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Countdown is on: in one week, Mr Wino and I are heading off to Europe for the first time together.
With wanderlust in our eyes, we booked this trip two years ago, and since then, have saved, dreamed and planned.
On our agenda: copious amounts of eating, all the wine tasting we can fit in, collecting experiences.
This will be the wine pilgrimage of our lives.
Visiting the home of Sagrantino – our signature grape for our label Aphelion Wines – in Umbria. Visiting also Barolo – the wine that started it all – in Piedmont, and much in between.
Before we jet off, I wanted to share our plan with you all, so you know what to expect to see on my social media accounts while I am away.
I hope that this gives you an idea of what you could also do on a trip to Italy.
Melbourne – 1 night 1/2 day
- Lunch: Smith & Deli
- Coffee: Pana Chocolate Cafe
- ACMI David Bowie Exhibit
- Dinner: Burma Lane
- Dessert: Om Nom Dessert Bar
Rome – 2 nights 2 days
Day 1
- Business Class Qantas Melbourne to Hong Kong
- Cathay & Qantas Lounges, Hong Kong Airport
- Business Class Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to Rome
- Villa Borghese
- Lunch: Margutta RistoArte – upmarket vegetarian buffet for 13E
- St Peters Basilica
- Snack: Pizzarium – some people consider the best in Rome
- Domus Romane – interactive gallery in an historical palace
- Walks of Italy – Welcome to Rome, Twilight City Stroll (gifted)
- Dinner: Di Simo Pane e Vino
- Dessert: Grezzo Raw Chocolat
- Accommodation: La Griffe Roma MGallery Collection
Day 2
- Colosseum
- Roman Forum
- Circus Maximus
- Lunch: La Toricella Fermate, Testaccio
- Centrale Montemartini Museum – priceless art and sculptures inside an old electricity factory
- Coffee: Romeow Bistro – a rescue cat cafe
- EATALY: food department store
- Mumm Champagne Sabrage at Hotel St Regis
- Dinner: La Gatta Mangiona – cat themed pizzeria
- Accommodation: La Griffe Roma MGallery Collection
Centrale Montemartini; courtesy of their website
Umbria – 2 nights 2 days
Day 1
- Winery & Lunch: Cantine Fratelli
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Perticaia
- Orvieto Duomo
- Orvieto Underground
- Dinner: La Palomba – famed for truffle dishes
- Accommodation: Nido Del Falcone Agriturismo
Day 2
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Scacciadiavo
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Arnaldo Caprai – we have a vertical of vintages their top Sagrantino in our wine cellar
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Romanelli – famed for eco tourism
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Tenute Lungelli
- Dinner: Nido Del Falcone Agriturismo
- Accommodation: Nido Del Falcone Agriturismo
Tuscany, Chianti & Florence – Just passing through
- Florence Tasting – Vintage Fiat 500 Tour
- Lunch: Antimolla Winery
- Leaning Tower of Pisa
Cinque Terre – 2 nights 1 day
- Sundowner: Bar Conchiglia
- Dinner: Cappa Magrun di Bordone
- Accommodation: LA CASETTA SULLA PIAZZA (discount rate)
Day 1
- Walk Cinque Terre
- Lunch: Restaurant Belforte
- Dinner: Il Ciliegio Di Canz
- Accommodation: LA CASETTA SULLA PIAZZA (discount rate)
Genoa – Just passing through
Piedmont: Barolo – 1 night 1 day
- Lunch: La Vite Turchese Wine Bar
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Cantine Damilano
- Tour & Tasting: Banka del Vino – thousands of current and back vintages of Italian wines.
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Castello di Verduno
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Elvio Cogno
- WIMU Museum Barolo
- Dinner: Trattoria del Posto
- Accommodation: Le Case della Saracca – Monforte
Piedmont: Barbaresco – 1 night 1 day
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Cigliuti Renato
- Tower of Barbaresco: Climb the tower for views of the district
- Lunch: I Due Regni Ristorante P – they offer a great value, tasty 10E Workers Lunch
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Contratto – known for their Asti bubbles
- Dinner: Contessa Berta or other recommended restaurant
- Accommodation: Cascina Meriame
Lake Maggiore (the lake next to Lake Como) – 1 night 1 day
- Lago Maggiore Express: a three part picturesque journey. First, around Lake Maggiore to Lucarno in Switzerland by boat with a four course lunch on board, a high speed train from Switzerland back into Italy, and then a second train into Stressa on Lake Maggiore once again.
- Dinner: Azienda Agrituristica Il Monterosso
- Accommodation: Azienda Agrituristica Il Monterosso
World Expo / Vino Expo Milan, Verona – Just passing through
- Expo 2015 Milan, including Vino Expo with 1,400 Italian wines on enomatic system
- Verona Arena
- Piazza Della Erbe
- Lunch: Osteria Mondodoro
- Juliet’s Balcony
- Castel Vecchio Bridge
- Juliet’s Tomb
Venice – 2 nights 3 days
- Walks of Italy Tour EXCLUSIVE ALONE IN ST. MARK’S BASILICA AFTER HOURS (gifted)
- Dinner: CoVino
- Accommodation: Air BNB
Day 2
- Visit Venice’s islands Mazzorbo and Burano
- Lunch: La Zucca
- Coffee: Caffe del Doge
- San Giorgio Maggiore – climb the bell tower
- Aperitivo: Ca D’Oro – in venice, nibbles with your drinks are called cicchetti
- Dinner: Vini Da Gigio
- Gondola ride
- Accommodation: Air BNB
Crystal Cruise: Venice – 1 night
- Board Crystal Serenity at 12pm (serenity now!)
Crystal Cruise: Venice
- Depart Venice at 12pm
Crystal Cruise: Dubrovnik – 1 day, 1 night
- Gunduliceva Poljana Market
- Buza Bar
- Dubrovnik Cable Car
- Lunch: Pantarul
- Trsteno arboretum
- D’Vino Wine Bar
- Back on board!
Crystal Cruise: Day at Sea – 1 night
Crystal Cruise: Mikonos, Greece – 1 night
- Explore the town
- Lunch: Kiki’s Taverna
- Back on board!
Crystal Cruise: Izmir, Turkey – 1 night
- Kemeraltı Çarşısı
- Agoda Open Air Museum
- Winery Tour & Tasting: Usca – wines are served with kashar cheese, crackers, walnuts, and bilberries
- Ephesus Open Air Museum – hot tip from Alison at Feet On Foreign Lands is to check out the terraces by paying the small extra fee!
- Back on board
Crystal Cruise: Istanbul, Turkey, Arrive 4pm – 1 night
- Galata Tower
- Walk the Rainbow Stairs at Tophane metro station
- Snack: Namli Gurme Karakoy – a mezze buffet
- Dinner & last sleep on board
Crystal Cruise: Istanbul, Turkey, Disembarkation – 1 night
- Blue Mosque
- Coffee: House Cafe, Kanyon Shopping Centre
- Catch ferry
- Lunch: Ciya Kepab
- Catch ferry back
- Valens Aqueduct
- Egyptian Spice Market
- Grand Bazaar
- Tokapi Palace
- Basilica Cistern
- Accommodation: Air BNB
Crystal Cruise: Departure Day – Homeward Bound from Istanbul
- Leisurely brunch of a mountain of mezze
- Business Class Qatar Airlines to Doha
- Business Class Qatar Airlines to Dubai
- Business Class Emirates to Adelaide
Phew! We’re going to need to sleep for a month to get over this monster trip, which is the longest we’ve taken in the 10 years we’ve been together.
I’ve downloaded the TripRider app on recommendation of a friend of mine to manage my itinerary, maps, budget, essential papers, and packing list on the go.
So, over to you dear readers, do you have any tips or ideas for me?
Have you travelled to any of the places on my itinerary? Any hot tips for me to see, eat, drink or do? Comment below, I love to hear from you!