Italy Tour Package

Discover an Italy you never thought existed anymore!

We've been visiting Italy for more than thirty years. We thought we've seen everything.

But we also made the classical mistake. Your first visit to Italy is to see all the famous sites, right? You tolerate the crowds. You smile when ripped-off. You try a few words in Italian. But you go home with the feeling that you missed out big time! You didn't experience much of all the stuff that's romanced in films and fiction. And then you start planning your next visit. To experience the "real thing!"

An interesting fact about Italy – about its mystic magnetism that compelled tourists over the centuries to visit – is that the allure is neither the monuments, the history, the sunshine, the landscape, the language, the people, the fashion, the food, the art, the music, the sport, nor the culture. It's your personal and intense experience of all of these!

Is it possible that Italy, the world's favourite holiday destination, can still have a prime region that's unexplored? An Italian vacation package that gives you the total experience of everything Italian at an affordable price?

Yes! We found it in the Montefeltro region of the province of Marche in Italy. Italy's best kept secret! Like everybody else, we were looking for this "total experience" in overcrowded and expensive Toscana and Umbria. I wrote several articles about our experiences. And then we discovered Montefeltro and the Study and Culture Centre.

Where you can literally live your dream about Italy.

Where you will discover a well preserved 'old Italy' in all its dazzling facets.

We enrolled for the language and culture package in early April 2005. We got more than we expected, more than we paid for! The package includes a pickup at the train station of Pesaro on the Sunday before the course starts. The word "course" is too cold and clinical. It is more like a visit to dear distant family that embrace you with passion and introduce you to their language, culture, and way of life.

We stayed in a comfortable hotel in the restored stronghold of the Malatesta family from Rimini when they ruled the Montefeltro for a short while in history. There are several alternatives for accommodation depending on the package you choose.

We thought we knew all about Italian food. In fact Catrien is a very good cook and she specialises in Italian food. But during this week we were humbled. We chose the full board option, and for the minute difference in price I would recommend the full board option rather than the half board option. You won't be able to eat everything, but the creative genius of an Italian cook is something to behold. Not one dish was repeated and with every lunch and dinner you can choose between at least two pasta dishes and two main courses. The house wine is included and blends perfectly with the food. We ordered different dishes whenever practical and cross tasted. I'm salivating as I write this!

Confirmation that the food is good is when local business people from nearby towns come and have their lunch everyday at your hotel!

When we woke up on Monday it was overcast. But the landscape was the landscape as painted by Leonardo da Vinci. That slightly hazy or smoked effect on the undulating hills. In fact, you would think you're in Toscana. The Montefeltro borders on Toscana and Umbria. There are hiking trails to the point where the three regions meet.

The week's programme has daily a three hour Italian language lesson. Depending on your knowledge of Italian you will follow the elementary or intermediate track. Your very qualified teacher truly becomes a friend for life. You learn at an amazing pace. Your teacher never speaks English but would explain everything in clear and easy to understand Italian. Ok, he might give you one or two words in English if you really struggle! Catrien followed the elementary course and enjoyed it tremendously. I can hear that she is much more comfortable with basic Italian. She now understands the directions and notices posted at the station and elsewhere! I followed the intermediate course and it is amazing how much practical stuff I learned.

Every day there is a cultural experience. The first day we watched Almerina making cheese. She and her husband, Renato, are retired and do the cheese-making as a hobby on their farm. Renato milks their six cows. Almerina milked that morning twelve ewes by hand. Out of this she makes Pecorino misto – Pecorino is normally made of ewe's milk, but this variation is a mix with cow's milk. Some cheeses are cured, and some sold fresh. We were unable to buy any. Her production is sold out months in advance. She also makes Ricotta from the fluid forced out of the Pecorino. On a calendar against the wall we could see the bookings by people that would come and collect each day's ricotta. Some thirty years ago most families in the Montefeltro made their own cheese. That's why Almerina's cheese is so sought after. The connoisseurs of this area would not even think of buying commercially produced Pecorino misto.

The then director of the Study and Culture Centre, Antonio, was our guide throughout the week. He's very knowledgeable and has a passion for the culture and history of this region. He gave us a tour of the tiny medieval walled city of Frontino and their art museum of works by Franco Assetto who had a life-long association with Frontino.

On Tuesday we were taught the basics for making Montefeltro ceramics by Carla, a true artist in the medium of maioliche ceramics. The Ceramic Workshop and School are in the renovated and modernised medieval monastery of Monte Illuminato with its panoramic views and rich history. The monastery was founded by St. Francis of Assisi and is used today as a Workshop and School, with accommodation and modern kitchen, for the six-day ceramic course to learn the centuries-old art of maioliche ceramic made famous by the Della Robbia family during the Renaissance.

We are the proud owners of ornamental maioliche plates that we made and decorated during our lesson – with Carla's help of course! The two Americans, Patti and Jessica, had previous experience and lessons in maioliche ceramic and their creations looked like highly professional works of art to me.

By the way, these two American ladies spent two weeks at the Study & Culture Centre. It was their first visit ever to Europe. They stayed their entire holiday in the Montefeltro with day trips to Florence and other Tuscan and Montefeltro towns. They enjoyed it so much that they're determined to return next year with friends and colleagues! Their approach is much wiser than the standard frantic city-hopping Italy tour package.

Wednesday the sun broke through and we visited the walled medieval city of Urbino, built by Duke Federico da Montefeltro. The historic centre was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List. What we found unique was the fortified tower build with a spiral walkway inside to allow the horses of Federico's army to walk in safety up into the walled city at times of trouble. Today it's the short cut from the parking garage to the city centre!

Catrien and I spent three hours in the Ducal Palace Museum. Masterpieces of artists like Raphael, who lived in Urbino until the age of fourteen, and Piero della Francesca are on display. The panelling of Duke Federico's study and the general wood artistry of all doors is by far the best we've ever seen. Antonio took us by a scenic route to Urbino and by another scenic route back to the hotel. You've got to see that landscape. I can't describe it. I doubt if a gifted poet could!

Thursday we visited a prociutto curing facility. Something Catrien and I wanted to do for ages, but we were always looking for a Parma Ham curing facility. Due Sassi Prosciutto is not a facility where the curing process is speeded up for higher production output. It is done in the traditional manner – using time, experience, and tradition for the curing process. Some thirty years ago every family in this area cured a leg of pork every year in this way. Today only this relatively small facility, employing only four people, retained the traditional way. Although we've never heard the name before, the connoisseurs assure you that Due Sassi Proscuitto Crudo is the best in the world. We had to taste it, and it melts in the mouth!

The next stop was the Osteria La Gatta near Lunano. The fascinating history and story around the name, the renovated building, and the tradition of hospitality I'm not going to tell! When you experience your week in the Montefeltro you'll be glad I didn't. It's part of the experience. When we got there the chef, Michele, was obviously not in a good mood. His telephone communication system was out of order and a technician was trying to fix it. But when Michele started his cooking lesson, his infective passion for his art shone through and his mood lifted.

We cooked our own lunch. Michele already bought all the ingredients fresh that morning. The first course was going to be handmade egg-based pasta. We've never made pasta ourselves. Because the pasta needed some curing and drying time, we started with the mixing of the special flower and raw eggs. While the pasta dough cured we made the "simple" sugo alla boscaiola. Although we were handed printed recipes, everyone was frantically making notes. So many little things an accomplished chef does automatically, but new to you and important for the successful outcome of the dish under preparation. Now it was back to the pasta dough to be rolled out by hand. A time consuming and strenuous process. When Michele laid out the huge piece of thinly rolled pasta on a cloth of linen to dry, he suggested that we rather use the machine to roll out the rest to save time. But we were unanimous in our verdict: the hand rolled pasta had a better texture and ultimately tasted better!

Now it was time to prepare the vegetables for the Verdure Gratinata in a special way to get rid of the surplus water. While we were busy with this the telephone technician came in to report that the phones were working again. He took one look at our amateurish techniques and announced that he were really a very good cook. In fact, the only time he and his wife quarrelled was when they were both cooking. Because, there is only one way and that is his way. Simple. He mildly criticised Michele for the techniques he taught us to use, but Michele explained very diplomatically that the techniques of accomplished cooks like those of the honourable technician could not be taught to novices at their first cooking lesson! The technician concurred gravely, wished us well, gave Michele a knowing wink and left!

While the vegetables were sweating, we prepared the main course: Veal with Due Sassi prosciutto and caciotta cheese from Urbino. The veal is flattened, the prosciutto laid on it with a slice of cheese on top. The veal is then tightly rolled and pinned with tooth picks.

The vegetables were stuffed with the gratinata we prepared and put into the oven to bake.

It was time to prepare the dessert, Tiramisù. A very precise procedure, but in no time the Tiramisù was resting in the fridge. Michele decided we should take the Tiramisù to the hotel for dinner and rather use the excess mascarpone mousse for a lighter but delicious dessert for lunch with fresh strawberries and wild berries.

Now the pasta was cut, ingeniously, into long broad strips called Pappardelle and then cooked. Fresh pasta is ready in a blink, and when the pasta is ready it must be eaten. The pasta sauce, which ripened in a pan for a while, was heated up with some white wine added. The Involtini were quickly cooked over a hot flame in a pan with added seasoning. The pasta was drained, the sauce added and mixed.

We set a table while Michele opened some excellent Montefeltro white wine, and we had lunch. We're spoilt for life. Pasta will never again taste so good! The Involtino was excellent and so was the mascarpone mousse dessert. At dinner we all voted the Tiramisù the best we ever tasted! The language lesson that afternoon was the most difficult of the whole week. Somehow I couldn't concentrate and my mind kept drifting back to those Pappardelle con sugo alla boscaiola!

Catrien learned so much that she is determined to return for the entire week-long cooking course!

Friday afternoon we visited Belforte all'Isauro. Because of the late rains truffle hunting has not yet started. In the laboratory of the Battazzi Chienna family, they proudly display photos of one of Pavarotti's famous bashes with the truffle supplied by them on the menu. The laboratory was idle, but from the pictures and the stories it must be quite an exciting time when the truffles are ready to be found.

We left for nearby Piandimeleto to visit the Riccardi family, who preserved the grand tradition of bee keeping as handed down from father to son. Piandimeleto is dominated by the majestic Castello dei Conti Oliva. Worth a visit and a story on its own.

But first, a cappuccino at the village Bar. This is another unique institution of Italy. Everything for everybody, even quick meals, with the owner more knowledgeable about the day's news than the sum of all Italy's newspapers! A place where you can relax. Alone or with friends.

Roberto Riccardi is passionate about his bees and his craft. His business is a commercial venture and his family's livelihood. Roberto is forever experimenting with new techniques, making and improving his own hives and frames to entice his bees to even better performance. We donned protective clothing and watched him finding the queen bee in a hive. So many fascinating stories. Back at his workshop we met his father. We tasted and bought some honey, and left Piandimeleto with the happy feeling that we've experienced truth!

Friday evening Antonio and some of his staff joined us for dinner. Another feast. But we were sad to leave these people who became family. Antonio insisted that we should have stayed two weeks and in retrospect I agree. There's so much more to experience and our affaire with the language of the Italian tongue has just began . . . Oh, so little time, so much to learn!

The package includes a drop-off at the railway station of Pesaro on Saturday. We travelled in our own car, and on the way back home we stopped at San Leo. Why did nobody ever tell us about San Leo? It should be on every itinerary to Italy! What a beautiful medieval town and fortress. What a beautiful way to end a fantastic week.

Kind regards.

Philip de Bruin