October 8-20, 2012

For many of you who have taken our Tuscany journey, we invite you to come back and join us in our further exploration of one of Italy’s most evocative and well kept secret regions of Italy. The region of Umbria is known as the ‘Green Belt’ of Italy with its cypress trees and verdant hillsides. This itinerary through the heart of Italy will take us through villages with Etruscan, Roman and Medieval pasts. We will take in incomparable vistas as we experience once-fierce hill towns, such as Gubbio with its famous narrow streets lined with pottery, in sharp contrast to the steep hill town of Assisi, hardly changed since the birth of St. Francis in 1182. Discover treasure houses of art and stunning cathedrals. We will immerse ourselves in the aromas of traditional dishes as we cook together in a privately owned villa in Montefalco, a hill town known as the “Balcony of Italy”, where you can take in the views and sip the Sagrantino, the deepest red of wines - a perfect match for the famous chocolate of Perugia. These are just some of the stops on this unforgettable adventure. We end our journey in Rome, where some historians would say...it all began. Read more here.
September 22 - 29, 2012

Travelers often tell us that typical Italy itineraries never leave enough time to experience the city of Florence, the jewel of the renaissance. We are offering you an exceptional week to explore the many corners of the city as well as the countryside. Although this destination city was chosen for the C&H Educational Update Lectures, all interested travelers can enroll and join any one of the Land Package Tours. You do not need to be a CRNA to join this special tour. Read more here.
Sept 29 - Oct 6, 2012 (post conference week)
If you have been attending the morning lectures during the prior week, the post conference week will give you an even more leisurely pace. This second week is also open to any travelers interested. We begin the journey from Florence. We’ll enjoy diverse hills towns and country landscape of verdant vineyards and fields. It is the time of harvest and glowing colors.

On September 29 we depart Florence and make our way further south. We will take in the towers of San Gimignano, elegant Siena with its glorious Duomo, spectacular del Campo, a complete cooking experience - more wine and food pairings, including a private tour and lunch at an intimate family winery. We visit Montepulciano - the ultimate hill town of the famous Vino Nobile fame. We will end our journey in Lucca, the medieval jewel, nestled within its 16th century walls. Our days in Tuscany are filled with unimaginable dining experiences and local tradition, absorbing the passion of land, people and heritage. Read more here.
