Logo and Sketch: Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations
  Newsletter Sign-Up:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations  
  Contact Us:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations
 

Culinary Tours Menu
Savour the World!

Savour Italy:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations

  Savour France:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations
  Savour Spain:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations

Tour Details/Dates/Prices
Farmhouse Cooking – in the heart of Tuscany!
Price $2,060 CAD* Special Interest Group Travel

Photogallery:  Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations Tour Itinerary: Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations Tour Details: Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations Reserve Now: Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacations


Optional Extended Stay in Florence
Saturday
Breakfast
Check Out + Transfer to Florence Hotel
A day in beautiful historic Florence – sightseeing, market and museum visits & shopping for kitchenware to take home with you. Florence is widely known as the Italian centre for cuisine, hospitality, wine, design & art. The city itself gives unparalleled opportunities for amazing first-hand gastronomic experiences. Spend the evening at your Florence Hotel and return on Sunday.

Little Extras
• Aprons are provided for your use
• Bring your notepad to jot down the week’s recipes (you decide upon recipes prior to cooking)

Custom Designed Gourmet Safari
If you’d like to spend more time in the kitchen we can easily arrange it for you. There is also a plethora of other activities in the area if you’d like to spend less time in the kitchen or if your partner doesn’t like to cook: from hiking and walks through the surrounding woods and then a meal at the restaurant, to a visit to the abbey with its magnificent 16th century courtyard, to a tour of the old wine cellars followed by wine tasting, to exploring San Gimignano, Siena or smaller area towns such as Radda in Chianti, Monteriggioni & Volterra (they are all an easy drive away offering stunning atmosphere & scenery).

Car Rental
We highly recommend car rental for this itinerary – just contact us. There are so many lovely little villages and interests vary so widely, a rental car is truly necessary for you to have the flexibility you desire.

Tour Length: 7 days/6 nights

Tour Begins: Florence, Italy TOUR CONCLUDES: Florence, Italy

Tour Dates 2011:

SMALL GROUP TRAVEL (minimum 5 members – smaller groups can be accommodated at a different price)
Culinary vacations are available all year round upon request and are subject to availability. The best time to visit is May and June – let us know when you’re ready!

Tour Price for 2011: SMALL GROUP TRAVEL
Please contact us for 2011 prices, thank you.

Tour Price for 2010: SMALL GROUP TRAVEL
$2,060
*Double Occupancy per Person. Prices in Canadian Dollars (excluding airfare).

 




Please note:
We can create a custom week for you and your group, just say the word!
This is a perfect setting for special interest groups – yoga, painting and many unique activities can be readily accommodated and combined with cooking. The owner, Maria Teresa can also make arrangements for local artists to instruct painting or fresco painting.
If you would like to purchase airfare please let us know and we’ll arrange it for you right away. Airfare prices to Florence can range from $1,186 CAD to $1,651 CAD, check with us for the most current prices (group rates may be applicable as well).
All dates and prices are subject to availability.
Prices may be affected by international exchange rate fluctuations.
Interested, or questions just contact us.

Payment:
Form of Payment.
We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diners, cheque or money orders in CAD $.
Place a Deposit on Your Dream.
A deposit of $700 CAD per person is required at time of booking to secure your culinary vacation dates.
Please note: Your deposit is non-refundable due to the fact that our travel partners will be in receipt of monies, however in most instances the deposit can be applied to future travel.

Balance due.
Balance is due no later than 60 days before departure.

Number of Participants: (smaller numbers of participants can be accommodated at a different price)
Minimum: 5
Maximum: 18

Travel Accessories:
Local Weather
Currency Conversion
Local time

Questions? Just email or call
E-mail: jackie@gourmetsafari.com
Phone: 416.238.9987 (local Toronto) or 1.800.839.5795 (toll free in North America)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Safari Notes. (my personal experience)
Maria Teresa and her 2 friendly dogs warmly greeted us. We were immediately ‘taken’ by the setting, placed high on the hilltop, the views were breathtaking. The farmhouse is huge and has been lovingly renovated brick-by-brick. It has taken Maria Teresa 6 years from start to finish and it has been a labour of love – you can see this in the attention to every detail.

The rooms are bright and airy, with comfortable furniture and mainly Tuscan antiques, that have been hand-picked and painstakingly restored to their original splendor. The kitchen and the common areas are beautiful – you immediately feel at home and can imagine the rooms filled with fellow food enthusiasts sharing the Tuscan flavours and the incredible aromas of their culinary creations. The kitchen is very special – Maria Teresa told us that she has always liked to cook and that the final kitchen was her gift to herself. After spending 6 years on the project, the kitchen really demonstrates that a lot of thought and consideration has gone into its design. The large kitchen is practical, user-friendly and ergonomically designed to accommodate groups of budding chefs. The view from the kitchen balcony is beautiful– imagine cooking in a beautiful hilltop kitchen overlooking Tuscany.

We also had a quick tour of the wine/olive oil cellar which is impressive and naturally carved into the hilltop – perfect for storing wine.

Maria Teresa kindly invited us into her home for some wine and typical Tuscan aperitifs of local breads, salamis and olive oil. The olive oil is the best that I’ve ever tasted and happens to be made from the olives that are grown on the property…it’s incredible. I’ve never really noticed the difference between olive oil flavours in the past, but now I will pay closer attention to my taste buds. I felt a definite immersion into the Tuscan culture and also felt very far away from North America…it was a great feeling.

Jackie DeKnock – Gourmet Safari Creator

Safari Notes – Lasting Impressions

Dan Duran, Toronto, Ontario, January 2005

This is a great place to go if you’ve got a group, any window that you look out of you have a view from the hilltop.  I love the fireplace and the wine cellar has an interesting story.