Knitwear designer NICKY EPSTEIN has gained worldwide recognition for her abundant creativity, groundbreaking sense of style and informative workshops. Nicky has authored numerous knitting books.

If you want to make Nicky's "The Colors of Tuscany" scarf (easy knitting!) bring one (100g skein, 91 yds) of a lovely yarn or buy yarn along the way. We'll supply the pattern. Nicky & Carla will also Demo how to make the "Tuscan Sun Shawl" featured on the cover of her book "Knitting In Tuscany", a great travel project. You will need 6 (50g, 163yds each) skeins of yarn. There will also be little surprise projects along the way! Be sure to check out Nicky's new buttons, clasps, and scarves!

Tour Itinerary:

October 23, 2010-Saturday
For those of you living in North America, you will need to arrange your flight to depart today in order to arrive in Milan, Italy on October 24. Click here for information regarding transfers from Milan's Linate
or Malpensa airports to the Sheraton Diana Majestic Hotel.

Please note that most stores in Milan are not open on Sundays and don’t open until 4:00pm on Mondays. If you would like to arrive in Milan a day or two early to do some serious shopping in Italy’s fashion capital or have extra time to explore the city, Traveling Together has additional nights available
at the Sheraton Diana Majestic Hotel. The price is $159 per person for a double room and $259 for a single, including full breakfast and taxes.

If you would like assistance in arranging your air travel, please call Northwood Travel at 800-780-0571
or email them at info@NorthwoodTravel.com

Oct 24, Sun
Our home for the first two nights of the tour is the Sheraton Diana Majestic Hotel. Shopping is limited throughout Italy on Sunday and Monday, but window shopping in Milan is a famous pastime and our hotel is within walking distance to the high-fashion shopping area around Via Spiga and Via Montenapoleone. Closed on Mondays, but open on Sundays, is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Last Supper. Reservations are required and you can get there via Milan’s great subway system from the Porta Venezia metro station that is located just a few minutes walk from the hotel.

**Dinner tonight will be at our hotel and will give you the opportunity to meet everyone on the tour.

In order to plan your free time wisely and make any necessary reservations for specific places along the tour that interest you, we recommend that you purchase one of the following travel guides: Frommer’s, Foder’s, Rick Steves’, or DK Eyewitness. You may want to be sure it has a food translation section for ordering when dining out on your own.

Oct 25, Mon
This morning begins with a tour of the historical center of Milan. The world’s most prestigious opera house is Teatrale alla Scala. In addition to visiting the La Scala Museum, we may be able to have a look at the theater from the balconies if there are no performances or practices in session. The tour will also include the Duomo, Milan’s centerpiece and the fourth largest church in Europe and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a four-storied, glass-domed arcade.

There will time for lunch at the Galleria before boarding our bus for shopping at a major yarn outlet that carries a large selection of yarn by the skein and spool, returning to our hotel in time to take advantage of today’s evening shopping hours from 5-7:30pm.

Oct 26, Tue
We depart Milan this morning and drive north to Biella, located in the foothills of the Alps. Biella's past is reflected through the Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of the city's main buildings while Biella's history is inexorably linked with textiles, particularly wool. Today it is known as the "City
of Cashmere", due to its production of cashmere products for major Italian Design houses based in Milan, Rome and Florence.

Today and tomorrow we will visit mills in the area, meet house designers and shop for yarn at the local outlets.

Filatura di Crosa, Lanao del Cigno Nero, Martifil, Lane Monterosa, Lane Borgosesia and Presencia are the yarns produced by Vimar 1991. A highlight of the tour will be a visit to Vimar’s production facilities and shopping in their outlet store for hand-knitting yarns and exclusive cashmere garments and accessories.

**Dinner tonight will be at our hotel, the Biella Agora Palace Hotel. Situated in the city center it is across from the Zumaglini Gardens and the pedestrian zone of Via Italia where you can find the more exclusive shops in town. Nearby funicular access to the medieval village of Piazzo makes it easy to take in the wonderful views of the city.

Oct 27, Wed
Today will be a continuation of yesterday with visits to local mills and outlets, with some time to explore Biella.

Oct 28, Thu
We depart Biella today for Florence. We’ll be passing the flat, sweeping farmlands between Parma and Bologna that produce some of Italy’s most prized culinary traditions, including the world-famous Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the cured ham known as prosciutto di Parma. Along with Modena’s traditional balsamic vinegar, these foods form a holy trinity of culinary delights and Modena will be the perfect place for our **group lunch.

Late in the afternoon we depart for Florence and check into the Grand Hotel Baglioni, our home for the next four nights. The hotel is located in the heart of the historic center and is easy walking distance to most everything Florence has to offer. One of the best views of the city is from the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and lounge.

Oct 29, Fri
Florence (Firenze in Italian) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. Often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures such as Dante, Botticelli, Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Florence Nightingale, and Emilio Pucci.

Today's walking tour of Florence will start with a visit to one of the city’s eternal masterpieces: Michelangelo’s David in the Academy of Fine Arts. From there, we move on to the city’s religious center, where some of Florence’s most impressive works of art are to be found: the Baptistry, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) with its famous dome by Brunelleschi. Next is the picturesque Signoria Square, to see statues by Cellini, Giambologna and Ammannati before exploring the Uffizi's exterior and the famous Ponte Vecchio. The tour will end at Santa Croce Basilica, containing the tombs of illustrious Florentine citizens such as Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and Machiavelli, as well as works by Giotto and Donatello.

Today and tomorrow shops are open from 10am to 7:30pm!

Oct 30, Sat
Today is yours to enjoy Florence on your own. In addition to exploring the many shops and street markets, there are shopping tours available to the outlets of Gucci and Prada or Castel Romano. If you are interested in visiting the Uffizi Gallery or the Costume Gallery at Pitti Palace, you will want to make advance reservations. Be sure to refer to your travel guide regarding any other specific museums you don’t want to miss.

Oct 31, Sun
Wine tasting is on the agenda today! Located in a centuries-old monastery on the highest hills of the Chianti region, we’ll visit the 16th century frescoed refectory of the old abbey and tour the cellars. In addition to tasting some of the estate’s wines, we’ll enjoy a traditional **Tuscan meal in the refurbished stables of the estate.

On our return to Florence we’ll drive up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city before returning to our hotel.

Nov 01, Mon
We depart Florence today and travel south through the Tuscan olive groves and vineyards to the city of Sienna. Sitting atop three hills, the city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps that meet at the center of activity, the Piazza del Campo. Ringed with cafes, restaurants and gelaterias, this red-brick town square is considered to be the best plaza in Italy and the perfect stop for lunch.

Our final destination today is Rome! The Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese is a luxury hotel in a superb location that overlooks the magnificent Villa Borghese gardens. The Villa Medici, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) and the cosmopolitan Via Veneto are only minutes away. La Bellavista Lounge & Bar terrace on the top floor of the hotel has a breathtaking panoramic view of Rome.

Nov 02, Tue
Rome, also known as the city of churches, was founded over 2,700 years ago and has become the largest open-air museum in Europe. Our informative tour of Rome will give you an overview of the major monuments, museums and ancient ruins such as the Coliseum, the Forum, and the Pantheon just to name a few.

Nov 03, Wed
Although the city of Rome itself is very large, the historical center is quite small. Armed with a map of the city and the information you received on our tour yesterday, you will have the entire day to visit sights that most interest you. Your tour escort and the hotel concierge will be happy to help point you in the right direction. Stroll along the Via Veneto, toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain to insure your return to this wonderful city, visit the famous Spanish Steps, and if a trip to the Vatican is something you have always wanted to do, the tram system is easy to use and rather inexpensive.

Our **Farewell Dinner this evening will be in the hotel’s restaurant.

Nov 04, Thu
There will be a transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport this morning for flights that depart no earlier than 10:00am.
If you would like to extend your time in Rome, Traveling Together has reserved some rooms at the Sofitel. The price is $201.00 per person for a double room and $375 for a single, including buffet breakfast and taxes.

Your tour includes:
Hotels
Breakfast each morning
**Lunches and dinners as noted in the itinerary
Luggage handling at hotels
Land travel by private motorcoach
Group activities to yarn companies and outlets
Tours of Milan, Florence and Rome
Transfer from our hotel in Rome to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on Nov. 04.
Hosted by a Vogue Knitting editor and Nicky Epstein
Escorted by a professional tour leader

Tour Price:
$ 3,962 per person, double occupancy
$ 1,225 single supplement
(Airfare is not included in the cost of the tour)

Please be sure to print and read the 2010-2011 Tour Terms & Conditions

Print and mail in the completed Tour Registration Form along with your deposit.

**If Traveling Together is bookmarked in your favorites,
please be sure to refresh the links, as many pages & forms have been updated.

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