This guided tour of Italy provided the writer with an immersive cultural experience through beautiful landscapes, historic sites, and culinary delights. Over the course of a week, highlights included exploring iconic locations in Rome like the Colosseum and Vatican City, learning about traditions in Tuscany through a cooking demonstration, and admiring well-preserved medieval towns. The tour exposed the writer to the richness of Italian history and culture while fostering new friendships with fellow travelers.

1. Robertopointedoutsmallstatues,structures
andfountainsthat,toanunfamiliarpasserby,
wouldhavehadnosignificance,butyetwere
integraltopreservingritualsthathavetheir
rootsinancienttimes.Iwasinaweoftheway
theircustomsendureandarejustastangible
asthestrikingarchitecture.
WeventuredoutofTuscanyforaday
triptotheLiguriaregion,hometothe
beautifulseasidevillagesofCinqueTerre,
aUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Meaning
‘FiveLands’,thesetinycollectionsofbuildings
huggingthesideofocean-facingcliffsare
whimsicalandquaint.Riomaggioreand
ManarolaarejoinedbytheViadellAmore,
apedestrianstreetbuiltalongthecliffside.
Theviewsovertheseaareunparalleledand
it’snowonderitbecameafavouritehangout
forlovers.Alongthewalkwaythereareclusters
of‘lovelocks’–padlockswithlovers’initials
scratchedintothem,thekeythrownintothe
oceanbelowasahopeforenduringlove.
Tearfulgoodbyes
We ended our tour back in Rome with one
last day to soak up the flavours, smells and
texturesofacountrythat’sanamalgamation
of many different cultures, yet has an
overriding sense of oneness. Italians are
loquacious when speaking of their love
for their country, and it’s no wonder why.
OurlastdinnerwasspentattheNapul’e
Restaurant,atraditionalNapolitanopizzeria
wherewewerepliedwithdeliciouspizza
(Napolibeingitsplaceofbirth!)andserenaded
bytheowner,whoisalsothechef!
Imadesomewonderfulfriendsandhad
myeyesopenedtothebenefitsofaguided
coachholiday.Whetherit’sromance,history
orculinarydelightsyouseek,thismajesticland
ofgladiatorsandVespas,sothicklysteeped
intradition,hasitallandmore.
TemptingTuscany
From Rome we glided into Tuscany. A day
that included wine-tasting culminated in a
cookingdemonstrationataquaintFlorentine
restaurant. David, the verbose owner who
hails from Scotland, gave us a running
commentary as Francino, the tiny Italian
chef,showedushowtocooksometraditional
peasant-styleTuscandishes.Weweretreated
tooliveoilfromthenewharvestthathadbeen
pressed the day before – a peppery treat.
The demonstration was interactive and
I was the lucky, or maybe brave, soul who
joined Francino at the helm. We couldn’t
communicate much except to say ‘Salute!’
and clink our glasses of wine, but I’m told he
was impressed with my novice knife skills!
Wespentthreenightsbasedinthe
picturesqueMontecatiniareaandexplored
fromthere.Florencewassublime,aswasour
guideMadeleine.Thischarmingwomanwasso
passionateabouttheDavidthatIfoundmyself
completelycaptivatedbyhertalks–almostas
muchasIwasbyMichelangelo’smasterpiece
attheAcademyofFineArts.Weweretakenon
awalkingtourofsometopsightsinFlorence,
includingtheSantaCroceBasilicawheresome
ofItaly’smostfamousnamesareentombed.
Medievalmarvels
Italy is home to some well-preserved
medieval towns, including Lucca and Siena.
Lucca, not being a traditional tourist spot,
showedusadifferentsidetoItaly,onewhere
delis replace big department stores and the
elegant local women ride their bicycles in
stilettos while expertly wielding umbrellas
against the drizzle.
Siena,hometothePiazzadelCampowhere
thefamousPaliohorseracetakesplace,was
anothergem.Asweambledaroundthetown,
surroundedbytoweringmedievalwalls,
114
planyourescape
ITALY
AMORE!Areguidedholidaysthenewway
totravel?essentialstravelwriter
DominiqueBrownexperiencedthe
magicandmysteryofromantic
Italy,andwaspleasantlysurprised
Hop-on,hop-off…
anddon’tforget
yourcamera
My new favourite word is
andiamo. But it’s not just the
word and what it means that
I love, it’s the way that Italians
sayitwithsuchaflourish;it’sthe
memories, smells and sights that it brings to
mind, and it’s the way that one word can so
aptly encompass an experience.
Irecentlyhadthefortuneofbeinginvitedon
aTrafalgarguidedholidayinItalyandjumped
atthechancetovisitthisenchantingcountry.
Andiamo, meaning ‘let’s go’, was the oft-
repeated mantra of our Italian tour director,
Roberto. It was his gentle and sometimes
harassed way of gathering the troops.
Ihoppedonaplanearmedwithanappetite
that proved to be far too small for the vast
treasures I was offered. In a whirlwind seven
days,excludingtravellingtime,Iwasprivyto
some of this Mediterranean country’s most
well-known marvels as well as some of its
best-kept secrets.
Gettingacquainted
StartinginRome,wewerewhiskedawaytoour
four-staraccommodationintheheartofthecity.
Weenjoyedlusciousfour-coursedinnersmost
nights,allaccompaniedbythelocalwineand
characters.Anynervesatnotknowingour
companionsonthefirstnightwereswiftlyerased
aswewereserenadedbytheowners
oftheTrattoriaOperaoverdinnerandended
theeveningoffwithawanderthroughthe
romanticallylitstreetsofthismagnificentcapital.
Romeisabustlingcity,itsinhabitantsdrive
withcalculatedabandonandthere’saconstant
energythatisjuxtaposedwiththetypical
laid-backItalianculture.Iwasstruckbythe
convergenceofancientbuildingswithmodern
life–Robertopointedoutahistoricaltheatre
thathasbeenconvertedintoapartments!
Aroundeverycornerisanothertreasureand,
fromthePantheontotheSpanishStairs,there
isnoendtothemarvels.
TheVaticanCitywithitsmuseums,aswellas
theSistineChapelandStPeter’sBasilica,were
expertlyexplainedtousbyourveryownlocal
guide,Paulo.Fromthereitwasontothe
ColosseumandmoreofPaulo’sextensive
knowledge–weemergedfromthecoachto
findthattherainhadabatedandthismagical
structurewasdrapedinastunningrainbow.
GoingtoItaly?Don’tmiss:
1The Crypt of the Capuchin Monks
in Rome – eerie and unique.
2The Leaning Tower of Pisa
(pictured) – a must-see!
3The Ponte Vecchio in Florence
– it groans under the weight of
its magnificent jewellery stores!
4ViadelCorsoandViadeiCondotti
in Rome for designer labels!
5Genuine Italian leather can be
found everywhere.
6Gelato! You’ll find ice-cream
taverns dotted around the city.
7Florentine steak, but beware
– prices on menus are usually
quoted per 100g for this delicacy.
8Basilica di san Clemente in Rome
– three beautifully preserved
layers of history, all underground.
9The Uffizi Gallery in Florence with
artworks from masters such as
Titian and Caravaggio.
10AhotParmahamandmozzarella
panini;streetvendorsalloverthe
citiesservethesereasonablypriced,
mouthwateringsandwiches.
115
Dominiqueand
Francinowhipup
someculinarytreats.
Becaptivatedbythe
endlessmarvelsofItaly
includingthefamous
LeaningTowerofPisa.
Centuriesofhistoryare
etchedintotheancient
marbleoftheColosseum.

2. ItalyisjustoneofthemanycountriesinEuropethatdeserveavisit.Trafalgarhas
arangeofpackagestocatertoyourwhims,nomatterwhereyou’reinclinedtogo.
Europeanholidays
FEATURE:DOMINIQUEBROWN.PHOTOS:TRAFALGAR;DOMINIQUEBROWN;ANGELAFERREIRA
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ItalianScene–10days
Visiting: Rome, Bay of
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The effortless beauty of Italy is
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Includes: Return airfares from
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116
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Visiting:Zurich,Villars,ZermattandInterlaken.
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servicechargesandtips,baggagehandlingfees
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*Terms and conditions apply, all prices are per person, land only, and exclude
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Valid for travel on select departure dates from April to October 2011.
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Visiting: Madrid, Seville and Barcelona.
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Madrid,SevilleandBarcelona–8days
FromR13600*
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