Cooking in Tuscany

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: After checking-in at the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Accommodations will be in the pedestrian-only historical center of Lucca. Pick-ups and drop-offs will be at the bus stop, a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Streets are mostly cobblestones. Typical Italian food courses include l’antipasto — literally “before the meal” — a hot or cold appetizer; il primo piatto, the first course, often soup or pasta; il secondo piatto, the second course or main dish; il contorno piatto, a side dish such as vegetables or salad; and il dolce, dessert. Breakfasts will be at the hotel; most lunches and some other meals will be two courses featuring local dishes. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We will gather before dinner for a welcome drink together.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow road scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles throughout the day; cobblestone streets.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will begin our learning adventure with an expert-led walking field trip through Lucca, taking in the atmosphere and seeing architectural legacies predating the Roman Empire all the way to the Renaissance at the Domus Romana, an archaeological site in the center of Lucca. We’ll delve into the lengthy history of this area through informative museum exhibits and excavation sites.

Lunch: At the Domus Romana, we’ll experience a Roman-style “convivium.”

Afternoon: After lunch, we will walk to the hotel to freshen up before we will walk to the cooking school for our first cooking class with a professional chef at the International Academy of Italian Cuisine. The comprehensive, hands-on curriculum is designed to teach us how to make four-course lunches through cooking techniques applicable to pasta, pastries, and everything in between.

Dinner: At the cooking school, we will enjoy the results of our cooking lesson along with other dishes prepared by the chef.

Evening: Returning to the hotel, the rest of the evening is at leisure.

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles throughout the day; cobblestone streets. At Palazzo Pfanner, several flights of stairs with handrail (no elevator).

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll set out on an expert-led walking field trip in Lucca with emphasis on the progression from the Renaissance to the Modern Age.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll walk to the hotel from the restaurant to freshen up before we will walk to the Cooking School for our hands-on cooking class.

Dinner: At the Cooking School, we will enjoy the meal we helped to prepare.

Evening: Returning to the hotel, the rest of the evening is at leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours riding time. Walking about 2 miles; cobblestone streets, uneven terrain. A deep hill terrain to reach the cava in Carrara.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach and ride to Pietrasanta with our Group Leader for a walking field trip in this medieval town. A place renowned for its connection with marble, artists and sculptors from all over the world have been drawn to live and work here. It has been described as “the little Athens” for its sculpting studios, artistic foundries, ancient and modern monuments. Its historic center is considered a precious jewel of the Middle Ages. From Pietrasanta, we will ride to Colonnata in Carrara, where we will visit a factory producing lardo, a type of pork salumi seasoned with herbs and cured for about 8 months in handmade baskets made from local marble. Lardo was a traditional dietary staple of marble quarry workers for generations.

Lunch: At a lardo producer in Colonnata.

Afternoon: On our way back to the hotel, we will stop at a private marble quarry where staff will tell us about its history and work.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 2.5 miles, 1/4 hour riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles; cobblestone streets.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to a local market with our Group Leader for an authentic experience of how people from Lucca go food shopping in preparation for cooking. We’ll then ride to the Cooking School for our hands-on cooking class.

Lunch: At the cooking school.

Afternoon: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is free. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 12 miles throughout the day, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles; cobblestone streets, uneven terrain. At Villa Sardi, several flights of stairs with handrail (no elevator).

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: In the late morning, we will board the motorcoach for a short ride to Fabbrica di San Martino, a farm producing “biodynamic” wine and oil. The owner will give us a presentation on what “biodynamic” farming means and how it works, through a holistic view of nature as an interconnected whole where every element plays its specific role. Next, we will walk to nearby Villa Sardi in Fabbrica di San Martino. This historical noble residence datds from the 17th century, and is now a winery. We will learn more about the production of wine, cheese, and olive oil including tastings.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like at Villa Sardi.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll ride to the International Academy of Italian Cuisine for our hands-on cooking class.

Dinner: At the cooking school, we’ll enjoy the meal we helped prepare.

Evening: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is free.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles throughout the day; uneven terrain. Hilly terrain to reach the city center and the restaurant from the parking lot.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. There, we’ll go on a field trip with our Group Leader to the Caseificio Bertagni, a small family-run “caseificio” — creamery — that produces both sheep’s and cow’s cheeses exclusively from Tuscan milk.

Lunch: At a restaurant in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.

Afternoon: Returning to Lucca, the remainder of the afternoon is free. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 25 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking about 1.5 miles; cobblestone streets, uneven terrain, hilly sections.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board the motorcoach and ride to the medieval town of Montecarlo where a local expert will lead our exploration of the “borgo antico” — old village. From Montecarlo, we’ll ride to a local winery.

Lunch: At the winery in Montecarlo.

Afternoon: Returning to Lucca, the remainder of the afternoon is free for independent exploration.

Dinner: At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with fellow Road Scholars during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. See your program’s “Travel Information” regarding transfers.

Breakfast: At the hotel depending on departure times. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!