Walking and Italian language holiday in Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Tuscany |
| trip type: | Introductory walking holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 4 Jul, 22 Aug, 3 Oct 2010: 10 Apr |
| price: | From £799 - £899 (8 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes 7 nights farmhouse accommodation with swimming pool, all breakfasts, 4 picnic lunches and 5 dinners. Minimum age 16. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A chance to learn the wonderfully romantic Italian language amid Tuscany's enchanted countryside.
Italian is in practice a 'literary version' of Tuscan and became the language of culture for all the peoples of Italy, thanks to the prestigious masterpieces of Dante Alighieri, Niccolò Machiavelli and many others. It would later become the official language of all the Italian states and, after unification, the Kingdom of Italy. Away from the well-worn tourist trail, parts of Tuscany are still quite remote, such as the Garfagnana, a beautiful rural enclave flanked by Appenines and Alpi Apuane - the Marble Mountains - birthplace of Michelangelo's David.
This is the ideal location to learn Italian whilst relaxing at our comfortable lodge surrounded by an enchanted countryside. We use our newly learnt skills on short walks to ancient hilltowns and of course Romanesque Lucca.
Italian is in practice a 'literary version' of Tuscan and became the language of culture for all the peoples of Italy, thanks to the prestigious masterpieces of Dante Alighieri, Niccolò Machiavelli and many others. It would later become the official language of all the Italian states and, after unification, the Kingdom of Italy. Away from the well-worn tourist trail, parts of Tuscany are still quite remote, such as the Garfagnana, a beautiful rural enclave flanked by Appenines and Alpi Apuane - the Marble Mountains - birthplace of Michelangelo's David.
This is the ideal location to learn Italian whilst relaxing at our comfortable lodge surrounded by an enchanted countryside. We use our newly learnt skills on short walks to ancient hilltowns and of course Romanesque Lucca.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Pisa; transfer to Braccicorti. |
| Day 2: | Introduction to history of Garfagnana; first Italian lesson in afternoon.. |
| Day 3: | Guided valley walk with visit to local cheese factory and impressive Verrucole fortress. |
| Day 4: | Our second Italian lesson; discover underground world of 'Grotta del Vento' (Wind Cave). |
| Day 5: | Free day to relax by the pool, enjoy a self-guided walk or visit Barga's various art galleries (optional). |
| Day 6: | Visit local market with traditional foods of area; final Italian lesson. |
| Day 7: | Explore the graceful walled city of Lucca; afternoon tasting the famous Lucchese wine. |
| Day 8: | To Pisa; fly to London. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we work closely with our local operator to run this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local communities. Due to a long and successful working relationship with our operator, we have been able to play a part in the sustainable development of their business. Since we have been working with this operator we have helped them build a golf course and aided them in the production of their own wine, honey, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, which we buy for our clients. This trip also utilizes the farmhouse owned by the operator family as our accommodation. Throughout this trip we aim to spend as much money in the local destinations as possible. We visit a Lucchese winery, where the entrance fee directly benefits local community and where no entrance fee applies, such as the visit to cheese factory or the various local markets, clients are encouraged to buy the local produce on offer. Environment We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run regular staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |