Tuscany, Italy
September 27 -October 4 / 2025
Photography / Plein-Air Painting Workshop
Taught by Scott Williams & Niki Gulley
Join us once more as our culinary path takes us to the Medieval towns, cypress tree lined roads and glorious sun drenched splendor of the rolling hills that are Tuscany.
This trip is guaranteed to satisfy the foodie in everyone, from sampling the best fare of the regional restaurants, to touring some incredible wineries, exploring Tuscan culture and learning to cook from people passionate about their food, this is a culinary adventure for all your senses!
Imagine the enjoyment derived from strolling the narrow cobble streets of the hill towns or taking in the panoramic views from its outer walls as the sun sweeps across the landscape spread out before you.
Start your own Renaissance by standing in the shadows where the masters derived inspiration, all while experiencing the grandeur of Tuscany first hand. Bask in the rich colors offset against cobalt blue skies, the rows of earth hued vines, ripe with their succulent grape harvest, all while being warmed, literally, under a Tuscan sun.
Tuscany’s warmth is in more than the countryside, it’s within its people as you will discover while sampling the region’s abundant wines, savory fruit and amazing varieties of cheese. There is nothing like getting to know a culture and experiencing a sense of place, it is a journey for the senses, not only visually and intellectually, but for the palate as well.
Our destinations will transport you to the culinary pinnacle of the Tuscan region of Italy. You will have the opportunity to taste local cheese and olive oils in small villages that feel like time forgot. For the wine connoisseur in everyone, you get to spend the afternoon in a castle fortress sampling wine in the home of Brunello -Montalcino.
Imagine learning to cook in the comfort and privacy of our villa or in an actual Italian restaurant. Get a lesson on wine from the owners of wineries as they talk about their history and explain their wine making process.
You will have the opportunity to experience Tuscany as a local when you wander the cobble streets to poke your head into a cheese shop, sample wines, check out some hand hammered copper pots, have a little gelato and dine on some amazing food. Part of the experience will be allowing you time for exploring on your own for shopping, sightseeing or to dine al fresco for a leisurely lunch..
This unique Workshop affords you the best that Tuscany has to offer, thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your Italian experience.
We have chosen a fabulous cross section of the area’s best restaurants for your dining experience. Our communal feasts will give everyone an opportunity to discuss the day’s events, compare notes, ask questions and get a chance to know each other. It presents a unique option to share views and perspectives with like minded people gathered together in the love for good food.
So come join us as we take you on a culinary exploration of Tuscany with an emphasis on food, wine, cheese, olive oil, cooking and of course, gelato!
Space is limited to 10 participants on a first-come basis, so we encourage you to enroll as soon as possible.
Workshop includes:
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- Lodging for 7 nights amid the picturesque rolling Tuscan landscape. (Pricing is for shared rooms)
- Private van transportation from the Rome airport & to various Tuscan hill towns, including side trips to Siena and San Quirico, as well as to the wine towns of Montepulciano & Montalcino.
- First night’s meal prepared by a private chef at the villa
- Guided wine tour to a winery, plus additional wine tastings in Montepulciano and the home of Brunello – Montalcino
Cooking Class - 2 cooking classes – one in a local restaurant and one at the villa with a private chef
- Tour of La Foce gardens
- Continental Breakfast
- Emergency Medical insurance
- Instruction, guidance, experience and fun
Your cost for all of this is $4,295 and to reserve a spot, simply send a completed application form (the forms will be provided by email upon request) along with your deposit of $1,500 per person by 5/11/24. The price after that date goes to $4,895. There is also a final application cut off date of 10/12/24 for the workshop to make.
A second payment of one half of the remainder after deposit is due by 11/19/24, with a final payment due by 1/25/25. We can take credit card payments, however it will incur a 3.6% fee.
For those wanting a single occupancy room, there will be an additional cost of $900. There has to be a minimum of 6 people for the workshop to make. If the 6 person minimum is not met by the deadline, all money will be refunded.
Airfare to the workshop is not included, you are responsible for your own travel arrangements. We will provide transportation from the Rome (FCO) airport to the villa on Sept. 27th at one appointed departure time, as well as all transportation within Italy and the return to the airport in Rome on Oct. 4th.
Our return to Rome on the 4th will arrive around 10am, which means that you will need to book a later flight that day or spend the night in Rome for a return the following day.
We also suggest that you arrive a day or two early on the front end to get over jet lag in order to make the most of your Tuscany experience. We started doing that years ago and it has made a huge difference.
Our trips, while not overly strenuous do require a reasonable amount of physical fitness. In order to derive the greatest experience from our destinations, we spend a fair amount of time walking within each location. Our goal being that each person should see and experience as much of the scenery and culture as possible during our excursions.
In the event of inclement weather, alternate arrangements will be made for museum visits, etc. Once deposits are received, there will be no refunds for cancellations as trip arrangements will have been made. We suggest trip insurance for travel difficulties or unforeseen illness.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can help you in any way and we hope that you will be able to join us!
Scott Williams 214-289-8512 / Niki Gulley 214-803-5812
Email Scott at, photoguy@blind-squirrel.org if you are interested in joining us.