arthisto July 7th, 2012

Piazza del Popolo, Rome

What does Art History Alive have to do with the economic crunch in the E.U.? A couple of things:

1. Because the exchange rate is the lowest it has been since 1997, we have chosen to pass that savings on to our clients—you! We have three AHA trips going to Italy this summer and fall, and the prices for these trips have come down significantly.

2.  The E.U. is teetering, tourism is down, and this reminded me of something. After the events of September 11, 2001, I clearly remember Mayor Giuliani on television asking folks to come to New York, and not to give way to fear by staying away. Well, we listened, and one month after that terrible day, we packed up and headed to NYC for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, wondering if the streets would be a bit empty. Quite the opposite! It was one of the largest crowds on record. Santa Claus is always the huge climax to the parade, riding the last float, but I had to cover my ears when the float that preceded Santa passed by. On that float were Mayor Giuliani, the Fire Commissioner, the Police Commissioner, some fire fighters and police officers, and the flag that flew at the World Trade Center site. We were so glad that we had gone to NYC and supported the city in that terrible time.

I feel a bit the same about the E.U. right now. AHA has so many friends in Italy and France who are suffering as their financial systems struggle. I think that it is safe to say that the E. U. needs our travel dollars more than anytime since post WWII, another terrible time for Europe.

Lunch, Italy

In hopes of stimulating more of you to travel, I am lowering the prices on the upcoming AHA trips and designing personal itineraries for the friends and clients who cannot go with us, but will go on their own and want it to be the AHA style. We will create for you, a dream trip based on your desires and our experience. Infused in each itinerary is my enthusiasm and passion, which I cannot help.

Below are our AHA trips with reduced prices. Each one has been created with every detail considered, every lunch and dinner, every warm evening and cobblestoned alley. And now, we can use these to help our friends out of a very tough time, and see wondrous things at the same time.

MUSICA IN TUSCANY – CLOSED
A Castle Courtyard Concert, Hill Towns, and Rome
JULY 12 – 18, 2012
Was $3,300. Now $2,900. Savings $400.00

ROME AND TUSCANY
A Colosseum and a Castle
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 8, 2012
Was $3,900. Now $3,400. Savings $500.00

GERMANY, ALONG THE ROMANTIC ROAD
Cathedrals, Castles, and a Concentration Camp
This itinerary is available for purchase. Call for pricing and your copy for travel at your convenience.

ROMA AMOR: ROME IS LOVE SPELLED BACKWARD
Judith Testa brings her book to life as she shares with us her Rome.
OCTOBER 10 – 17, 2012
Was $4,100. Now $3,600. Savings $500.00

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arthisto January 31st, 2012

Dinner For AHA, Rome

AHA and I will be in Rome three times in 2012. Links to the trip descriptions are below this post. Enjoy Part 2 of ROMA.

I came to Italy for the art, history, ancient architecture, scenic beauty, food, wine, hill towns, landscapes, and, loving it all, I return for Rome.

Why does one place reach out and hug you, and others simply don’t?  No one really knows, but really, who cares? It just happens. When it does, however, it is very personal and very intimate. For some, it’s a sandy- beached island, a mountain perch, an almost silent lake, the sidewalks of Paris, Vienna, or strolling the Giant Sequoias. But when it happens, you know it.

After about 48 hours in Rome, I felt a sense of sinking into it, a yearning to get lost in it. Not in the great sites necessarily. Suddenly the Colosseum and the Forum jumped into the back seat. I wanted to be on a back street in a nondescript neighborhood. I didn’t want to stand out; in fact, quite the opposite. I wanted to blend in, fit, and melt into Rome.

Frances Mayes feels about Tuscany as I do about Rome.  She describes it this way:  “The place took hold of me and shaped me in its image.”  Exactly.

“I wanted an aperture,” she writes elsewhere, “an opportunity to merge with something limitless. Something that takes you out of yourself also restores

Dinner With Our Roman Friends

you to yourself with a greater freedom.” And finally, “I wanted an aperture, an opportunity to merge with something limitless.”

This last quote touches on what many travelers who fall in love with a place often recount: “I felt like I was home.” I love the way Rome swoops me out of myself, fills me to the brim, and returns a wiser, more humbled me. And often, when wandering its tangled web of streets, I feel very small as the enormity of all that Rome has been, is, and will be, surrounds me. How could I not want a repeat of that thrill ride?

Through the ages, Rome has gathered many, many lovers, of which I am but one. When I arrive, we have such a joyous reunion. Rome is all decked out and gives me her full attention. Below are some thoughts by a few of her other lovers:

Living History In Rome

Barbara Gruzzuti Harrison (1934-2002) – “I am happy here; when I or others have bruised my life, I close my eyes against the hurt and think of Rome: as possibility and hope. . . The world is lovable when the world is Rome. . . For the rest of my life I will love Rome and think better of my life having known Rome.”

Johann Goethe (1749-1832) – In Rome you learn to. . . . “See with an eye that can feel, feel with a hand that can see.”

Henry James (1843-1916) – At nineteen years old, “I went reeling and moaning thro’ the streets, in a fever of enjoyment.”  Fifty years later – “No one who has ever loved Rome, as Rome could be loved in youth, wants to stop loving her.”

H. V. Morton (1892-1979) – “I looked down with gratitude upon the city where I had learnt many things; but one does not say goodbye to Rome.”

Judith Testa – (During my first visit) . . .”A strange energy surged through me, a passion for the place which has never faded but only increased with each subsequent visit.  Whenever I return to Rome, I experience that same anticipation, energy, and excitement.”

Jim Quist – “I love Rome simply because it’s Italian.”

AHA and I will be in Rome three times in 2012. Funny, even after twenty years, just writing those words, “I will be in Rome”, puts a smile on my face and pulls at my heart.  I would love to share it with you.

Musica in Tuscany: July 12 – 18, 2012, includes two days in Rome.

Rome and Tuscany: September 30 – October 8, 2012, includes four full days in Rome.

Roma Amor: Rome Is Love Spelled Backward: October 10 – 17, 2012, is a full week in Rome guided by Judith Testa, PhD, author of the book by the same name, and myself. A daring duo of like-minded pilgrims are we.

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arthisto January 18th, 2012

Ghosts of the Caesars, Evening, Roman Forum

There is an Italian expression, “Roma, non basta una vita,” which means that for Rome, a lifetime is not enough life to really know her.

Not even close. But knowing Rome would be the destination and getting to know her, the journey. I never want my journey to end. I love this city with all my heart.

Why is it that of all of the wonderful places I have visited in my traveling life, Rome, above all others, gripped me, holds me, and haunts me?

I have wrestled with this question for twenty years. Friends do not understand why I keep returning when there is so much more “out there” to see. They ask if I will guide a trip to Greece or Hong Kong. I smile, as I think about those amazing places and say, “Maybe, someday.” But in my head I am saying, “I don’t want to. I want to go back to Rome.” There is still, after countless visits, so much of Rome that I long to understand, be familiar with, and appreciate.

Maybe it can be explained this way. When I buy a car, I think it through, wrangle, and weigh every aspect and option, and by the time my decision is made, I am in love with it and drive it for years. I’ve sort of sunk my teeth into it, very unlike the car buyer who enjoys flipping cars every couple of years. That is the kind of traveler that I have become as well. I am determined to catch the spirit of a place and sink my teeth in.  When I am not traveling I am reading, highlighting, margin noting, and learning more deeply about Rome.   A list of destinations to see in this world and tick off could not be more unappealing to me.

However, it hasn’t always been that way. In 1989, I was traveling around Europe with my list in hand, happily visiting Switzerland, Paris, Florence, all beautiful and stimulating, tick, tick, tick. Not sinking my teeth into any of them. But then we arrived in Rome, and everything changed. Only this time, I was blindsided as I felt Rome sink her teeth into me! How?

One thing I am sure of is that there is more than one answer to this question. In Part 2 of ROME: Life Is Not Long Enough To Know All Of Rome, I will

My Happy Place

discuss a few, and maybe you will feel your reaction to a special place being described.

As a guest with Art History Alive, my intense passion for Rome and its living history, will be my gift to you. Travelers will have three opportunities to visit and get to know Rome with AHA in 2012.

Musica in Tuscany: July 12 – 18, 2012, includes two days in Rome.

Rome and Tuscany: September 30 – October 8, 2012, includes four full days in Rome.

Roma Amor: Rome Is Love Spelled Backward: October 10 – 17, 2012, is a full week in Rome guided by Judith Testa, PhD, author of the book by the same name, and myself. A daring duo of like-minded pilgrims are we.

In Part Two of ROMA, I will also share news on a few of the fantastically characteristic boutique hotels that AHA now reserves for its guests—a converted cloister, quiet and tucked away, an 11^th-century tower, with one room on each of its five floors, and a pretty guest house gem on a quiet street near the Tiber River—all unique, pristine, and located in the historic center of this amazing city. I have visited each and every one of these hotels, plus many others that did not make the AHA list of preferred properties. Only the best for AHA guests—that is my promise.

Come experience Rome as part of a small group of other intellectually curious travelers. We would love to have you.

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arthisto August 30th, 2011

Evening in the Roman Forum

ITALY – ROME AND TUSCANY: A Colosseum and a Castle
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 8, 2012 ~ 9 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE: 6 – 8
Price was: $3,900.00  Price now: $3,400

Savings: $500.00

NOTE: Below is a good example of just what travel is like with ART HISTORY ALIVE. If you find that this post does not pique your interest, then you may not be a good fit for AHA, but if you begin reading and find yourself wanting to read and learn more, it is ten times better when we are there.  Cynthia

Eventually, all roads should lead to the awesome city of Rome at least once in a lifetime. Jim and I have traveled far and wide in this world, but since our discovery of Italy in 1987, we return every chance we get. And in all of that little boot, Rome has the strongest draw for us.  Cumulatively, we have spent over 4 months in that city, and still we keep going back. Of everywhere we have been, Rome holds for us the richest and most stimulating bounty of art, history, architecture (which is an art), and culture, hands down.  And the people . . . . . . . !

• Why did Michelangelo sign only one piece of art and which one was it?
• Why is the almost 2000 year-old Pantheon in such perfect condition when buildings in the Forum, of the same age, are rubble?
• Why is St. Peter’s Basilica the most popular church in Rome, and the world, when Rome’s St. John Lateran was the first Christian church to be built?
• Where is the white travertine exterior that once covered the Colosseum walls?
• Where are the gilded bronze tiles that once covered the roof of the Pantheon?
• What did the terms Middle Ages and Dark Ages describe?

On warm evenings we will sit in outside cafés on cobblestone alleys and watch the most interesting people in the world stroll by. We will shop, rest and overall, catch the Spirit of Rome which, you will want to take home with you.

Next it is off to the hills of Tuscany in our spacious, panoramic-windowed van toward the tiny hill town of Proceno, in southern Tuscany. However, on our way, we will drive up a hill to soaring Orvieto for a delicious lunch and the first of many an awe inspiring wander. No one actually knows the age of Orvieto, however we do know that around 750 B.C. the Etruscans thrived here, inheriting it from their Iron and Bronze Age ancestors. How exciting it is to visit a city that has survived for thousands of years, with its bustle interrupted only once, in the 14th century, by the Black Plague.  We will meander at our own pace through Orvieto‘s crown jewel, her Cathedral, with its brightly colored mosaic facade. Built over a mere 300 years, it holds precious art that I love to visit and share.

Forty minutes deeper into beautiful Tuscany and we will arrive at Castello di Proceno. This castle/fortress was built in the 11th century and has been creatively redesigned into several beautiful apartments. This is my favorite landing spot in all of Tuscany.

Once we check in and relax a bit, we will take a walk around town so that you can get your bearings. It isn’t difficult as it is tiny, but the views, in all directions are dreamlike, no, actually they are “calendarlike“. I will introduce you to Pucci and Giovanni, the owners of the castle, Roberto the grocer, where you can buy anything from locally made salami, to bedroom slippers, and Gianfranco, of Trattoria da Gianfranco. The castle will be our home for the next four days as we explore more picturesque hill towns and savor some of the most delicious food and wine you will have ever tasted.

On the list of must sees, in these first four days, are the cathedral of Sovana, that took so long to build that it actually spans two architectural periods. So, as we sit in the back of the church you will see that two of its three aisles are Romanesque and the third is Gothic. Amazing! The hill town hamlet of Pienza that was, luckily for us, caught in a time warp. During the first half of the 1400′s, Pope Pius II, responsible for the revitalization and redesigning of his beloved hometown, was called away to raise troops for a crusade to the Holy Land. He left a Papal Bull, in beautiful Latin, that stated nothing should be touched until his return. Unfortunately, in 1465 he died while away, and Pienza dutifully has left everything just as it was. Because of this, a visit to Pienza gives us a real time snapshot of Tuscan life in the 1400′s. Pienza was miraculously spared during World War II bombing raids, however the machine gun holes in the exterior side wall of the cathedral are a reminder of what happened here when both Germans and Americans took turns occupying Pienza and the surrounding towns. This is a fascinating area with lots to explore, learn and taste. Brunellos come from this region, as does a most delicious soft, not salty, pecorino cheese.

And who can be in this area and not visit the most haunting of all hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio?

Not me! Civita sits a top a rock spur, built entirely of rock taken from the spur, it appears to be something organic that simply grew out of the mountain. However, because of earthquakes over the centuries much of the spur and city have dropped away, leaving Civita sitting like a diamond nestled in a round solitaire setting. There is one approach to the city, a walking bridge that spans the gorge that encircles Civita.

Often, in the morning, the city is engulfed in clouds or fog and it appears that the bridge leads to no where. Sometimes the fog fills just the gorge with Civita above as if floating in the sky. This is like nothing else you would have seen up to this point, and you will remember it always. Comfortable walking shoes, a camera, and a hefty appetite are a must for Civita da Bagnoregio.

Following our explorations of Tuscany we will say good bye to our castle and new friends, and head for Rome and flights home.

Physical Level: Moderate

Art History Alive will offer seven destinations in 2012! Great places to visit, more interesting things to learn, and very small groups. Over the next few weeks I will post a list of recommended reading and movies, destination specific, that will allow you to front load your travel experience.

You will notice that we have added an itinerary that includes my absolute favorite places in California.  If Europe is not on

your radar screen for this year, consider touring the best that California has to offer.  I am a fifth generation Californian and would love to show you around.  I think that you will agree, this is wonderful line up and I sincerely hope that you will share it with your friends and family.

We are very happy to announce:

• Early booking benefits
• Alumni discounts
• Refundable deposits

The NEW money saving opportunities are on the Specials and Discounts Page. These trips can fill up fast so early booking is important and saves you money.

All trips include: Hotels, all meals and house wines, (well, you don’t have to have wine with breakfast) ground transportation, museum admissions, and travel insurance.

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arthisto January 25th, 2011

Our Home in Tuscany, Castello di Proceno

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CAPTURING TUSCANY AND SORRENTO

SEPTEMBER 26 – October 3, 2011 ~ 8 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE: 6
PRICE PER PERSON: $3,800.00

This is an AHA first, combining two drastically different yet incredibly picturesque areas of Italy.  Your opportunity to get to know the rugged Amalfi Coast and the soft hills of Tuscany, their art, history and as part of a small group of just six.

Tuscany, the land of cobblestoned hill towns, delicious food and wine, and Etruscan history.  Our landing spot will be the tiny hill town of Proceno, in southern Tuscany, and our rooms at Castello di Proceno.

This castle/fortress was built in the 11th century, is perched high up on a rocky spur, and has been creatively redesigned into several beautiful apartments. This is my favorite place in all of Tuscany. Once we check in and relax a bit, we will take a walk around town so that you can get your bearings. The views, in all directions are dreamlike, no, actually they are “calendar-like”. I will introduce you to Pucci and Giovanni, the owners of the castle, Roberto the grocer, where you can buy anything from locally made salami, to bedroom slippers, and Gianfranco, of Trattoria da Gianfranco. The castle will be our home for the next four days.

Some of the must-sees in this area include, the cathedral of Sovana, that took so long to build, it actually spans two architectural periods, hundreds of years apart.  As we sit in the back of the church you will see that two of its three aisles are Romanesque and the third is Gothic. Amazing and totally unique.

WW II Bullet Holes, Cathedral, Pienza

Then there is the hill town hamlet of Pienza that was, luckily for us, caught in a time warp. During the first half of the 1400′s, Pope Pius II, responsible for the revitalization and redesigning of his beloved hometown, was called away to raise troops for a crusade to the Holy Land. He left a Papal Bull, in beautiful Latin, that stated nothing should be touched until his return. Unfortunately, in 1465 he died while away, and Pienza dutifully has left everything just as it was. Because of this, a visit to Pienza gives us a real time snapshot of Tuscan life in the 1400′s. Pienza was miraculously spared during World War II bombing raids, however the machine gun holes in the exterior side wall of the cathedral are a reminder of what happened here when both Germans and Americans took turns occupying Pienza and the surrounding towns. This is a fascinating area with lots to explore, learn, taste and photograph. Brunellos come from these hills, as does a most delicious soft, not salty, pecorino cheese.

Civita di Bagnoregio

And who can be in this area and not visit the most haunting of all hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio? Not me! Civita sits a top a rock outcrop , built entirely of that same rock, it appears to be something organic that simply grew out of the mountain. However, because of earthquakes over the centuries much of the spur and city have dropped away, leaving Civita sitting like a diamond nestled in a round solitaire setting. There is one approach to the city, a walking bridge that spans the gorge that encircles Civita. Often, in the morning, the city is engulfed in clouds or fog and it appears that the bridge leads to no where. Sometimes the fog fills just the gorge with Civita above as if floating in the sky. This is like nothing else you would have seen up to this point, and you will remember it always. Comfortable walking shoes, your camera, and a hefty appetite are a must for Civita di Bagnoregio.

Saying our goodbyes to Tuscany we will hop the speedy Eurostar to Naples, and onto gorgeous Sorrento. We will stay in Sorrento, at the beautiful Hotel Antiche Mura.  Sorrento, is built high above the Mediterranean on a flat plateau, here you can walk to the edge and look straight

From The Top Of Capri

down the cliff into the warm, see-through water. Here, where centuries ago pirates marauded, we will wander the alleyways, visit Pompeii, and Capri, capturing its spirit.  With all of the fresh seafood, pastas, crispy white wines and frosty limoncello that you can take in, within a picturesque fishing village and with Mt. Vesuvius as a back drop to photograph, you will ask yourself, “Can it get any better than this?” Nope!

Which will be your favorite? Cobblestoned Tuscany, with its full o’flavor wines and where you met the locals and stayed in a castle, or the warm seafront terraces and fishing villages of the Amalfi Coast? These will be ongoing comparisons that may never have a definitive conclusion. As for me, after 20 years of loving these places, I could say it’s like comparing apples and oranges, but it’s not, it’s cobblestones and lemons.

Physical level: Moderate

In General:

AHA is great places to visit, more interesting things to learn, and very small groups. Over the next few weeks I will post a list of recommended reading and movies, destination specific, that will allow you to front load your travel experience.

You will notice that we have added two itineraries that include my absolute favorite places in California.  I hope that some of you will consider touring the best that California has to offer.  I am a fifth generation Californian and would love to show you around.

We are very happy to announce:

• Early booking benefits
• Alumni discounts
• Refundable deposits

The NEW money saving opportunities are on the Specials and Discounts Page. These trips can fill up fast so early booking is important and saves you money.

All trips include: Hotels, all meals and house wines, (well, you don’t have to have wine with breakfast) ground transportation, and museum admissions.

• A New Itinerary , architecture , Art and History , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , painting , price , sculpture , Trip Advice , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip
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arthisto December 12th, 2009

Lago di Como

“My commitment to cultural immersion travel is strong. That is why I insist on research trips.  I continue seeking out sites, smells, and tastes that will envelope and enrich my AHA guests.  This is a different kind of travel, a more personal approach, with a focus on a deeper understanding of a culture other than our own.”  -Cynthia Quist

Wonderful discoveries and some dismal disappointments.  That sums up three weeks of pretty intense research in Italy for Jim and I.  We worked hard, ate a lot, and took notes on everything.  One difficult night, the only consolation that we had, as we laid awake in our two tiny twin beds in a HOT, stuffy room with a party going on outside our windows, was the knowledge that you, our guests, would never have to experience this.  On the other hand, in Sorrento, where we had booked for just two nights, everything was so perfect that we longed to extend our stay.

Our itinerary: Paris 3 days, Lake Como 3 days, Tuscany 6 days, Rome 5 days, Sorrento 2 days.

We covered a large part of that little boot, (and sometimes felt as though we had been kicked by it).  The good news is that our guests benefit from the good and the ill.  Based on our pages of notes we will create a beautiful and delicious new Italian Itinerary for 2011.  It will be a Northern Italian trip to include The Lakes region, Florence, and Northern Tuscany.  If you are interested in the new itinerary, keep your eye on this blog.

But for the present, if you are interested in a, post-battle report on our three week sojourn, here you go.

Paris Bakery

Paris: Hotel Pas du Calais remains a favorite, with its warm and welcoming staff, pretty rooms, delicious breakfast, and a perfect location on the Left Bank.

We will be adding the beautiful town and immense cathedral of Chartres to our Paris itinerary in the future.  A beautiful day trip from Paris.  We discovered new parts of Versailles to explore, and some that we weren’t supposed to be in.  Oops!

The food in Paris was a dismal disappointment, and it shouldn’t ever be that way.  We ate at all types of eateries, and found the bistros and brasseries to be most dependable.  The two star Micheline, with it’s fish foam, will surly appeal to some, but I think I lost weight in Paris.  Our favorite brasserie, is as delicious as ever and I wouldn’t miss eating there for anything.  However, the day we left Paris we felt we were fleeing the land of butter, cream, and Bordeaux wines, and were in a hurry to arrive in the land of tomatoes, olive oil, and brunello.

Lakeside lunch at the San Giorgio

Lake Como: The four star Grand Hotel Imperiale was a bit of a disappointment.  But the very peaceful Hotel San Giorgio was adorable and is calling to me this very minute.  Located on the lake with a large gently rolling lawn, dotted with lawn furniture and easing down to the lapping edge of the lake, is the place for me.  Not trying to be something it is not, it exudes character, delicious food, and a lakeside walk into the little town of Lenno.  From here you can catch a boat to other pretty towns on the banks of the lake, never having to get into a car.  All of this with the snow capped Swiss Alps looming above you.  This place was magic and I will be sure that my guests have enough time here to really let down.

We landed on four wonderful restaurants here.  The garden and terrace restaurant at the San Giorgio, where Jim swears he had the best pizza of his life and I had a beautifully presented caprese salad.  After lunch it was all we could do not to drop into one of the hotel lounges for a nap.  If we had been guests of the San Giorgio, that is exactly what we would have done, but instead we walked to Lenno and did some exploring.  Darling!

Another wonderful discovery was Trattoria Del Fagiano (guinea fowl), high up above the lake, each course in this great place was perfect.  Maria Louisa and Enza run the front, and you better clean your plate or you are going to hear about it.  Wilma is in

The Fagiano Crew

the kitchen with Chef Gabriele, who masterminds the absolutely delicious country Italian fare, and Mr. Giorgio (Wilma’s husband) runs the bar and makes the oh so important espressos.  I cannot wait to share Trattoria Del Fagiano with AHA travelers!  The Italian menu was daunting so Maria Luisa took over.  If you are interested, below is a description of what she decided we were going to enjoy at this eatery.
Antipasti: Paper thin prosciutto with shaved parmigiano cheese, sauteed mushrooms, bruschetta topped with bacon, braseola with melted mozzarella, drizzled with vinegar.  At that point, and I know that you know this feeling, I was pretty much done.  Oh no, no, no.  Primi piatti – house twisted pasta with a sauce of  light tomato and ground fagiano, plus the lightest crepe ever, oozing a bechamel sauce, rolled then sliced very thinly, smothered in fresh tomatoes and baked in the oven.  OK, now its not funny.  Remember those elastic waisted pants I bought before departure, yeah well, you can imagine where I am going with this when Maria Louisa arrives at our table with a wild boar stew served over country polenta.  Yeah, not to filling.  But hey, I told myself I was doing it all for you, the reader and traveler, it was my responsibility, right?  Jim looked across the table at me and gasped something rather negative about our food in Paris . . . .

Prosciutto on melon

A departure from the country food is the Imperialino. Very, very beautiful terrace dining, lakeside.  Service was impeccable and yet friendly, and the food was absolutely wonderful.  I just have to mention my antipasti.  I ordered Prosciutto and melon and that is what I received but the presentation was amazing.  Thin slices of cantaloupe covered the bottom of my huge plate, but someone had taken the thin prosciutto and fashioned it delicately into the shape of a rose in full bloom sitting on top.  I will look forward to sharing this quiet, elegant restaurant with guests.

And finally, La Locanda.  This place you have to experience to believe.  Located on the only island on Lake Como, we arrived by boat to a very famous, yet casual six course lunch, under a tree on the terrace.  Please!!!!  It just could not have been more perfect.  This became a must for all of the AHA trips to the Lake Como area.  Take a look at their website.  Too fun!

From Lago Di Como we headed south to Pienza, located in the heart of Tuscany for the next six days, stopping for lunch in Cremona.  Cremona is the town where Stradivari lived and created his perfect violins, now on display, and I have wanted to visit for many years.  It was not a disappointment.

Abbey of Saint Antimo, Tuscany

Tuscany:  Staying in a beautifully redesigned farmhouse on top of a hill, we relished traveling through the area at a very leisurely pace.  The high points were the 12th century Abby of Saint Antimo, where the resident Gregorian monks chant . . . .  stunning.  The beef steak restaurant, Osteria Acquacheto, so good we went twice, the town of Montepulciano, and the perfect Renaissance town of Pienza.  There were some disappointments that taught us where not to go as well.  Restaurants that are full and bustling, but without an Italian in the place.  We were in Italy, right?  Or were we in Germany or England?  Several got scratched off of our list, and that is a good thing.

Rome: Continues to amaze us and we have been visiting annually for over 20 years, with guests and on our own.  Exploration of some sites we’d not seen before proved fruitful.  The hillside town of Tivoli, just outside of Rome, with its two enormous villas will make a great addition to a week long itinerary in Rome.  This would be a day trip, out of the bustling city to visit the ancient Roman Villa Adriana, lunch and then visit the Villa ‘d’Este c. 1565.  Both have gorgeous gardens, gushing fountains, and views of Rome.  A super way to spend an easy day, I loved it there. We were disappointed with a restaurant that we have been enjoying for years, because it decided to go up market.  So, whereas their pizza and pastas were wonderful, they have been replaced with items like parmigiano mousse served with middle eastern flat bread.  What?  I am in Italy, right?  Too bad.  But, the Enoteca (wine bar) near the bottom of the Spanish Steps, and Ciampini, at the top, were just as great as ever!

Home with patio, c.79 AD - Herculaneum

Sorrento: This has become a favorite.  Perhaps the fact that  beautiful Hotel Antiche Mura pampers us is part of the reason we keep returning? Perhaps that, as well as the aqua waters lapping on the shore, the slower pace, the pirate history, the fresh seafood and icy white wines, and the limoncello?   Yeah, that’s probably it.  In Sorrento it is easy for me to wrap my guests up in history and culture.  It is a place to let down, slow down, and just be.  A must for AHA clients.

This trip we visited Herculaneum (in Italian, Ercolano) for the first time.  A seaside city destroyed by the same volcanic eruption that flattened Pompeii, in 79 AD, but smaller and better preserved.  Unlike Pompeii, in Herculaneum we found full homes that survived with their artwork still on the walls.  I was able to walk through a home in which the dining room looked out onto a garden with a patio complete with patio furniture.   I stood in the kitchen gazing out the window at the garden imagining that more than 1,930 years ago, a woman just like me, had done the same thing.  Perhaps she wondered what kind of weather they would have that day, as she watched her children play with a pet.  Suffice to say, that in Herculaneum, one could easily step back in time, and I loved it. I will look forward to sharing this experience with guests.

I began this post with my commitment to you, the AHA guest.  I hope that as you have read this article, it has become clear just how I will immerse you.  My goal is to envelope you in the people, the art, history, music, and food of the places we explore.  Complete Cultural Immersion, hope you can swim!

Happy Travels

• After Trip Report , Art and History , Destination Updates , destinations , Upcoming Trip
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arthisto September 4th, 2009

Taking a break

AHA is developing a wonderful new itinerary for 2011, Lake Como and Northern Tuscany.  The design is a good one, blending lakeside lounging with a Swiss Alp backdrop, and cobblestone hilltowns, art, history, and culture.  Nice combo.

Art History Alive, that would be my husband Jim and myself, will spend three weeks in Italy, this fall, on what we like to call a research and development trip.  We love this part of the job!

Research and development are really key to AHA.  We never take guests to a place that we are not completely familiar with.  To accomplish this, about one year in advance, we design a new itinerary, do tons of research, and then take it on the road.  (Oh well, somebodys’ gotta do it.)  Because the area is often new to us, we are in new and different hotels, trying as many restaurants as possible, driving the roads, and wandering the alleyways.  We search out and visit the artwork we’ve researched, logging miles and shortcuts, and finding the smoothest routes from A to B, B to C, etc., all the while taking copious notes.  Those notes, our leg work and taste buds eventually develop into a new itinerary for our guests.

Two of the hotels, in which we have chosen to stay this time, are Hotel Imperiale, on the lake, and La Bandita, in Tuscany.  However, we have others that we will be visiting, while in both areas.  All of this so that we can offer a new Italian itinerary that will take guests to a gorgeous part of Italy, where they will sleep in a place that has its own historical significance, and where they can trust they will enjoy the most delicious food the area has to offer. In an effort to leave nothing to chance, we will have tried them all, well, . . . not all.

By the time we return home to California, we will have a new trip developed, and have, after all, spent three weeks together in some of our favorite places.

• Cremona – Home to several original Stradivari violins
• Florence – To see Cimabue’s Crucifix
• Proceno – To visit our lovely friends and their castle
• Roma – Our favorite city and more wonderful friends
• Sorrento – Because we can
• Herculaneum – A seaside town and buried treasure, that did not survive the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

I will look forward to posting on our travel discoveries when I return.  Until then, I am off to buy some elastic waisted slacks.

Chow, oops, I mean Ciao.

• Art and History
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arthisto July 10th, 2009

We have space available on this tour, but you will need to move quickly.  Rooms are being booked, train reservation are being made, and emails are flying.  If you would like to be a part of this small group that will see Italy the AHA way, just fill out the application and hit the submit button, or contact me directly at 831.475.3807 or aha@arthistoryalive.com.

Naturally, I am so looking forward to this trip to Tuscany with its hilltowns and castles, and then the beauty of Sorrento and Positano hanging on the cliffs above the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. What a gorgeous combination. Four days of enjoying hearty Tuscan cuisine and wines while exploring ancient Etruscan towns as well as beautiful Renaissance jewel-like hilltowns. Then off to the Southern Riviera of Italy, the Amalfi Coast. Here, just south of Naples, there is an entirely different feeling, food, wine, and history.

A more detailed description of the trip is below.  Enjoy!

TUSCANY AND THE AMALFI COAST
SEPTEMBER 16–24, 2009
9 DAYS GROUP SIZE: 6
PRICE PER PERSON $5,000.00

After arriving in Rome and having our first cappuccino in Italy together, we will gather into our spacious, panoramic-windowed van and travel toward the tiny hill town of Proceno, in southern Tuscany. However, on our way, we will drive up a hill to soaring Orvieto for a delicious lunch and the first of many an awe inspiring wander. No one actually knows the age of Orvieto, however we do know that around 750 B.C. the Etruscans thrived here, inheriting it from their Iron and Bronze Age ancestors. How exciting it is to visit a city that has survived for thousands of years, with its bustle interrupted only once, in the 14th century, by the Black Plague. We will meander at our own pace through Orvieto’s crown jewel, her Cathedral, with its brightly colored mosaic facade. Built over a mere 300 years, it holds precious art that I love to visit and share. So, within two hours of landing in Italy you will be immersed in its ancient beauty, and this will just be the beginning.

Forty minutes deeper into beautiful Tuscany and we will arrive at Castello di Proceno. This castle/fortress was built in the 11th century and has been creatively redesigned into several beautiful apartments. This is my favorite landing spot in all of Tuscany. Once we check in and relax a bit, we will take a walk around town so that you can get your bearings. It isn’t difficult as it is tiny, but the views, in all directions are dreamlike, no, actually they are “calendar-like”. I will introduce you to Pucci and Giovanni, the owners of the castle, Roberto the grocer, where you can buy anything from locally made salami, to bedroom slippers, and Gianfranco, of Trattoria da Gianfranco. The castle will be our home for the next four days as we explore more picturesque hilltowns and savor some of the most delicious food and wine you will have ever tasted.

On the list of must sees, in these first four days, are the cathedral of Sovana, that took so long to build that it actually spans two architectural periods. So, as we sit in the back of the church you will see that two of its three aisles are Romanesque and the third is Gothic. Amazing! The hilltown hamlet of Pienza that was, luckily for us, caught in a time warp. During the first half of the 1400′s, Pope Pius II, responsible for the revitalization and redesigning of his beloved hometown, was called away to raise troops for a crusade to the Holy Land. He left a Papal Bull, in beautiful Latin, that stated nothing should be touched until his return. Unfortunately, in 1465 he died while away, and Pienza dutifully has left everything just as it was. Because of this, a visit to Pienza gives us a real-time snapshot of Tuscan life in the 1400′s. Pienza was miraculously spared during World War II bombing raids, however the machine gun holes in the exterior side wall of the cathedral are a reminder of what happened here when both Germans and Americans took turns occupying Pienza and the surrounding towns. This is a fascinating area with lots to explore, learn and taste. Brunellos come from here as does a most delicious soft, not salty, pecorino cheese.

And who can be in this area and not visit the most haunting of all hilltowns, Civita di Bagnoregio? Not me! Civita sits a top a rock spur, built entirely of rock taken from the spur, it appears to be something organic that simply grew out of the mountain. However, because of earthquakes over the centuries much of the spur and city have dropped away, leaving Civita sitting like a diamond nestled in a round solitaire setting. There is one approach to the city, a walking bridge that spans the gorge that encircles Civita. Often, in the morning, the city is engulfed in clouds or fog and it appears that the bridge leads to no where. Sometimes the fog fills just the gorge with Civita above as if floating in the sky. This is like nothing else you would have seen up to this point, and you will remember it always. Comfortable walking shoes, a camera, and a hefty appetite are a must for Civita da Bagnoregio.

Eventually, we will have to say goodbye to our castle and Tuscany, and head south to Rome where we will jump a fast train and travel further south to the dramatic Amalfi Coast. This is the land of old lemon trees, heavy with the fruit that will lend itself to that delicious, yellow, after dinner concoction, limoncello. The land of soft buffalo milk mozzarella, and fresh fish. While here we will divide our time between Sorrento and Positano. Even though they are only separated by a one hour drive, they are so beautiful and unique unto themselves, that I want you to experience both. Sorrento is built high above the Mediterranean on a flat plateau, where you can walk to the edge and look straight down into the warm, see-through water. Positano is built in a cove and its villas, hotels, shops and restaurants look like pastel building blocks tumbled down a hill. Here, overlooking the aqua waters of the Mediterranean, where centuries ago pirates marauded, we will wander, shop, visit Pompeii, Capri, and maybe even Amalfi, mostly by sea. With all the fresh seafood and crispy white wines you can take in, you will ask yourself, “Can it get any better than this?” Nope!

Which will be your favorite? Cobblestoned Tuscany, with its full o’flavor red wines and where you met the locals and stayed in a castle, or the warm seafront terraces and fishing villages of the Amalfi Coast? These will be ongoing comparisons that may never have a definitive conclusion. As for me, after 20 years of loving these places, I could say it’s like comparing apples and oranges, but it’s not, it’s cobblestones and lemons.
Physical level:  Strenuous

• Art and History , Destination Updates , Upcoming Trip
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