Top of my bucket list!

How often is someone given a gift that takes them to the number one item on their bucket list?  Well...that's exactly what has happened to me, and Dave.  My aunt is sending us on an all expenses paid Tuscan food and wine tour.  Yes that would be Tuscany...in ITALY!!  We are so very excited.  It is going to be an amazing 11 days.

Here is the itinerary from the tour company:

Air 1: Overnight Flight
Board your overnight flight to the Italian capital of Rome.
Day 2: Rome, Italy - Tour Begins
Meet your fellow travelers in Rome for a welcome dinner in a local restaurant • Join in an interactive and fun presentation on Italy’s wines given by the restaurant’s sommelier • Indulge in a traditional 4-course meal, paired with some of the country’s finest wines.
Today dinner will be included.
Day 3: Rome - Orvieto - Umbria
Depart Rome • Travel to the Etruscan hill town of Orvieto, known for its white wine and Gothic cathedral housing a Signorelli fresco • Take time for a leisurely lunch or explore this town on your own • Spend the next four nights in a palace in a pristine Umbrian hill town. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 4: Umbria - Spoleto - Cooking Class - Umbria
Embark on a guided walking tour of historic Spoleto • See medieval palaces, the ornate Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta, and the magnificent Ponte delle Torri, an aqueduct dating back to the 13th century • Enjoy free time to peruse the town’s shops and cafes • Pay a visit to a country restaurant housed in a 16th century farm house • The chef here provides a hands-on Umbrian cooking lesson • Indulge in an early dinner in the countryside. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 5: Umbria - Olive Oil Factory - Norcia - Montefalco - Umbria
Explore Umbria’s specialty food items through a series of tastings • Start the day with a visit to a local olive oil factory in the area of Trevi • Travel to Norcia, where skilled butchers have been handcrafting salumi for centuries • Taste some of their sausages and pecorino cheeses during a guided walking tour • Visit the basilica of St. Benedict • Stop off in Montefalco, nicknamed the Balcony of Umbria • Visit a local enoteca to sip some of this region’s most prized wine, the Sagrantino. Today breakfast will be included.
Day 6: Umbria - Cortona - Home-Hosted Dinner - Umbria
After a leisurely morning you’ll head to Cortona, the Etruscan town made famous in the film Under the Tuscan Sun • Take time for a leisurely lunch or explore this town on your own • This evening, an Umbrian family welcomes you to their country home as they prepare a delicious home-cooked meal. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 7: Umbria - Winery - Tuscany
Travel from Umbria through southern Tuscany • A winery visit showcases the wine cellar, family estate, vineyards, olive groves and stunning views • The winery’s chef prepares an authentic Tuscan lunch, expertly paired with wines produced on site • Make yourself at home in Tuscany in your restored palazzo for the next four nights. Today breakfast and lunch will be included.
Day 8: Tuscany - Florence - Tuscany
Set out on a short journey to Florence, “cradle of the Italian Renaissance” • Begin your day with a guided walking tour of the city sights, including the cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, located in the religious center of the Piazza Del Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio • Join your local guide in exploring the unique qualities of the city • Focus on Florence’s local artisans and visit their workshops • Spend some free time shopping and investigating Florence on your own • Return to Montaione. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 9: Tuscany - Siena - Monteriggioni - Tuscany
Travel to the city of Siena • Enjoy a walking tour and visit the historic piazza famous for the Palio Horse Race • Continue to the walled town of Monteriggioni for a stroll along quaint streets • Take an afternoon break and try some Tuscan pastries before returning to the town of Montaione. Today breakfast will be included.
Day 10: Tuscany - Volterra - San Gimignano - Tuscany
Spend your morning in Volterra, a former Etruscan city which sits high above the Tuscan countryside • Visit one of the most famous Etruscan museums in Italy, the Guarnacci Museum • Travel to San Gimignano, known as the "Medieval Manhattan" • Look for the town's fourteen medieval towers that date back to the 13th century • Enjoy a stroll along Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna • Enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 11: Tuscany - Tour Ends
Your vacation comes to a close in Montaione.
Today breakfast will be included. 

Sounds absolutely fabulous!  And I think Dave and I should both be able to handle the amount of walking.  The trip begins Sept. 28, so the weather should be great!  And it will be close to grape harvest time!

We found out about this last Wednesday, and in that time since then I have checked with work to make sure it is ok that I am gone for 8 work days; we went to the library and checked out several travel guides and movies set in Italy; we went to the shoe store to get an idea of what kind of walking shoes we might want.

This is the beginning of my Tuscan travel blog...hopefully I can keep up with it, let you know how the preparations for trip are progressing!  Come along for the ride!  Ciao :)