DAY 8 – (Tuesday) Florence

Today you tour the city of Florence, with its Renaissance churches, palaces, and plazas; it is a living museum – the essence of Italy. Growing from the banks of the Arno River around 200 BC, it was a prominent power in the 11th and 12th centuries. Trades were organized in powerful guilds, a currency based on the Florin was established, and Florentine cloth was widely traded. It is here, in Florence, that the purest Italian is spoken today. You visit the Uffizi Museum and Gallery to see an extensive collection of paintings from the 13th – 17th centuries. You go to the Duomo Cathedral and the Medici Palace.

This afternoon you participate in a cooking class! You have the opportunity to shop for ingredients in local markets like native Florentines, prepare the meal with the guidance of a master chef and then – the best part – sit down to enjoy the results of your attention to culinary detail. (B,L,D)

Your morning is at leisure; and early in the afternoon, you journey northward from Florence, pausing for a stop in Padua – home of one of the world’s great universities (founded in the 13^th century). Galileo was once a professor here. The school’s anatomy theater, dating from 1594, is perfectly preserved. Within the Scrovegni Chapel, we see a series of 38 frescoes painted by Giotto between 1304 and 1306 depicting the lives of the Virgin and Christ. You also visit the Saint’s Basilica, dedicated to St. Anthony.

Your drive continues to the incredibly fascinating city of Venice – archipelago of more than 100 islands connected by a seemingly endless number of footbridges. With the city’s original layout still intact, you imagine you might come face to face at almost any corner with a medieval gentleman clad in cape and tri-cornered hat. In the afternoon, you check into the distinguished Hotel Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal; and this evening you select from the à la carte menu at the restaurant there. (B,L,D)

Venice invites strolling down walkways and relaxing in cafes, made all the more enjoyable by the absence of motor vehicles. "Horas non numero nisi serenas" –" I count only the happy hours" – is inscribed on sundials here. You go to the Piazza San Marco to see St. Mark’s Cathedral, the Doges’ Palace, and the Bell Tower . You will visit the picturesque island of Murano to shop for original blown glass objects and the island of Burano for hand-made lace items to take home. Join your travel companions tonight at a local restaurant featuring such typical and delicious Venetian dishes as soft-shelled crabs, scallops, lobster, or shrimp prepared with lemon and olive oil, seasoned with pepper and parsley, and risottos prepared in the Venetian style with seafood or local vegetables. (B,L,D)

After breakfast this morning, you bid your farewell to Venice and drive to Vicenza, with its wonderful architectural examples of the work of Andrea di Pietro ("Palladio"), the most eminent architect of Italian High Renaissance. His work is obvious in many of the houses – be sure to note #163 Corso Palladio, the city’s main street, which is a wonderful example of Palladio’s classic lines. You see the Basilica in the Piazza dei Signori, the more ornate Loggia Del Capitaniato, the Teatro Olimpico (thought to have been the first covered theater in Europe and still in use today), and Malcontenta, Palladio's best villa. You have lunch in this fascinating city.

You then journey on to the historic city of Verona, (home of those two young people immortalized by Shakespeare). Its red, pink, and ochre-colored buildings, such a striking contrast to the surrounding cypress forests, made the city a favorite of the Roman emperors; and today, this city continues to be prosperous and elegant. You visit the market place in the Piazza delle Erbe (Square of Herbs), which is the former Roman forum where chariot races were run. Today it is a lively center with stalls of flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

You travel through the province of Lombardy, catching glimpses of shiny lakes and lush green hills with mountains in the background. Upon your arrival in Cernobbio at Lake Como, you check into your lakeside hotel – the Villa d’Este – known worldwide for its elegance, exclusive accommodations, and vast gardens adorned with fountains, statuary, and grottos. Your à la carte dinner at the hotel this evening is served while you enjoy this splendid panorama. (B,L,D)

Today you have the entire day at leisure at this delightful resort along Lake Como, which is shaped like an upside-down Y. Its depth of 1,345 feet distinguishes it as the deepest lake in Europe. Of all the Italian lakes, Como has the most variety. There are olive, walnut, chestnut, fig, and mulberry trees along the shore; appealing villages, private villas, well-tended gardens, and austere castles overlook it all. Sheer cliffs appear at some points along the shore, and the Alps afford a striking accent to the north. You visit an 18^th-century villa, "Villa Valbianello", accessible only by boat. Como has been known for centuries as one of the most significant silk-producing and selling centers in the world. Tonight you have an a la carte dinner at the hotel, overlooking the lake. (B,L,D)

After a short drive this morning, you are in the bustling city of Milan. Thought to be of Celtic origin, the Romans conquered the city in 222 BC. You visit the enormous white marble Duomo Cathedral, with its statues, intricate pinnacles, and belfries, which took more than 400 years to complete; Mark Twain described it as a "poem in marble". Here, you also go to the world-famous opera house (La Scala) and to the Cenacolo Vinciano to see Leonardo da Vinci’s "Last Supper". Visitors to Milan come for shopping and dining as well as to see the sights. Browsing in the "Golden Quarter" (Via Monte Napoleone, Via Spiga, and Via S.Andrea) is always enjoyable. Your hotel in Milan is the Principe di Savoia – the epitome of old-world opulence. This evening, join your companions for cocktails and a farewell dinner at a local restaurant where you can select from such local specialties as savory, thick soups, game dishes, delicate vegetables, and sweet wild strawberries for dessert. (B,L,D).

This morning, your journey comes to an end; and your tour manager escorts you to the airport for your flight home. (B)