Discover the Italian New Year traditions and food: cooking vacation in the New Year Eve in Italy    

NEW YEAR EVE IN ITALY: 4 days Cooking Vacation/Tour in Umbria from 28th December 2013 to 1st January 2014

The Festa di San Silvestro in Italy is celebrated December 31th on New Year's Eve. This is a period rich in traditions! Families and friends get together for a huge feast. New Year's Eve is a wonderful time for a vacation in Umbria. Have a fun New Year's Eve with our special package including 4 night accommodation, 2 cooking classes, 2 lunches from cooking classes and 3 half-day excursions that will give you a taste of the italian atmpsphere of this magic time of the year! In the cooking classes you will learn the typical recipes of the Christams time and of the New Year Eve. The star of the New Year Eve dinner is lentils, symbolizing money and good fortune for the coming year. Traditionally, the dinner in Umbria also includes a cotechino, a large spiced sausage, or a zampone, stuffed pig's trotter. The pork symbolizes the richness of life in the coming year. Huge midnight fireworks displays celebrate the coming of the New Year. Perugia has public displays in a central square but private parties will also include firecrackers or sparklers, too, and will continue for a long time. Don't forget to wear your red underwear to ring in the new year! We say it'll bring you luck in the coming year.

You will have accommodation in the apartments of the farmhouse "La volpe e l'uva". It is only 4km far from the historic centre of Perugia and offers a suggestive view of the Umbrian hills.

See below for the full sample itinerary for the Umbria New Year holiday.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY OF THE TOUR

• Friday 28th December - Arrive in Perugia
  Arrival at the country farm "La volpe e l'uva" (Perugia, Central Italy, Umbria, near Tuscany). Check-in your apartment at 4:00pm.
• Saturday 29th December - Assisi
  Hands-on cooking class starts around 10.00 am. You will prepare a four course lunch that you will eat at the end of the class, accompanied by our wines.
  The excursion takes place from 15.00.  You will visit the mystical city of Assisi, a beautiful medieval town based on Mount Subasio, overlooking a peaceful Umbrian landscape. Assisi is essentially known for the fact that it’s the place of birth of St. Francis in and that of Santa Chiara.
  You will visit the city and the famous churches like the St. Francis Church filled with spectacular frescoes by Giotto, and also the Eremo delle Carceri (a peacefully isolated church and monastery in the wooded slopes just outside Assisi's walls, this was the first monastic home of St. Francis' and his followers) and the St. Damiano church (A church and monastery outside the city walls is where the crucifix spoke to St. Francis, prompting him to repair it and begin his ministry. Later, St. Clare died here). Professional guide in the excursion.
• Sunday 30th December - Gubbio
  Hands-on cooking lesson starts around 10.00  am.You will prepare a four course lunch. For lunch you will eat your creations in your apartment accompanied by our wines. The excursion takes place from 15.00.
  You will visit Gubbio. Lying on the slopes of Monte Ingino, it is one of the most ancient towns of Umbria, extremely well preserved during centuries and rich of monuments testifying its glorious past.
  Here in the Christmas time you can see the Christmas tree which every year in the evening on 7 December, Immaculate Conception eve, lights along the slopes of Monte Ingino.
  It is the biggest tree in the world, by now a real symbol of Gubbio.
  It rises from the last stone houses of Gubbio up to the basilica of S. Ubaldo, the patron saint of the town, close to the place where, till 10 January, shines the star of Bethlehem which completes the tree.Professional guide in the excursion.
  
• Monday 31th December - Deruta ceramic and wine Tour
  The tour take place from 9.00. You will visit a ceramic laboratory in Deruta where the majolicas are completely handmade. Their high quality producs keeps the tradition alive and evokes the classic decorations of the various periods of Deruta. The production cycle is completely carried-out within the company and rigorously worked by hand in all its phases. Than you will have a wine tour in a Winemakers Company near Perugia. It is a vineyard under family management, which with special care from their very own vines, produces D.O.C. Colli Perugini and IGT dell’Umbria white, red and rosè wines
  In the evening I will reserve for you a restaurant in the city centre where you will have the dinner of the new year eve and you will see all the exhibitions for the new year
• Tuesday 1st January: Departure.

Christmas cooking holidays from 18th to 22th December 2013

Details of the Cooking Program

4 DAYS NEW YEAR 2013 / 2014 - COOKING VACATION
Trip lenght		4 days
Departure Dates:		from 28th December 2013 to 1st January 2014
Destinations		Italy, Umbria (Perugia, Assisi, Deruta ceramic, Wine, Gubbio)
Activities		Culinary, Cultural exploration
Included in the price:		Accommodation, 4 breakfasts, 2 cooking classes, 2 lunches from cooking classes, 3 half day excursions with car, driver and guide.
No included in the price		dinners, heating on consumption

PRICES 2013

980 EURO per person, double occupancy, based on two people travelling together.

GROUP 4/6 People

Type of accommodation Price per person (euro) Number of partecipants in the group In 2 bilo-apartments 800.00 3 people travelling together. In 2 bilo-apartments 700.00 4 people travelling together. In 3 bilo-apartments 650.00 5 people travlelling together. In 3 bilo-apartments 620.00 6 people travelling together. Inclusions: Accommodations in the apartment of the farmhouse "la volpe e l'uva"in Perugia (40mq, lounge with cooking area and double sofa bed double bedroom and bathroom), included bed linen, towels, final cleaning. Extra heating on consumption. 4 breakfasts (in your apartment you will find coffee, milk, biscuits, jams, butter and sugar) 2 cooking classes of approximately 4 hours, 2 Four course meal from the cooking lesson; Umbrian wines during meals, liquors for after dinner/lunch; Certificate of participation; Folder with all the recipes; Apron of Let's cook in Umbria. 3 Tours as indicated in the itinerary Not Included: Dinner in the new year eve. Group discount These trips are priced assuming up to six travellers. Special offers are available for bigger group: If your group is composed by more than 6 people send me your request and we will send you the best price! No cooking guests It is also possible to bring along a non-participating partner who can spend the morning enjoying the surroundings, and could then join the group at lunchtime.

NEW YEAR EVE COOKING HOLIDAYS - Enquiries

CALENDAR OF THE "FOUR SEASONS CULINARY TOURS" IN ITALY 2013

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