As many of you know we had planned to make 2015 our trip to Italy, however the downturn in the economy forced us to reconsider this decision. We had 22 seriously interested people who had paid their deposits but were refunded and we assured them that 2016 would be a “for sure” adventure. We, Golfaround, are now officially taking names, making a list and checking it twice before providing the group names to Strider Golf. We have met with Strider and the dates, Sept. 20 to Oct. 09th, and pricing should remain the same give or take a day or two depending upon flights which David can book in November.
Italy is a country that will offer us an experience like no other and each city we visit will be unique with their own flavors, sights and sounds. We were astounded by the sights we experienced in Turkey and now we will be amazed by the beauty and wealth of culture in Italy. Experience the romance of Venice with it’s sprawling Baroque palaces and gondola-dotted canals, a city like no other. See the design capital of Milan which rivals Paris as a leading fashion centre. The northern Lake District will offer sights of palatial villas, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea and majestic alpine vistas. Florence’s museums, palaces and churches house some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world and I am sure we will gain new respect for the Renaissance masters and marvel at their genius. We will walk in the footsteps of ancient Rome and marvel at the cream coloured figures of the Trevi Fountain. Tuscany is certainly one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, thanks to its breathtaking panoramas, excellent wine and exquisite food. The green rolling hills of Tuscany offer extraordinary scenery with medieval villages sitting atop hilltops, rolling hills covered in vineyards producing some of the best wines in the world and farmhouses and villas at the end of cypress-lined lanes.
Italy is a true paradise for golf lovers: Lake Como is surrounded by seven of the Italian finest 18-hole golf courses where we will start our golfing experience. Then in the Tuscan countryside there is a luxury Tuscan hotel with an exclusive 18 hole golf course in the green Mugello valley, near the medieval village of Scarperia in the Florence hills. The clubhouse has an outdoor swimming pool, Turkish bath, gym, wellness centre for massage and beauty treatments, what more could we want.
Of course no trip to Italy would be complete without savoring the exquisite wines and food of the different regions. We can sip a succulent limoncello while taking in the beauty of our surroundings or relax at a neighborhood trattoria with a ruby- red glass of the country’s best Chianti. Italian food and wine are probably as famous as Italy’s artistic and historical assets.
Italy is a country that’s as varied as the palettes of its great Renaissance artists, awash with color and culture. This isn’t a place where you go to vacation – this is a place where you go to live. From the shores of Lake Como, the ancient ruins of Rome to the magnificent Renaissance in Florence and the serenity of Tuscan hills, this tour of Italy promises to astound you.