Accommodation In Chianti Article

I wanted to visit Italy to see for myself the art and architecture that my friends had praised. My problem--I don't speak Italian and I had no one to accompany me, therefore I did not want to undertake such an adventure alone.

My solution--to take one of the tours in the program "Alumni Campus Abroad" sponsored by the University of North Carolina (Alumni Affairs, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001; phone 800/745-8622 or e-mail . edu). Many universities offer "Alumni " tours (through AHI International; visit .com), and even if you are not an alumnus you may join the alumni association as a "friend."

Each day we attended educational focus lectures on the history of Tuscany, the Chianti region, Renaissance art and the towns we would visit, including Certaldo, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca, Florence and Siena. The combination of lectures and sightseeing helped provide a greater understanding of Italy. Meeting some of the local residents gave us perspective on contemporary life there.

The base price of the tour was $2,395 per person, double occupancy, inclusive of round-trip airfare from Atlanta to Bologna, accommodation, three meals a day, entertainment, lectures, sightseeing, the bus and a driver. My single supplement was $350.

Staying in the heart of the Chianti region in the Tuscany hills, silence was noticeable, broken occasionally by the church bell and birdsong. I found that Tuscany truly lived up to its reputation for outstanding art, architecture, food and the friendliness of the people.

Our accommodations were at Villa Tavolese in Marcialla in the Elsa Valley. A small village, Marcialla has a village square, a few shops, a church, a war memorial and a play area with swings. From the villa I saw a magnificent panorama of vineyards and olive groves neatly laid out on rolling hills. On some days it was clear enough to see the red-tile roofs of distant villas and villages.

Villa Tavolese was first class. A former elementary school, it had been converted along with some of the nearby buildings, which were used as annexes. The ceilings were 10 feet high, with the floors polished wood or tile. My room was furnished with an antique-style wardrobe, a desk, a couple of chairs and a table, as well as a queen-sized bed, TV and telephone. The tiled en suite bathroom was complete with a shower, bidet, toilet and sink.

Our hotel chef was a genius at providing varied breakfasts and lunches, buffet style. Each day the evening menu was posted on the bulletin board--soup sometimes, always pasta, followed by a meat, fish or chicken entree. Wine, dessert and coffee rounded out the meal, which was served at a leisurely pace.

Our first educational lecture covered the almost-2,000-year history of Tuscany in brief. We learned about the Medici family and various other dynasties.

The day after our arrival we commenced our excursions, going first to Certaldo, about l0 kilometers from the villa. The streets in this medieval village were barely wide enough for the coach. We took the funicular to the upper section of the village and saw the house of Giovanni Boccaccio, one of the four founders of the Italian language in addition to being a poet.

Continuing on to San Gimignano took about 15 minutes. On our guided walking tour we saw the cathedral and the towers that had been built for defense. It was an uphill climb to the cathedral and we passed many shops, but I saw nothing to tempt me to buy.

We kept up a pretty good pace during our walking tours. Some of our group found walking up and down the cobbled or uneven streets to be too strenuous and settled themselves at an outdoor restaurant to wait for our return.

Our longest excursion was an all-day tour to Pisa and Lucca. Driving down from the hotel, We had a closer view of the vineyards and olive trees. The weather was fine, with only a few scattered showers. Except for my first glimpse of the leaning tower peeking out beyond the cathedral and baptistry, I thought Pisa was unimpressive.

Unfortunately, the large number of tour groups in the church made it difficult to hear what our guide was saying, Because of this, I skipped seeing the baptistry (said to be the largest in Italy) and instead took some photos of the exterior, then visited the line of vendor stalls opposite and had some fun buying a few souvenirs of Murano glass.

From Pisa we drove to Lucca. In order to preserve the ancient buildings, many towns have banned coaches from entering their interiors. Consequently, visitors must be prepared for lengthy walks to the centers Of towns. We are lunch near the Piazza Napoleone

Lucca is a walled city with ancient buildings, a clock tower, narrow streets and expensive shops.

Our guide in Lucca spoke excellent English, was amusing and told us just enough to whet our interest but not be dull. He took us for a walk on the city walls, which are 30 feet wide.

The following day's activities were based close to our hotel. We were given a lecture on Renaissance art and shown slides of works by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael and others to prepare us for our visit to Florence. Next came a pottery demonstration of the Colombino technique.

After lunch, our tour bus took us to the Castello di Monsanto for a tour and wine tasting.

The highlight of the week, for me, was seeing Florence. Pausing at the Piazzale Michelangelo, we had a group photo taken and saw a panoramic view of the city.

In Florence we had a 15-minute walk to reach the Duomo (cathedral) after our bus was parked. The 'cathedral is truly outstanding in appearance with its white, green and red marble. Crowds were gathered around the baptistry doors, otherwise known as Gates of Paradise, decorated in black and gold.

In the Uffizi Gallery, we explored its wonderful art collection, after. which there was time to walk along the Ponte Vecchio and see the expensive goldsmith shops.

Our second day in Florence allowed for independent exploration. I was fortunate when visiting the Galleria dell' Accademia because few visitors were present when I entered the Gallery of Slaves and saw Michelangelo's statue of "David" at the far end. For a few precious moments I was able to walk around it, then sit undisturbed on a chair and gaze at this imposing work. No photographs can do it justice. I felt the statue projected strength, peace and timelessness. A half hour after my arrival, the gallery was swarming with people.

Our last excursion was to Siena; another of Tuscany's walled cities. Some say Siena's treasures are second only to those of Florence. On Sunday morning, the town was quiet and free of traffic. Again, our tour bus had to park outside of the center and we walked to the Piazza del Campo, the site of the famous Palio horse race.

At the cathedral, our guide pointed out the brightness of the frescoes that date back to the 12th century.

This being an educational tour, we received certificates of participation at a banquet held on the last night at the Castello di Santa Maria Novello. Formerly a gate watch tower that was built 1,000 years ago, the castello was enlarged, over the years and now offers comfortable rooms that may be rented for business conferences and social events such as weddings.

The week-long alumni tour had been quite strenuous, as we crammed so much into it. Even so, it was only a small sample of what Italy can offer the traveler. I left knowing that I need to return.

RITA BERMAN

Chapel Hill, NC