Andrea Bocelli Concert in Tuscany 20 July 2008

Andrea Bocelli will be performing his annual concert in Tuscany. This weekend tour includes a ticket to this wonderful open-air event together with a three night stay in our selected 4 star Hotel in Florence with a visit to Siena. (Limited concert tickets)£799 per person.

Contact Rosie or Emma for further information – 01889 882170

Day 1 - 18 July 2008Fly from Gatwick to Florence and transfer by coach to the hotel for check in for 3 night stay on bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – 19 July 2008Breakfast at hotel. Tour of Florence and afternoon tour of Siena.

Day 3 – 20 July 2008Breakfast at hotel. Free time in Florence before early evening transfer to the concert featuring Andrea Bocelli.

Day 4 – 21 July 2008 Breakfast at Hotel.Transfer from hotel to the airport for return flight to London Gatwick.

Hotel details – Grand Hotel Adriatico
Our selected hotel in Florence is the Grand Hotel Adriatico situated in a quiet side street. The hotel is ideally located for exploring Florence near to the Arno and just a 10-15 minutes walk from the Duomo. The hotels facilities include bar, restaurant, air conditioning, private bath/shower, tv and telephone. http://www.hoteladriatico.it/

Included in the price:
* Return scheduled flights with Meridiana from Gatwick to Florence including all taxes.
* 3 nights bed and breakfast at the 4 star Grand Hotel Adriatico based on shared occupancy of a twin room.
* Transfers in Italy and itinerary above.
* Tour Manager
* 6th sector seat ticket for the Andrea Bocelli concert on 20 July

Excluded:
* Travel insurance
* Upgraded ticket for the opera – available at an additional cost, please request theater plan.
* Drinks, gratuities, meals not indicated above, laundry
* Single room supplement - £130

Flight Details:
Flights with Meridiana

DEP. GATWICK 15.00 ARRIVES FLORENCE 18.00
DEP. FLORENCE 12.55 ARRIVES GATWICK 14.05

Catherine and Stephens Wedding in Puglia May 2009

"We just wanted to say thanks to you and Aimee for organizing such a great tour of the venue last Sunday. The whole family enjoyed it loads and I think we made a lot of decisions for the wedding. "
Catherine and Stephen 18 May 2008

Aimee has just returned from a venue visit in Puglia with Catherine and Stephen and both sets of parents. Catherine and Stephen are getting married in Puglia in May 2009 and have chosen the superb venue Villa Palm Oasis where they will have their symbolic ceremony in the gardens of this fabulous hotel. This particular venue is so popular that it is booked almost 2 years in advance!! The venue is ideal for large groups of around 100-150 with a minimum group size of 60.

Everyone enjoyed menu tasting, trying out the various dishes to be served at the wedding - from “slices of smoked beef with baby artichokes in vinaigrette and flakes of parmesan cheese with balsamic and olive oil” to “fresh fruit with a blueberry torte with vanilla sauce and a strawberry coulis”. Such wonderful food for such a special occasion! Ahh - that’s why Aimee was out jogging bright and early on Monday morning – burning a (few?!) extra calories from Sunday’s tastings!

Catherine and Stephen also decided on the design, size and colour of their “Torta Nuziale” – Wedding Cake.

Later on Sunday our special floristry lady arrived laden with sample floral table decorations – just to give Catherine and Stephen an idea of exactly what she is capable of. They also looked through the portfolio of fabulous wedding reportage photograph albums from previous weddings.
So, all in all it was a very productive, not to mention enjoyable and well planned day. Catherine and Stephen were able to make many important decisions in the creation of their perfect Wedding Day.

To arrange a consultation with Aimee in London or Emma in the Midlands to discuss your wedding in Italy please contact us on 01889 882170

http://www.lunarosa.co.uk/

Ryanair increases Regional flights

Being a Midlands based company, we were pleased to welcome the introduction of new flights to Pisa and Bologna from Birmingham with Ryanair.

As we spend so much time in Puglia, we have been looking for new routes to get to Puglia as we realize that London is inconvenient for many of our clients. Currently the direct flights to the Puglia area, Bari and Brindisi are from Stansted and Gatwick only.

We have started to fly to Milan, Rome or Bologna from the Midlands then take an internal flight to Puglia with an Italian airline and this has worked out very well.

There are now some excellent Italian airlines with internal flights to Puglia which we have used. These include http://www.myair.com/ , http://www.alitalia.com/
http://buy.volareweb.com/ http://www.flyairone.com/

New Italian Language Learning books

We are pleased to hear that Clelia Boscolo – Italian lecturer from our Uni days at The University of Birmingham will be releasing some new Language Learning books in March 2008. Many of our past clients have expressed an interest in Italian language courses and language learning and after previewing the new material we highly recommend these text books.

The new books include :C. Boscolo, Tony Buzan's The Italian Revolution, Level 1, Harper Collins, forthcoming (March 2008) (Levels 2 and 3 will follow in 2009 and 2010), C. Boscolo, Teach Yourself Phone Italian, Hodder, forthcoming (March 2008) and C. Boscolo, Speak Italian, Harper Collins, new edition, forthcoming (March 2008).

Teach yourself phone Italian is ideal for those who would like to prepare for their holiday to Italy. It features 10 realistic 'calls' which cover the situations you are most likely to find yourself in while preparing for a holiday or business abroad.
“This all-audio 75-minute course will get you talking (and understanding!) Italian speakers on the phone faster than you can say 'Pronto'”

In our next newsletter we will release details about the new Italian language and culture courses in Southern Italy.

To register your interest in Discovery’s Italian Language learning holidays, and to receive a detailed programme call 01889 882170

Digital Photography holidays and Painting Holidays in Southern Italy

Photo sent by Jill and Dan Smith who stayed at Trullo Nicola August 2006

“We found the whole area very photogenic & took masses of photos. Cisternino and all the other places we visited were just as good.”

Every year we receive many kind emails from clients with photographs of their travels in Southern Italy. Southern Italy really is a beautiful area full of natural images and a past history which you cannot see in other parts of Europe giving so many opportunities for inspiring photography. Capturing these images on camera tells a story of a hidden Italy which is very different to Northern and central Italy.

Building on our knowledge of the Puglia area and trusted local contacts that we have developed over 5 years we now offer Digital photography for beginners and painting holidays in Puglia. Our base for both itineraries will be in our special new 4 star hotel with sea views situated on the outskirts of Ostuni known as “La Citta’ Bianca” or the white city.

These are both small group relaxed 7 day itineraries. The itineraries include 5 full days of practical tuition with group tutorials one to one and advisory sessions.Some days will be spent in Ostuni other days visiting areas of natural beauty such as Polignano a Mare, Alberobello with the magical trulli and Lecce known as the Florence of the south.

If your partner wants to join us then there are often painting or walking holidays running at the same time.

To register your interest in Discovery’s new collection of activity holidays, and to receive a detailed programme call 01889 882170

Top 5 Romantic Retreats for two in Southern Italy

According to strong feedback from our 2007 questionnaires Discovery Travel Clients choose the following properties as the best retreats for two.

1. Trullo Mimosa, Puglia
2. Trullo, Podere Antica, Puglia
3. The Cove, Campania
4. Villa Eleuthera, Sicily
5. Villa Daisy, Sicily

The feedback is based on quality of accommodation, services provided, location in relation to local amenities and views.

Chic, hip and happening in Puglia

Emma and Glyn managed to catch the last of the summer sun in Puglia for their November photoshoot at the new Luxury Trulli “Trullo Azzurro” and “Trullo Delizioso”.

Trullo Azzurro is a beautifully renovated, luxury, 3 bedroom trullo with air conditioning and is ideal for families with young children. The property has been renovated with small children in mind as the owners have small children themselves. All the tiles around the pool are non slip and there are soft edges to the pool and infinity edge. It also has a circular childrens pool(0.6metres). This villa can also be rented with Trullo Stella Bianca and Trullo Mimosa for large groups of up 18 people to as they are 100 metres away. Each villa is in a private locationand not overlooked with private grounds so they are ideal for private bookings or for group bookings.

Working with our local, selected caterers Discovery Travel can organize Birthday parties, anniversaries and weddings at the trulli.

At Trullo Delizioso Emma and Glyn enjoyed the glorious evening sunset . Situated in a very private, secluded location Trullo Delizioso enjoys superb views across the valley. Trullo Delizioso is actually divided in two parts and has a 1 bedroom equipped trullo and a separate 2 bedroom trullo with 2 kitchens. The property has lovely new gardens and a covered terrace. The owner following our recommendations will be adding a dishwasher and oven which will be ready for 2008 bookings.

Gastronomic tours with Alex –Sabrina and Glyn also managed to spend some time with Alex who organizes unique gastronomic and wine tasting tours for Discovery Travel clients. (Not offered by any other UK Tour operator). Here are some comments from past clients who booked the tour –

“We really enjoyed our stay in the Trullo. The tour you organized with Alex was also excellent & very different - we even saw donkeys being milked!! All your recommendations we followed were good. Thank you for an enjoyable holiday.” Irene Overton, Shropshire October 2006

Special Offer:
March/April/May Bookings Villas in Puglia - 5% discount from the weekly price if booked before 10 February. Food Welcome pack included with all properties. Detailed 10 page, well researched information pack also included on the area with our recommended restaurants, places to visit, beaches and much more.

To benefit from Emma and Glyn’s first hand knowledge of Puglia, please call 01889 882170 to discuss a tailor made itinerary and flight options.

Car hire at Cost Price –Offer ends 29/2

For a limited period only we are offering car hire at cost price to clients who book between 1-29 February. We work with small, local suppliers including Maggiore and Targarent. There are NO hidden extras. The policies include CDW excess reduced to 200 euros or zero excess. The cost includes 2 drivers and unlimited mileage, all taxes and insurances. Unlike the larger suppliers such as Hertz you will not have to wait in a long queue to collect your car. We pass on our discount directly to you. Example price – 5 door Fiat Panda £153.75 per 7 days rental.

Sicily

Due to the extensive demand we received from regular clients for properties in Sicily, we sent three of our team to explore the wonders of this fantastic region. Sabrina, Aimee and Glyn were lucky enough to explore Sicily from top to toe, sampling the tastiest local cuisine, unearthing the best villas and boutique hotels and revelling in the unique history of this rich and varied region.

They even managed to sample the delights of a new 8 berth luxury, crewed catamaran with a chef on board which is usually chartered by Italian politicians and film stars! (Details on hiring this fabulous skippered yacht for special occasions available upon request.)

Starting in the North, Sabrina, Glyn and Aimee discovered the beautiful Scopello coastal area and Zingaro Natural Reserve. They managed to sample the restaurants which featured in Rik Steins Foodie tour of Sicily. They started at the capital Palermo with its’ cultural mix of Arabic and Italian influences and then traveled on to Trapani and the castle at Erice. From here, the girls travelled to Cefalu and to central Sicily, visiting the mosaics at Piazza Armerina.

The last day was spent discovering the baroque town of Noto. which is on the Unesco “World Heritage” list. The cathedral reopened in 2007 after years of restoration after the cathedral collapsed in 1996. Noto is definitely worth a visit and we will be going back again soon!

Whilst exploring the Noto area the girls stumbled across a delightful new Country farmhouse set in acres of lemon groves. Salvatore, the proud owner of the Lemon Grove owns most of the land in the area and a private beach too just 5 minutes drive from the property! Salvatore is the largest exporter of lemons from Sicily! The property is aptly named “The Lemon Grove” and is currently awaiting its new swimming pool. The location is ideal as you can also walk to a lovely country restaurant too. Check back on our website for updated progress on this new property as it is a real gem.

Where to stay in Sicily…

Romantic, Ideal for couples - Villa Carissa situated close to Piazza Armerina is a haven of tranquility in central Sicily. This beautifully restored Masseria run by Philippe offers bed and breakfast or half board accommodation. The food is divine, prepared by the owner Cavalier Gollino who is a well known chef in Sicily. The 2,000 hectare estate offers guests a choice of pastimes to explore this beautiful area. There are 8 quad bikes and Philippe who is a qualified instructor takes small groups along well planned tracks through the woods, some tracks rising to a high ridge with wonderful views to the coast, some leading to Roman archaeological remains in the woods. Nearby, visit Agrigento with the famous 600 BC Doric Temple, Caltagirone and the Roman villas at Piazza Armerina. From relaxing by the pool to horse riding and sampling the local cuisine Villa Carissa is the ideal retreat for your stay in rural Sicily.

Special Offer:
Stays during March/April/May
1 Complimentary 3 course meal for 2 adults with wine for stays longer than 5 nights during April/May. Book before 10 February.

Ideal for families/groups of friends - Private 5 bedroom Villa - A real highlight for them was a stay at “Baglio La Vigna”, a new luxury, restored Masseria villa situated close to the delightful harbour Castellammare del Golfo. This new villa which sleeps 10 has spectacular views across the hills and is just a 20 minute drive from the coast. We can also arrange a chef upon request and various other services such as meal delivery and babysitting.

Special Offer:
5% discount off weekly prices at all villas in Sicily during April. For all other months, 5% discount on a second week booked at a villa. Welcome pack included with all properties.

To benefit from Sabrina and Glyn’s firsthand knowledge of Sicily, please call 01889 882170 to discuss a tailor made itinerary and flight options.

Award winning Bed and Breakfast in Puglia

We are delighted to announce that La Pergola, a property exclusive to Discovery Travel was voted the best luxury boutique bed and breakfast in Puglia by the Italian Tourist Board.

The regular positive feedback that we receive from our clients adds testimony to Leonie’s Hard work in maintaining her beautiful Masseria situated in the Olive groves just below Ostuni town.


"Lovely apartment, friendly and helpful hosts, clean, well equipped and quiet.......We appreciated the tranquil location and the ease of getting to the main sights." R.Goldberg, Leicester - July 2007