The Living Traditions programme takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 3rd - 5th June till 29th - 31st July * and from 9th - 11th September to 28th - 30th October 2005 Friday and Saturday morning (9.30 - 12.30): Umbrian food and wine: cappelletti (pasta) in tomato and vegetable sauce or lasagne alla boscaiola, tiramisu or chestnut pie, Apples simmered in wine and many other dishes depending on what is in season locally. Two splendid mornings followed by the lunch you helped to make. Friday afternoon: visit to local craft workshops. Saturday afternoon: Village Festivals. Where better to sample local atmosphere than at a sagra or festival with the emphasis on food? The warm summer months of June and July are the time for "gastronomic festivals", the wheat festival, and the lake fish festival. September and October bring in the autumn with chestnut sagras at Preggio and Piegaro, while the grape harvest and the first new wine of the year are celebrated at many other villages. Before visiting a festival, we offer groups an informal briefing session on the history and background of the sagra, with details of the events to take place. Or Choice of Visit to Assisi, Perugia or Lake Trasimeno Sunday (choice of morning or afternoon): Italian Opera: a chance for opera lovers to listen to different romance interpretations by singers from the 1920s (both Italian and non) to the present day, and discuss their impressions of the performances with an expert singer. The session includes musical anecdotes, curiosities of Italian opera, plus the screening of rare video performances. Accommodation and costs You will stay in a villa in Corciano, a perfect medieval hill village, 10 km from Perugia on the road leading to Lake Trasimeno. Accommodation is also available in double rooms at a local bed & breakfast, a short 100 metres away from the kitchen where cookery lessons are held. € 20 per person. The programme Costs**: Groups of 8 € 270 per person Groups of 7 or 6 € 350 per person Groups of 5 or 4 € 440 per person **Includes: two lessons on typical Umbrian dishes, recipe booklet, four meals (lunch and dinner on both Friday and on Saturday), visits on Friday and Saturday afternoon and the Sunday programmes. * Places for Umbria still available on: 17th - 19th June, and all weekends of September and October 2005. Sicily tour on 23rd - 27th July BOOKING IS REQUIRED TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOUR VISIT Living Traditions Welcome to Sicily! From 23rd to 28th July 2005 Taormina, the Aeolian Islands and Vulcano with its spakling black sands, the Park of Jalari and the typical dishes of Nunziatina are all waiting for you! Cost: 700 euros per person, includes: - five nights in bed&breakfast; - all meals (including two special meals in typical local restaurants); - all activities as shown below; - transfers by private minibus, including the journey from and to the hydrofoil at Messina (connection with the Reggio Calabria airport); - an English-speaking guide who will be happy to help you learn some Italian and will be on hand to help you out in all-Italian situations. Day 1 (23rd July 2005) Transfer by minibus from the hydrofoil at Messina to your bed&breakfast in the coastal city of Milazzo. Day 2 Visit to Messina to the piazza Duomo to see one of the worlds largest astronomical clocks, complete with its working models of animals, angels and legendary figures; lunch in the nearby village of Ganzirri. Fresh-water mussels from Lake Ganzirri are the local speciality (but other dishes are also available); an afternoon cookery lesson on typical Sicilian dishes. Day 3 The Aeolian Island of Vulcano. Swimming and sun-bathing on the black volcanic sands, and a boat trip round the island. Lunch in Lipari, the largest of the islands, with time to stroll around, shop or visit the Aeolian Museum. Day 4 Taormina. Visit to the ancient Greek theatre, a stroll around the town and a visit to the medieval borgo of Castelmola above Taormina to enjoy the magnificent setting and breathtaking views. Day 5 Visit to the Castle of Milazzo, followed by the Jalari Park Museum, the "speaking mountain". Here, everything around you - from rocks and plants to the sounds and perfumes of nature - breathe out dynamic energy, a vast "energy bank" (as Jalari has been called). Before the evening meal, you will have the chance to learn about what handwriting can show of a person, with a general introduction and personal readings. Day 6 (28 July 2005) Departure for the hydrofoil at Messina. To take advantage of cheaper travel prices we strongly advise you to book your flight from Rome to Reggio Calabria before April 2005. There is a connection from Reggio Calabria airport to the hydrofoil for Messina, where we will be meeting you. Any further details will be e-mailed to those who book this Sicily tour.