Tuesday, February 27, 2007
KNITALY! 2009 Cruising Italy and Greece
Knitaly08 gathers for a wine tasting
Dream your way into reality...
KNITALY! 2009 Romances the Mediterranean
Venice, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Corfu and many other gorgeous ports of call
Come cruise with me and Craft Cruises October 5th-17th
With two wonderful Tuscan excursions behind me, I had been considering the possibility of doing a different Knitaly this year and when Melissa from Craft Cruises offered me an option I couldn't refuse, I didn't. How could I resist a chance to teach free-range, evocative, knitting, while sailing around Itay and Greece's most beautiful and inspiring ports of call? If that wasn't enticing enough, I will also be leading travellers to my Florence while tailoring special pre and post cruise excursions in both Venice and Barcelona.
Join me this October for a different kind of Knitaly, one that expands the possibilities beyond Tuscany right to the Mediterranean itself.
This trip will appeal to those who:
- considers themselves a traveller rather than a tourist and are both concious of and interested in the culture of the land
- appreciates art, history, beautiful scenery, fine food, shopping and more fine food while experiencing cities and towns that participated in the rise of Western civilization.
- does not want the herd mentality of a one-size-fits-all mega tour but prefers to join up with like-minded voyagers linked by common interests.
- enjoys the floating buffet that a cruise offers with multiple options for classes, ports, food and relaxation.
- sees that travel can be comfortable while still adventurous with a balance of activities for body, soul and mind.
- and, of course, a love of knitting or beading helps, though is not a prerequisite. A cruise ship by nature offers multiple activities for those of all interests so bring your companions. My husband will we joining me.
Below, you'll find the story of the first two Knitaly tours to give you the flavor of how I design a tour but for details of Knitaly Romances the Mediterranean, click here: http://www.craftcruises.com/itinerary.php?brand=Knitting%20Cruises&cruise_name=Mediterranean%20Romance&cruise_line=Holland%20America%20Line&cruise_ship=ms%20Oosterdam&dep_date=2009-10-05&cruise=14
The story so far : Knitaly 07 & 08:
The essence of Tuscany, despite the illustrious history, the immense cultural influence of the Renaissance, is all about living simply and well. It's about savoring every nuance of flavor and beauty and about finding such pleasures in everyday things. For this very reason the name 'Tuscan' ends up being applied to everything from restaurants to home products and why I can't get enough of Italy's most famous region. Despite the romanticism behind all things Tuscan, in truth, Tuscans are realists: they know that life is short and take steps to live every minute to the fullest. Live well. Live now.
If you've never been, maybe 2009 is your year to immerse yourself in an excursion into the meaning of le dolce vita. Whether as a single knitter seeking comfort and companionship in the company of like-minded new friends or as part of a pair where even a spouse who blanches at the thought of a 'knitting tour' can find delight, this trip is for you.
Your hosts:
Me, checking out an eatery
John checking out a guide book
ITINERARY
09 days, 10 nights
The Duomo in Florence, centuries old but will still take your breath away
OCT. 9th : ARRIVAL DAY – 1st night in FLORENCE
- Arrive in Florence. We’ll all be arriving on different airlines, at different times, so this will be a travel day. Late afternoon, we'll meet at our hotels—three little hotels located close together in the center of Florence—before strolling to the Ponte Vecchio for our welcome dinner at one of my favorite family-run trattorias (think of gnocchi, lasagna, the best grilled vegetables in Tuscany...).
- In the evening, we’ll all get to know one another better while taking a leisurely stroll through the streets of Florence on our way back to our hotels. Maybe along the way a few of us will test out many gelato (ice cream) shops before turning in for a jet-lag easing sleep.
Florentine Markets
Day 1, Oct. 10th. FLORENCE
- We'll begin our stay with a morning tour of Florence to help orientate travellers to this centuries-old center of art and history. Don’t expect this to be a dry old tour, however. Our guide is so lively and informative, she will keep us (as well as every English-speaking tourist in her radius) enthralled.
- Afterwards, the afternoon will be given over to relaxation or the option to explore the sites of Florence individually or in small groups. Perhaps you'll choose to stroll the famous Florentine markets for pashimas or leather goods or even climb the 400+ steps up into the domed duomo (!). Whatever your choice, this city offers a feast of possibilities.
- That evening we'll meet again for supper at a neighbourhood trattoria.
Our amazing guide, Francesca Ermini
Day 2, OCT. 11th Head for Gargonza via San Gimiagno
San Giminagno—view from the tower
- Leaving Florence becomes easier when you know Tuscany awaits. Our bus will pick us up from the hotel to sail us off into the hills en route to our 13th century-hamlet-away-from-home, Gargonza. Along the way we’ll be spending several hours at the little walled town of San Gimignano. There is no more perfect introduction to a medieval town than Tuscany’s ‘medieval Manhattan’, an amazing place not just filled with historical wonderss along with very good shopping, too.
- This little town, with only two main streets, has many shops that sell stranded stones, beads and leather goods at very good prices. After a brief orientation tour, we'll have some free time to explore on our own before taking some lunch and boarding the bus for the trip to Mount Sorvino.
Wall art
- Castillo Gargonza, our hotel, is a destination in itself. Tucked high in a cedar forest, this 13th century walled hamlet has been transformed into a residence/hotel perfect for our knitting adventure. Dante entered these gates centuries ago but don't let it's great age and illustrious past deter you: these accommodations are very comfortable and modern in the places where modern counts like bathrooms. Some accommodations are apartments with fireplaces, sitting areas and kitchenettes, others are more standard. Check your options at the bottom of this page for preferences. The hotel describes itself thus:
"Upon entering the small village, you'll find yourself in the piazzetta with its tower and water well, followed by the city wall, the small lanes, homes and gardens. Even today, the village homes maintain the names of the original inhabitants: Fattore, Niccolina the seamstress, Celso the gamekeeper… Surrounded entirely by woods, grape-vines, olive trees, and rolling hills. This is Gargonza, a village that was brought back to life thanks to the love of Roberto Guicciardini Corsi Salviati.
Nestled in the heart of the Tuscany region, in Val di Chiana, near Arezzo and Monte San Savino, the Castle of Gargonza is today a bed and breakfast and residence vacation homes. It also offers a swimming pool, a restaurant and meeting rooms which have skillfully maintained the authentic character of the original antique village."
- After a rest, maybe to take tea in the garden, we’ll have our welcome dinner at Gargonza's fabulous restaurant, complete with wine.
Tea in Gargonza's garden 08
Day 4, OCT. 13th FULL DAY WORKSHOP AT GARGONZA
- Adventure knitting begins! Today, physically we may need a rest after the art and history fest of Florence but our minds and imaginations will continue the adventure. Time to get creative as I lead us on a free-range project of knitterly self-expression. Forget patterns but expect amaxing results. Though most of our 'formal' instruction will take place in Gargonza's lovely old stone meeting room, knitters well on their way will have the pleasure of choosing many beautiful places to knit: in the garden under the grape pergola, in the chairs overlooking the Chianti valley, in any one of the hamlet's common rooms or in the comfort of their own rooms.
- Both lunch and supper will be in our home hamlet this day.
- We'll return early afternoon for tea and more knitting before dining at the Castillo restaurant that evening.
- After breakfast, we're off to Cortona, a town made famous by 'Under the Tuscan Sun'. You may recall the movie or even the book in your wanders but the town itself far eclipses either in its beauty. We'll see it rising from the surrounding valley like a mythical land as we approach and will explore it's slanted streets with a guide, visiting the little nooks and crannies that bring a place alive to the visitor . At the end of the tour, you'll have free time to have lunch on your own and to either shop or explore more sites before returning to Gargonza.
- Back at Gargonza, we'll continue working on our Tuscan tiles and dine that evening at the restaurante.
Knitting in the garden 07
Workshop in progress 07...
Workshop 08
Patricia, my guest designer, leads Tuscan Tiles
Cortona...it really is this lovely
DAY 5, October 14th: Chianti Cashmere Tour
Listed among Knitaly07's 'most favorite' destination, a morning's drive through the famous Chianti wine region with a stop off along the way will bring us to Nora's cashmere farm just in time for lunch under the pergola overlooking the valley. Yes, we'll have time to romp with the horny, incredibly cute cashmere kids, wander through the cashmere shop and maybe even buy some yarn. Quite a number of whisper-light cashmere shawls left with last year's Knitalyers, too.
Lunch awaits
Local produce, fabulous and unberlievably delicious at Chiati Cashmere
DAY 6, October 15 FULL DAY WORKSHOP WITH FORAY TO MONTE SAN SAVINO
Tuscan terracotta
Free range feather & fanning
Our project for 2009 is any one of my feather&fan designs. I'll provide a starter kit of colors upon which you can build at home and through the yarn store forages we make during our travels. Foraging is half the fun, especially in Tuscany!
Works in progress Knitaly07
This year, I've made sure to build in more time at our home hamlet with equal opportunity for both knitting and luxuriating in such a gorgeous Tuscan location. Today, while we continue our knitting, workshopping, relaxing and socializing (which may or may not include lounging by the pool or strolling through the cedar forest pretending to hunt for truffles) we will also take a short drive into the little town of Monte San Savino. Here, far from tourists (we are travellers, after all) we can wander the town piazza, visit the amazingly well-stocked yarn store and otherwise experience a small town made more special by the very fact that it remains authentically rural Tuscan. Last year, not only did we come away with hoards of yarn but some members of our troupe found beautifully handknit items for VERY few euros.
Alberta shares life in Siena, Knitaly07
DAY 7, OCTOBER 16th: SIENA AND VOLTERRA Full Touring Day
Two very different and extraordinary cities await today: Siena, the glorious town of golden brown famous for, among other things, it's neck-breaking horserace that pounds the Campo piazza during August and Volterra, the austere Etruscan hilltown famous for alabaster. This morning after breakfast, our bus will take us into the heart of this ancient Siena where we will meet our guide, stroll the streets and gain insight as to a community that carves itself into districts named after some mythical emblem (our guide, Alberta, belongs to the Porcupines).
Torre Sienna
After a couple of hours, we will again board our bus to sweep through the extraordinary countryside towards Volterra, a city distinctly different from all the others. Noted for its alabaster since Etruscan times and famous for brilliant craftsmanship in both stone and goldsmithing, Volterra will enthrall you with its ancient streets featuring Etruscan foundations and the remains of a Roman forum. History visibly layers itself here, the ages traceable in its ancient stone walls. We'll have lunch on the road before heading back to Gargonza for supper.
Ancient Etruscan Gate
Day 8, October 17th: CORTONA AND WORKSHOP
Every street, a stroll through fascination
Tuscan hills...
Cortona on a slant...
DAY 9: OCT. 18th: LAST DAY AT GARGONZA
Today is our last day at Gargonza and one of down time for relaxation and unobstructed knitting. For the last two trips, voyagers so craved a day like this that the opted out of day trips so this time I've build a free day right into the schedual. You'll love it.
DAY 10: Oct. 19th: Leave for Florence and last night
Today we'll arrive in Florence roughly at noontime, giving you the rest of the afternoon to explore as you wish, either in small groups or off on a solo mission. By now, you will have made new friends and had time to consider where in this city of wonders you'd like to return for a closer look. The basic routes will be familiar. So, feast away! That evening we'll gather together for our farewell supper.
*If you'd like to contact someone from last year's trip to hear participants' reference, just email me at
Posted by Jane on 02/27 at 03:43 PM
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Sunday, February 08, 2009
KNITALY SETS SAIL FOR 2009
Posted by Jane on 02/08 at 09:10 AM
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From the entry 'KNITALY! 2009 Cruising Italy and Greece'.
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| By Brandy on 2008 06 03 |
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From the entry 'KNITALY! 2009 Cruising Italy and Greece'.
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| By Mary Bowman-Kruhm on 2007 04 18 |
