A Chocolate Tour of Italy

Artisanal Bio and Industrial Factories in Tuscany Piedmont Emilia Romagna and Umbria

Chocolate History up until the late 18^th century, chocolate only existed in liquid form and was drunk exclusively by the aristocracy and the clergy, only to spread to other sectors of society, beginning with the wealthy merchant classes.

The drink of the gods dates back to the Maya, using cocoa beans to prepare a beverage, the Xocoatl, with a very spicy and intense flavor. Cocoa becomes a very valuable commodity.
Christopher Columbus and Cortes discover the Americas, the cocoa plant and bear the seeds for the first time in Europe. The recipe of the Aztecs, with red pepper and hot spices, is modified with cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and cocoa for a sweeter taste.
In Italy, Venetian and Florentine masters give life to the art of preparing chocolate and start exporting it.
19^th Century chocolate becomes accessible to a wider audience, product quality improves and new varieties are created. New manufacturing processes separate cocoa paste and cocoa butter.

Turin is the Birthplace of Gianduja and Home to Many Fine Chocolatiers

Did You Know That the ideal environment for chocolate, which must be kept cool and dry, is at a temperature between 15 °- 18 ° C. Tempering is an operation that serves to give chocolate a stable crystalline structure to make it shiny, bright and free of veining. The white coating that forms on the chocolate is Cocoa Butter after heat shock or exposure to light. Cocoa grows in the tropics. Wines, spirits and beers pair well with dark chocolate with medium to high cocoa content of - 70% to 90%.

White Chocolate has this color because it is obtained from cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder, but is not added to the paste of cocoa, which corresponds to the dark part of the cocoa. The percentage of cocoa indicated on the wrapper indicates the sum of cocoa butter, cocoa mass and powder, present.

A traditional Saint Valentine’s Day Gift: heart of Gianduja and hazelnuts, garnished with a whole hazelnut and coated with dark chocolate

Tasting Chocolate

Sight color and brilliance communicate chocolate perfection; the best are shiny. Check its nuances and gloss before tasting it.
Tact scroll slowly the chocolate with your fingers to uncover its silky texture. Feel it on your lips: good chocolate is smooth, velvety and melts quickly.
Smell a lingering, intoxicating and intense fragrance: cocoa releases olfactory emotions that are never forgotten. Breathe deeply and feel all the richness and harmony of aromas.
Hear break the tablet with your fingers and listen to the sensual sound it produces.
Taste the endless aromas that make chocolate a most intoxicating experience for the palate.

Meet the Only Woman in the World to Claim the Title of Chocolatier

Our Chocolate Itineraries let you follow the various processes of chocolate making, including explanatory videos and chocolate tasting, as you walk through the whole production process from the beans to the grains of cocoa and from the refinement of the mixture right through to the processing of the chocolate. You also learn the art of chocolate tasting. 

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Barge and River Travel on European Waterways

Po River Valley Piedmont Lombardy Veneto France Canals Barges and Self-Drive Houseboats

Day and Week-Long Boat Tours, Unique Culinary Experiences – wineries, breweries and local foods - Walking, Biking, Canoeing, Horseback Riding Museums, Cultural Attractions & Nightlife Accommodations and Transfers.

The Po River Valley in Piedmont Lombardy and Veneto

The Po crosses Turin along with three other rivers, hence the nickname City of Four Rivers. The river environment includes a large pedestrian, bicycling, nature and educational system. The Murazzi district, with 19^th Century warehouses and boat depots, is one of the trendiest in town.

Cuneo in southwestern Piedmont is surrounded by the Alps and the Langhe hills. The traditional local punts are boats between seven and twelve meters in length. The name is derived from a four meters long reinforced pole used to propel the boat by pushing against the riverbed.

Grana Padano is produced on the left bank Parmigiano Reggiano on the right bank of the Po

Lombardy Region’s navigable routes, draw a common thread between the provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona and Mantua, Milan’s navigli, two dozen bio diverse parks and a network of rivers and streams, outfalls and tributaries of Lakes Garda, Como and Iseo which merge into the Po.

Veneto Region’s major arts and culture centers of Padua, Verona and Venice from a waterborne perspective, from the Po valley to the lagoon and the delta canals reaching into the Adriatic Sea.

the best way to travel is in the company of people who live and work in the places you visit. So, if you are planning a vacation or business trip contact us for a no obligation travel itinerary.

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Barges are Small Upscale Vessels that Cruise the Canals of Rural Europe

France about 90% of barges operate in France, which has an extensive canal system. Trips are offered through Champagne, Burgundy, the Upper Loire, Alsace, Canal de Midi, Provence, and Aquitaine. Barges also cruise the canals and some rivers in Holland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Italy.
Barges carry four to 22 passengers and are mainly family-owned and operated, with a crew that includes a gourmet chef.

Self-Drive Barges are like Houseboats and are a Less Expensive Option

Barges travel at a very slow pace, covering about 50 to 60 miles total on their mostly weekly itineraries. That provides people with an in-depth experience of a small area. These cruises are for clients who want to soak in non-urban culture.

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Information and Reservations

Book a Barge and River Travel Experience Here!

Travel Duration from 3 nights and 4 days to 7 nights and 8 days Group Size Minimum 4, Maximum 20 persons.

Cost/Person/Day Euro 245 for adults age 19 to 64 Euro 195 for seniors 65+ and children under 18.

Information for Booking First and Last Name, Passport Number, Expiration date and Issuing country, Date of birth, Email address.

Included Travel between cities and states that are part of the itinerary, lunches and dinners, accommodations in double occupancy with breakfast for three nights, applicable local and state taxes, one-half day sightseeing events, local transport services.

Excluded Evening entertainment and transport to tour location start and from tour ending location.

Day/time Day to day programs and specific events at each location, as well as the sequence of the tour stops, will be finalized with the participation of the clients after details on family/group composition have been determined to take-into-account client priorities and preferences.

Reductions Children under the age of 18 and seniors over the age of 65 traveling with parents and/or guardians, staying in the same hotel room receive a 20 percent discount.