8-day gastronomic tour of Tuscany and Umbria is selling out!

Do you want to experience Italy in a way that the normal tourist can't!  You can do it with Monicas Waterfront Bakery and Cafe in October.

www.waterfrontbakery.com for all details.  Click on the Italian flag on the fropnt page! It's a fabulous experience.  It's a fabulous price!  Spring trips are full, so take this opportunity to be one of 18 to make your deposit to come this October.  Call Doumina at 360-620-2728, or write whyman1@aol.com or monica@waterfrontbakery.com for all the information.

"FANTASTICO!!! Doumina has a knack for surrounding herself with
knowledgeable and fun local folks who guided us on interactive walking
tours of the towns, taught us how to make Italian food from scratch,
with care and love...(and a little more wine!)...and local dining
places where they made us feel like the most important guests! I am
still raving about this trip!"
Carol Sue Rogers

"... all of our guides immense, in-depth research, along with her
incredible instincts to choose, was a gift to me, and the others, for
our journey through Italy. My best advice... "don't leave home without
her."
Shir
lee Hrica

"With a guide that has boundless energy and enthusiasm, even the
ordinary event seemed like an adventure. One of the best outings of my
seventy years, and worth every dollar."
Tim Dalrymple

"Doumina has all of the keys to the cities...I know I saw things that a
normal tourist could only dream of. I am signing up next fall to bring
my family!"
Sandee Frost

"Doumina could give you a tour of your own backyard and make it fun.
She celebrates life and it's contagious!"
Keith and Connie Twede

"Doumina gives you an up-close insiders view of the treasures
surrounding the enchanted hill town of Cortona. You like olive oil?
Meet a farmer who picks his olives, and the man who presses them. Art
your thing? Listen to the passionate sermons of her guide, and
real-life descendant of Cortona's own Luca Signorelli. Want to eat the
way the heartiest Tuscans do? For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you
will. Guaranteed."
Tim Stark
Writer for Gourmet Magazine and Conde Nast

In May and November of 2008, we proudly gave our time and energy to stand behind 2 worthy causes. Brain Tumor Research at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, and Lung Cancer Research, Support and Education at NYU. 
We raised 51,500.00 for these two worthy causes.
CLICK HERE: For more information:
www.bio-medicine.org/.../Swedish-in-Seattle-Unveils-State-of-the-Art-Brain-
Tumor-Center-Combining-Advanced-Treatment-
Special Thanks for Swedish Hospital Donations are:
Doumina Whyman of www.SmallVineyardsTravel.com and www.TheEnthusiasticTraveler.com, (READ BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION)
Roberto Russo of Relais Parco Fiorito www.parcofiorito.it
Antonio Sanguineti of Small Vineyards, LLC and Small Vineyards Travel, Salty's Seafood Grill in West Seattle and American Airlines.
 
Click here for more information about the Setephen E. Banner Fund
ci.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/support-services/social-work-services

<http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M72075959%5b%5bsupporter_id%5d%5d%5b%5bMai
lID2%5d%5d>

Roberto Russo of Parco Fiorito www.parcofiorito.it in Umbria was on hand to prepare the fabulous menu from his latest cookbook, "Good Ciao" www.goodciao.com in which everyone took home a copy. In addition, items were auctioned off to support this Fund. Small Vineyards Travel donated 3 nights of touring into their small, family owned estates, with two nights at Parco Fiorito, and Doumina Whyman donated a week in the villa "Chez Doumina" on the Tuscan Umbrian Border. Small Vineyards, LLC generously paired the wines with the food of the evening with Lorenzo Gatteschi on hand to answer questions about these small fabulous estates that include his own family in the Chianti region,near Radda, Podere Ciona, www.podereciona.com

 

Look what we did!  We raised $21,500.00 for Brain Tumor Research at Swedish Medical Center with our donation of the item below!  Special Thanks to Roberto Russo and his Parco Fiorito in Italy www.parcofiorito.it and www.goodciao.com  and Small Vineyards Travel and my partner Antonio Sanguineti, as well as Saltys Seafood Grill in West Seattle. 
Doumina Whyman 
www.theEnthusiasticTraveler.com and www.SmallVineyardsTravel.com
Item #10

EIGHT NIGHTS IN ITALY FOR FOUR

Experience Italy during autumn’s splendor!

• Enjoy business-class air transportation for four on American Airlines, Seattle to Rome on October 13

• Explore Rome with two nights at the elegant Hotel Bernini Bristol

• Stay four nights at the Parco Fiorito, a beautifully restored 16th century convent in Tuscany

• Soak up the travel expertise of Doumina Whyman as you explore the Tuscan countryside with her exclusive touring group

• Learn to cook Italian recipes with Chef Roberto Russo, then feast on the fruits of your labor

• Spend a day exploring several family-owned Small Vineyards’ estates and tasting wines with renowned winemaker Antonio Sanguineti

• Tour nearby Cortona and savor a four-course dinner at the much-acclaimed Il Falconiere restaurant

• Visit an olive pressing farm and also see where the famous white cows are raised for the Florentine beefsteak

• Continue on to the arts, fashion and cultural hub of Milan for two nights at the Hotel De La Ville

• Return home from Milan to Seattle on October 22 with business-class air transportation on American Airlines

• Revel in your memories over dinner for four at Salty's on Alki and enjoy four copies of Roberto Russo's "Good Ciao" cookbook and four aprons

Business-class air transportation for four on American Airlines valid for departure from Seattle to Rome on October 13, return flight Milan to Seattle on October 22 only. Bidder must submit the names of all four travelers to American Airlines and pay all applicable service fees and taxes by 5pm CST on Monday, June 2, 2008 or forfeit the tickets. Does not include any applicable fees, taxes, surcharges, service charges, or passenger facility charges. Trip includes two rooms each night. Any additional rooms will be the responsibility of the bidder. In Cortona, breakfast each day and one main meal every day is included. Valid for the following dates only: Rome, Oct. 14-15. Cortona, Oct. 16-19. Milan, Oct. 20-21. City transfers and train tickets not included. Salty’s: value not to exceed $300. Does not include tax, gratuity or alcohol.

Donated by American Airlines, Roberto Russo, Salty’s Seafood Grill, Antonio Sanguineti, and Doumina Whyman

Value: Magnifico!

Celebrate Swedish 2008

THANK YOU!!

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to all the guests and volunteers who helped make Celebrate Swedish 2008 a resounding success.  
Generous sponsors and supporters raised approximately $4.3 million to support charity care and a special Fund-A-Need project at Celebrate Swedish 2008 on May 31 at The Sheraton Seattle Hotel. While pledges are still coming in, Swedish's annual gala dinner auction - now in its 23rd year - clearly topped last year's record of $3.4 million.

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Traveling to Italy?

Small Vineyards now offers intimate tours of our

favorite family estates. A great chance to taste

the wine, savor the food, and kick some dirt.

Please send us an email:

doumina@smallvineyardstravel.com

About Small Vineyards

At Small Vineyards, we search every corner of Italy for

the best small production wines you’ve never heard of.

Why ‘Small’?

1. Every grape is actually picked by hand – only the ripest grapes get made into wine.

2. Our estates use sustainable growing methods to make earth-friendly wines.

3. By importing wines from family vineyards, we are helping to protect unique grape

varietals, winemaking styles and preserve a special way of life.

 

Italy Anyone? Meet “The Enthusiastic Traveler”

by Josephine Motes

Treasures abound in Italy, and this is the latest find:  The Enthusiastic Traveler Company, owned and operated by Doumina Whyman.

Doumina offers the ultimate in personally-guided tours of Tuscany, long considered the most beautiful region of Italy for its landscapes and artistic legacy. She offers five unique tours each year, in May, September and October. Doumina’s joy is to share her passion for Tuscany with tours of Cortona, Chianti and Florence, and now, one-day wine tours of Brunello Country.   www.SmallVineyardsTravel.com  where you are able to taste and enjoy small production estates such as Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino.

Tour groups are limited to eight people and Doumina accompanies each eight-day tour herself. It is the wonderful and delightful way of traveling that makes each tour so valuable. There is no hurried or frazzled schedule to keep. No luggage to drag. No hotels or meals to find, no maps to read. Travelers see the highlights of the country’s history and art, while enjoying cooking classes and wine tastings, too!

See how the vineyards grow, and walk among their rows. Taste the new wine as well as the old, and even help with the pressing of the fresh olive oil. Make delicious pasta and pizza from scratch, along with other specialties to try on your family and friends. Stay in delightful accommodations, and get to know the people there, who treat you like family. Take special tours of nearby cities, and enjoy the informative and delightful guides, as they share the secrets of Siena, Pienza, Corotna and Florence, to name a few. Explore Tuscany in a way that a normal tourist could only dream of!

Learn more about Doumina’s small and intimate tours, including dates and itineraries, by visiting www.TheEnthusiasticTraveler.com , or call Doumina at 360.620.2728.

Make new friendships, memories and a commitment to approach life in a new way. The Tuscan Way!

Recommendation for a Wine tour from Siena

Posted on: 11:40 am, yesterday I just want to recommend a wine tour my husband and I took in October. It was the "Bountiful Brunello" tour from Small Vineyards Travel (www.smallvineyardstravel.com). We spent 4 weeks in Italy and this tour was one of the real highlights of our trip. At first, I was a little dubious because the tour started with a tasting of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and local cheeses. (oil?? vinegar?????) The different oils did turn out to be interesting, but the vinegar... Oh my. I'm a convert. It was amazing. We bought 3 bottles and it is more expensive than many wines. All I can say is: go to Pienza and try it yourself. See if you aren't converted too. And that was only the start of the tour. Doumina, our guide, was a grand hostess -- American so no worries about language. She drove us through the absolutely gorgeous countryside to two tiny vineyards and introduced us to their owners who led us through their wineries before we tasted their wines. The wines were more than worthy of being tasted. You'll see. Yummmy. But it wasn't just tastings. We had lunch too, at a restaurant right next door to the first winery. ... I suppose it is possible that you might find a spot with a terrace overlooking views just as beautiful, but I sincerely doubt you'll find anywhere with more delicious food. Wow. In summary: a lovely guide, excellent wines, incredibly delicious lunch, amazing new discovery of balsamic vinegar, gorgeous drive: what more could one ask for?

Italian Winery Tour

Italian Wine and your Italy vacation by Anna J Robinson

 During your Italy vacation you will find that wine is very important to the country. It has some of the oldest vineyards in the world and some of the best wines are produced here. About 20% of wine in the world is produced in Italy. While you are on your Italy vacation you will find that wine is drunk with every meal and sometimes in-between meals. It will be offered to you almost everywhere you go because grapes are grown all over Italy and wine is made by everyone from the villagers to the large commercial wineries. It is said that there are one million vineyards in Italy!

So what are some of the wineries you should visit on your Italian vacation? The Enthusiastic Traveler offers winery tours in May, September and October. This tour is in the Tuscan region which is the home of the Super Tuscan.  Super Tuscan wines do not follow the rules of wine making. Blends are made using non-traditional methods of combining certain grapes which are not normally combined. The tour will take you to a farm called Castel Pietraio in a beautiful hillside town near Siena for a simple wine tasting of wines made by squeezing grapes in barrels. Other vineyards are visited and many people on an Italy vacation that come here say they smell the wine in the air. There is also a visit to an ancient castle complete with a wine making baron who has discovered some very rare grapes to use in his wines. For your vacation in Italy "The Enthusiastic Traveler" may be contacted through its website at www.theenthusiastictraveler.com

Ca'Bruzzo Italian Winery is found in Northern Italy close to Venice. They grow 5 varieties of grapes here and produce about 20,000 bottles a year. This is a small family owned winery and they believe their close physical contact with the vines make for their especially tasty wines. During your Italy vacation you may want to take this tour because not only do you get to taste wine at its different stages of development and see the wine cellar but the family will also teach you how to make wine and care for a vineyard. There is a lot of focus here on the benefits of organically grown grapes for wine. If you enjoy this vineyard during your vacation in Italy, the Bruzzos can even ship their wine to you so you can continue to experience the amazing taste. This winery can be contacted through its website at www.cabruzzo.com

One of the most memorable wines that you may come across during your Italy vacation is called "Est! Est! Est!" It is a semi-sweet white wine from Montefiascone. It has some effervescence and a mildly fruity flavor. It is said that this wine got its name from the story of a German bishop who needed to go to Rome and sent someone ahead of him to mark on the doors of inns serving the best wines along the way. He marked the doors with the word "Est!" in chalk and when he got to Montefiascone he liked the wine so much that he marked the inn door with "Est! Est! Est!"

For more useful information about  Italy Vacation  visit my site Italy Tour Video Compilations
Great advice about the Ways to Save Fuel

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com

 WRITTEN BY AUTHOR TIM STARK, WHOSE LATEST BOOK "HEIRLOOM" TELLS THE REAL STORY OF THE ORGANIC FARMER! READ TIM STARKS ARTICLES IN CONDE NAST AND GOURMET, AS WELL AS HIS LATEST BOOK, "HEIRLOOM". NOTES FROM AN ACCIDENTAL TOMATO FARMER.

TIM SELLS HIS ORGANIC PRODUCE IN THE GREEN MARKET IN UNION SQUARE UNDER THE NAME ECKERTON HILL FARMS, AS WELL AS CONTINUES TO SUPPLY ALL OF NEW YORKS BEST WITH HIS ORGANIC PRODUCE. TIM IS A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT AS ARE WE ALL WHO MADE THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Olive oil. No olive oil to be foraged from the hilltops of Pennsylvania. But I still had some of the fragrant gold-green stuff that I was on hand to watch as it was cold-pressed from the olive trees at Parco Fiorito, on the Umbria-Tuscany border, when I was in Italy last November. Wrapped inside my dirty laundry, many bottles of the stuff came home with me. Roberto Russo, the chef, cookbook author, and gentleman farmer who owns Parco Fiorito, is passionate about his olives, grapes, guinea hens, and even his pigs. Roberto teaches cooking, too, and a trip to the olive press with him and his olives is something I can only describe as a classic Slow Food experience. I used about half a cup of Roberto's extra virgin olive oil. For more about Roberto Russo's farm/kitchen/cooking school and the region in which it's located, check out www.parcofiorito.it and www.theenthusiastictraveler.com and www.SmallVineyardsTravel.com

Stephen E. Banner Fund for Lung Cancer Research, gets support from Small Vineyards Travel.

On November 5th, in the upper east side apartment of Ellen Banner, a fundraiser was held to raise money for Lung Cancer Research in conjunction with NYU.  On hand to support this endeavor was Small Vineyards Travel, Lorenzo Gatteschi, and Doumina Whyman.  www.SmallVineyardsTravel.com  30K plus dollars was raised for this research, that Ellen Banner has deligently pursued since the death of her husband Stephen E. Banner. 

Banner Program Funds Lung Cancer Research, Support, and Education

When Stephen E. Banner was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 1994, his
family found that psychosocial support and education for people with the
disease was sorely lacking.  So when he died just a few months later - on
May 18, 1995 at age 56 - his family immediately established the Stephen E.
Banner Fund for Lung Cancer Research.  Since its inception, the program has
raised more than $3 million that have been use to fund scientific
investigations related to lung cancer, support groups for patients and their
caregivers, and educational programs and events to raise awareness of the
disease. CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE.
<http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M72075959%5b%5bsupporter_id%5d%5d%5b%5bMai
lID2%5d%5d>

ci.med.nyu.edu/research/areas/lung/funding-and-support/banner -

For more information: ci.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/support-services/social-work-services 

Roberto Russo of Parco Fiorito www.parcofiorito.it in Umbria was on hand to prepare the fabulous menu from his latest cookbook, "Good Ciao" www.goodciao.com in which everyone took home a copy.  In addition, items were auctioned off to support this Fund.  Small Vineyards Travel donated 3 nights of touring into their small, family owned estates, with two nights at Parco Fiorito, and Doumina Whyman donated a week in the villa "Chez Doumina" on the Tuscan Umbrian Border. 

Small Vineyards, LLC generously paired the wines with the food of the evening with Lorenzo Gatteschi on hand to answer questions about these small fabulous estates that include his own family in the Chianti region,near Radda, Podere Ciona, www.podereciona.com  

Come To Italy With Us !

Monica's Hours are: Monday-Friday 7-6, Saturday 8-4 Closed Sunday and most holidays

Taste your way through Tuscany and Umbria with Monica & Mark! Gastronomic and cultural 8 day tour of Tuscany/Umbria Departs October 7, 2009 Take wining, dining and traveling to extraordinary levels! Monica and Mark have partnered with Doumina Whyman, The Enthusiastic Traveler, to offer you a fabulous 7 night, 8 day trip to Tuscany and Umbria.   You will experience the local people and traditions of these amazing regions through the eyes of the locals who live and love there. Doumina has created a food and wine tour that includes exclusive meals, hands-on cooking classes, famous art, historic towns, world famous churches, ancient ruins, Small Vineyard’s wineries, and so much more. We will travel together for 8 days, share deluxe accommodations for 7 nights, and because 20 of us are sharing the costs, the price for this tour is unbeatable!   We invite you to look over our itinerary and notes. If you are interested in joining us for this very limited invitation to Italy, send me an email as soon as possible. Please make sure it includes your name, phone number, mailing address and the number of people that you would like to bring.   In November we will invite all interested parties to an open house where you will meet Doumina and hear about the trip from her, first hand. Mark and I will also be there to show you pictures, share stories, enjoy some regional Italian snacks and sample a couple of Small Vineyards Estate wines. At the end of the presentation there will be time for Q & A and, if you haven’t already signed up, Doumina will take reservation bookings for any spaces still available. ~Salute! Italy Tour October, 2009 Day 1-Wednesday, October 7, 2009 The adventure begins   Meet Doumina in the city of Perugia where she will take you to your home for the first 4 nights, at Relais Parco Fiorito, a restored 16th century convent. Relais Parco Fiorito is in Umbria, not far from the beautiful hillside town of Cortona, and you begin your adventure this afternoon within her walls of stone. Your illustrious guide Giovanni will share the treasures of Cortona's Etruscan sites, and its history, while taking you on a leisurely and informative tour of this beautiful city. After the tour of Cortona you get to visit an olive-pressing farm, where Landi and Renato press the local olive oil in the old way. It is a wonderful gift to be able to experience this tradition that is becoming so seldom used in these modern times.  Next you are invited to visit the farm of Pucci Agostino. Here, he raises the famous Chianina, the white cow of Tuscany, from which Toscana’s steak 'Bistecca alla Fiorentina' has been made famous. You will learn how his family proudly maintains the animal’s excellent bloodlines and ancestry, and produces meat on a small scale rather than the mass production practices that we are used to. Your wonderful dinner of ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ will be prepared in the grand fireplace by our host Roberto Russo, who is well-known locally and abroad for his talents as a chef and cookbook author. Dinner Day 2 -Thursday, October 8 Bountiful Brunello Tour   Your typical breakfast will include everything from fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade pastries, to house-cured prosciutto, eggs from the hens outside, Roberto’s olive oil with hearth-fired bread, and of course, espresso, tea and fresh juices. Today you will visit two Small Vineyards Estates, and travel through Montecucco, Val d’Orcia, and Montalcino. You will taste wines along the way and learn of the land and the life of the Tuscans in this beautiful countryside. Your first stop is the picture perfect city of Pienza. Pienza has been the idyllic site of films, such as the "English Patient", and "Romeo and Juliet". Sheep dot the valley floor and Pecorino, the local cheese that is made from their milk, spills from the shops. You can visit the church and see the tiny streets of this beautiful little hill town, taste the cheeses, and a variety of Balsamic Vinegars. You will be amazed by their flavors and variety! Your next stop the vineyard Perazzeta, where Alessandro Bocci makes award winning olive oil and wine. A passionate man, he names his wines after those he loves most: his daughter Sara and his wife Rita. His latest great wine is called "Irio", after his father. You will learn about this farmer’s pursuit of the most perfect wine, and how he will throw away twice as many grapes as he presses. Of course you will taste how delicious his work is! After a tasting and a tour, you will walk next door to experience a plate of Flavio's pasta while feasting your gaze upon the beautiful valleys. The countryside here is glorious, and you will enjoy more of it on our way back home via La Magia, the vineyard where you will meet Antonio Sanguineti. Antonio is rightly famous for his Brunello di Montalcino, one of the finest wines there is. His wines and the man himself are both fabulous. Breakfast/Lunch/2 small vineyards tastings  Day 3-Friday, October 9 Just Say Cheese!   Today, after another wonderful breakfast in our Agriturismo, we will make our way back into the Etruscan walls of Cortona. You will meet Romano and his lovely wife Agostina, at their typical Tuscan restaurant, La Bucaccia. Romano will quickly become one of your favorite characters in Italy, and he will teach you the art of cheese making. From local sheep’s milk you will make Ricotta, Mozzarella, and the Pecorino that is so famous from these verdant valleys. Along with your cheese making instruction, you will enjoy a delicious lunch in his lovely restaurant. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you choose. Leisurely wandering the cobblestone streets of Cortona, shopping, catching up at the internet café, and taking in the magnificent valley views. From Piazza Garibaldi you can see the Chiana Valley, Lake Trasimeno-Italy’s largest non-alpine lake, and beyond. There are also museums to explore such as The Museum of the Etruscan Academy, and the Diocesan Museum, and you can visit the Duomo. Breakfast/Lunch/Cooking Class Day 4-Saturday, October 10 Assisi   You will enjoy a post-breakfast hike in the beautiful countryside of Piazzano, where our Agriturismo lies. Then, off to Assisi for a guided day trip and a spectacular church visit. Assisi is best known as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular Catholic saints. You will experience Roman ruins, winding medieval streets, sacred shrines, and the main attraction: the 13th-century Basilica di San Francesco. The basilica contains the sacred relics of Francis and beautiful frescoes of his life. You will spend this evening with Roberto, who will impart his knowledge as chef and cookbook author, and transform your culinary thinking with a fun and informative cooking class. We will then dine on your creation of an authentic Etruscan "poor man’s" dinner with Antonio Sanguineti, who will join us to provide a full Small Vineyards wine tasting! Breakfast/Dinner/Small Vineyards Tasting Day 5-Sunday, October 11 Moving to the Chianti region   This morning after our fabulous breakfast you will bid farewell to Parco Fiorito and Roberto Russo. With last minute photos, hugs, and promises to keep in touch, we will travel to the heart of the Chianti region. Our Agriturismo, Podere Ciona, is an 18th century farmhouse with acres of grape vines and a stunning view of Siena in the distance. Your senses will be satiated by this magical place combined with the foods that you will learn to prepare in a traditional cooking class with mama Franca. Her son, Lorenzo Gatteschi, played a large role in forming the concept of Small Vineyards Importers, and he will introduce you to the wonderful wines of this farm while you feast on the results of your cooking class! This extremely beautiful place is where you will spend the next 3 nights. Breakfast/Dinner/Small Vineyards Tasting Day 6-Monday, October 12 Maremma   This morning you will witness the beautiful morning sunlight on the Tuscan Vineyards and then start the day with a lovely breakfast. You will tour our host family’s winery and taste their fabulous Super Tuscans, before starting a full day of travel. Rarely visited by Americans, the wineries are Terre del Marchesato and Rigoloccio, and they are in the "wild west" coastal region of Tuscany that is known as the Maremma. This is a rugged and beautiful area, and both estates welcome us with a tasting accompanied by meats and cheeses from the region. At Terre del Marchesato you will breathe the salty sea air near Bolgheri, ground zero for Super Tuscans, where the soil is rich and the wine is delicious. Your hosts are modern winemakers, Maurizio and Giovanna Fuselli and they have invited you to enjoy a lunch of the meats, cheeses, and fabulous wines that this self-sustaining farm produces. Next you visit Rigoloccio, a new addition to Small Vineyards estates. They grapes they grow are Fiano, Alicante, Cabernet, and Merlot, very close to an old silver mine. One wine is aptly named "Sorvegliante" which means “Guardian of the Mines". You will enjoy more fabulous wines and tantalizing morsels. Breakfast/Lunch/2 Small Vineyards Tastings Day 7-Tuesday, October 13 Volterra, Le Rote, Farewell   You will visit Volterra for some shopping and sight seeing in what is one of Italy’s best preserved hill towns. Of particular interest is the 1st Century BC Roman Theater, Piazza dei Priori, one of Italy's most beautiful squares, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Next, you will visit another Small Vineyards find, Le Rote. The Scotti family produces a tiny amount of exceptionally good wine, half of which is the historic white wine Vernaccia. They are one of the few producers in the area to also have a red wine, and the classic Sangiovese is their other focus. Later you are invited to a private dinner in the home of Franca’s sister Mimma. In this beautifully restored home which is nestled between Castellina and Radda, you will have the honor of tasting Mimma’s special Olive Oil, as well as share a wonderful farewell dinner. Breakfast/Dinner/Olive Oil Tasting/Small Vineyards Tasting Day 8-Wednesday, October 14 Siena e Ciao   After your final breakfast you will arrive early in Siena to enjoy the fabulous Il Campo and one of the most beautiful Duomos in Italy.  Piazza del Campo, or “Il Campo”, as the Sienese call it, is a unique place in the world, starting with the very particular conformation of the ground, which turns the square into a concave shell. The white marble of the fountain ‘Fonte Gaia’ stands out. There is also the Palazzo Comunale (town hall), and also the tall, slender Torre del Mangia that reaches out to the sky. This is where the famous horse race, Palio di Siena is held, and where you can shop for fantastic leather, shoes, and scarves, as well as taste some authentic Panforte di Siena. Siena’s cathedral is a great example of Italian Gothic architecture and is very dramatic with it’s black and white striped campanile and baptistery. Here you will see the works of 13th century Gothic master Nicola Pisano, Matteo di Giovanni, as well as Donatello, Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and other 15th-century sculptors. We will gather at Nanini for a coffee and any last minute shopping, before going our own ways. Whatever destination you will continue on to, you can get there from here! Breakfast Price: $2895 per person, based on 20 people total.   Includes: Everything listed in the itinerary while we are with Doumina Lodging Ground transportation Guided tours Listed meals Wine tasting Vinegar tasting Olive oil tastings Admission fees where applicable Cooking classes Doumina’s priceless expertise and carefully nurtured relationships Precious company and entertainment provided by the people of Italy, who will stay in your hearts and minds forever (plus Monica & Mark!).   Does not include: Airfare Transportation to Perugia Transportation from Siena Occasional meals Travel for personal errands/meals/shopping while on the tour.   Doumina can help arrange: All other transportation Ideas for other destinations A package that would include round trip airfare from here to Roma and 2 nights' accommodations and guided tours in Roma, with group pricing based on how many of us want to add this on. To sign up: email Monica@waterfrontbakery.com as soon as possible in order to be assured one of the limited reservations for this trip of a lifetime!   Monica's Waterfront Bakery & Café www.waterfrontbakery.com 360-698-2991