Blog

Our touring year in pictures - 2011

the first cooking class in the new kitchen

Sheila and Bob loved the cooking classes with Gessica and the new venue proved a great success (see more in our "Feature" below). Can't wait for the first invitation out while in Oz over Christmas to taste the fantastic lasagne and tiramisu that made up part of their course of Gessica's wonderful set of recipes, lovingly learned from her nonna and enthusiastically passed onto to all.

Vatican Museums

What a privilege it is for us to be able to visit these amazing collections several times each year. We truly never tire of it and always learn something new or appreciate something from a slightly different aspect, and love sharing it all. The trick is knowing the best times to go and how to navigate your way through the shear volume of sights that can easily distract from those that need savouring.

Sistine Chapel

And what a special treat it was the day we visited with Bob and Sheila and the guards all, unbelievably, turned a blind eye to all the cameras out clicking away furiously, especially one (who shall remain nameless) even got down on the floor to get a better angled shot of the Sistine ceiling, a very rare privilege indeed, Bob! By the next visit they were back, shouting over the quiet hum for "Silenzio!"

the etruscan collection at the vatican

One of the reasons we like to book tickets for the vatican Museums later in the day is that the Etruscan collection doesn't open until after 4pm and it is definately worth the wait. It rates as one of our favourites with some of the best examples out of a huge and impressive collection. Here Victor and John share a moment of quiet appreciation.

siena in a day

Siena is fast becoming one of our popular Day Tour destinations from Orvieto, with such fascinating links to the great power struggles in Medieval and Renaissance Central Italy and as the origin of many famous (and infamous) powerful family names that resonate throughout the peninsula. With so much to see it is a full and fascinating day out.

a must see - the mosaic floors in siena

Choosing the best times to visit certain places is critical in getting the best from your journey and nowhere is this as important as it is in Siena, making sure we schedule visits when the whole of the amazing mosaic floor of the cathedral is uncovered - for just a few weeks each year. Siena cathedral offers a wonderful if complex contrast to our own beautiful and simple cathedral in Orvieto

Sorrento and the south

This year we were delighted to be able to add a fabulous list of services based in Sorrento, with a beautiful, boutique hotel right on the pedestrian plaza, with friendly and helpful staff to make sure you get the most from your stay, including the best restaurants and all touring services and - most important of all - we can book your travel from Rome/return with clear and precise directions.

guided Services - Pompeii and all the rest

Our guided services in and around Sorrento cover everything you could possibly want from the region, including private cruises around the coast, specialist guides to Naples and the archaeological museum that then follows on logically with a vist to Pompeii and/or Herculaneum and top of Vesuvius itself. And you can choose to do it all as a self-guided option or with a private guide.

the doors of Paradise

What is important to us at Discovering Italy is that we are constantly revisiting places and renewing every small detail of information so that we can be assured of passing onto you the latest and most relevant information. Mind you, it is a tough job huh Kylie?? Fancy having to leave the children with nonno while we go traipsing off to "work" . . .

roman trails - the Ponte Fonnai

"Trailing" after Roman remains is one of our favourite days out so it was great fun to put together a specific group of sights to show to Bruce who was interested in all the engineering feats and wonders that displayed the Romans particular ingenuity.

roman trails - close to home

How spectacuar to be able to follow our "Roman trails" so close to home with the amazing remains of the Ponte Giulio right on our doorstep. So not only do we have a great example of Etruscn/Roman engineering to draw on but also a great en plein air drawing opportunity for Wendy.

painting classes in the new studio

After moving house right at the beginning of our busiest touring time ever, we then had to go about setting up the new painting studio - and what a great environment with fabulous views across the vineyards back to the rock of Orvieto - just in time for Victor to take some private classes, here with Wendy Petersen.

the best panorama of Assisi

Sometimes, just to vary the well-trodden (and well loved) trek to Assisi, we take a slightly more circuitous route to seek out the best photographic opportunities. For Assisi in particular, it is always difficult to find just the right angle, light and clear distant view across the valley but this day we found it all, sadly not with my best camera aboard but will keep trying.

Bob on high - lakeside at Bolsena

The volcanic lake at Bolsena is the largest in Europe and offers a great relaxed day out, firstly taking a wander through the very nicely presented communal museum in the ancient Rocca Monaldeschi, a wonderful lunch at a specialist seafood trattoria, a gentle stroll by the lake before heading off to the most amazing "dying" city of Civita di Bagnoregio.

accommodation - inspecting and updating

This is one of the most important tasks we have with all our accommodation venues - with personal inspections (as Lucianna and Kylie are doing above) - as we now offer options right throughout the peninsula, from Bologna, Padua, Venice and Florence in the north; in the ancient centre and within the region of our home-base of Orvieto; as well as Rome and the south in Sorrento.

child-friendly options

This year has also seen an increase in family groups not only wanting accommodation suitable for infants and teenagers but also looking for advice and support in organising all those extra details to make the journey best and most comfortable for all, even down to the occassional box of toys. With young children and toddlers around us all the time, it is easy to help out.

winter travel at its best

As the year slips into beautiful autumnal colours, the air cools and the tourists thin we make the most of the winter landscape, welcoming friends and clients all the way through to the first week of December when the days are mostly crisp but with clear blue skies and the added ease of moving around, usually having venues we choose to visit all to oursleves, as Sam, Rob and Jen discover.

escorted days out

Diane is with Lucianna overlooking the lake at Bolsena on one of her escorted days out. We are so lucky to have Lucianna as a part of our team. Clients move very quickly from strangers to friends making time spent together easy and enjoyable and having someone right in town who can help with any problem at a moment's notice is one of the services we pride ourselves on and give willingly.

hidden gems

Sometimes in our journeys we come across some hidden gems that suddenly expose the process of life and decline, such as this small, abandoned church, so easily by-passed. We stop specifically because it is built over the remains of Roman arches, using them as part of its medieval foundation, but inside discover yet more secrets - with Bruce on our day of Roman Trails.

making the right choice

Making the right choices in which flavoured gelato to include from our favourite gelati bar in Florence is tough enough, but knowing what to include in your travel options becomes so much easier with some helpful advice based on personal experience and many years in the travel industry - that's what we offer at Discovering Italy- just ask us how!

eating local means eating well

Sheila discovers that when they say it is a generous portion with a great variety of fresh seafood from both the lake at Bolsena and the close-by Tyrrenhian Sea they really mean it. Searching out the best places for local cuisine is one of our favourite jobs - whether in big cities or small regional centres - we always look for those special places, typically run by several generations of the same family.

Victor's exhibition nearly ready for packing up

The new painting studio has provided a great space to expand into much larger works. Victor is loving it and more than happy to show off some work in progress to Sue as he prepares for the major exhibition coming up at the Manningham Gallery in Melbourne in March 2012, including ceramics, drawings and paintings, as a survey of the past 5 years living and working in Italy.

friends and clients / clients and friends

More often than not we find ourselves greeting clients on arrival who very quickly become friends. Taking time out for drinks in a favourite, local bar, with an introduction to the proprietor, means always being assured of a warm welcome on a return visit, making any journey more memorable and satisfying. At Cantina Foresi with Denise, Glenn and Wendy (Bruce behind the camera).

medieval mysteries at Bevagna

Diane discovers the fascinating processes of painting icons according to tradional Medieval methods. The Medieval Mysteries are unravelled on a guided tour through the delightful Roman/Medieval town of Bevagna that begins with the Roman era and a visit to the Roman baths, then continues with the medieval trades of paper making, silk spinning and weaving and candle making.

planning for 2012

Bookings have already begun for 2012, even for later in the year, so if you are planning a visit with us you should start discussing your options as soon as possible. Following are some activities that proved very popular this year, they might also work as part of your customised program:

Bevagna: and the Medieval Mysteries
Assisi: the life and spirit of St Francis - the Giotto Cycle
Siena: stories within stories, the amazing mosaic floor
Tarquinia: discovering the Etruscans in life and death
Walks in Rome: layers of the city
Rome: from Roman Empire to the Holy Roman Empire

ASK US ABOUT WHAT IS NEW FOR 2012

feature - Gessica's home cooking

Our move to the countryside, just outside Orvieto, into a wonderful and pictiresque, old stone farmhouse meant an entirely new opportunity to create the best possible environment for our "home-based" cooking courses with the lovely Gessica.
They proved so successful we had clients, having booked for one course, adding more and more classes to their itinerary.
Gessica's passion for genuine organic food comes from her own village life, where every family grows their own vegetables and breeds their own farm animals. Her genuine love of cooking and her enthusiasm to pass on the very special knowledge she learned from her beloved grandmother shows and it is this, and her skill as a teacher, that made the course so enjoyable and so much fun - if the sound of laughter bursting from the kitchen was an accurate indicator. Then, of course, we got to sample it all, usually eating together afterwards to celebrate this wonderful sharing of a great cuisine and great traditions.
See our cooking page for more details on what you can do in 2012 . . .