galileo Galilei. Check out time at villa is by 11 am. We recommend you book a flight that departs around noon (11 am – 2 pm). We will only offer a limited amount of transfers to airport therefore if you remain within our suggested time slot you can avoid having to wait at the airport for a long time if your flight departs very late or having to reach airport by your own means if your flight departs very early.
Gallery
FUN. REAL. ENLIGHTENING.
PRICE INCLUDES:
- ACCOMMODATION
- ALL TRANSPORTATION MENTIONED IN ITINERARY
- ENTRANCE FEES TO ALL ACTIVITIES MENTIONED IN THE ITINERARY;
- WALKING TOURS THROUGH ALL THE TOWNS;
- HANDS-ON COOKING LESSONS.
- ALL BREAKFASTS, MEALS MENTIONED IN ITINERARY.
- 6 MYCO FORAYS.
- WALKING TOURS THROUGH ALL THE TOWNS;
click here to see the gallery of Casa Piero in Viareggio
*All activities are subject to change on the basis of which options are deemed to be the most suitable in terms of current culinary standards, the weather conditions on a given day, and other relevant criteria.
Amenities
DOUBLE ROOMS ALL WITH PRIVATE BATHROOM
FREE WIFI
Cost per person
Oct. 20 - 29, solely mycological portion € 3200
Oct 20 - Nov 1, with extra 4-day extension € 4100
At the moment this tour is only for people sharing a room
Tour available for maximum 10 people
All payments must be made by bank transfer or credit cards. Please contact us to receive a booking form with our bank details, along with our terms & cancellation policy.
