"Villa with a View" ©2014 Niki Gulley • 12" x 9" oil painting
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 7, afternoon location: Villa Babianello
After a busy schedule the day before, several of us opted to take it easy and join a cooking class while others visited the castle in town and one of the villages across the lake. We were whisked away to a tiny nearby hamlet where the chef, Moreno, prepares all of the dishes himself that he serves for dinner at his restaurant. He started the morning out by feeding us cappuccino and homemade cake to enjoy while he began showing us how to roll out and form pasta for cheese tortellini and marinara from scratch. Next up, was a decadent potatoes gruyere with ham slices, all of which we got to sample. The finalé was the creamiest mushroom risotto, local red wine, and don't forget the limoncello for dessert. Yum!
Late that afternoon, we visited the Botanic garden in Varenna, which is spectacular with its colorful tropical plantings, elaborate villa, sculptures and fountains, and fantastic views along the lake. What a great day!
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If you're interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know.
Spaces are filling up quickly, so don't wait!
Athens and Santorini, Greece - May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera - June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France - June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy - Sept. 4-12, 2015
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy - Sept. 11-19, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
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