Cultural, Culinary & Truffle Hunting Experience in Abruzzo

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

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
• 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 free time, we’ll meet some local artisans or artists
• 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

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

AM

• After breakfast we’ll explore the famous Trabocchi coast. We’ll start with 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
• Next we’ll visit a trabocco (the symbol of the area), mostly built with acacia wood and railway iron sleepers
• Weather permitting, Rinaldo our host will show us how to fish from it and the secrets and history behind Abruzzo’s unique fishing platforms that have been featured in the BBC TV show: Escape to the Continent
• His wife Maria will prepare fish from the Adriatic Sea for our exclusive lunch on the ocean

PM

• In the afternoon feel free to relax or take some great photos of the surrounding beautiful marinescape
• On the way home, we’ll visit the enchanting San Giovanni in Venere Abbey that sits on a hill dominating the coastline, surrounded by orange, olive, oak and pine trees
• Group dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

AM

• After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll travel to Lentella, where we’ll have an exciting and hopefully successful black truffle hunt

• Accompanied by an “aperitivo” we’ll enjoy a truffle cookery demonstration using what we collected and eat our rewards for lunch, that could include tagliatelle pasta and frittata (Italian omelette) with truffle

PM

• We know that not every minute of your time must be packed with organised events, this way you will be able to explore on your own and actually live like an Italian
• So today you’ll have a free afternoon for your own activities, which could be: go to one of the many beaches, visit Vasto’s museums and art galleries, take part into some extra activities/excursions, or just do some shopping visiting artisans or have a walk in the “piazza” to enjoy the relaxing Vasto atmosphere
• In the evening you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vast

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

AM

• After breakfast we’ll make our way to a farmhouse where Pina and Berardino will reveal the secrets of farming letting you immerse in an authentic slow food experience. You could relax in the beautiful Abruzzo countryside or take part into some or all of these experiences
• We’ll milk a sheep or a cow
• We’ll learn how to make a special bread called “pizza scima – stupid pizza”, a pizza without yeast
• After collecting some organic wine from their winery, we’ll have an aperitif including a taste of their production: cheeses, salami and extra virgin olive oil
• Next we’ll learn how to prepare ricotta cheese
• Finally we’ll collect the fresh vegetables from their garden that will be used for our farm-to-table lunch
• A delicious traditional farm-to-table lunch will be prepared and served
• Almost everything we’ll eat is produced in the farm (wheat to produce the organic flour to make different kinds of breads, cookies and fresh pasta together with eggs from their hens, organic extra virgin olive oil, wines, liquors, juices, jams, cheeses, many varieties of salami, meats and vegetables)

PM

• In the afternoon, immersed in the nature and surrounded by amazing sceneries, we’ll drive in the inland to explore the enchanting Abruzzo’s castle in the sky in the charming village of Roccascalegna, ranked by Condé Naste Traveler as one of the 9 Most Beautiful Hilltop Towns in Italy

After the big lunch at the farm, in the evening you may enjoy a dinner or aperitif on your own in one of the many restaurants and wine bars of Vasto

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

AM

• After breakfast we’ll visit an 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” and we will finish with an olive oil tasting
• Next we’ll visit an award winning winery that sits between a marine park and the mountains. We’ll make a wine tasting and lunch with pairings from local cheeses and salami and a tour of the vineyard and cellars organized by the winemakers Emanuele and Nicola

PM

• After lunch and some free time to relax and pack or do a last minute shopping, we’ll have a farewell party with Fabrizio’s family. You will enjoy the Abruzzo wines and food in a very relaxed atmosphere or help Adele and Mamma Anna Maria to make tiramisù and many kinds of pizza including the world famous Margherita or local ones with typical toppings such as the renowned “ventricina” salami
• In the evening we’ll have the last dinner together as an Italian family immersed in the Abruzzo’s countryside

* B= Breakfast | L=Lunch | D=Dinner | T=Tasting | C=Cooking Lesson

After breakfast we will leave (usually at 09:00 am) for Rome Fiumicino airport or your next destination (Rome Fiumicino is about 3,5 hours driving from Vasto) so make sure to get an afternoon flight.

NOTE ABOUT YOUR ITINERARY

Your Itinerary is a guide to your activities during the week. However, sometimes we modify the final itinerary to take advantage of the season and the weather. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has a fabulous time, and that sometimes means tweaking the schedule even after your arrival. Your guide will provide suggestions during the week, and the group will decide whether to make any change. Be assured that only enhanced experiences are ever considered.