Two Week Trip Italy: Venice, Florence, Veneto & Tuscany
| Start Price |
USD 23,100.00 |
| Current Price |
USD 23,100.00 |
| Time Left |
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| Bid Count |
0 |
| Buy It Now Price |
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| Reserve Price |
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| Start Time |
Monday, July 21, 2008 |
| End Time |
Monday, July 28, 2008 |
| Location |
Wilmette, IL |
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See more about 'Two Week Trip Italy: Venice, Florence, Veneto & Tuscany'
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Description
SquareTrade © AP6.0 squaretradetravelseal D E S C R I P T I O N : Up for auction is a Two Week Trip to Italy: Venice and Veneto, Florence and Tuscany. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity with the entire two week itinerary planned out. You must read about this unbelievable trip with everyday being a special day as you experience Italy with those who know it best - the locals. Translation for this trip package and Bare Necessities donation forms generously provided by the English Workshop and Brenda Stone, Florence. The package trip and all services and activities are subject to availability and scheduled directly through the trip designer. INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE IS NOT INCLUDED. VALID UNTIL APRIL 2009. Upon payment, the winning bidder will be given contact information for the trip coordinator.Charity Auction was for Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation - 2008 Bear Tie Crystal Foundation February 23, 2008. SquareTrade Travel Verified 014778881631 D E T A I L S : Arrive in magical and breath-taking Venice, filled with a captivating maritime and religious history, great seafood, hoem of the famed Bellini cocktail, and Renaissance and modern art! During your stay in this jeweled city, you will be the guests of Duodo Palace Hotel. From Marco Polo airport, jovial Daniele Nardo is your first encounter with Italian hospitality. Daniele and his brother Hector are fun-loving and courteous duo who love Venice and have the 'sea in their blood'. You will be whisked away in their private taxi boat - a fantastic first impression of this magical floating city is made as you pas the palatial villas on the Grand Canal once owned by Peggy Guggenheim and those now frequented by Woody Allen, Elton John and many others. It is impossible not to fall in love with and enjoy bella Venezia! Venice was founded in 811 by Italians fleeing from Germans after the fall of Rome. They settled on a series of island, 117 in all, that no one would care to conquer. They built on mud, pounding in literally millions of tree trunks for support. They dredged canals for passageways, rather than make solid roads. They could not farm in the mud, so Venetians learned quickly to trade fish and salt. Gradually, their trading took them to distant lands. They were ideally situated to link Europe with the wealthy Byzantine Empire and treasures of the East St. Mark's Cathedral are the best example of "Venetian Byzantine" architecture with its Eastern domes and interior mosaics. It is a treasure chest of artifacts. Duodo Palace Hotel is located in the heart of Venice. This will be your luxury home with complete breakfast for your glorious days. Duodo Palace Hotel is set within a historical building, beautifully renovated and restored. Saving some of the most important architectural elements from this 600 year-old palazzo., including the frescoed ceilings, this four star hotel has a truly Venetial feel. It is located a stone"s throw from La Fenice. The top floor offers sweeping views of the city's rooftops and major monuments. Glance below and you can watch a gondola slowly glide by your window. Offering direct access to the hotel from the canal, Daniele in his water taxi will drop you at the door where you will be greeted by Sebastiano the manager and the warm staff. The hotel's 38 bedrooms, adorned with beautiful Venetian fabrics, offer the modern amenities. After settling into your wonderful room, begin to discover Venice. See the bridges and monuments in the tucked away corners of Venice with your private guide Emanuela Favero on a three hour private walking tour. If you have been to Venice before, Emanuela is a true Venetian having been born in this glorious city, and is sure to show you her Venice and the many other hidden treasures rarely seen by most casual tourists. Our second glorious day in Venice you will be met by energetic Lisa Calevi who teaches for Elderhostel Programs in Italy and is originally from Oregon. Lisa has made her home with their Italian husband and children in Verona for many years and knows Venice and the Veneto. Spend the day with her to discover Venice in a unique way on a special interest tour. Art Lover's and Shylock's Venice: The Jewish Ghetto. This fascinating walk reveals a city most never see - at St. Marco's you will begin to discover the rich Jewish history of the lagoon city. After a short boat ride, you will step into the world's first Jewish ghetto, founded in Venice in 1516. The walk draws to a close with a viewing of two moving memorials to Italian Jews lost in World Wars I and II. On your last stop, you will meet the owners of a local bakery, known for the lace-like flatbread known as pane azzime. In addition, because of Lisa's exclusive connections, you will be the special guests of a master gondola craftsman and have a private tour of his workshop to learn of this unique craft and history. Enjoy a Bellini at the famed Cafe Florian in San Marco Square and wonder what lies ahead tomorrow in bella Venezi. Reservations are made at a wonderful local restaurant this evening. (Compliments of the Canelia family producers of the uniquely Venetian cocktail fame.) On day three, you will discover Venice's art scene. Tour the Peggy Guggenheim Museum with art historian Dario Pinto courtesy of Venice & Veneto Gourmet. Dario is an art historian and graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. He will certainly challenge your way of thinking about modern art. It will be fund and - dare we say - educational and intriguing tour on which he will focus his one and a half hour walk through the Museum on specific paintings in the Guggenheim collection and also discuss some of the 'controversies' in modern art and Venice. After your tour, from the near by private boat dock, Daniele appears to take you, a private guide and sommelier Sara Cossiga on a tour down the Grand Canal. At the market area stroll with Sara and discover the "history and fashion of taste" at the famed food market near the Rialto Bridge. Discover all sorts of exotic foods especially the different fish and sea foods so adored by the Venetians. You will continue to a wine tasting and late lunch. Sara is a wonderful and charming sommelier and resident of Venice. She is the proprietor of Venice & Veneto Gourmet so you are guaranteed to enjoy this "food" experience! Enjoy Venice this later afternoon, shopping, and relax in the piazzas. Today, day four, you are the guests of Mr. Adriano Berengo of Berengo Studio and Berengo Collection on the island of Murano. By private boat you arrive on this small and quaint island of the master glassmakers of Venice and tour Studio 1989. This is a unique collection of modern glass art of which several pieces are on exhibit the evening of the 15th Annual Bear Tie Crystal Ball. Berengo Studio is internationally recognized. The Berengo Collection has been shown at the Pushkin Museum, Moscow, the Belvedere of Vienna and at the Vida Museum of Borgholm, Sweden, among many other museums and galleries. Mr. Berengo's studio has been commissioned personally by Prince Charles to produce the Prince's Arts & Business Award. The exhibition TOTEMCITY on view at the Bear Tie Crystal Ball was just featured on January 23-27, 2008 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Heads of State from around the world have just viewed these important works of art that are in Chicago for this one night showing! Afterwards lunch is at Restaurant "B" as you sample some of the most exquisite Venetian cuisine including various pastas and fish dishes especially prepared along with wine from the Veneto region. Return to Venice by private taxi boat for a relaxing afternoon. Day five you are met by lovely and cheerful Federica Fresch for a tour of the infamous Doge's Palace and prison known for its famous captive and great Venetian lover, Casanova and featured in such novels as Henry James' The Wings of a Dove. After a lunch break on your own, and relax, you are joined later this afternoon by charming Caterina Nardin for a farewell to Venice stroll to some of the more unusual areas of Venice discovering scenes from movies such as Dangerous beauty or Katharine Hepburn's Summertime. Day six, after your breakfast, Daniele arrives at the Duodo Palace to transfer you to the train station. You have tickets for the high speed Euro star train to Florence this morning compliments of Lilumblu Travel Agency, Florence. Firenze called Florence was founded as a colony of the Tuscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC, later becoming the Roman Florentia, a garrison town controlling the via Flaminia. In the early 12th century the city became a free commune and 1138 ruled by 12 consula, assisted by a group of merchants. In 1207 due to fraction fighting, a foreign governor (podesta) replaced the council and ruled from the Bargello. In the 13th century the Gualphs (favoring the Pope) and the Ghibellines (pro Imperial) began their century long battles, ending with the commercial republic controlled by the Guelphs-merchant class. In 1348 the Black Plague cut the city's population by almost half. Later in the 14th century, the Medici family became the rulers. The most famous was Lorenzo di Medici who sponsored philosophers and artists such as Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo. In 1494 when the city went broke, it ell under the control of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican monk who led the Republic until he was burnt at the stake. Set along the Arno River, surrounded by the hills of Tuscany, Florence's old city center appears much as it did in the 15th century when the city gave birth to the Renaissance movement. In the early 15th century the study of antiquity - of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome - became a Florentine passion, nurtured in an environment of open-mindedness and creativity in the art and architecture provided by the ruling power of the Medici family. Artists flourished as seen in the statue of David by Michelangelo or the dome of the Duomo by Brunelleschi, and in the Europe's oldest picture gallery, the Uffizi. Upon your arrival, check into your wonderfully appointed and uniquely decorated room at the five-star Residenza del Moro. You are now treated to Tuscan/Florentine hospitality with a lovely light lunch for two, and if weather permits, on the private 15th century garden terrace. Residenza del Moro is located in Palazzo Niccolini - Bourbon in the heart of historic Florence. The first mention of the building dated back to the 16th century. At the beginning of the 18th century the building became the property of the noble Marquis Bourbon of Monte di Santa Maria, who put up the family coat of arms. Marquis Lorenzo Niccolini purchased it in 1863 and carried out extensive renovation. There is a splendid 15th century garden and beautiful 17th century staircase. A collection of art work, all of the original frescoes, stucco work and fine antiques and modern pieces, from the 15th and 19th centuries are featured. Each of the 11 suites is with refined silks and brocades, each featuring a work of contemporary art. There is a gym and tea room too, with lovely Barbara the General Manager and Luca the Vice Manager, you will feel welcome. Afterwards, your private guide Lise Apatoff will join you for a stroll in the manner Italiano viewing the piazzas, palazzos and historic center of Firenze - known as the "city of the flowers," the city of Michelangelo and the famed Medici banking family. This is the "Cradle of the Renaissance" and there is no better way to see it than with Lise, who is a private licensed tour guide originally from Chicago. She is married to an Italian and has been living in Florence for over thirty years. Lise studied at the University of Washington, Seattle and graduated from University of California. She came to Florence on an art scholarship. Just as she did - you will fall in love with Florence, and maybe you will stay too. On day seven in Florence and you are again met by Lise this time to visit the less trodden areas of Florence, including the food market of S. Ambrosio, where the real Florentine's show and the hustle of the city takes place beyond the realm of tourism. Visit the various shops and food stands, and speaking of food, you will see the Renaissance "Last Supper" frescoes too. You are met this afternoon by art historian Laura Johnson who lives in Chicago and is a study leader for the Art Institute of Chicago and also resides in Florence where she lectures for Elderhostel Programs in Italy and directs their "museums and city highlights" program in Florence. She will take you on her specially designed two hours "Michelangelo Trekk" - viewing the young sculptors' early work - David" - on to the Medici Chapels for his sculptures created in his middle age, and finally to the Museo Opera del Duomo for his last work, a Pieta".A private morning with Laura will be featured this eighth day. Enter into the famed Uffizi museum via the private entrance of this, the oldest picture gallery museum in the western world. This "Medici" treatment is because of Laura's special contacts with the Uffizi. you will enter into and walk the "Path of the Prince" also known as the Vasari Corridor, where the Medici family and other famed in history traversed florence above the roof tops and Ponte Vecchio. Breakfast at Residenza del Moro is had on the ninth day before proceeding to pick up your five day rental car generously provided by The Travel Professionals, Chicago. Drive outside of Florence through the Tuscan countryside to Gaiole in Chianti and discover the medieval castles You head for the fantastic ultra modern Capannelle winery for a tour of the unique cellars and a full tasting of select Capannelle wines. Capanelle extends over 20 hectors and produces about 70,000 bottles of wine each year, including Solare, 50&50, and Chianti classico riserva. The owner is James B. Sherwood, founder and shareholder of the Orient Express Group Hotels. Relax and sit on the beautiful, quaint terrace and gaze over the hills and valleys of Chianti. Depart with a bottle of Cappanelle wine courtesy of the winery! Continue to your perfect Tuscan cottage of Pornanino located between Radda in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti and the generously provided by Frencesa Boggio at Fine Italian Rentals Ltd. This evening your private cook Orsa Pellion makes your dinner. She graduated from the University of Siena with a degree in Literature and Philosophy with a thesis on women and domestic rituals in a small agricultural village in Somalisa. Orsa then won a scholarship to study in England. She began cooking in homes and banquets for London society. One evening they prepared a birthday dinner for one of the members of Pink Floyd featuring five stuffed guinea-fowl! You have nothing to do today, day ten, but enjoy the surroundings, olive trees and vineyards, good music and company! Your Tuscan cottage is stocked with breakfast items for you and has a lovely fully equipped kitchen. Enjoy meeting the owners Franco and Lia Lombardi. Franco will take you on a tour of his property as you learn about Franco's wonderful production of extra virgin olive oil. Twenty-four bottles of Pomanino's extra virgin olive oil were donated to Bear Necessities for the silent auction. If you feel you must go somewhere, the town of Castellina in Chianti is close by and has one of the best gelateria in Chianti. Worth the short drive!Day eleven features a private tour in Siena with your charismatic and private guide Rita Ceccarelli. Rita, a true Sienese, will tour you into areas of Siena where rarely tourists are found but where one finds the heart of the Sienese people - the contrade (neighborhoods). Hear of the Palio, the famous horse race, from Rita whose contrada almost won last year and whose husband, an artist, designed the famed palio (banner) last summer. Rita is also involved in theatre in Siena and made her debut as a director in January 2008. Continue with her to near by San Gimignano made famous years ago with the movie "Tea with Mussolini" and known for its towers or medieval skyscrapers, even called the "Manhattan of Tuscany". On this your twelfth day meet your guide Amy Wadman owner of di Vino - Custom & Wine tours in Italy. Amy is a certified sommelier, specializing in the wines of Italy. She is a delightful person who is passionate about her life and work and will share one of their favorite tours with you. The tour will enable you to sample Tuscany's fine wines while discovering some of tis rarest and most precious food products during your visits to some very special Tuscan farms. Your first step will be a tour of the wonderful Cinta Senese farm run by Daniele Baruffaldi. You'll learn about the long history of this unique breed which has come back from near extinction thanks to dedicated farmers like Daniele. Even the great Dante wrote about the Cinta Senese - if you are wondering what the Cinta Senese is, place your bid for this trip of a lifetime and you will find out and share this very unique wine and gourmet experience. After meeting Daneiele's Cintas, we will visit Santa Margherita, a biodynamic farm known for its delicious goat cheeses. Lunch is also included and will feature organic farm producted paired with organic wine. After lunch we will continue our tour with a visit to one of the Chianti Classico's leading wineries where you will visit the cellars and enjoy a tasting of estate wines before returning to your cottage at Pornanino for the event. Today is day thirteen and time to play the part of an Italian in Tuscany and cook! You have a private cooking lesson at the home of Orsa Pellion at Borgo Personatina. This complete and traditional lesson is provided by Frencesca Boggio of Fine Italian Rentals, Ltd. On the way back from your culinary experience, stop in the town of Radda in Chianti and the Chianti Cashmere Goat Farm. Here you will meet Nora and hear her very unique story. This is the only recognized cashmere goat farm in Italy. Chianti Cashmere Goat Farm has the most wonderful cashmere goat's milk skincare products and wonderful hand woven items. They also donated a beautiful item to the Ball's silent auction! Pamper yourself and enjoy the unspoiled area of the Volpaia Valley and Chianti. *Translation for this trip package and Bear Necessities donation forms generously provided by The English Workshop and Brenda Stone, Florence. The package trip and all services and activities are subject to availability and scheduled directly through the trip designer. International airfare is not included. Valid until April, 2009.A B O U T U S :Encore Drop is the premier eBay auction house for Chicago's prestigious North Shore. Conveniently located in the Edens Plaza shopping center at Skokie Road and Lake Ave off I-94 in Wilmette, we are one of the few eBay auction houses to offer free eBay listings -- our compensation is strictly commission based, so our interests are tightly aligned with that of both the buyer and seller. If you have something you want to sell on eBay, bring it in, we'll do everything for you: Price Research Item Description Professional Photography Auction Listing and Management Packaging and FedEx Ground or USPS International Priority Shipping When the auction ends, we'll mail you a check for the sale price minus our fee. If there isn't a sale, you get you're item back for free.S T O R E L O C A T I O N :We are located in Wilmette's Edens Plaza shopping center across from Carson Pirie Scott and next to Carvel / Cinnabon.If you're coming to the store from Chicago, take I-94 north to the Lake Ave east exit. If you're coming from the North Shore, take I-94 south to the Skokie Blvd exit. Edens Plaza is at the northwest intersection of Lake Ave and Skokie Blvd, immediately after you exit I-94. This is a high-end outdoor mall with a loading zone 10 feet from our front door. Encore Drop www.encoredrop.com 3232 Lake Ave - 240 847.256.SELL (7355) Edens Plaza Weekdays: 10-6 Wilmette, IL 60091 Sat & Sun: 12-5 B E F O R E B I D D I N G : Encore Drop is not the owner of these goods -- we are acting on behalf of the seller as a processor of the auction to facilitate the sale of the goods. Every effort is made to test and inspect each item in order to create the best possible description. In addition, we take great strides to furnish photographs that accurately depict the condition and image of the goods at the time of sale. Encore Drop assumes no responsibility for subjective interpretations of our descriptions -- any statement or description (in the listing, email or otherwise), is intended as statements of our opinion only.Buyers are responsible for satisfying themselves as to condition or any other matter concerning the property, and are welcome to ask very specific questions about items prior to the auction end.R E T U R N S :Returns/Refunds are accepted only if the item is substantially misrepresented in the auction or damaged during shipping. If a parcel and item arrives damaged, keep all packaging and damaged pieces for claims purposes. The buyer must contact us within three days from receipt of the item according to the provided tracking information. Encore Drop's liability is limited to actual damages, but in no event more than the sales price -- we are not liable for any items lost or damaged in transit. If additional insurance is not purchased the buyer is fully responsible to file a damage claim.In no event shall Encore Drop be liable for any special, exemplary, consequential damages or loss of profits, even if advised of the possibility of such. Illinois law shall govern this sale.There is a 20% re-stocking fee on all returns, and the costs of shipping and handling are not refunded.1 0 0 % A U T H E N T I C :Encore Drop offers a 7-day money back guarantee on every single item we list -- if it isn't authentic, we will give you your money back. We take pride in our auctions and you can bid with confidence.P H O T O S :If an item is not shown in the photos or mentioned in the description it is not included. If we do have the original packaging it is always shown in the photos or mentioned.S H I P P I N G & H A N D L I N G :For normal size items we charge a $5 handling fee -- if we need a special box (for China sets, Digital Keyboards, etc) the fee is higher to cover our cost. The standard handling fee for international shipments is $8. The Shipping and Handling Calculator at the bottom of this auction will show you the exact shipping cost for this purchase. L O C A L P I C K - U P :Local pick-up is always free, please notify us ahead of time so we can have your item ready. Please keep in mind most items are kept in our storage facility in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. We can transport the items to the store, but we need to know beforehand. Please call us at 847-256-7255. W O R L D W I D E S H I P P I N G :We ship Worldwide via the USPS. This avoids the brokerage charges of private carriers -- however many countries impose their own customs, duties, tariffs, taxes, etc. on items being shipped from the United States. We do not cover these costs for international customers, nor will we help circumvent them. We never pay the cost to return items, nor will we refund the original cost of shipping. Please remember all items are sold "as is".R E S E R V E P R I C E S :If an item is listed with a Reserve Price, we will not reveal the price break point during the auction. Placing a bid does not cost anything. If a you are interested in bidding, but don't know if you will meet the reserve, simply place your maximum bid to find out. There is nothing to be lost by either the buyer or the seller when following this tried & tested auction model. In fact, this is what makes eBay such an excellent and efficient marketplace.B U Y I T N O W :We do not offer a Buy It Now option unless posted at the time of the auction listing. Unless we are told beforehand, our customers list items to be sold via auction, and want to wait the process out.P A Y M E N T :High bidder agrees to contact us within 2 days of auction end. Our preferred method of payment is PayPal. 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