6 Days, 7 nights pizza and vino retreat in Italy
Our pizza and vino retreat starts in Venice. Landing in this stunning city immediately sets the mood for a vacation. Venice, charming and romantic as usual. Arriving with an aeroplane and wandering on foot along all the centuries-old buildings is a strong reminder of the sustainable evolution of our civilization. This city naturally puts your mind and body at ease.
Can you believe that this nowadays small city, just a few centuries ago was the biggest city in Europe and the most important trade centre? Humans are incredible developers! The Venetian language is history, romance, masks, and water. There is water everywhere. Whether you believe that water creates a sense of relaxation or not, you will agree that night in Venice, makes you feel relaxed, younger, and energized.
On the first morning, we are set out from Venice to Lago Di Federa, which is approximately 2h 40min drive from Venice.
Our plan was to trade city life in Venice for the Dolomite Mountains scenery with crystal clear lake which reflects the mountains. Leave Venice early and do not worry about breakfast, there are plenty of eateries on the side of the road in the first half of your journey.
Taking A27, from Venice, it continues to SS55, then continues to SS48, which is curvy and beautiful. You take a turn on SP638 and park where possible. There is ample off-road parking and the trailhead of hiking track 437 is well marked.
This is a wonderful experience and is perfect for a nature walk and picnic, to begin your retreat. If you are hiking for pleasure and stopping to take photos for your social media feed, it will take you approximately 2.5 hours to get to the lake. Most of the track is through woodland, so it is a good choice for sunny and rainy days as the trees provide cover.
Camogli: the prettiest place on the Italian Riviera.
by Living in Italian
By 20:00 you will be in one of Venice restaurants, satisfied and with a beer to prevent strong muscle paint, admiring the view, chatting while waiting for the delicious seafood supper. On next morning we will drive away to Camogli, Italian Riviera town.
Lovely morning, enjoying breakfast and a few espressos. Venice to Camogli is a 4.5 hours’ drive, with Bologna our mid-travel light-meal lunch spot. After a 2h drive, you are in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s main square. Medieval and Renaissance buildings. Street cafes & street musicians set the atmosphere.Â
In our final chapter of the day, we arrive in Camogli, after a 3.5 hours drive from Bologna. The summer weather did not disappoint. A light breeze upon our arrival was highly appreciated.
We are in Camogli, the exquisite village with perfect seafront rimmed with coloured palazzi and houses.
Splendid hiking trails crisscrossing the Portofino promontory are there to help you keep your weight in check while enjoying your pizza and vino retreat.
With wine bars lining the seaside via Giuseppe Garibaldi, Camogli is exactly what you expect for low-key pizza and vino retreat on the Italian Riviera. After all, we choose La Cucina di Nonna Nina for dinner. The menu consists of dishes based on family recipes passed down from generation to generation. If you appreciate wonderful food, this is your spot.
Camogli local people cook great. Besides delicious seafood and pizza, one must also try Focacceria Revello. The Camogli version with onion and sage, with cheese, or San Fruttuoso style with anchovies, fresh tomato, and olives is a perfect snag for Chardonnay.
For the most part, you relax while soaking in the sun, enjoying delicious local food, or maintaining your fitness levels in one of the memorable trails purveying spectacular view. In addition, you can rent a boat to nearby places like Portofino, Rapallo and Santa Margherita Ligure fronting the Golfo del Tigullio, and further south the Cinque Terre. For 700 Euros per day is an 8-meter boat that accommodates up to 7 people. You could even meet other fellow travellers and carpool to split the cost.
…We are on day 5 of our pizza and vino retreat. Today it is time to leave the lovely Camogli village and head towards Tuscany.
Ahead of us is a 2.5 hours drive, but if you want to enjoy the coastal road to the max, this may take you longer. For lunch, we arrived in Florence. An influential and ancient city with majestic architecture and art. After half a day galivanting on the streets of Florence, we are on the road again to Siena, a 1-hour drive away.
We arrived in Siena at 19:30, just the right time to have a walk at sunset in this classic medieval hill town. Find a cosy spot serving traditional Tuscan cuisine and a nice bottle of regional wine. Then after this incredible day, you can sit, relax, and enjoy the rest of the evening.
I had the urge to examine my life in another culture and move beyond what I knew.
by Frances Mayer, Under the Tuscan Sun
Beautiful morning, nice breakfast and a perfect day to explore the Chianti Classico wine region.
We take SP 119 to Casa Chianti Classico and contrariwise on SP102.
This wine bar atmosphere and charm lead the visitors through a world of wine culture, curiosity, and amazement. A terrace overlooking the Chianti hills, exclusive Black Rooster wine shop, exhibition areas, and more. Truly an astonishing place.
Unfortunately for us, a lot more time is required here than we had planned for. As a matter of fact, just having lunch in Casa Chianti was worth the drive. The final destination of our voyage is just 2.5 hours drive away.
Rome, the capital of Italy, the Roman Empire, and the city that host the Vatican City.
We arrived at 18:00 pm and had plenty of time to browse the streets of Rome. This city has been a human settlement for over 3 millennia and is the home of famous historic landmarks such as the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain, among others.
Rome is also a food lovers paradise and is the perfect location to end off our remarkable pizza and vino retreat. We started with a sunset walk among the Tiber rivers. At the beginning of the night, we chose a nice trattoria for sundowners and finger food. We went for a walk through the old cobbled streets and found a nice restaurant that offers classic Italian food and Tiramisu for dessert. The following day we went on a highly recommended guided tour of the Vatican before having to check-out in the evening and head off to the airport. All in all, a week well spent, ‘ciao bella Italia’.
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