Guided Tour to the Puglia Regions of Italy with the owner of Coco s Italian Market

Transcription

1 Guided Tour to the Puglia Regions of Italy with the owner of Coco s Italian Market June 21st - 27th, 2018 Ostuni - the white city Puglia is where Italians go to vacation. Instead of just following the wellworn Venice-Florence-Rome route of Italy, we encourage you to join Coco s as we travel further south. You ll fall in love with the sleepy whitewashed villages, unique towns, endless plates of the freshest foods and the crystal clear sea. Here are Coco s Top 10 reasons: 1) Avoid the Crowds! We love Venice, Florence and Rome but these popular tourist destinations can get very crowded. Puglia has always been a summer destination for Italians but tourists have only begun visiting in recent years so it is unspoiled and honestly Italian. 2) Food: Puglia is truly like the Garden of Eden. We are going during the start of summer time in June so everything will be at it s freshest. Get ready for antipasti, platters of marinated and grilled vegetables. Cheeses, like the wonderfully oozy Burrata, and other tasty treats are served as a starter but are often enough for a meal. That won t stop us from serving you several more courses of the local delicacies. 3) People: The open-armed warmth of the Italian people will stay with you the most. Everyone we meet is helpful, welcoming and proud of their region, keen to teach us about Puglia, their town and their neighborhood. Continued onto next page NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

2 Continued from front cover 4) Beautiful Towns: We will be visiting plenty of gorgeous towns ideal for taking photos, shopping or just aimless wandering. These will include: San Gregorio, Miggiano, Depressa di Tricase, Lecce, Otranto, Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Alberobello and Altamura. You'll find cobbled streets everywhere, balconies adorned with pink and red geraniums, stalls overflowing with cherry tomatoes, peaches, bunches of bright red chilies, hidden piazzas and many, many churches dating back centuries. 5) Wine: It might not be as well-known as Tuscan wine but Puglia produces 20% of the wine made in Italy. Over the decades it has began to rival those of North Italy. Salice Salentino and Primitivo red wines are the most known internationally but there is much more to Puglian wines. Just as Italy is geographically diverse, the wine it produces is also varied. 6) Olive Oil: Puglia is a mostly flat landscape and everywhere you look you see olive trees.. The Valle d Itria in the centre of the region has the highest concentration of olive trees in Italy around 60 million of them. Even more impressive is that many of the trees are have been there for over a thousand years. One is known to be 2700 years old- and it s still producing olive oil! Of course, the excellent olive oil is liberally applied to most local dishes. 7) History: Puglia s strategic position in the Mediterranean between the east and the west has seen a turbulent history of invasions. Influences from the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Turks and Spanish are still evident in the region today. You'll find Romanesque churches, medieval castles, 12th century mosaic floors, 17th century underground olive oil mills and exuberant Baroque cathedrals. 8) Traditions: Every region in Italy has a strong identity and Puglia is no exception. You will feel the local pride, not only on a regional level but every individual town and village has its own foods and traditions. 9) Guest Accommodations: All hotels are four star and situated in the most beautiful locations. 10) Sea & Sun. Need I say more!

3 Your Tour Guide Chuck Cinelli, owner of Coco s Italian Market: Traveling with Coco s is like having a Back Stage Pass to Italy. Let me explain. What started off as buyers tours for our Italian grocery store has turned into a tour company for our many friends and patrons. Being a retailer of artisan products means that we have access to the most unique places the average traveler would never be able to see such as chocolate factories, honey producers, bakeries and pasta facilities. Also, with our partner in Italy being a national distributor they personally know the best chefs and wineries for our enjoyment. Our tours are never generic or cookie cutter. Every day will be totally different with enough time for sightseeing and shopping. I ve been to Italy many times but I have never had an experience like traveling with our host and co-owner of Attavola, Gioacchino Passalacqua. This is his 12th year as a travel guide and everything is very well planned. Trust me. You will love every intimate moment of your trip to Italy. me personally for any specific tour questions at chuck@cafecoco.com Your Tour Guide Gioacchino, Gio for short (GEO) is the co owner of Attovola ( at the table ), a distributor of gourmet food products from his native Italy. Having access to both artisan producers and high-end users like fine restaurants and hotels means Gio has a personal relationship with people and places that the average tour guide does not. Hence, a most unique and marvelous trip that you will never forget. From an early age, Gio s life revolved around food. Though his home is now in Sicily he grew up in the Piedmont region where his father took care of vineyards. With his keen sense of quality foods and wines, Gio is sought out to consult on menus for fine restaurants, wine and food pairing events and promotional dinners. You could not ask for better epicurean to be your tour guide. He is enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge an, if you want, you can learn more about foods and wines than you ever imagined. BTW...Gio s English is excellent. Travel Agent Cynthia Schutt, an accredited travel agent with expertise in leisure travel, Cynthia takes care of your flights to and from Italy. With her help you can add on extra hotel nights and excursions you may want to do before and/or after this tour. Cynthia heads the leisure department for Travel Leader formally Wright Travel on 21st and Interstate 440. Wright travel has been serving Nashville for over 35 years and Cynthia has been in the travel business for over 20 years. Coco s is very excited to partner with them and lend you their expertise Cynthia has booked hundreds of tours to Italy so rest assured your trip will be a great experience. Direct Line Main Line Learn to Speak Italian with Patti Nelson and Viviana Luison: While it is not a prerequisite for your trips to Italy with Coco s you may find it fun to learn a little Italian. Patti and Viviana are Italian tutors through Italian For Fun. They t each Italian at various locations through Nashville including Coco's Italian Market s event center. Again, these are escorted tours but if you want to learn the basics and add a little more charm to your trip, you may want to give the folks at Italian For Fun a call. italianforfun@gmail.com NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

4 Day 1 - Thursday June 21st: Brindisi, San Gregorio We ll fly into the airport at the city of Brindisi and then take a private bus to Hotel Montecallini in San Gregorio where we ll check in and meet our tour guides. Hotel Montecallini is a wonderful establishment that faces the ocean, has a pool to relax by and prides itself on using locally grown food in their restaurant. ( For the rest of the afternoon we ll have free time to explore the scenic San Gregorio, a town that boasts of its unique form of folk music played on a specialized bagpipe called a Zampogna. The instrument is closely associated with the pastoral culture of the region. Take a stroll down to the ancient port and discover the old buildings and pier or just relax in our hotel which is both romantic and cozy. This evening we ll have our welcome dinner at La Fulana Restaurant which features local Puglia favorites such as Fave and Cicoria or Scurdijata. We serve our own families version here at Coco s in Nashville. It s called Manaste and comes both as an appetizer and main dish. Sauteed pancetta, garlic and greens will perfectly balance the warm, hearty flavor of the fava bean puree with a drizzle of fantastic olive oil. We ll enjoy fresh fish as the main course then finish off with another local delicacy- chocolate and hazelnut cake. Yum! ( NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

5 Day 2 Friday June 22nd: San Gregorio, Miggiano, Depressa Di Tricase After breakfast we ll visit some of the quaint markets and shops to choose fresh ingredients needed for our afternoon cooking class. This offers a great opportunity to mix and mingle with the locals but you ll find the restaurant garden is also full of fruit trees and fresh vegetables. Puglia is surrounded by ocean breezes, warm sun and wind, making every fruit and vegetable its most succulent. After shopping we ll drive to the nearby village of Miggiano to tour the acclaimed olive groves of Società Agricola Merico. Even though they take care of 7,000 olive trees it is considered a small gourmet company using a slow, heat free process of extracting the oil for the best quality possible. You may recognize their name because we are proud to sell their oil here at Coco s Market. We ll take a short bus ride to Depressa di Tricase where we have a fantastic lunch and wine tasting prepared for you at Castel di Salve Company. This vineyard has three different micro climates allowing it to produce so many different lines of wine, including; Santi Medici Bianco, Armecolo, Cento su Cento Negroamaro, Priante, and Lama del Tenente. 2:00 PM we will take the bus ride back to the hotel in anticipation of the 3:00 PM cooking class to prepare a traditional Puglia meal with all the fresh ingredients we purchased this morning. My past experience with visiting this hotel and chef are second to none. You will never forget the lush gardens and carefully cultivated agriculture surrounding us as we dine. It is such a blessing to be here that you will never want to leave. It s these sights, sounds and tastes of Italy that will have you booking your next trip before you finish this one. At 8:00 PM we will dine in the Hotel Montecallini s restaurant, enjoying the tastes of our labor. NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

6 Day 3 - Saturday June 23rd: San Gregorio, Otranto and Lecce After breakfast and checkout we ll take a scenic drive to one of the most charming hamlets in the region, Otranto. Originally established by the Greeks, this historic seaside town and port features picture-perfect blue waters, white buildings, and diving rocks. This evening we have another multicourse dinner planned for you at the Osteria degli Spiriti Restaurant. Set in a luxurious structure that matches their reputation for great foods of the region, it s known for a variety of unique dishes like fried pasta, pasta with chickpeas and pasta with orecchiette. After our meal we ll be ready for some much deserved rest at Hotel Risorgimento. After free time and lunch on your own at 3:00 PM we will drive to Lecce and register at the Risorgimento Resort Featuring a roof-top restaurant with panoramic views of Lecce s Baroque historic center. This afternoon you ll be free to explore Lecce for shopping, eating and sightseeing, so ask me for suggestions. Lecca was around during the Trojan War. The architecture reflects the city s long history as evidenced by various artistic influences in both their structures and inner décor through out the centuries. Often called the "Florence of the South you will admire the precious Baroque architecture with it s expressive and decorative gargoyles, asparagus columns and cavorting gremlins. Get your cameras out and spend time strolling through the streets. NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

7 Day 4 Sunday June 24th: Lecce and Gallipoli After breakfast at the hotel we ll meet a local historian for a guided tour of Lecce, which will include a visit to the Petra Aurea Company ( where we ll learn about the craft of Lecce s unique export - limestone or Lecce stone. Lecce stone is used in the architecture and is one of the city s chief exports. After the tour of Lecce you have free time to explore the nearby town of Gallipoli, located on the Ionian Sea. It s history is very fascinating because it has been occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Normans and Spanish, with every culture leaving the architectural and culinary influences behind. We ll visit the Cartapesta master, Santino Merico ( where he mixes straw, iron and paper mache to create hauntingly beautiful figurines of children, angels, shepherds, Italian clowns and much more. We have another great diner planned at the Trattoria Portolano Restaurant. The traditional vaulted stone ceilings tower over the tables for an intimate interior with spectacular views of the Ionian Sea. This is the perfect setting for sampling the best of local cuisine done proudly by our friends and restaurant owners, the Cataldi family. NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

8 Day 5 Monday June 25th: Lecce, Ostuni and Polignano a Mare Today starts with breakfast and checkout, before our short drive to Ostuni. Once there, we ll enjoy a guided tour of the city which has been inhabited since the Stone Age. The old town is Ostuni s citadel. Built on top of a hill, it remains fortified by ancient walls to this day. After our tour we will have lunch at 1:00 at Osteria Del Tempo Perso. Then a 3:30 short trip to Polignano a Mare, After we have enjoyed our lunch, next stop is to check into Hotel Borgobianco ( You have the rest of the evening to take a walk and enjoy this seaside gem of charming whitewashed streets. Pop into the old churches and explore! All streets and alleys eventually lead to Piazzo Vittorio Emanuele II. Go for dinner in town if you d like or enjoy our hotel s White Restaurant surrounded by olive trees, green vineyards, and the shining Adriatic Sea. NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

9 Day 6 - Tuesday June 26th: Polignano a Mare, Altamura and Alberobello Breakfast at our hotel will prepare you for the day ahead! At 8:30, we ll take the short trip to Altamura where you ll have a free morning of walking and shopping! The city is known for its particular quality of bread called Pane di Altamura, which is sold in numerous other Italian cities. At 10:30 we will make the drive to Alberobello -meaning the Beautiful Tree. We ll take a brief walking tour of this small town famously known for it s unique Trulli district. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it has many of it s original stone houses with their fairy-tale like conical roofs. Enjoy your day exploring this beautiful town. We will depart for the hotel at 4:00. Be ready to meet at 8pm for our last dinner together at Locanda dell Abbazia Restaurant. Chef Vito Muolo has prepared a menu full of typical seafood flavors, rich in the tradition of the region and, of course, all accompanied by excellent wines! We can share some of our favorite moments from the trip with each other and celebrate the new friendships we ve made before turning in for the evening. NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

10 Day 7 Wednesday June 27th: Polignano a Mare and Brindisi After our final breakfast, we ll check out, say our goodbyes to our new travel friends and head to Brindisi Airport. If you want to stay a couple extra days in Europe just ask our travel agent Cynthia for help with arrangements (page 3). Port of Gallipoli NOW BOOKING for 2018 CALL ItalianMarket.biz/tour info@destinationitalybycocos.com

11 Price per person: Price: $4,200 per person to keep our tour both intimate and affordable we limit the number of guests to a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 18 The price includes: Transfers to and from the airport, transfer by private bus for the whole tour. All the hotels are Four **** star rated and located in the most beautiful locations. Inclusive in the trip are four lunches and five dinners. In particular you will visit traditional restaurants where you will sample typical dishes of the region and meet local foods and wine producers. English speaking guides are at your disposal for walking tours in all of the places we visit. During all tours English/Italian speaking staff are available for any requests. All of our guests will receive a folder with the detailed itinerary, in it there is information about the food and wine producers and the cities that you will visit during the tour. Our intention is to make your trip an unforgettable experience of sightseeing and lunches/dinners and visits to producers. In short, we are offering you an exclusive culinary view of Italy, which you wouldn't get on most tours! The price does not include: Personal expenses, entrance to museums, and everything not expressly mentioned under "The price includes." Meals: We make a measurable effort to create a most unique and unforgettable dining experience which highlights the regional specialties. Therefore, we will work with the restaurants to plan a menu for each meal. If anyone has any particular food allergies, or foods that they cannot eat, please inform us at the time the deposit is due. Changes of Hotels or Venues: We reserve the right to change a hotel or other venues on the trip. If for some reason a change needs to be made the level of service and quality will be equal or exceed what has been agreed upon in the itinerary. It is our goal not to change a hotel or venue unless, for some unforeseen event, it becomes necessary. We will advise the group of the change as soon as a problem should arise. Details of Itinerary: After we have received your deposit and we know the details of the rooms needed, we will finalize arrangements for the group. We will send an updated itinerary with the specific names of all the hotels, restaurants, guided tours and destinations before the due date for the final payment arrives. Payment and Confirmation Policy: Four months before the tour start date the tour must be confirmed with a deposit of 50% of the tour cost as a down payment. We must receive full payment for the complete tour no later than one month before the start date of your tour. Payment and Confirmation Policy: At the time of booking or no later than four months before the tour start date the tour must be confirmed. To confirm your tour we ask that you please provide us with the most up to date list of all those planning to attend, their room requirements and 50% of the tour cost as a down payment. We must receive full payment for the complete tour no later than one month before the start date of your tour. There will be a 22.5% increase if paid by credit card. Deadline to confirm your reservation and make your 50% down payment: Feb 21st Deadline to submit payment in full: April 21st Refund Policy: From March Feb 21st 2018 thru April 20th 2018 a refund of 70% (of the down payment) will be given to anyone who decides to cancel their reservation. (After receiving the confirmation deposits, we will book the tour and will need to make not refundable deposits for hotels, buses, restaurants, etc. Therefore, we cannot give a full refund once we receive a deposit). From April 19th 2018 thru May 20th 2018 a refund of 20% (of the down payment) will be given to anyone who decides to cancel their reservation. We are assuming that by this point, after everyone has made full payment for the trip, that should someone need to cancel it would be for a fairly serious reason. From May 21st 2018 thru June 20th 2018 there are no refunds available. We will have committed to all the business involved in this tour to pay for a certain amount of rooms, or food, or seats in a vehicle. Therefore, after May 20th 2018, we cannot offer any refund. Booking your Flight: Cynthia Shuut is a licensed travel agent and will help you book your flights and make any other travel arrangements. Direct Line Main Line

12 Coco's Provides Private & Small-Group Gourmet Tours to Italy Want to experience Italy like an insider? If you re planning a trip to Italy and you wanty minimal hassle and maximum efficiency, no surprises or long tourist lines, then you need to travel with Coco's. We have unparalleled, on-the-ground connections and expertise with our a friends who live there. They re hardly just guides. They hold the keys to the kingdom. Take advantage of our contacts in Italy and let us help make your Italian vacation dreams come true. Coco's Travel can add to your existing vacation or help you plan the whole excursion. Because Italy is equally astonishing as it is challenging to travel, we can help with transportation to and from airports, hotels, daily excursions with English speaking tour guides, hotel, restaurant and wine recommendations, cooking classes, etc. We can be as flexible as you want. This is going to be a magical trip so take advantage of the connections I ve made with Coco s Italian Market and have a truly remarkable experience of Italy. Buon Viaggio, Chuck Cinelli Owner of Coco's Italian Market Ph info@destinationitalybycocos.com