4 Day Italian Cooking and Hiking Break in Umbria, Province of Perugia

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

14:00

Check-out Time:

10:00

During your cookery holiday in Italy, you will stay on a beautiful, spacious, working farm in the heart of Umbria - a region famous for its green countryside, cuisine and medieval towns. Your culinary escape into the Italian rural lifestyle is conveniently located, only 15 minutes from Perugia airport.

Just 4 kilometres away lies the capital city of Umbria, Perugia, which is steeped in history, dating well back before 309 BC. Perugia has a flare for culture and the arts. You will have free time to get to explore it, know it and fall in love with it.

The farm is home to your host, Rafaella, her husband, and many pets. Rafaella has a great passion for her home region of Umbria, its people, food and culture. Your Italian cooking classes will take place within her traditional kitchen, using the freshest products from the local surroundings and producers.

'La volpe e l'uva' (The Fox and The Grapes) farm is a little corner of paradise - a quiet, peaceful oasis, an ideal place to relax and unwind surrounded by the Umbrian hills, valleys and medieval villages. The property consists of 10 hectares of olive groves, vineyards and orchards.

Five lovely, two-room, apartments (named Rocco, Riding, Fico, Oca and Paulownia) have been renovated paying close attention to detail. The apartments are sunny and comfortable so that guests, even those who stay for a few days, feel welcomed.

In your free time you can hike, try the local wineries, or jump in the car for a day trip to one of several surrounding medieval cities. Or, perhaps, for something more leisurely, you can unwind by the swimming pool, in the gardens under the shade of the fruit trees, or in the bright communal garden.

Refine your cooking skills and daydream on this lush, laid back, Umbrian farm, packed with regional specialties and the mountains and valleys awaiting you.

Program

The charming region of Umbria, renowned for its delicious food and fine wines, will be the setting of this Italian cooking and hiking holiday, tucked away on a delightful, functioning Italian farm, nestled by the surrounding hills and valleys.

In a rural, relaxed atmosphere, you will learn timeless recipes for Umbrian and Mediterranean dishes and create your own beautiful pastas and specialties in the heart of your host’s home.

Covering a wide variety of skills, you will be perfecting pastas, accompanying seasonal sauces, and much more as you learn to cook an entire 4-course family style meal during each cookery lesson - not to forget the perfect desserts to complete them.

In the afternoon, you will head about on walks that will give you a real sense of what the region is about. Each day you will experience a new terrain and path where you will experience breathtaking views, ancient sites and try out Urban Trekking in the city of Perugia.

Your host Raffaella (along with her mother-in-law, family, and farm animals) will be on hand to organise every element of your holiday to ensure you return feeling relaxed and full with mouth watering home Italian cooking, and a great collection of new recipes and techniques to replicate for friends and family.

The farm has 5 tastefully decorated and furnished cosy apartments for 2 people with a double or twin room. Each apartment also has a private bathroom and a living room with a well equipped kitchenette. The farm offers peace and quiet with spectacular panoramic views of Umbria, and is surrounded by vineyards and fruit trees, and a swimming pool for you to enjoy.

Day 1 - Arrival

Arrive in Perugia.
Transfer to your country farm, La Volpe e l'Uva. Check-in time is from 14:00 - 19:00.

Day 2 - Cooking,Trekking of the Ancient Roman Aqueduct in Spello

Start your day with breakfast in your apartment from your breakfast pack.
Your cooking lesson begins at 10am with a presentation of the day's menu. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves for hands-on preparation of a glorious 4-course meal using homegrown fruit and vegetables, fresh organic eggs and their own extra virgin olive oil.
When you have finished cooking, it is time to enjoy all the delicious food you have prepared as you sit down to eat lunch with the other participants accompanied by the wine and extra virgin olive oil that is produced at the farmhouse.
Lunch is then followed by local liquors and coffee.
After lunch, you will have a Trekking of the Ancient Roman Aqueduct in Spello. It is about 5 km walk at a height of almost 300 meters, from where you can admire the entire valley below Foligno and some views of the marvelous Spello.

Day 3 - Cooking, urban trekking

At 10:00, you will start your hands-on cooking class. You will prepare a four-course lunch that you will enjoy at the end of the class, accompanied by local wines.
In the afternoon, you will try urban trekking. This is an excellent way to discover the lesser-known parts of the beautiful cities of Perugia. It is a way to slow down and experience the local life and it is the most sustainable of all forms of tourism. The urban trekking winds through the streets of the city to discover the tourists' excellences in Perugia.

Day 4 - Departure

Departure after breakfast.

Included excursions

Hiking in Perugia
Urban trekking in Perugia

Instructors

Raffaella Bucefalo

After she decided to give up her job in scientific research, Raffaella Bucefalo, PhD in Micropalaeontology, rediscovered, reclaimed, and developed her three great passions: cooking, connecting, and creating. Since 2005, she has run courses teaching traditional Italian cookery at her agriturismo in Umbria. In 2020, Raffaella published her first cook book "Sprinkle with Flour": a journey into the world of fresh pasta, the food that symbolizes Italian culinary culture. In the book, the description of 19 pasta shapes illustrated with handmade drawings and 22 traditional recipes with photo.

Location

The farmhouse La Volpe e l'Uva is located in central Italy, Umbria, north of Perugia, in a hilly position, very near to the main Umbrian towns and near to the Tuscany. It is only 4 kilometers far from the historic center of Perugia and it offers a suggestive view of the Umbrian hills. The proximity of Perugia makes the farm's position ideal for visiting other artistic towns in Umbria, such as Assisi, Gubbio, Todi, Orvieto, the Trasimeno Lake, and towns in Tuscany like Siena, Arezzo, and Cortona.

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Food

During your stay, Cook in Umbria will offer you daily breakfasts and lunches. In your apartment, you will find everything you need for your breakfast, such as coffee, milk, tea, cereals, bread, biscuits, eggs, jams made with fruits from the farm, fruits, and yogurt. You will prepare your breakfast in your apartment respecting your time. Send Raffaella a list of foods that you want to find in your apartment. For lunch, you will dine on your creations from the cooking classes accompanied by local, delicious, organic, red wines completely made in the farm. The lunch will be in Raffaella's home or in the garden of the farm.

Dinners are not included. The lunches from your cooking classes are very rich and the afternoon tours often include tastings, so you should enjoy light dinners in order to be ready for your next cooking class. In the apartments, your well-equipped kitchen is at your disposal and, after each tour, your driver can make a stop at a supermarket from where you can buy anything you will need. You can also ask the driver to bring you in the historical center of Perugia and dine in a restaurant; you will come back by taxi.

During your classes you will be preparing a wide variety of dishes that include appetizers, first course, main course, and dessert.

Appetizer

Tasty and delicious, starters have evolved as a true course meal of the Italian cuisine. Cold or hot, it can open a tasty meal or a special buffet. Some of the dishes you can prepare are:

Bruschette - tomatoes and mushrooms
Cake with zucchini, potatoes, and Taleggio cheese
Crostini with chicken liver
Crostini with roasted peppers
Focaccia with onion and sage
Fry flower zucchini
Millefoglie with eggplants
Mixed grilled vegetable with bread and garlic
Panzanella
Parmigiana with eggplants
Salad with fennels and orange
Salad with melon and mint
Small onions in balsamic vinegar
Spelt salad
Torta al testo with ham and rucola

First course

A journey into the preparation of the symbol of Italian diet: pasta. The dry and fresh versions will alternate with different fillings and combinations of sauces inspired both by tradition and fantasy. Pasta sauce is made of fresh and seasonal ingredients. Either fresh or egg pasta, adapt well to many cooking styles or as a basic ingredient of Italian-style soups. Some of the types of pasta that you can prepare are:

Gnocchi
Homemade cannelloni with ricotta, prosciutto, mozzarella
Lasagne
Lentil soup
Pasta and beans
Pasta and chickpeas
Handmade pasta (tagliatelle, strangozzi, maltagliati, pappardelle)
Pasta sauce
Pizza and focaccia
Polenta
Ravioli
Risotto
Soup with spelt

Main course

You will discover the world of meat by focusing on the techniques of preparation and cooking of both white and red varieties, two parallel universes, which often meet. Some of the dishes that you can prepare are:

Chicken in a rich herb, olive, and vegetable sauce
Chicken roller with Umbrian ham
Hearby roast beef
Italian vegetable quiche
Pork loin with grapes and juniper
Pork with pears and pecorino cheese
Rabbit all'arrabbiata
Rabbit with wild herbs
Salmi of guinea fowl
Salted cod in a tomatoes sauce
Stuffed artichokes
Stuffed vegetables
Umbrian meatloaf with pine-seeds and dry grapes

Dessert

You are invited to discover the many facets of pastry, the preparations, and cooking techniques. A journey through cakes, cookies, and cream to delight your days and those of your friends. Some of the desserts that you can prepare are:

Cake with carrots and almonds
Cake with chocolate and pears
Castagnaccio
Crostata (with cream, fresh fruits, and jams)
Panpolenta with ice cream
Rocciata
Tiramisú
Tozzetti with holy wine

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Water
Coffee
Alcoholic beverages

Things to do (optional)

On your free time you can relax in the pool and reserve a massage.

Spa treatments

Massages are available in the farm.

What's included

3 nights accommodation
Certificate of participation
Cook in Umbria apron and recipes
Daily breakfast
Daily lunch
Hands-on cooking classes
Half-day tours

What's not included

Airfare
Dinners
Personal expenses

How to get there

Recommended Airports

FCO

Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport

149 km

Transfer available for additional US$ 270 per person

PEG

Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport

11 km

Transfer available for additional US$ 43 per person

Driving directions from Rome

Motorway A1, exit Orte, follow Terni-Perugia, pass the exit Perugia and continue following the sign Cesena until the exit Ponte Felcino
Continue straight until exit 100 metres
Make left turn under E45
Look for sign "Zona Industriale", make right at sign and continue for about 5-6 kilometers
You will pass an IP gas station on left, keep going
You will see sign at right for Ponte Rio, immediately on left you will see Total Gas station and Bar Pizzeria
Just after pass Bar Pizzeria next right is "Strada Comunale San Marino"
Take this road that go up to the hill, and after 3 kilometers you will find at right the sign "La Volpe e l'Uva"

Driving directions from Florence

Motorway A1, exit Bettolle, follow Perugia, pass the exit Perugia and continue following the sign Cesena until the exit Ponte Felcino
Continue straight until exit 100 metres
Make left turn under E45
Look for sign "Zona Industriale", make right at sign and continue for about 5-6 kilometers
You will pass an IP gas station on left, keep going
You will see sign at right for Ponte Rio, immediately on left you will see Total Gas station and Bar Pizzeria
Just after pass Bar Pizzeria next right is "Strada Comunale San Marino"
Take this road that go up to the hill, and after 3 kilometers you will find at right the sign "La Volpe e l'Uva"

Driving directions from Cesena

Go out at the exit Ponte Felcino
Continue straight until exit 100 metres
Make left turn under E45
Look for sign "Zona Industriale", make right at sign and continue for about 5-6 kilometers
You will pass an IP gas station on left, keep going
You will see sign at right for Ponte Rio, immediately on left you will see Total Gas station and Bar Pizzeria
Just after pass Bar Pizzeria next right is "Strada Comunale San Marino"
Take this road that go up to the hill, and after 3 kilometers you will find at right the sign "La Volpe e l'Uva"

Arrival by airplane

The nearest airports to the location are Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR), Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), or Pisa International Airport (PSA).

Arrival by train

The nearest station is Perugia railway station.

GPS

Longitude: 12 23' 23'' E
Latitude: 43 8' 90'' N

Distances

Assisi, 15 kilometers
Gubbio, 28 kilometers
Orvieto, 45 kilometers
Spello, 15 kilometers
Todi, 45 kilometers
Trasimeno Lake, 20 kilometers

Airport: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport Airport transfer available: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (US$ 270 per person) Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.

Airport: Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport Airport transfer available: Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport (US$ 43 per person) Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.

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