The Mediterranean Diet in Italy

Day 1 (Nice): Fly overnight to Nice.

Day 2 (Nice): Arrive in the Cote d’Azur.  Meet your travel director and transfer to your hotel.  Get a feel for this seaside city on a walking tour before enjoying dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3 (Nice):  This morning, visit the Vielle Ville, the heart of the old city.  Follow narrow cobblestoned streets to the bustling and colorful Cours Saleya market to shop for local produce, fish, cheese and flowers with the locals.  Enjoy a free afternoon to further explore food stalls and shops.

Day 4 (Modena):  Travel to the Italian town of Modena, with a stop for lunch along the way.  After checking into your hotel, enjoy dinner at a restaurant in town.

Day 5 (Florence):  Delve deep into food culture and production today.  On your first stop to a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese farm, witness the steps of cheese-making from start to finish before sampling the finish product.  Next, tour a traditional countryside Acetaia that has produced balsamic vinegar in a traditional way for four generations. After lunch, visit the Ferrari Pasta Factory, which specializes in two typical local styles of egg pasta, ‘Maccheroni al Pettine’ and ‘Garganelli of Romagna.’  Travel to Florence for dinner.

Day 6 (Florence):  Experience Florence’s rich cultural legacy on a guided visit of Tuscany’s capital city.  A visit to the Accademia Museum provides the opportunity to view Michelangelo’s David, as well as other Italian masterworks.  In the afternoon, dine on Tuscan cuisine at a local restaurant before enjoying a free afternoon and evening.

Day 7 (Rome):  Travel to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis and World Heritage Site, for a visit to the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.  After lunch, journey to the quaint town of Bevagna to indulge in the tastes of Umbria at Antico Frantoio Nunzi, where you will sample homegrown olive oil.  Continue to Rome for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 8 (Rome):  Spend the day exploring Rome with a guide.  You will see the vast Vatican Museums, home to countless numbers of priceless artworks and the famous Sistine Chapel.  After a visit to the immense St. Peter’s Cathedral, continue with visits to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Capitoline Hill.  Imagine the generations of traders, growers, merchants and artisans that shaped Mediterranean food culture as you see the sights.  Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 9 (Rome):  Enjoy a day of complete immersion in the food and drink of Rome today with a visit to Eataly.  Sample pizza and bread in the bakery, enjoy beer straight from the brewery with samples of salami and cheese, learn the science of mozzarella making in the cheese lab (and sample the results), then test your pasta making knowledge and skills with a hands-on practical at the pasta lab.  Discuss everything your learned over coffee and dessert before enjoying a free afternoon and evening in the Eternal City.

Day 10: Travel to the airport for your return flight to the United States.