Piedmont & NW Italy

ITINERARY 

Sunday, 1 October 2017, Fly from USA

Day 1: Monday, 2 October 2017 – Welcome to Genoa 

Upon arriving at the main station, Genova Piazza Principe, leave the station via the Piazza Acquaverde exit. Ahead and slightly left, you will see a clump of trees with a statue of Christopher Columbus. After crossing a street, go past the statue and after you pass the trees you will will see the Hotel Continental on your left. Check in and do whatever you need to do to start recovering from the long flight. Dinner will be in the Hotel Savoia Restaurant next door at 7:00 pm  The menu features a local fish. An alternative menu with a veal main course is available for those of you who can’t or won’t eat fish. Bed at the Hotel Continental Genova,(+39 010 261641) breakfast at the Hotel Savoia. (The two hotels are owned by the same company and are connected. Exit the antique elevator on the first floor and you will find a hallway which will lead you to the Savoia. You don’t have to go outside unless you want to.)

Day 2: Tuesday, 3 October 2017 – Genoa 

After breakfast, we will depart the hotel at 9:00 to walk back to the station to take the Metro to the Ferrari stop. There we will meet Andrew, our local guide for a half day walking tour of the center of Genoa. Afternoon free. Dinner at a restaurant across the street from the hotel called E Prie de Ma. Bed at the Hotel Continental Genova, breakfast at the Hotel Savoia.

Day 3: Wednesday, 4 October 2017 – Genoa 

Morning visit to the Galata Museo del Mare. This wonderful museum will probably take your entire morning. Some suggestions of what else to visit: Palazzo de Rolli, Basilica di Santa Maria di Castello, and the Aquarium (pricey). Also, our guide will probably have some suggestions. Dinner at nearby local restaurant. Bed at the Hotel Continental Genova, breakfast at the Hotel Savoia.

Day 4: Thursday, 5 October 2017 – Barolo, Agriturismo Ada Nada 

Have luggage down in time for a 9:00 am departure (bus rolling) for the Agriturismo Ada Nada, (+39 0173 – 638127) a working farm that takes in guests. On our way, we will stop in Barolo, the town that gives its name to the famed wine. We will first visit the Cantina Sylla Sebaste, followed by lunch at the cantina. After lunch we will continue on to the agriturismo with a stop somewhere along the way to pick up picnic supplies for our dinner and wine tasting this evening.  At around 5:30, our hostess Annalisa will hold a wine tasting followed by a tour of their facilities. You will be able to contrast the two wineries–the larger Cantina Sylla Sebaste with the smaller, family-run Ada Nada. The winemaking process is the same; the difference is in the scale of the operation. Since lunch was provided, dinner will consist of an informal picnic using supplies we picked up at a market. Annalisa will provide wines for the tasting, but we will need to purchase more wine for our picnic/dinner. Wines from the Ada Nada vineyards are available for purchase at reasonable prices. Bed & breakfast in Ada Nada.

Day 5: Friday, 6 October 2017 – Barbaresco, Torino

8:00 am breakfast starts. Morning free to hike around the vineyard, There is a strong possibility that we will be able to watch them harvest and then crush the grapes. The latest word is that they are busy with the harvest, so we might be in luck. Alternatively, you can sit by the pool staring out at the landscape. Make your room available for cleaning no later than 9:30. We will leave Ada Nada at around 10:30 and head over to nearby Barbaresco, another town name associated with a great wine. After exploring the small town we will have a special lunch at a local restaurant Rabaya at 12:30, After lunch, continue on to Torino and check into the NH Hotel Piazza Carlina. Weather permitting, we can meet on the 4th floor terrace to share some of the wines that we undoubtedly will have picked up along the way. Since lunch was included, dinner is on your own. (There are numerous dining opportunities within easy walking distance of the hotel.) Bed & breakfast at the NH Hotel Piazza Carlina. (+39 011 8601611)

Day 6: Saturday, 7 October 2017 – Torino 

9:00 departure for morning walking  tour of the city with our local guide. Afternoon free to follow some suggestions made by our guide. Early dinner: Pizza Night at nearby La Monachella. Bed & breakfast at the NH Hotel Piazza Carlina.

Day 7: Sunday, 8 October 2017 – Torino 

9:00 departure for a coach excursion to see some sights around town before visiting the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile at 10:30. After two hours at the museum, the coach will take us back to the hotel. (If you want more time at the museum, you can stay on and take a taxi back at your own expense.) Afternoon free, but a visit of the National Gallery is highly recommended. 7:15 dinner at Da Mauro  Bed & breakfast at the NH Hotel Piazza Carlina.

Day 8: Monday, 9 October 2017 – Torino 

9:00 departure to walk to the famed Museo Egiizio with local guide. You may wonder why we are visiting an Egyptian museum while in Italy. The museum is second only to the one in Cairo and let’s face it–we are not going to be returning to Egypt any time soon. Afternoon free to visit some of the sites that interest you or do laundry. (There is a laundry nearby.)  Dinner at La Nuova Spada Reale, bed & breakfast at the NH Hotel Piazza Carlina.

Day 9: Tuesday, 10 October 2017 – Aosta 

Late morning (10:00?) transfer to Aosta. En route, we will stop at an Autogrill for lunch (at own expense.) Mid-afternoon arrival at the Duca d’Aosta Hotel. (+39 0165 23 63 63) After checking in and some time to freshen up, Paul will lead you to a couple of the Roman sites and help you get oriented to this beautiful city in a valley surrounded by mountains. 7:30 dinner at the hotel restaurant, overnight in the Duca d’Aosta Hotel.

Day 10: Wednesday, 11 October 2017 – Aosta 

After breakfast, continue exploring the Roman sites with Paul, with plenty of free time afterwards for personal explorations. Leave hotel at 7:15 to walk to dinner at 7:30 at La Vache Folle Restaurant. Bed & breakfast at Duca d’Aosta Hotel.

Day 11: Thursday, 12 October 2017 – Aosta 

9:00 am departure for excursion to Cogne, a small town high in the Alps. On the way we will stop at a well preserved Roman Aquaduct. Before lunch you will have some free time to explore the town. At 12:30 we will have a special lunch at Lou Ressignon. Mid afternoon return to Aosta. Since lunch was provided, dinner is on your own. Bed & breakfast at Duca d’Aosta Hotel.

Day 12: Friday, 13 October 2017 – Milano 

9:00 departure from Aosta to Milano. En route stop for lunch (at own expense.) After checking into hotel, we will walk to the famed Milano Cathedral. You will be provided with a ticket that will get you into the cathedral, the archaeological site underneath, and the elevator that will take you up to the top. You will probably want to spend a minimum of two hours here exploring this incredible structure. Afterwards, wander over to the Galleria, one of the very first shopping malls in the world. (All of this is within easy walking distance of our hotel.) We will need to leave the hotel by 6:40 to walk to dinner at an extremely popular pizzeria named Piz. They do not take reservations so we need to be there before they open at 7:00. Bed & breakfast at the Hotel dei Cavalieri. (+39 02 88571)

Day 13: Saturday, 14 October 2017 – Milano 

Today will be devoted to the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. We will take the Metro (2 day pass provided) to the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. An entire floor is dedicated to da Vinci with models created from his drawings. The museum has 36 exhibitions and some 16,000 objects including historic trains, planes, ships, musical instruments, computers, and so on. At 11;00 Paul will lead those of you who opted to see Da Vinci’s Last Supper to Santa Maria delle Grazie. You will need to be at the church no later than 11:40 for the 12:00 noon visit. Afternoon free. Dinner at L‘Isola del Tesero, Bed & breakfast at the Hotel dei Cavalieri. 

Day 14: Sunday, 15 October 2017 – Milano 

Before leaving for the day, we will check out of the hotel and store our bags. We will then take the metro to visit the Castello Sforzesco, a huge structure which now houses a number of small museums. I will buy you a ticket that will get you into any and all that you want to see. (One museum is dedicated to Leonardo, but it is currently closed with little hope that it will be open in time for our visit.) Return to the hotel by 4:00 and we will then transfer to the First Hotel (+39 0331 71 70 45) located adjacent to Milano/Malpensa. Dinner at nearby Ristorante La Quercia  Bed and breakfast at First Hotel.

Day 15: Monday, 16 October 2017 – Return to USA

The hotel runs a shuttle to the airport every half hour beginning at 4:30 a.m.. It is mandatory that you sign up the night before for an appropriate time. (I may be able to make these arrangements before we arrive. Just make sure that your airline departure time is correctly listed below.) The shuttle only seats eight people so some of us might need to leave a bit earlier than absolutely necessary.

NAME ROOM ARRIVAL DEPARTURE
Laurence Barker Single  10/1 Train from Milano 10/16, UA18, 10:40 (EWE)
Dale & Patsy Meyers Twin/Double  10/1, LH1944, 4:10 (Munich) 10/16, UA18, 10:40 (EWE)
Paul Alessi & Bill Curtis Twin 10/2 Train from Rome 10/16, BA577, 13:20 (Linate) 10/16, AA207, 11:05 (PA)
Ron Jenkins & Dale Fleishman Twin/Double 9/30, Train from Milano 10/16, AA207, 11:05
Robert & Luisa Price Twin/Double 9/30, Train from Torino 10/16, AA219, 10:25, (JFK)
Greg & Judy Parks Twin/Double 10/2, BA2688, 12:10 (LGW-GOA) 10/16 BA573, 11:55, (LHR)
John Blue & Gary Benhke Twin/Double 10/2, DL8547, 11:40 (CDG) 10/16, DL7352, 11:15, (CDG)
Jim & Sharon Fox Twin/Double 10.2 AA206, 9:10 MXP 10/16 BA573, 11:55 (LHR)
Carrol Smith & Sharon Budd Twin 10/2. DL 9544, 13:25 (AMS) (SB) AA206, 9:10 MXP (CS) 10/16, KLM 1628, 6:40A (SB) AA 199, 10:25 (CS)
Rebecca Marti & Paddy Irwin Twin 10/2. DL 9544, 13:25 (AMS) 10/16, DL0419, 10:25, (RM) 10/16 DL 9495, 6:40A (PI)
Claudia & Pete Murray Twin/Double 10/2. DL 9544, 13:25 (AMS) 10/16, BA 583, 8:10 (LHR)
Sara & Charlie Lewis Twin/Double 10/2. DL 9544, 13:25 (AMS) 10/16 DL 9495, 6:40A
Andy &  Paula Vitalich Twin/Double  10/2 Train from Rome 10/16, BA577, 13:20 (Linate)
Jack & Jean Tinnea Twin/Double 10/2, LH1944, 4:10 10/16, AA207, 11:05