Eat Paint Love Tuscany

Let’s slow down and savor life the way they do in Italy

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This will be a week of getting to know authentic and beautiful Tuscany through touring, painting, and eating our way around this gorgeous part of Italy. Extra opportunities to enrich your experience will be available through painting and optional activities such as cooking, hiking, cycling, or taking a vintage car for a spin. Painting opportunities will abound, whether you prefer plein air or painting in the comfort of our permanent studio.  Painting trips always attract interesting people, and together we take day trips to visit beautifully authentic and wonderfully medieval towns in the region of Italy known as Tuscany.

In many of our stops, Rebecca will paint/photograph, or draw on site. She will offer art lessons and regularly schedule studio time, making every effort to be available to assist those who choose to paint or draw during the trip. We would encourage planning to paint in a sketchbook to minimize equipment requirements. Our priority will be to see our destinations and enjoy them, enhancing the experience through art if desired. For those who would simply like to visit Tuscany and shop or photograph their way through this beautiful part of the world, we can assure you that the sites you will visit will be like a visual candy store!

A Note from Rebecca: After many trips to this region, I know that Tuscany continues to charm and reveal itself to me again and again in ever-surprising ways. It’s just that special! Our venue is a refurbished Tuscan castle. It will be the perfect place to call home while in Tuscany. It’s convenient, romantically old and beautiful, and fully modern in terms of amenities. I love being able to tour and paint the days away without having to answer the question: “What will we do for dinner?” Every night we will be treated like kings and queens by the Castel’s private chef. Among the sumptuous gourmet meals, there will be some special dinners. We will tuck into an evening of the comforting and heartwarming pizza extravaganza and another evening of a typical Tuscan BBQ. All this is coupled with award-winning wines produced by La Leccia and the surrounding vineyards. Sitting around a table, eating good food, and drinking good wine is always a delicious bonding experience.

Painting is optional but not required. This week will be an experience with painting and lessons as an option.

Who should consider spending a week with us in Tuscany?

• Come if you like food and eating authentic farm-to-table fare. (Farm-to-table is nothing new here; Tuscan chefs have always cooked this way!). Dinners will always be eaten as a group, and lunch will allow you to seek out local favorites wherever we are. Lunch is always a priority, and since we have drivers, we can safely enjoy sampling different local wines.
• Come with us if you have an interest in painting or drawing, or photographing beautiful sites while you travel. Plein air painting opportunities and studio time will be available for those who choose to take advantage. As your instructor on this trip, I’ll give lessons and offer tips on how you can approach making art while we travel. I have lessons planned, lots of references you can access, and I can help you find good locations for painting or drawing.
• Come with us if you enjoy wine! This region of Chianti is famous for its wines (including the Super Tuscans). Our wine is included with our meals every evening. It’s delicious, and many are preservative-free. We will also be touring a local winery. Their wine, their food, and their ambiance are all worth seeing.
• Come with us if you’d like to tour other parts of Europe or Italy, before or after our week together. Feel free to add on to your travels at both ends of the trip. So long as we all meet at the appointed time in Florence on the first Saturday afternoon, your itinerary and travel plans are your own.
• Come with us if you want to slow down and savor life, the Tuscan way! I want more of this kind of living in my life! Bringing a group of like-minded people along with me makes it an even more ideal experience.

I can assure you that my students tend to be positive, bright, adventurous, artistic, kind, and fun. If that sounds like a group you’d enjoy, then I hope you’ll join me!

Additional Activities – In addition to the activities of the workshop, we will also see and explore this area of Tuscany with various excursions:

• Chianti winery tour and tasting
• Optional excursion to the local pottery factory
• Visit to open an open-air market
• Optional dinner at a local enoteca (wine bar)
• Massages available upon request, priced accordingly

We’ll return each evening to relax in our beautifully appointed and romantic Tuscan castle. After optional aperitivos or an Aperol spritz on the terrace, and dinner, we will have the chance to gather and enjoy some live music thanks to my husband, who loves to get the group singing while he plays guitar. Sometimes we are even serenaded by our Il Chiostro hosts. Every moment will not be scheduled. When we get to our destinations, I will let you explore things in your own way and let you know when to return for your ride back to home base. Andiamo! (Let’s go!) Join me for an Eat, Paint, Cook Tour of Tuscany… painting, drawing, photographing, touring, cooking, sipping, eating, and savoring all that this lovely region has to offer!

Here is what students are saying!

“Dear Rebecca, Thank you for providing such an exceptional trip…my dream come true! Your preplanning was so evident and made for a smooth, exciting week. It was enriching to have you as our guide, teacher, host, and traveling companions. You are examples of life “well lived” and sharing it with others… I wish you all the best, and will continue to savor these precious memories…” – 2014 Participant

“Rebecca, thank you for all the wonderful positive energy and encouragement you bring to class as a teacher and fellow artist. I am so enjoying all that is unfolding… It’s all inspiring, learning, and much-needed for me as an artist on so many different levels. You are a gift.” – A past participant

“Your personal touch makes more of a difference than you realize…you have lit the fire, and I look forward to all the gasoline you can muster …I look forward to that ROAR.” – A past participant

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Price – There are three categories of shared double rooms that you can select from:

• Suite in Castle – $5,300
• Superior room in villa – $4,850
• Classic room in villa – $4,700

Optional single room supplement – limited availability:

• Suite in Castle – $1,000
• Superior room in villa – $900
• Classic room in villa – $800

$800 deposit due upon registration. Final Balance is due by August 6th.

Includes:

• Shared double room with private bathroom in villa (single room available for a supplement)
• Daily traditional breakfast and 5 dinners (including wine)
• Two special dinners – Pizza night and BBQ night
• Chianti winery tour and tasting
• Optional excursion to the local pottery factory
• Visit to open an open-air market
• Optional dinner at a local enoteca (wine bar)
• Massages available upon request, priced accordingly
• Daily classes and critiques with Rebecca
• Transportation and guide for all local excursions
• Pick up from Florence train station at 3:30 pm on Saturday
• Transfer to the train station in Florence on the final day

Does Not Include:

• Airfare
• Gratuities (we suggest €10-20 per guest per day as a guideline)
• Independent meals and sightseeing

Here is a sample Itinerary: Please note that while this is a sample of what you can expect, activities can be subject to change. 

• Saturday: Meet at Florence train station at 3:30 PM. Board the bus to Castello La Leccia in Chianti. Check-in/ Orientation first dinner.
• Sunday: Optional art Lesson with Rebecca in the morning, opportunity to paint/draw/photograph on location at Castello la Leccia. Non-painters can hike and explore, relax at the poolside, or visit the nearby hilltown. Afternoon BBQ. Optional evening excursion to a local family winery – tour/light dinner/wine tasting at the winery.
• Monday: Excursion to medieval Siena. Opportunity to draw/paint/photograph on site if desired. Shopping is plentiful here. Grab an independent lunch and people-watch in the famous Campo. Late afternoon studio time or rest time. Optional aperitivos before dinner. After dinner- music on the terrazzo.
• Tuesday: Excursion to the local market, where you can shop for a potluck lunch in the picturesque hill town of Monteriggioni. Shoppers can shop, and painters can take a moment to capture something for their sketchbooks. Group photo on the way home. After dinner, music on the terrazzo.
• Wednesday: Excursion to San Gimignano, medieval Pienza, or Montepulciano. Lunch on your own while in town. Optional aperitivos before dinner. After-dinner studio time.
• Thursday: Cooking lesson with a local Tuscan chef.  We’ll go to his home nearby and cook in his kitchen.  We’ll eat our lunch on his terrace and possibly walk to his cousin’s winery next door to sample their recent vintage.  Optional afternoon excursion to a nearby hill town for shopping and gelato. Optional aperitivos before dinner. After dinner, music on the terrazzo.
• Friday: Optional art lesson and excursion to another Hill town (Castellina, Radda, Volterra, San Gimignano, or Siena). Independent lunch with optional shopping at a local pottery factory, which showcases its exquisite wares. Studio time, pool time, or hike time in the afternoon. Farewell exhibit and program in the evening.
• Saturday: Breakfast and departure for Florence and travel connections.

To Register: Click on the Sign Up Now button.  A non-refundable deposit of $800 is required to secure your spot in the workshop.  Payment can be made online with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail.  Once we receive your deposit, we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program.  You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email before the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list, and an electronic invoice for the balance.  Final Balance is due by August 6th.  Any time before your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Cancellation policy:  

$800 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:

• 60 days prior to workshop, full refund due less non-refundable deposit.
• 30-60 days prior to workshop, 50% refund of balance paid allowed, less non-refundable deposit.

Less than 30 days before the workshop, no refund due. Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.

Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.