Tuscany Adventure
Tracy Stanley & Maggie Meister
September 14 - 25, 2012
Rome ~ Tuscany ~ Siena ~ San Gimignano ~ Florence
A Beadventure to Italy is special enough--but now we have made it even better. Italy tour leader/seed bead artist extraordinaire Maggie Meister AND fabulous mixed metal artist Tracy Stanley both will travel on this trip and teach a specially-designed joint project for this very special Beadventure.
Your Beadventure will start with a brief stay in Rome. You'll then travel to a lovely restored "farm house" (aka "villa") in Tuscany that will serve as the base for the rest of the trip. Day trips to Siena, San Gimignano, and Florence, along with the workshop at the villa, will fill your time in this beautiful part of Italy.
Itinerary
Day 1. Friday, September 14. Arrive in Rome.
You will arrive in Rome to be met at our lovely boutique hotel on the Aventine Hill by Maggie Meister. We will have a late afternoon tour with out guide of the Villa Giulia Museum that houses one of the best jewelry collections, both ancient and Castellani. Early night and simple dinner (included) at a local restaurant.
Day 2. Saturday, September 15. Free Time in Rome / Off to Tuscany.
In the morning you will be free to shop or perhaps visit the Vatican. Maggie will be more than happy to make suggestions regarding shopping and how to make reservations for the Vatican Museum. The group will depart in the early afternoon for Tuscany. After about a 3-hour drive to our villa, we will check in and have a brief orientation. Dinner at the villa (included).
Day 3. Sunday, September 16. Workshop.
Sunday is a quiet day in Italy so we will begin our workshop! Both Tracy and Maggie will give an overview of our joint project. Depending on the size of the group, we may split into two groups so both 
groups have one of the two instructors to get started. We will break for lunch (included) and then return to the workshop. If possible, we will have a tour of the vineyards and a wine tasting before dinner. Our villa’s wines are internationally known and it is quite an interesting tour. We will then have dinner at the villa (included).
Day 4. Monday September 17. Visit to Siena.
Today we are off to the incredible city of Siena. In the morning we will meet with our guide Dario Castagno who will explain the history and the traditions of the famous Palio race. It is so much more than a horse race – it is part of very soul of the Sienese people. We will be able to visit one of the contradas of the Palio (not open to the public). We then will have lunch (included) at a local Siena restaurant. The afternoon is free to shop and experience Siena. We will return to this magnificent city for a guided tour later in the 
week. We return to the villa for dinner (included) with our magnificent chef.
Day 5. Tuesday, September 18. San Gimignano.
The Tuscan countryside is breathtaking and we get a taste of its beauty on the way to visit the hilltop town of San Gimignano.
Day 6. Wednesday, September 19. Workshop.
Today is a workshop day.
Day 7. Thursday, September 20. Visit to Florence
You cannot visit Tuscany without visiting Florence. We leave in the morning to meet our guide in 
Florence. We will have a guided tour of this magnificent Renaissance city in the morning and the afternoon is free to explore this historical city. Meals are on your own and we return to the villa in late evening.
Day 8. Friday, September 21. Return to Siena
We return to Siena for a guided tour of the magnificent cathedral and more of the history. We return after lunch to continue our workshop. Dinner at the villa (included)
Day 9. Saturday, September 22. Workshop.
Last workshop day. All meals will be at the villa (included).
Day 10. Sunday, September 23. Return to Rome
We say arrivederci to Tuscany and go back to Rome in the morning. In the afternoon we will have a tour of the Forum and Coliseum. Dinner is on your own.
Day 11. Monday, September 24. Tour San Clemente Church.
Today is our last day in Rome where we will have a tour of the beautiful San Clemente Church and its underground. The afternoon is free and we will meet at a restaurant near the hotel for our farewell dinner (included).
Day 12. Tuesday, September 25. Depart.
Time to say arrivederci to Italy as we each depart for home.
Maggie Meister & Tracy Stanley are designing a very special joint project for this Beadventure. Check back for details . . .
About Maggie Meister . . .
"The love of ancient history, color and patterns have followed me throughout my life and my designs have come to fruition during the time my family and I lived in Italy. In looking back, beads have always been a part of my life – from playing with Mardi Gras beads or collecting semi-precious stones as a young girl to my love of ancient and ethnic jewelry as I became older. Today seed beads have become the medium I use to translate my sources of inspiration into personal designs for adornment.
When living in Naples, Italy, I was surrounded by ancient history. The fragments of Roman 
columns, mosaics and frescoes are my inspiration and I am grateful for those “ancient voices”. Translating these voices into designs fills my days with joy and wonder and I cherish my “connection” with the past. Teaching and beading are ways for me to share this wonderful experience and bring those voices of the past into the present." -- Maggie Meister
In addition to teaching around the United States, Maggie leads several Beadventures to Italy each year. Her first book, "Classical Elegance," was released in Augusut 2011. Maggie also was featured in in a Home & Design article "Art Studio: An Ancient Craft." Learn more about Maggie and her beautiful work at Amphora Designs.
About Tracy Stanley . . .
Tracy has spent her life living in the Pacific Northwest. This has given her a deep appreciation for natural and organic elements, which she reflects in her work and in her teaching art. Tracy began teaching over 17 years ago and gets great satisfaction in passing on her knowledge and skills. Her greatest satisfaction comes from teaching her students solid techniques that will help them create quality pieces of which they can be proud. Tracy travels to teach at bead stores and shows all around the country—and now to Italy for her first Beadventure!
For more about Tracy and her work, you can visit her website.
Trip Details
Cost: 3800 Euros (click to convert currency)
Includes: lodging (shared rooms), all breakfasts, 3 lunches, 8 dinners (alcohol not included), private and public transport to itinerary sites, entrance fees to sites on the itinerary, guide fees, tips, and workshop tuition.
Does not include: airfare, transport from airport to hotel, some meals, alcoholic beverages.
Payment Terms: $300 deposit to hold spot; balance due 90 days prior to start of Beadventure (see Terms and Conditions for more information)
Trip Notes . . .
- Itinerary subject to change as new opportunities present themselves; all sites will be seen but perhaps on a different day!
- Bring comfortable shoes as itinerary involves lots of walking.