A Walkabout Tour of Italy with stops in Rome, Venice, Torino, Florence and Sorrento
The four of us - The Coopers and the Briscoes
Singapore -
The Tour - as per Walkabouts documentation
Northern Italy
Walking Tour in Italy, Piedmont, Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Lazio
Our walk begins in Torino. Once on the Gourmet Trail, we travel through the Piedmont - one of Italy's best-kept secrets. Surrounded by the high Alps, its landscape is like a grand garden with valleys, vineyards, hazelnut bushes and old castles. A food lover's paradise! Wonderful cheeses, grapes, wild herbs, grappa, wine and most importantly the famous white truffles. These are just some of the mouth-watering treats which await you after a day's walking. In Novello we are ideally located to explore the famous vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco along the way. The charming nearby towns of Asti and Alba are only a short drive away.
Located between Tuscany and the French border is the famous Cinque Terre; five idyllic fishing villages standing out like a string of precious stones. Our walking track follows what must surely rate as one of the world's most stunning coastal paths as it winds its way through the Cinque Terre National Park. We base ourselves for 3 nights in one of these famous villages - Riomaggorie. Soak up the atmosphere of a genuine Mediterranean seaside village as you explore the narrow streets and discover for yourself why UNESCO has declared this a World Heritage Site. On your free day you can explore further afield by catching the ferry to Portovenere or La Spezia.
The magic of Tuscany is not only its culture that brought forth the Renaissance or masters like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci but its magnificent countryside. Our walk leads us through medieval hilltop villages, rolling hills, fertile valleys, vineyards, olive groves and forests ablaze with colour.
We follow a trail through the wooded countryside of Chianti and the hills around San Gimignano. At night enjoy delicious Tuscan cuisine; vegetable timbale with a basil sauce, bruschetta, guinea fowl in vin Santos, memorable porcini dishes, the best pasta and mouth watering pastries.
We travel through the Crete Senesi, the charming landscape south of Siena, to Lazio. This lesser known region of Italy is an area of volcanic lakes, mountains, gorges, olive groves and vineyards. Much of the landscape was formed by the eruption of volcanoes, which has produced hot springs and rich fertile soil.
Before the rise of Rome the Etruscans and the Latins populated it. Rich archeological sites can still be found. Our walk ends in Florence, the capital of Tuscany and one of the world's great art cities.
Our Hotels and Cuisine
Our hotel in the Piedmont is in a small village in the heart of the Langhe hills near Barolo. It is an original neo-Gothic castle, standing on the remains of a medieval site and has magnificent views from its large terrace. In the restaurant we will be spoilt with a delicious selection of Piedmont gastronomic specialties.
In the Cinque Terre we stay in a comfortable hotel, perched on top of the old village of Riomaggiore. It is beautifully situated, overlooking the Mediterranean and the terraced vineyards. In our restaurant we can enjoy typical Ligurian cuisine, fish and seafood, with the classic Cinque Terre white wine.
The next 4 nights are spent in a grand country estate, nestled in the hills, surrounded by olive trees and overlooking San Gimignano. It has a beautiful landscaped garden, complete with a swimming pool and tennis courts. A highlight here is the opportunity to eat in some of the best local restaurants in this famous region of Tuscany.
Our final 3 nights are spent in a delightful hotel near Bolsena, where hospitality is the key word. The restaurant has an interesting Italian cuisine and offers a stunning panorama of the lake.
Singapore -
- a few nights stay and the pick of the visit would have to be the Botanical Gardens and the Orchids
- Raffles for a few drinks
- The hop on hop off bus
- China Town for the food
- and this little cafe on a back street for Chilli Crab
- had a great little apartment near the train station and also close to the old town.
- The water fountains with epic carvings
- The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps
- the train ride from Rome to Venice - first class.
- our apartment near the Tri Archi Bridge
- The walkways and the cafes
- St Marks Square and of course
- The gondola rides
- the offshore islands of Murano
- The architecture
- the cleanliness of the streets
- the cafes
- the departure point for the Walkabout Gourmet tour
The Tour - as per Walkabouts documentation
Northern Italy
Walking Tour in Italy, Piedmont, Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Lazio
Our walk begins in Torino. Once on the Gourmet Trail, we travel through the Piedmont - one of Italy's best-kept secrets. Surrounded by the high Alps, its landscape is like a grand garden with valleys, vineyards, hazelnut bushes and old castles. A food lover's paradise! Wonderful cheeses, grapes, wild herbs, grappa, wine and most importantly the famous white truffles. These are just some of the mouth-watering treats which await you after a day's walking. In Novello we are ideally located to explore the famous vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco along the way. The charming nearby towns of Asti and Alba are only a short drive away.
Located between Tuscany and the French border is the famous Cinque Terre; five idyllic fishing villages standing out like a string of precious stones. Our walking track follows what must surely rate as one of the world's most stunning coastal paths as it winds its way through the Cinque Terre National Park. We base ourselves for 3 nights in one of these famous villages - Riomaggorie. Soak up the atmosphere of a genuine Mediterranean seaside village as you explore the narrow streets and discover for yourself why UNESCO has declared this a World Heritage Site. On your free day you can explore further afield by catching the ferry to Portovenere or La Spezia.
The magic of Tuscany is not only its culture that brought forth the Renaissance or masters like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci but its magnificent countryside. Our walk leads us through medieval hilltop villages, rolling hills, fertile valleys, vineyards, olive groves and forests ablaze with colour.
We follow a trail through the wooded countryside of Chianti and the hills around San Gimignano. At night enjoy delicious Tuscan cuisine; vegetable timbale with a basil sauce, bruschetta, guinea fowl in vin Santos, memorable porcini dishes, the best pasta and mouth watering pastries.
We travel through the Crete Senesi, the charming landscape south of Siena, to Lazio. This lesser known region of Italy is an area of volcanic lakes, mountains, gorges, olive groves and vineyards. Much of the landscape was formed by the eruption of volcanoes, which has produced hot springs and rich fertile soil.
Before the rise of Rome the Etruscans and the Latins populated it. Rich archeological sites can still be found. Our walk ends in Florence, the capital of Tuscany and one of the world's great art cities.
Our Hotels and Cuisine
Our hotel in the Piedmont is in a small village in the heart of the Langhe hills near Barolo. It is an original neo-Gothic castle, standing on the remains of a medieval site and has magnificent views from its large terrace. In the restaurant we will be spoilt with a delicious selection of Piedmont gastronomic specialties.
In the Cinque Terre we stay in a comfortable hotel, perched on top of the old village of Riomaggiore. It is beautifully situated, overlooking the Mediterranean and the terraced vineyards. In our restaurant we can enjoy typical Ligurian cuisine, fish and seafood, with the classic Cinque Terre white wine.
The next 4 nights are spent in a grand country estate, nestled in the hills, surrounded by olive trees and overlooking San Gimignano. It has a beautiful landscaped garden, complete with a swimming pool and tennis courts. A highlight here is the opportunity to eat in some of the best local restaurants in this famous region of Tuscany.
Our final 3 nights are spent in a delightful hotel near Bolsena, where hospitality is the key word. The restaurant has an interesting Italian cuisine and offers a stunning panorama of the lake.
After the tour
We stayed in Florence for a few days before heading down to Sorrento and Pompei.
After nearly a week there we headed back to Rome for our last three days in Italy. It was nearly our last days ever with the taxi ride to the airport.
Finally it was on the plane and home. The Coopers then treated us to a limousine ride from the airport to home - one last bottle of champagne.
We stayed in Florence for a few days before heading down to Sorrento and Pompei.
After nearly a week there we headed back to Rome for our last three days in Italy. It was nearly our last days ever with the taxi ride to the airport.
Finally it was on the plane and home. The Coopers then treated us to a limousine ride from the airport to home - one last bottle of champagne.
