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Italian Cooking Classes - the Masseria

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Patricia Aitken, Travel Agent in Medford, OR

Patricia Aitken

Medford, OR Travel Agent

Patricia Aitken

Medford, OR · 25+ Years of Experience

LadyBug Destinations, an independent agent with Nexion, LLC, a Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Agency
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I feel so fortunate to have worked with Pat Aitken. She is a fabulous travel advisor! Pat helped me with some rather complicated travel... Read More >
COUNTRIES VISITED:Italy
PLACES VISITED:Lecce, Puglia
SUGGESTED DURATION:3 Days
What a fabulous experience these two very different cooking classes turned out to be. One in the country at a Masseria we stayed in at Montenapoleone (Puglia). The other took place in Lecce and included going out shopping for the goodies we were going to learn to cook. WHAT an Experience! Plus that as we were in different towns going down the Adriatic Coast, usually by train, when walking around the towns we always happened on women sitting out side their residences talking and making pasta! In Italy (or, actually, anywhere) Everyone should take part in a cooking class of some kind, It is SO much fun. Go on a cooking tour outside of Rome with Roberto.
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DAY1
Lecce
Close Day
Lecce Cooking Class
When we went on down to Lecce, we were all fortunate enough to go take ANOTHER cooking class. This one also entailed going with the Cooking Class Owner to the food market and picking out all the various ingredients we were cookign that day! Plus we got to see and experience where and how Italians go to pick up their food. People in Europe do eat much better than we do here in the States. I think you can see how much fun this was!!
HIGHLIGHTS:
Outdoor and Indoor food market purchase!
Carry re-usable sacks
DAY2
Puglia
Close Day
Masseria Farmhouse Cooking School
Montenapoleone - the Masseria (old Pugliese term for farmhouse) in Puglia. Not exactly a day trip as we stayed here for several days, cooking, learning, relaxing - enjoying excellent wine by the fireplace, walking throughout the Masseria, eating and drinking even from our own labors! The pool was not open, we missed that by just two weeks!
HIGHLIGHTS:
Take the cooking classes offered!
DAY3
Puglia
Close Day
Alberello Coned Houses
One of the fascinating day trips we took was a stop in Alberello with its fascinating houses, way too interesting places to shop for lace ornaments, food, olive oil--who cannot get Olive Oil in Italy? We were fortunate enough to be allowed in to a home that had been "renovated" - actually the owner had two next to each other and made it into one. Fascinating people. We stopped at a deli to grab some sandwiches and wine before going off to shop. Credit cards had so much fun.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Handmade lace ornaments, lemon oil, olive oil
FINAL THOUGHTS
The one thing I remember about this trip was the food and the wine -it helped that at two difference points, the Masseria and in Lecce we did our own actually making and cooking of Food, Wineries near Alberoello, Olive Oil, history of the areas!