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    Ask Chef Dennis » On the Road » Experience Italy with Collette – The Memories Will Last a Lifetime #GuidedbyCollette

    Experience Italy with Collette – The Memories Will Last a Lifetime #GuidedbyCollette

    Published: Sep 11, 2018 · Modified: Aug 19, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley · 24 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Have you ever wanted to experience Italy and all the deliciousness they have to offer?

    This post has been sponsored by Collette. All opinions, text and images are 100% my own.

    sunset in Tuscany from the Villa Lecchi

    We all dream of traveling the world, but sometimes planning the logistics of a trip sends us back to simply dreaming about travel, instead of experiencing the life-changing moments that only travel can bring us. And that my friends is sad.

    Planning a trip should be part of the adventure and not a stressful situation. And that’s why I let my favorite travel company Collette plan my trip. It takes all the hard work and stress out of the planning my vacation and lets me enjoy each and every moment of the journey.

    Who is Collette Tours?

    When I talk about my experience with Collette, a lot of my friends have never heard of them. And when I was first introduced to their tour company I didn’t know a lot about them either. But you can rest assured that you can trust your vacation plans and hard earned money to Collette. This year Collette celebrated their 100th anniversary as a travel company. That’s quite an accomplishment for any business, especially in the travel industry.

    How do I find Collette tours?

    The easiest way would be to follow my link to Collette.  Or you can Google, Collette Tours, Collette Travel, Collette Vacations or Guided by Collette. When you’ve been around for as long as they have, you’re not hard to find!

    Collette Travel Banner

    Where can I travel with Collette?

    If you can find it on the map there’s a good chance that you can travel there with Collette. And if you want to experience Italy like I did, they have just the tour for you, along with many other Italian adventures to choose from.

    Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa Italy

    We arrived in Milan and after a short drive to the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa, we began our Italian adventure.

    View from the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa Italy

    When the view from your room takes your breath away you know you’ve made the right vacation decision.

    guest room at the Regina Palace hotel in Stresa, Italy

    And the room you’re staying in makes you feel like you really are staying in a palace, life is good! But what else could you expect from a tour that was #GuidedbyCollette?

    What will type of food will you eat on a Collette Tour?

    rigatoni in a cream sauce with a cooked prawn sitting on top of the pasta

    We had a good combination of guided tours and free time on our trip. Most meals were scheduled but we did have some free nights to go out and explore on our own and find those special little restaurants to make even more delicious memories. And when you’re in Italy you eat pasta dishes every chance you get!

    homemade ravioli with a spinach sauce on a grey plate in Stress on our Collette tour

    This homemade ravioi in a spinach sauce were indescribably delicious….sigh

    And oh the places you’ll see

    view from Hotel Vis a Vis in Sestri Levante

    From Stresa, we moved on to our next stop the Hotel Vis a Vis on the Italian Riviera in Sestri Levante. And as you can see the view was spectacular. Lisa even made it down to the Baia del Silenzio (bay of silence) for a swim.

    view of Rio Maggiore in the Cinque Terra Italy

    This was the perfect home base for us to visit the Cinque Terra. Rio Maggiore was simply spectacular!

    beach at Monterosso in the Cinque Terra

    I could have stayed all week at the beach in Monterosso it was such a beautiful location.

    Duomo in Florence, Italy

    But there was more to see on our tour, including the magnificent city of Florence aka Firenze. This is a must visit city. The majesty of this fabled city is simply amazing. And let’s not forget the museums. Some of the world’s finest works of art are in the Ufizzi and the Accademia.

    view of the Tuscan landscape from the Villa Lecchi

    And when you’re in Tuscany life couldn’t be better. Especially when you’re staying in a Tuscan villa with views that just take your breath away.

    villa lecchi in Tuscany

    The Villa Lecchi was my favorite accommodation on this trip. We found that Andrea Bocelli had stayed in the same suite we had overlooking the Tuscan landscape.

    procession for the Palio in Sienna on our Collette travel tour

    Our Collette vacation was a dream come true. We were able to visit so many of the places we’d always hoped to see. From our Tuscan villa, we were taken to the hill town of Sienna. It was a special time in Sienna as they were preparing for the Palio. Their annual horse race for bragging rights to the city. It was such a fun experience!

    street market in Bologna, Italy with fresh produce

    We also got to visit Bologna on our tour and I think this is one of the cities I would choose to live in if I moved to Italy. And I think you can see why. The markets had me thinking of all the deliciousness I could create in the kitchen.

    blue gondolas on the grand canal in Venice

    Last but not least on our Collette Tour of Italy’s Treasure was the city of Venice. And it was glorious!

    canals of venice with boats in the water

    Venice is everything you’ve ever dreamed it would be. The city hasn’t changed much over the centuries and it beckons to you to explore this city of canals and bridges. Don’t worry about getting lost, no matter where you wander, you’ll always find a water taxi to get you back to your hotel.

    water taxi heading to Murano

    And a trip to Venice isn’t complete without visiting the island of Murano. It’s just across the bay, just a short water taxi ride away.

    craftsmen making a glass horse

    On this trip we visited Murano to watched a master glass blower at work. We had front row seats for this demonstration and then toured their showroom.

    restaurant in Venice, Italy with a movie playing on a wall

    Our last evening in Venice was spent at a cozy little restaurant where we were wined and dined while a movie was projected onto a wall behind us. Life just doesn’t get any better than this.

    It was an amazing trip and we got to experience Italy in a way most tourists won’t. Traveling with a local tour guide our trip with Collette allowed us to travel deeper and make memories that will last a lifetime.

    If you enjoyed my post about traveling through Italy please leave a comment, I love hearing from you!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eric

      October 10, 2018 at 5:54 am

      Packing my bags as I read this. Wishing I had seen this early as my sister & brother in law just returned from a tour of Italy very disappointed in the tour they booked. This would have been right up their alley.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        October 10, 2018 at 9:00 am

        Collette did a really great job with our tour, I know you would love it Eric!

        Reply
    2. Suzanne

      September 25, 2018 at 7:47 pm

      We just missed each other! We loved our trip to Italy! What a trip you had! Collette does an unbelievable job with their tours. They make everything so easy! Love your photos and I could eat that pasta right off the page!

      Reply
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