Cooking, Wine & Walking Extravaganza in 3 Magnificent Regions: Piedmont's Barolo Wine Country, Cinque Terre
& Tuscany's Brunello Wine Country

Italian Cooking Tour Members' Comments

"Hi Margaret

Mo and I wanted to thank you again for arranging for us a most enjoyable and memorable vacation in Italy. I've been travelling to Italy at least once a year since 1980, when I met Mo. I've always enjoyed my yearly visits to Italy immensely, however, "Mama Margaret & Friends Cooking Adventures in Italy" was exceptional. I repeatedly tell my family and friends it was just too good. So good, I fear all my future trips to Italy will pale in comparison.

Carmen was an absolute delight. She did everything she possibly could to make our stay in Italy perfect and perfect it was. Carmen was a joy to be with in addition to being a font of knowledge. She seemed to know everything about everything--the history, battles, castles, churches, towns, festivals, wines, cheeses, olive oil and food in general. I could go on forever.

Elio was the perfect gentleman. Although Elio was not able to accompany us every day of the tour, we knew he was with us in spirit and via his cellphone. Elio was in contact with Carmen daily to make sure all was well. He is a very caring person.

Toscana was great, but we absolutely loved Piemonte. All the cooking lessons were great with the various chefs--each with his or her own unique personality. What a perfect combination--to be able to laugh and learn at the same time. "

Sandra Cozzo, celebrating 20th wedding anniversary with Maurizio Cozzo, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA (Piedmont & Tuscany parts of the tour)

"I must start with the high quality of the guides. All of them--Eleonora, Carmen and of course, Elio, were a complete delight to be with. We wanted to adopt Eleonora--or at least kidnap her and bring her home with us. And Carmen--a truly charming woman I felt I could spend endless time with in the comfort and ease of her company. Elio's fine character shone through and broke the language barrier. We were always sure he followed our every movement making sure all was well. He is indeed a kind, kind man. All were warm, considerate and tolerant. We always knew we were with a top knotch crew from a top knotch agency. Eleonora's maturity and sense of responsibility knocked us out. She has natural charm and a giggle that would make anyone smile. They are all gems that made a great trip all the greater.

Besides loving the guides, we loved the tour. Real Castello was a dream. The food was great and the service perfect. The lunch at Santa Vittoria was both elegant and exceptional. The cooking lesson along with the dinner at Rabaya was excellent. We sat on the terrace which made for a magical evening. We bought some fabulous wine at Marchesi di Barolo and enjoyed the tour and the women there. We left Piedmont with heavy hearts which soon lifted in Liguria. Paolo Monti is a pleasure! His cooking class was great fun, even Peter (her husband) came and loved it and all his food is sublime. At dinner he treated us like royalty with a warm and generosity and humour we will always remember. The Cinque Terre walk was fantastic and lunch at Gianni Franzi was dynamite. On to Montalcino and its magnificent countryside. Everywhere is a picture. The cooking lesson with Roberto was surely a highlight. This young and talented man thrilled us with his desire to give to us in every way--his food, his knowledge, his hospitality. And dinner that night was one of the best on the tour--beautiful from every perspective.

As you can see, we loved our trip and would travel with you all again in a happy minute!

Joan Bruno, Coral Springs, Florida

"This was an overall wonderful experience. ...The best possible way to see the small hill towns of Piemonte, Le Cinque Terre and Southern Tuscany. I loved the fact we were a small group. I know that without your guided tour I would not have had the great experience of eating in the best restaurants, tasting the best wines, and staying in charming country hotels. You were a great host. I felt very special and thought everyone in our group had a wonderful time. I have cooked some of the recipes I learned with great success in my restaurant in California. A thousand thanks to Margaret, Carmen, Eleonora and Elio."

Frank Bozzo, owner and chef at Gino's Fine Italian Food in Salinas, CA

"(In our itinerary we liked) the opportunity to experience regional culture, food and wine with a wonderful guide! Carmen was great! She was professional, friendly and fun to be with! (With the meals and menus we liked) the wonderful variation and creative work of the chefs. Excellent. In the cooking lessons we liked the opportunity to personally participate and ask questions. Our top five highlights in no special order were tour of Marchesi di Barolo (Piedmont), walks through Cinque Terre villages, Paolo Monti's lesson, Carmen and visiting the Swiss family (on their farm in Piedmont). Overall evaluation of this trip would be 95. Well worth the time and money."

Jim Seitz, Scottsdale, Arizona

"It was fantastic travelling with you and the others on the cooking tour. The itinerary was great. You picked some great places. I very much enjoyed the time to walk and get some exercise. I very much enjoyed you and Carmen. I appreciated you were so fluent in Italian. I also enjoyed your depth of knowledge of the culture and your willingness to share some great stories with us. I enjoyed the experience in Piedmont. I now have a new appreciation of red wines.

Cinque Terre was definitely worth the trip. I liked the focus on local cuisine. I enjoyed the lesson with Paolo (on the Riviera), the variety--seafood, meat, cheeses, pasta. I appreciated his lesson on the importance of fresh ingredients, giving us a chance to sample and compare olive oils and herbs.

I loved sampling so many wonderful dishes. I have trouble picking a favourite restaurant. Every one was outstanding. The wine selections you and Carmen made were fantastic."

Ann Jaramillo, Evergreen, Colorado
Piedmont and Cinque Terre parts of tour

"Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the cooking adventure with you. I thought we had a great group of people. It was a great mixture of eating, sightseeing, exercise, cooking, eating and eating! You were very knowledgeable about the culture. The walks were beautiful and beneficial."

Marlene Bentino, Freiburg, Germany Piedmont and Cinque Terre parts of tour

• Italian Cooking Tour at a Glance: Brief Description, Dates, Prices & Cooking Tour Itinerary
• Detailed Cooking Tour Description: You'll feel you're in Italy!
• Sample Cooking Tour Recipe
• Why Travel in Italy With Us?

For more information or to reserve, call Margaret Cowan at 604-681-4074 or 1-800-557-0370. E-mail: margaret@italycookingschools.com

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