italy

							              Culinary Trip of Lifetime to Italy!
                   Hosted by Italian speaking Personal Chef Alba Carbonaro Johnson

                                               May 7-14, 2011

Visit Abruzzo and Umbria
See amazing Italian vistas of steep mountains and beautiful vineyards, while experiencing fresh and delicious
local cuisine. We will share cooking classes and taste the world’s most exquisite olive oils and wines. We will stay
in luxurious hotels situated in picturesque historic towns, and we will visit inspiring and unique sites, all of the
while enjoying magnificent food, wine and hospitality.




                     $3,749.00 per person (cash discounted price based on double occupancy)

Tour package includes:
       • Roundtrip scheduled non-stop airfare Dulles / Rome / Dulles
       • Airline taxes and fuel surcharges as of 6/24/2010 (subject to change)
       • Private group transfers from and to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport
       • Luxurious accomodations at Park Hotel Ai Cappuccini and The Gourmet Hotel Zunica 1880.
         www.parkhotelaicappuccini.it , www.hotelzunica.it
       • Cooking classes, wine tasting at famous vineyards, and olive oil tasting
       • Breakfast and dinner daily, along with lunches specially scheduled for our group per the itinerary
       • Sightseeing in Pacento and Sulmona
       • Sightseeing in Assissi, Perugia and Todi (Sightseeing by private air conditioned bus)

For more information, please call: Abrams Travel at 301-384-4660 or Alba Johnson at 301-332-2494,
or visit www.abramstravel.com
Day by Day Suggested Itinerary

Saturday, May 7     (D)
Depart Washington-Dulles Airport on our scheduled non-stop flight to Rome, Italy. Dinner and breakfast will
be served on board.


Sunday, May 8      (B, D)
Upon arrival in Rome, we will be met and assisted by an Abrams Travel representative. Transfer by private
motorcoach through the Italian countryside to the Zunica 1880 Hotel. Enjoy some time to relax before we share
a welcome cocktail and dinner.


Monday, May 9 (B, L, D)
After breakfast, we visit Pacentro and Sulmona. We enjoy lunch in a local trattoria, and dinner in our hotel.



Pacentro is a well preserved medieval village in the heart of the Appenine Mountains. It is well known for its
fresh mountain water springs, as well as its well preserved architecture. We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant
famous for its fresh ingredients and traditional regional recipes. We then continue to Sulmona, a city in the
province of L’Aquila with around 25,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the Valle Peligna, a plateau once occupied
by a lake which disappeared in prehistorical times. This beautiful town is famous for its cathedral and piazzas.
Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.


Tuesday, May 10 (B, L, D)
Today, we share a cooking lesson for our lunch in our hotel’s beautiful kitchen. In the afternoon, we visit the
historic wine estate of Camillo Montori for a guided visit, wine tasting and olive oil tasting.




Our cooking class, in our hotel known for its excellent cuisine, will be based on traditional Abruzzo recipes, with
exquisite ingredients such as saffron and truffles. You will learn the techniques and methods which will bring out
your natural passion for good food. Under instructions of a professional Italian chef, we will prepare a typical
Italian dish and will at the same time also learn about the various Italian ingredients used. Afterwards, we will
Day by Day Suggested Itinerary (continued)

share our creations for lunch. In the late afternoon, we will visit the winery where they produce the best DOC
wine in Abruzzo. Tasting the famous Montori wines in this beautiful setting will give you an understanding of
the important stamp that a vineyard’s location places on its wine. We will also sample amazing olive oil. Return
to our hotel for dinner and overnight.


Wednesday, May 11 (B, D)
We enjoy the beautiful scenery as we drive from the coastal region of Abruzzo to the beautiful mountains of
Umbria. We make a short visit to Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region. Ascoli has inestimable treasures of art of
every century and amazing architecture. We enjoy an “Aperitivo” at Caffè Meletti, one of the five most famous
coffee bars in Italy. In the late afternoon, we are arriving at our hotel in Umbria for dinner and overnight.


Thursday, May 12 (B, L, D)
Today’s culinary adventure in at Le Tre Vaselle, the beautiful property of the famous Lungarotti wine making
family. We will watch a cooking demonstration of our lunch in a traditional agricultural setting, learning that
the use of the freshest ingredients is the most important component of great cooking. After lunch, we will visit
the Lungarotti vineyards where they produce the excellent DOC wines.


In the late afternoon, we will visit Assisi, including the church Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Basilica of San
Francesco. Enjoy free time to shop in the quaint streets of Assisi. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.


Friday, May 13 (B, D)
Our sightseeing includes visits to the beautiful towns of Perugia and Todi.




Perugia, the town of Gothic palaces and jazz cafes, where ancient alleys of stone drop precipitously off a 19th-
century shopping promenade, is the capital of the Italian province of Umbria. Perugia is most famous for its
chocolate, and annually holds a renowned chocolate festival.


The Umbrian capital is also one of Italy’s greatest art cities. Perugia produced and trained some of Umbria’s finest
artists, including Gentile da Fabriano and Perugino’s protégés: Pinturicchio, Lo Spagna, and Raphael.
We continue to Todi, perched at the top of a twin crested hill, where you can see some of Italy’s most breath tak-
ing views. Todi is famous for its palazzos and scenery, as its position high above the Tiber River will leave lasting
impressions. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.


Saturday, May 14
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Rome for our return flight to Dulles Airport. Return home with great
friends and memories.



About Tour Host Alba Carbonaro Johnson
Alba Carbonaro Johnson is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and owner of Alba’s
Delicious Dishes. Born in Naples, Italy and raised in Tunisia, NorthAfrica, she
gained a practical understanding of the ingredients and basic techniques which
she shares with her students and clients. Alba teaches adult cooking classes for Carroll
Community College, Montgomery and Howard County Parks and Recreation, and
privately. She also teaches week-long teen cooking camps in the summer. Her
winning style is full of captivating demonstrations combined with some hands-on
participation. Alba’s first book, “La Cucina Semplice,” available online, is a collec-
tion of her favorite recipes from growing up in Southern Italy and North Africa.
This region of the Mediterranean is known as Maghreb known for its vibrant and aromatic rustic cuisine. Visit
Alba online at: www.albasdeliciousdishes.com, www.easycookingwithalba.blogspot.com.



About our hotels
The Park Hotel ai Cappuccini is a 17th century monastery which has been cleverly restored. This splendid build-
ing and the religious communities that have lived here since it was first built, belong to the history of Gubbio.
The city of Gubbio is situated in the green heart of Umbria. Its ancient stones and architecture are among the
highest testimonies of the luminous and refined Medieval Age. Secluded, yet near the center of the city, today
the Park Hotel ai Cappuccini is a harmonious blend of an antique setting and modern comforts.


The Gourmet Hotel Zunica 1880 is the ideal place for you if you have a passion for fine dining, art and nature. At
the heart of the Gran Sasso National Park, in the main square of one of the most beautiful and best kept villages
in Italy, Civitella del Tronto, this dwelling is an ancient, elegant XVII century building where, for four generations,
the Zunica family have been offering accommodation to travellers in search of an extraordinary place of solace.


Treat yourself to an astonishing holiday in Abruzzo, discover a territory that is rich in history, tradition and
flavours, amidst the clear blue Adriatic coastline and the golden shades of the Montagna dei fiori. The restaurant,
recommended by the most important gastronomical guides as well as numerous connoisseurs of fine dining, will
seduce you with its traditional, local recipes that have been updated by young, talented staff.
Registration Form


I/We wish to join Chef Alba Johnson on the Culinary Tour to Italy.


Name _______________________________________________________________________________

Accompanying person(s) ________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________

Telephone (h)__________________________________(c) _____________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________________________________________________

Passport number(s) ____________________________________________________________________



Culinary Tour to Italy ($3,749.00 per person) _____ person(s ) = $__________

Non Refundable Deposit of $500.00 per person person(s ) = $__________

Balance due by January 15, 2011= $__________


Please make checks payable to Abrams Travel, Inc. and send completed registration to:
Abrams Travel, Inc. • 2909 Friendlywood Way • Burtonsville, MD 20866.


I have read and understand, and on behalf of all persons named above, accept the terms and conditions
in this brochure of which this application is a part.


Date _______________ Signature ________________________________________________________
                              IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL PASSENGERS

Abrams Travel Inc., Alba Johnson, their agents and/or their representatives abroad (hereinafter, collectively “Tour Provid-
ers”), act only as agents for those passengers traveling on the tour described herein (hereinafter, collectively “Tour Mem-
bers”) in making arrangements for hotels, transportation, touring, restaurants, and/or any other services in connection
with the itinerary stated herein. Tour Providers will exercise reasonable care in making such arrangements. However, Tour
Providers do not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity to any person
(including, but not limited to, Tour Members) or property because of any act or failure to act or default of any hotel, car-
rier, restaurant, company, entity or person rendering any services. Tour Providers do not assume any liability whatsoever
for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity sustained by a Tour Member due to the actions or inaction’s of
any person or entity who is not the Tour Provider whether during tour activities or not. Tour Providers reserve the right
to reasonably vary itineraries and substitute components of tour programs at any time between the Tour Member’s signing
of the contract for tour services and the actual operation of the tour program without any liability of Tour Providers for
any such variations and/or substitutions. Tour Providers reserve the right to accept or deny acceptance of any person as a
member of any tour. The tour price is based on a minimum of 15 people traveling. In the event that fewer than 15 people
register for the tour, the tour may be cancelled.

Any and all disputes related to this contract shall be litigated within the State of Maryland according to the laws of Mary-
land, irrespective of Maryland’s choice of laws. The parties agree to waive their right to trial by jury.

INSURANCE: Insurance is recommended and may be purchased prior to departure. In order to avoid issues with pre-
existing conditions, insurance covering the entire purchase price of the trip must be made within 10 days of your initial trip
deposit. All cancellations must be made in writing, are effective as of the date post-marked, and must be sent to: Abrams
Travel, Inc., 2909 Friendlywood Way, Burtonsville, MD 20866.

Non refundable deposit of $500.00 per person required by November 1, 2010. Final payment due by January 15, 2011.
In case of cancellation- January 14, 2011 or prior- $500.00 per person administrative fee. January 15, 2011 or later- No
refunds.

Cancellations must be made in writing to Abrams Travel Inc. Abrams Travel Inc. shall not be liable for injury, damage, loss,
accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of or defect in any vehicle or aircraft or through
the acts of default of the suppliers in carrying out the arrangement of the tour. Abrams Travel Inc., reserves the right to
vary itineraries and substitute components of tour programs.

Passport information: We must receive a copy of the information page of your passport 12 weeks prior to departure.
Please be aware that you may not fly to Italy if your passport has fewer than 6 months remaining. Be sure that your pass-
ports, and those of all members of your traveling group, have an expiration date that is at least six months later than your
day of return to the United States. If this is not the case, please take immediate steps to renew your passport.