Italy knitting group

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome dinner venetian style in bacaro

• Arrival at Venice airport and transfer to your hotel centrally located. Take your time to rest and unpack. 
• In the evening we will meet all together to start our Italian adventure. After a short introduction, let’s immerse ourselves in one of the oldest Venetian traditions – The Bacari.  As true locals we will take a seat in one traditional “bacaro” to taste different cicchetti and discover typical corners of the city far from the most touristic areas. Having a chat while sipping a glass of good Prosecco and biting a creamy Baccalà mantecato will be the perfect start to get to know each other and get the right Italian mood!

Day 2: Venice: walking tour with gondola ride, spritz & knit

• Today we meet our local tour guide for an interesting walking tour of Venice, from the most iconic sites such as Rialto bridge and St Mark’s Square to hidden corners that only insiders know. As a cherry on top , we will embark on a Gondola to admire the floating city from another perspective and discover secret and quiet canals far from the crowd.
• We will now have some time at disposal for lunch (with our tips of course!) and then …
• In the afternoon, needles and yarn out for a Spritz & Knit time. In an intimate location in the heart of Venice, get to know a local knit lover. She will introduce us to the initiatives organized by her group of Venetian women such as creating roses against violence or their knit cafè. A wonderful opportunity to share experiences, thoughts while knitting all together in front of a chilly Spritz.
• Rest of the evening will be at leisure. You can take your time to relax and wander along the Venetian calle (the narrow alleys) discovering some secret quiet spots or admire the grandeur of San Marco square at night.

Day 3: Murano & Burano excursion: the art of glassblowing & ancient lace making

• In the morning we leave by public boat to the Lagoon islands of Murano & Burano. Here we visit a laboratory of Glass Blowing in Murano & see old women at work creating amazing lace masterpieces in Burano colorful houses.
• From Burano we will go through a small bridge taking us to a very special secret place – a small estate surrounded by medieval walls and a 14th-century belfry located in the vineyard. 
• Possibility to organize a wine tasting and lunch here (by additional payment)
• Back to Venice and rest of the day at leisure. 
• Possibility to book an optional workshop of Venetian masks.

Day 4: Verona city tour & cooking class

• Transfer from Venice to Verona by local train.
• Once we arrive in Verona, we meet our driver and local guide for a tour of Verona. “In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…” The chorus that opens Shakespeare’s great tragedy makes it impossible to separate Verona from the love story of Romeo and Juliet. And the balcony of Juliet is an unmissable stop of our tour!
• But Verona is much more…here you can feel the power of a millennial history from the Roman arena to the Medieval walls to Baroque buildings surrounding Piazza delle Erbe with its buzzling market.
• Free time for lunch.
• In the early afternoon transfer to our boutique farmhouse on Verona hills with beautiful views of the city and the surrounding countryside. 
• Accommodation in your room. You will be welcomed by a rustic yet elegant design with tiled floors and wood-beamed ceilings. Time to relax.
• Ready Steady Cook!  It’s time to learn all the best culinary secrets with a pasta cooking class. Our host will welcome us on a beautiful terrace overlooking Verona, here with a glass of Prosecco in hand we will start learning about the history of the farmhouse run by Camilla and her family. We’ll move inside the bright dining room to start a funny hands-on experience. 
• At the end we’ll sit around the table and enjoy the meal just created accompanied by tasty wine locally produced.

Day 5: Wine tasting in historical villa & breeding farm visit + dyeing demonstration

• After breakfast, proceed towards an historical villa in the heart of Valpolicella Classico and enjoy a tasting of local wines with light lunch. 
• In the afternoon visit an alpaca and Brogna sheep breeding farm, an autochthonous breed that risked extinction. Afterwards move to the shop and laboratory where you will be shown manual dyeing of yarns. 
• Enjoy also a short guided walking tour through the streets of the medieval village till an ancient mill.
• Return to the hotel later in the afternoon. Dinner at leisure and overnight.

Day 6: Verona, Garda lake boat tour & sip’ n knit

• After breakfast drive towards Lake Garda to Sirmione where you will meet your private guide. Embark on a short boat tour around the Sirmione Peninsula and wander in the streets of the historical center.
• Fish lunch in a restaurant in Desenzano. 
• Stop in a local yarn shop for some shopping and return to the hotel for a Sip’n Knit session and overnight.

Day 7: Knitting workshop and farewell dinner

• A designer studied exclusively for our group a 2 hrs workshop about braiding technique with the help of a sampler knitted with a series of different braids. Yarns (100 gr hank of pure Brogna sheep wool) will be supplied. 
• In the afternoon the group can visit Soave.
• Time to relax and refresh in the hotel. This evening farewell dinner in a typical restaurant near Verona.

Day 8: Departure

• Breakfast. Check out and transfer to Venice airport for departure. According to the flight schedule, it is possible to stop in Padova for lunch on your own.