It has been a long time since we last talked and first and foremost I just wanted to let everyone know that all is well! There have been a number of very good things happening that have kept me away from the blog for a few months, but my schedule is about to loosen up a bit and I have a lot of great things to tell you. I'll get to those in a future installment, but today, I want to tell you that after several years of trying I have found who I think are the perfect folks to partner with in the Garden Travel & Tour business that I have wanted to launch for so long.
I met Ron & Linda Williams at the American Hosta Society National Convention when it was held here in Nashville back in June and, as luck would have it, they own a garden tour business! We have partnered to create a tour to Italy from May 14-26, 2013 and I hope that some of you might be interested in joining us! Below are a few photos from a personal trip to Italy a couple of years ago and a sneak peek at just a bit of the Italian countryside we'll see on the trip.
The sunrises in Tuscany can be spectacular and the food is second-to-none.
Assisi, in Umbria, is the birthplace of St. Francis and one of the stops we will make on this tour.
The Tuscan countryside is full of charming hill towns and our trip will include visits to Cortona, Siena, and others.
You can't go to Italy and not enjoy the amazing food and wine. One of our stops will be a private tour of one of the finest villas and vineyards in Chianti, where we will be hosted by the owners with lunch at the villa as a special treat.
Other highlights include a brief tour of Rome at the beginning of the trip, 5 nights in Tuscany and the grand finale will be in the quiet and relaxing town of Stresa on the stunning shores of Lake Maggiore.
Gardens included will be those of the world famous Villa d'Este at Tivoli, Isola Bella (an island garden and villa on Lake Maggiore), the private villa and garden of Princess Claudia Ruspoli who we hope will be in residence and join us for lunch, a special artisan's craft fair at Palazzo Corsini in Florence and much more along the way.
For a full itinerary, pricing and other information, please email me at tbmgardens@gmail.com These tours are designed for small groups and we will close the trip at 20 people. This is how we are able to visit many of the private, one-of-a-kind destinations included on this trip, so if you are interested, please don't delay in contacting me as we expect the trip to fill fairly quickly. I hope you'll be able to join us!
