Travel to Umbria in November 2011 for A Very Special Tour of The Region of Umbria -- Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week: Food, Wine and Ceramics

TESTIMONIAL: "My trip to Umbria with Dream of Italy was a dream come true: a wonderful blend of the people and places from the Umbrian region. The trip accented the beauty, the art, the food and the other riches of the region." -- Rosemarie Bruno

Join us this November for our exclusive 6-night/7-day Umbria tour based at a private villa near Assisi where a small group of us (perfect for solo travelers, couples, friends, mother/daughter and more) will enjoy a week of authentic Umbria culture -- mostly through food and wine -- through hands on cooking lessons, Montefalco vineyards visits, truffle hunting in the Umbria countryside, ceramic painting in Deruta (you will take home a Deruta plate), tours of Assisi and Perugia. Everything is included once you reach the villa. OUR 2011 TRIP IS NOW FULL. We work with travel agents who want to send us their clients. Last year's Umbria Harvest Week was a HUGE success! Download the detailed itinerary or read on...

Free photo slideshow customized with Smilebox Some of the wonderful photos in our slideshow courtesy Arthur Isack

The goal of Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week: Food, Wine and Ceramics (November 5 to 11, 2011) is to provide our guests with a convivial, engaging and relaxing week filled with authentic Italian and Umbrian experiences. We'll spend our days with local families who have been perfecting their crafts for generations - from winemaking and harvesting olives to truffle hunting and sculpting ceramics. All you need to do is show up with your suitcase, a great attitude and a little bit of spending money for Umbrian specialties to take home (olive oil, wine, crafts). Everything is included in one affordable price - accommodations in a 17th-century villa; all meals including wine; all tastings, activities and lessons; all gratuities and ground transportation throughout the week. Your host for the week Dream of Italy Editor and Publisher Kathy McCabe has personally experienced, researched and refined this itinerary to bring you the very best of Umbria.


Highlights of Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week:

• Six nights at the 17th-century farmhouse villa La Fattoria del Gelso near Assisi, Umbria.
• Small group - no more than 12 guests.
• All meals - homemade by the villa's fabulous chef or at restaurants.
• Visit to Italy's ceramics capital Deruta with hands-on ceramics painting workshop.
• Full day touring, and tasting, at the famed local vineyards of the Montefalco wine zone.
• Hands-on cooking lesson with one of Umbria's hot, up-and-coming Slow Food chefs. After the lesson, we'll have a private lunch at his restaurant.
• Full day truffle hunting extravaganza: hunting for truffles with a local hunter and his dog; a visit to a truffle laboratory; cooking with truffles demonstration; full meal featuring truffles!
• Visit to an olive mill to watch the yearly harvest in action.
• Guided tour of the Basilica of St. Francis and the town of Assisi.
• Guided tour of the historic Umbrian capital of Perugia.
• Pasta and pizza-making lessons with the villa's chef.
• Dinner with expats and/or local authors to give us a feel for everyday life in Umbria.
• All transportation for the week via private van.
• Accompanied by Kathy McCabe and terrific local guides.

Download the detailed itinerary and be sure to reserve your spot ASAP as we will only will take up to 12 guests! OUR 2011 TRIP IS NOW FULL. Call Kathy at 202-297-3708 to get more information and have all of your questions answered.

HERE'S WHAT LAST YEAR'S GUESTS ARE SAYING:

"My mom and I took Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week Tour with Kathy McCabe in November 2010 and I have to say this was one of my best trips to Italy. Everything was just wonderful from Kathy, to the other guests, the villa, our side trips, our guides, etc. Everyday I would wake up excited to take on another of our adventures. One that stands out most and was such a special experience was our trip to Deruta to take a ceramics lesson, we learned how to paint a ceramic paint using the techniques of the trade. At the end of the week each one of us brought home our masterpiece. An AMAZING trip, with AMAZING people!! I would love to take another trip with Kathy!"

-- Valerie Raccuglia

"My trip to Umbria with Dream of Italy was a dream come true: a wonderful blend of the people and places from the Umbrian region. The trip accented the beauty, the art, the food and the other riches of the region."

-- Rosemarie Bruno

Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week is a wonderful introduction to the food, the wine and the craft of Umbrian living. I could have used another week because I wanted to keep going. Grazie a Kathy e tutti!"

-- Linda Jenkins

Prior to this trip we had been to other parts of Italy, but had not stayed in Umbria. We found it to be very picturesque and relaxing...a wonderful part of Italy. Our trip was well planned, organized, and a great deal of fun. The daily activities, the food, the wine, the people on the trip, the villa, and especially Kathy, combined for a delightful week. And it was a bargain. We all laughed, had scrumptious food and wine, and made new friends. The cooking class, ceramic painting, truffle hunting, learning about olive pressing, visit to a vineyard, visiting towns in Umbria were all a 'blast.' I highly recommend this trip."

-- Arthur Isack