The Travel section highlights the Portofino Gourmet Experience tour promoted by us on behalf of long standing client Tasting Tours based in Asti.

We are also happy to note that Delicious Italy is also referenced in the USA Today Travel Tip Guide in sections related to Cooking School Vacations in Italy and Famous Italian Foods – pesto genovese.

From cheese, honey, pork and porcini mushrooms to olive oil, chestnuts, polenta and salami.

Run by Heather Jarman, an archaeologist specializing in the early history of agriculture, 3 places are still available on the small group Italian Countryside Tour from 11-21 October 2010.

Departing from Rome and ending in the Cinque Terre, the highlights and visits include:

- pecorino and ricotta cheesemakers
- Montepulciano and Nobile di Montepulciano wine
- Mount Amiata and the belted Cinta Senese pig
- cooking lesson with seasonal Tuscan produce
- truffle hunt
- optional visit to a health spa
- pick and press olives to bottle your own oil

Download a pdf. brochure of the full itinerary

The 10 day tour finishes just in time for the Slow Food Salone del Gusto in Turin. Transport & accommodation can be arranged to extend your trip.

Anyone interested should get in touch with Heather here or from the contacts below.

ABOUT SAPORI E SAPERI

All Sapori e Saperi adventures are aimed at anyone who cares deeply about the history and origins of regional Italian food and gastronomic tradition and want to meet farmers and producers who are keeping local typical food products alive today.

From one day to seven days they involve hands-on activities such as olive picking, cooking lessons and visits to the homes and workplaces of the small traditional food makers.

Your meals will be in family trattorie, enoteche and Michelin star restaurants, but they will always reflect the seasons and seasonal harvests.

SELECTED SAPORI E SAPERI PACKAGES

Pork & Porcini – September
Olive Oil, Chestnuts & Polenta – November
Cooking lessons and courses – December/January

Sapori e Saperi Adventures Ltd
35 Panton St. Cambridge, UK
Tel (UK): +44 07768 474610
Tel (Italy): +39 339 7636321

info@sapori-e-saperi.com
www.sapori-e-saperi.com

It’s a nifty, interactive tool which proposes wine pairing suggestions before and as you plan special dinners and parties.

Or even after a hard day’s work any time of the week.

Choose your food or wine first and with a click you can view the suggested combination.

Roasted lamb and Aglianico looks good to us for next Easter here in Rome.

You can find out more about Natalie and this useful application for your iPhone, iPod Touch or BlackBerry by following this link.

Or give it a go for yourself via the widget below.

Lessons begin at 9am with a market visit to buy the freshest of ingredients followed by the restaurant’s chef and sommelier taking you through such wonderful classic Sicilian dishes as:

antipasti siciliani
maccheroni
caponata
cannoli
involtini di spatola
calamari
braciola
polpette

The Licchios Restaurant is located off the main street of Taormina, Corso Umberto, and within walking distance of the Greek theater,

Licchios Restaurant
Via T. Patricio 10
Taormina, MESSINA
Tel. +39 0942 625327
www.licchios.it

It really is an unbeatable digital photo delivery platform.

We invested a year or so ago in our own images e-commerce website – deliciousitalyimages.com – as we receive continuous requests from the press and media.

Unfortunately, when even Getty Images has thrown in the towel and has made a deal with Flickr for royalty free and rights managed images, then you have to move on.

Our Flickr space is divided like our main website by region, then themes such as Italian food, dishes etc.

We have over 8000 italy images in house, so keep coming back to the site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deliciousitaly/

Its called “a table for two” and is for special occasions, wedding proposals, romantic dinners and more.

Above all it is the most romantic table in town.

A single table on the terrace of Restaurant La Cusina, surrounded by the thousand lights of the lagoon.

You can book it for you and your partner directly online.

The company has informed us that there are still places available on 3 of their walking holidays this September and October.

Tuscany and Umbria – 5th to 12th September 2010
Highlights: Explore lesser-visited part of Tuscany and Umbria, fabulous medieval and Renaissance art, beautiful accommodation including a luxurious converted abbey where we finish our walk.

A Week in Tuscany – 26th September to 3rd October 2010
Highlights: Stay for a week in a luxury hotel converted from medieval village (with pool) Cooking lesson and dinner in a private villa, Dinner at Michelin 2-star Ristorante Arnolfo. Beautiful hiking in Chianti hills.

The Jewels of Piedmont – 9th to 16th October 2010
Highlights: Food and Wine! Truffle hunting (for elusive white truffle) – and opportunity to eat them of course. Walking in Barolo vineyards at time of Vendemmia. Private wine-tastings. Fabulous autumn hiking – vineyards and mountains.

Anyone interested should get in touch directly at the contacts below.

ABOUT HEDONISTIC HIKING

As well as the 6 specific tours in Italy, do contact the company for information regarding tailor made holidays in Italy.

With 10 years experience in Italy, do contact Hedonistic Hiking for personal hotel and restaurant recommendations if you are visiting Rome, Florence or any other Italian city.

MORE HEDONISTIC HIKING ROUTES

Volterra and the Maremma
Parma, Tuscany and the Cinque Terre
Hiking in Aosta and the Gran Paradiso

Jackie and Mick Parsons
Hedonistic Hiking

Tel (Australia): +61 3 5755 2307
Tel (UK): +44 0845 6801948
Tel (Italy): +39 333 3194203
Fax +61 3 8625 0038

info@hedonistichiking.com
www.hedonistichiking.com

Well, not exactly foreigners, but Italians living in Italy.

Don’t go to the Maldives, stay here …

The spot features all the classic images of Italy with some sub classical music and the unmistakable tones of Silvio Berlusconi.

A few observations:

1. The refrain is almost identical to that of the much ridiculed ex Minister Francesco Rutelli and his ‘Please, please, come to Italy, it is wonderful‘.

2. Is that as good as it gets. A cut and paste stock video job and a 15 mnute take in a voiceover booth.

3. What marketing message is it? I’m beautiful, buy me.

4. Berlusconi – always him, but is it really the Prime Minister or a sound a like?

Maybe it’s all ironic.

As the spot is being released, the people of L’Aquila, Abruzzo are protesting in front of Parliament at the lack of progress in the reconstruction of their once beautiful city.

We’re underwhelmed.

There are many unofficial guides in Rome, typically non Italian, but to be the real deal you need to have passed exams based on history, cultural, art, languages etc.

And unofficial guides can’t join you inside the main Rome monuments or Vatican Museums to continue your experience.

They’ll be waiting outside with an ice cream or talking on the mobile phone with friends.

Trust us. Spend the extra cash and enjoy the city with the professionals.

www.flickr.com/photos/walksinsiderome

Famous for his choice meat ‘scudo’ or Piceni shield and lard sculptures, Peppe’s shop can be found in the historical center of Loro Piceno, province of Macerata.

Do visit Peppe as he will entertain you with the Apennine version of the infamous vuvuzela heard during the football matches – this one made from dried pork skin.

And you may even be offered a mulled ‘cotto’ wine with a salami spritzer.