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04/15/2000 Archived Entry: "Go To Italy with Arthur"

I have exciting news. Finally, I’m taking a group to Italy.

The trip starts in Naples, my home away from home, where we will be touring and eating around the city for two days. Then, for a day in the country, we’ll go to my dear friend Cecilia (Baronessa Bellelli-Baratta) in Paestum, south of Naples, where she raises water buffalo (among other things), and where we can visit a mozzarella factory and the stunning Greek temples and their museum down the road. It should go without saying that Cecilia will provide us with a spectacular lunch of regional specialties, including a tasting of the local dairy products, on the terrace around her pool. (By the way, for World War II vets and history buffs, Cecilia’s property is on the “beaches of Salerno” where the Allies landed in 1944.)

That’s just the beginning, though. After our three-day sojourn in Naples and Paestum, we will go to Rome to board the Radisson Diamond Seven Seas, one of the most intimate and luxurious ships plying the seas. It carries only 350 passengers, and my party will be about a third of them. Our first port is back near Naples, in Sorrento, where you can visit this beautiful city on the Gulf of Naples (the shopping is fabulous) or go to Capri for the day. Oh, Capri! To me, it’s one of the most romantic places on earth. And do I know a great place for the local, marjoram-scented ravioli!

After Sorrento, the ship stops in Porto Cervo, the Aga Kahn’s deluxe resort on Sardinia (Cecilia was very jealous that I was getting to go there – it’s where all the VIPs stay, she says); Portofino, the charming town on the Italian Riviera; Livorno, the Tuscan port from which a full day tour of Florence is included; then Monte Carlo and Cannes, Riviera locales that are synonymous with glamour. Finally, we land in Nice, a city whose culture bridges France and Italy, and a great eating town if you care to stay there instead of flying to Paris or Rome before returning home.

I’ll be with you all the way, doing a cooking demonstration aboard ship, planning special meals, and guiding you to the best sites and bites all along the way.

I’m looking forward to many of you joining me. I think the price is right, too – even a bargain for all you will get. Check out the details at www.alicetravel.com. When you get there, click on “Special Interest Cruises” in the navy-blue band at the top of the home page. You’ll find my trip listed as the “Culinary Cruise/Tour.” Or call for the printed brochure, toll-free: 1-877-967-3300. Or write to wor@alicetravel.com.