PAI 2015 Tour Photos Posted!
Photographs from the 2015 PAI Tour have finally been posted!
The 2015 PAI (Passionate About Italy) Tour took place during September/October. A keen group of cultural enthusiasts, including a number of seasoned PAI veterans, travelled to Italy for a 26 day tour of discovery.
Following a prelude in Rome which included visits to Hadrian’s Villa, Villa d’Este and the fascinating archaeological site of Ostia Antica, the group moved north into Etruscan territory. From a base near Lake Bolsena we explored the heritage of this ancient civilisation in towns such as Orvieto, Viterbo and Tarquinia and at evocative sites like Norcia and Cerveteri. We also enjoyed exploring the Renaissance gardens of the Villa Lante and the Sacro Bosco at Bomarzo. En route to our next home away from home, an elegant villa in central Tuscany, we heard Cistercian monks chanting at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo and admired the fresco cycle in the cloister of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. From the Villa Alba we were well placed to visit Livorno on the Tuscan coast, the Island of Elba and several historic inland cities, including Pisa, Lucca and Volterra – as well as cooking up a storm in the villa’s professional kitchen! Before moving on to Liguria we relaxed in the grounds of several Lucchese villas, dropped in on Puccini at Torre del Lago and Pietra Santa “The City of Artists”. We were welcomed to our Agriturismo accommodation near Framura with open arms by generous hosts, Lidia and Guido, and with their assistance we enjoyed exploring the coastal region of Liguria from the Cinque Terre through to Portofino, travelling variously by foot, by rail, ferry, private bus and car. The final phase of our journey took us to the intriguing city of Genoa with its unique mix of old and new, and to Milan for a night at the opera and a shopping spree! Yet another rewarding PAI adventure!
Go to: Travel – PAI Cultural Tours – and follow the links to the 2015 Tour page:
http://acuriousbirdcom.fatcow.com/travel/
