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ITALY TOUR2006 Tour Article 1 |
2006 Tour Article 2 | 2008 Tour | 2008 Tour Signup | 2005 Tour Article
Petaluma Retailer Hosts Successful Tour of Italy's Umbria
Petaluma, CA - Karla Schikore, owner of Haus Fortuna in the Old Petaluma Mill, recently
returned from hosting a tour of the Umbrian region of Italy for 28 of her best customers. "Signora
Fortuna", as she is known to her many Italian artisan friends, acted as the personal guide to the
verdant heart and artistic soul of Italy. Throughout the 10-day excursion, Karla introduced tour
participants to her personal friends among the artisans, vintners, chefs and craftspeople who live
and work in the lush, celebrated Umbrian region of Italy. This was no 'whirlwind' trip - the group
traveled as little as 1 to 2 hours per day. Centralized lodgings allowed the tour participants to
unpack just once, and their itinerary gave them ample time for individual exploration, or plain old
relaxation.
One thing that marked the tour was the extraordinary level of personalization. For example, Karla
had souvenir menus printed on each plate, at each meal. She also prepared lots of surprises and
surprise gifts, such as when the group went to see 250,000 olive trees, the vendor put hanging
bottles of olive oil on the trees as a surprise for each visitor!
At the Spello Infiorata flower festival, the group saw extraordinary art work done on the ground
using flowers, which looked like rugs when completed.
The group participated in a cooking class, where participants made 2 different kinds of pasta,
pizza, and various types of antipasti, while wearing aprons embroidered with the date of the visit.
The class teacher, Chef Archimede, signed each aprons and presented each one a little cook
book of the recipe's they had created that day.
The group joined in on a truffle hunt in a secret area and were accompanied by a truffle hunting
dog. They also lunched on fresh caught salmon trout at a trout farm located in a wonderful area
surrounded by trees and beautiful streams.
At Orvieto, they visited the Etruscan tombs and museums including a guided tour of the duomo
(church), the 3rd largest in Italy. This was followed by lunch in one of Orvieto's many caves.
While visiting the medieval mountain towns of Foligno they had the opportunity to witness the
dress rehearsal for the La Quintana - a festival that dates form medieval times. They were
fortunate to see the dress rehearsal of the Knight Competition on horseback, where the knights
were arrayed in full armor, each costume weighing from 30-50 pounds. In the competition, each
knight uses a 32 pound lance to snare the prized rings while galloping on their horses at full
speed.
All tour participants enjoyed special discounts at all factories and artisan shops they visited, and
Haus Fortuna provided the shipping so that their treasured purchases arrived home safe and
sound. So successful was this initial effort that Karla already has 15 reservations for next year's
journey...and she has yet to decide on an itinerary.
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'I teach ancient cultures. To be able to walk, to touch, to visualize the accomplishments of this culture was amazing. To feel the honor and pride in the work that is crafted by the people we met was incredible. No matter if it was painting, weaving or harvesting the olives, it was accomplished with love. Friends have been made. Memories have been forever etched within our hearts.'
-- Annette and Vic Zimmerman, Rohnert Park
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'What we loved the most was Umbria's fertile landscape. Vineyards and olive groves all set on the backdrop of ancient hill towns. It is truly the verdant green heart of Italy. In Spello (the town we stayed in) they have a festival of flowers called "Le Infiorate Di Spello" Families trace out elaborate murals on the ground and fill in the spaces with flower petals. They were the most beautiful and fragrant floral displays we've ever seen. Bravo!'
Dan & Patricia Burns, Rohnert Park
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'What a pleasure to be close to where my Dad was born and to hear his first language -- so heartwarming. The villages are so interesting. The valley is lush with crops, trees, flowers, and hills in the distance. The food is delicious, too!'
-- Deanne Cadman, Santa Rosa
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'I think I will always remember that we all had such a good time with our guide Francesca and bus driver Giorgio (even though neither spoke English) -- and that both cried as they dropped us off at the airport. You would have thought they would been relieved to see us off with all the adventures we put them through!'
Dot Zanotti Ingels, San Rafael
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'I have fond memories of our cooking class, working together to make our meal and eating it, too. The pasta may have been a little tough, but we're beginners. We visited a balsamic vinegar company. It is right across from the winery. Makes sense! I was impressed by the number of barrels the vinegar is aged in to get to the final product. Karla and the tour people were fantastic and did little things that made the trip special. They went out of their way for many of us.'
Janet Ely, San Francisco
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'Being on this trip was like living in an Imax movie for 8 days -- only you could reach out and 'touch' it. Everywhere one turned, the views and villages with their magnificent cathedrals forced one to stop and just savor the moment. A camera could not do it justice. The tour included things that a normal tourist would never get the chance to see and do. The tours of the factories in Deruta, the knowledge and secrets one got to take away from the master chef on how to cook that 'special' Italian meal, the personal tour by the owner of Viola Olive Oil, and the exciting truffle hunt with the dog were experiences one could never forget. Karla's tour of Umbria is one that most would just dream about. If she's going to repeat it -- one should run, not walk, to book it! It's that special!'
-- Bonnie Larson, Salt Lake City, Utah
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