GARDENS OF ITALY ITINERARY:
Tuesday, May 13: USA/Florence, Italy
Board an overnight flight to Florence, Italy.
Wednesday, May 14: Florence
On arrival, transfer to your hotel where your Tour Director,
Daphne Dormer, is waiting to meet you. The remainder of the day
is at leisure, or you may join your local guide for a stroll
through the old quarter to see the Duomo. Meet your fellow
travellers this evening for a welcome cocktail party and dinner.
Hotel Helvetia & Bristol D
Thursday, May 15: Florence
Join historian and author Count Niccolò Capponi, whose
distinguished family has contributed much to Florentine culture
through the centuries, on a drive to Villa Gamberaia. The
villa's gardens are considered by many to be the loveliest and
most representative of the region. Stand in the house's grassy
terrace to admire Florence's skyline, stretching beyond the
olive groves and vineyards. Later, return to Florence for a
panoramic view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo before
stopping at the church of San Miniato, a striking example of
Florentine Romanesque architecture, characterized by its
bi-colored marble façade. After lunch, visit the church of Santa
Croce that contains the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and
Machiavelli. Walk next door to the Suola del Cuoio for a
behind-the-scenes look at the workshops of the leather-workers'
consortium, then stop at one of the city's best-known gelateria.
Cross the river to explore Oltrarno, where the medieval streets
of San Spirito are filled with artisans' workshops and
boutiques. Tonight a guest speaker discusses the evolution of
Florentine gardens. Dinner is at leisure. Hotel Helvetia &
Bristol B, L
Friday, 16 May: Florence
Count Capponi again accompanies you, this time to
15th-century Villa La Pietra. Its beautiful Tuscan garden
consists of a series of outside "rooms" surrounding the villa
with rows of shrubbery and sections of flowers and greenery
adorned with fountains. After lunch at leisure, explore the
Gallerie dell'Accademia, noted principally for the sculptures of
Michelangelo, including his masterpiece David. Dine à la carte
at your choice of restaurant. Hotel Helvetia & Bristol B, D
Saturday, May 17: Florence/Naples
Catch a morning express train to the bustling seaport of
Naples. Arrive in time for lunch at a local restaurant, and then
explore the city, beginning at the massive Piazza del Plebiscito,
and also visit the magnificent National Archaeological Museum,
which contains one of the world's finest collections of Roman
and Greek antiquities. Check in to your hotel late this
afternoon and dine à la carte in the hotel's restaurant. Grand
Hotel Vesuvio B, L, D
Sunday, May 18: Naples/Ischia/Naples
Board a hydrofoil at the port and travel to the volcanic
island of Ischia, the largest of the islands in the Bay of
Naples. Drive along the coastal road to the rugged southwest
side of the island, where lavender, sage, marjoram and rosemary
perfume the air and rare ferns, mosses and lichens thrive. After
a lunch of local specialties in Forio, visit the magnificent
volcanic rock-carved gardens of La Mortella, home to more than
500 plant species. Return by hydrofoil to Naples to hear a guest
speaker discuss Italy's current political situation and its
future relations with her European neighbors and the United
States. Dine at your leisure. Grand Hotel Vesuvio B, L
Monday, May 19: Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento
Drive to ancient Pompeii, where the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in AD 79 left this once-busy trading center covered in
volcanic ash. Walk with your guide through ruins that present an
intact picture of everyday Roman life. See a wealthy merchant's
villa, the House of the Vetti and the amazing mosaics of the
House of Faun. Dine this evening at a local restaurant. Grand
Hotel Excelsior Vittoria B, L, D
Tuesday, May 20: Sorrento/Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi and
Ravello)/Sorrento
Drive along the beautiful Amalfi Coast with spectacular
views across the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. After a
stop in the picturesque town of Positano, proceed to Amalfi. The
10th-century cathedral of Saint Andrew reflects the maritime
power of this city in medieval times, with its Cloisters of
Paradise and 11th- century bronze doors from Constantinople.
After lunch in a local restaurant, travel to nearby Ravello and
explore the grounds of Villa Cimbrone. From its Belvedere of
Infinity balcony, view the gardens of Villa Rufolo that inspired
a portion of Richard Wagner's Parsifal. Umbrella pines and
cypresses shade a fountainhead on the upper terrace, while
beautiful flowers rest in classical geometric beds below. Later
return to Sorrento for dinner at leisure. Grand Hotel Excelsior
Vittoria B, L
Wednesday, May 21: Sorrento/Caserta/Cassino/Rome
Explore the opulent Royal Palace at Caserta, built in the
18th century for the extravagant Bourbon King Charles III.
Boasting more than 1,200 rooms and a vast park, its garden - a
typical example of the Baroque extension of formal vistas -
stretches for 300 acres and was inspired by the grounds of
Versailles. There is also an English garden designed in the
1780s by Carlo Vanvitelli and the London-trained plantsman-designer
John Graefer. After lunch in a country restaurant, visit the
Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, the scene of furious
fighting in 1944 which finally opened the road to Rome for the
Allies. Arrive in Rome in time for an à la carte dinner at your
hotel. St. Regis Grand Hotel B, L, D
Thursday, May 22: Rome
After a leisurely start to the day, drive to the outskirts
of Rome for a private visit to the English-style gardens of
Ninfa, a sharp contrast from other gardens on your journey.
Wander through these colorful gardens, created by three
generations of duchesses, to see cascading jasmine, wisteria and
200 species of roses. Gaze at serene water elements interspersed
with the greenery. Pause for lunch on the grounds before
returning to Rome for your farewell dinner at the hotel. St.
Regis Grand Hotel B, L, D
Friday, May 23: Rome
Wander through the splendid Villa Borghese Gardens, once
part of the 17th-century pleasure gardens of Cardinal Scipione
Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. Enter the Galleria Borghese and
examine the fine collection of Bernini sculptures and paintings
by Caravaggio, Titian and Raphael. Later, you are privately
invited to see the gardens of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller
Order of Malta, where you enjoy unique views over the city of
Rome. Continue to the Chapel of the Knights of Malta and St.
John, beautifully decorated with frescoes by Piranes. After a
specially arranged private lunch at the Palazzo Orsini on the
Tiber River, your afternoon is at leisure to relax or shop. If
you prefer, you may visit Tivoli to view the splendid gardens of
the Villa D'Este, laid out in 1550 for the Cardinal Ippolito
d'Este. Adorned with fountains and statues, the gardens create a
graceful ensemble in 16th-century mannerist style. Attend a
farewell cocktail party this evening and have dinner at leisure.
St. Regis Grand Hotel B, L
Saturday, May 24: Rome/USA
Transfer privately to the airport for your departure flight.
B
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