H2Outfitters

Slow Food, Slow Paddling..

Sea Kayaking Italy’s Tuscan Islands

September 21-October 1st

9 days and 9 nights in Italy

Please accept our invitation to join us on our adventure into the heart of Tuscany as we visit the region of Chianti.  After we’ve had a “taste” of the wine country with a stay in the quaint working village of Impruneta, we’ll journey to Europe’s largest island archipelago, the Tuscan Islands, for some sea kayaking in the deep blue translucent waters of the Tyrrhenian sea. Setting up our base camp on one of Elba’s comfortable inns, we will set out to explore its medieval villages, ancient mines, natural beauty and historic monuments.  This will be a step back into history spanning a segment of time from ancient Etruscan mining to the exile of Napoleon Bonaparte. Before departing Italy, we will return to Impruneta to see the much anticipated and timeless Grape Harvest Festival, the Festa dell’Uva, the oldest festival of its kind in Italy.  From the rooftop terrace of our Inn, we’ll have an uninterrupted view of the floats, performances, and celebration that make the festival an event to be remembered for a lifetime.   There is no more fitting ending to our adventure in Tuscany. 

We welcome all levels of paddlers on this 9-day, 9-night adventure.  Please note that the trip dates include a day of travel on either end, so you will be gone for a total of 11 days.  The price includes accommodations, meals (as noted on the itinerary), workshops, transportation once in Italy, and the kayaking!

Day 1, Friday (Sept. 21)

Depart US for Florence, Italy (overnight flight).

Day 2, Saturday – Impruneta (Sept. 22)

Upon arrival at the Florence airport it is approximately a 30-minute taxi ride to the cozy, family-run Inn nestled in the Tuscan hill town of Impruneta.  After freshening up from the flight take the time to unwind from your travels with an enjoyable stroll through the village, famous for its terra cotta pottery and the Basilica of Santa Maria. (D)

Day 3, Sunday – Impruneta (Sept. 23)

Our first full day in Tuscany will lead us to the Cooking Studio, La Quercia, a short walk along winding country lanes outside of the village.  Our hostess and gastronomic guide, Veronica Clemente, offers us the hospitality of her villa situated among olive groves and Italian cypress, a short distance from the roadway. Veronica is known for her unique approach to the art of preparing slow food.  She’s a hand-on expressive and passionate gastronome who shares her technique and draws out the very best from her students.  We’ll spend the day with her preparing a four-course meal with the freshest ingredients from her garden, the local butcher, and her olive groves and then savor the exquisite flavors, textures, and tastes as we sit down together and enjoy the meal we helped prepare! (B, L, D)

Day 4, Monday – Southern Tuscany (Sept. 24)

Today we’ll experience the magical light, texture, and color of Tuscany as we traverse much of the southern part of the region with noted Tuscan photographer,  Duccio Nacci.  With Duccio’s guidance and coaching we will be able to take the images we see on this Tuscan canvas and create a photographic portrait that reflects our individual vision of what we see.  Duccio’s instruction is non-technical and based on composition and the relationship between eye, camera, and subject.  There will be an immediate improvement in your picture-taking ability, the way you look at a vista, a subject, or a scene and transpose that vision into a picture.  We’ll visit areas that only a local would know … small country churches, medieval hamlets with unique architecture… traversing dusty little roads, hiking up rolling hills reflecting the shimmering shades of autumn… places where you’ll meet the local people. Part of our journey with Duccio will include a visit to the local Macelleria and artisanal brewery.  Here we’ll taste, (a 2-hour culinary excursion), and collect supplies for a picnic lunch amidst the scenery of the Tuscan hills, a splendid vista opening before us as we wait for the light to be just so. (B, L, D)

Day 5-8, Tuesday-Saturday (Sept. 25 - 29)

It’s off to the Tuscan island of Elba for five days exploring Europe’s largest marine park by land and sea. This Mediterranean island due to its wealth of minerals and strategic geographic position was occupied by various world powers over the course of its history. The Etruscans and Romans appreciated Elba for her iron ore as well as her medicinal mud, and the English, Germans and French often challenged each other for control of the island for its strategic location.  But it was Napolean’s brief exile here that left the most significant mark on this rugged island.  There will be opportunities throughout our stay for you to visit some of Elba’s historical landmarks and museums as well as enjoy the dramatic landscape of the island itself, a significant portion of which has been preserved to be forever wild. The kayaking on Isola d’Elba is amazing… dramatic scenery, crystal clear water, and opportunities to see the coastline from a unique sea level perspective.  Our journey may bring us to a secluded pocket beach or lead us to discover a sea cave hidden in the shadows of Elba’s sculpted cliffs; both special treasures only discoverable by kayak. Again, food is an essential part of the experience.  In fact, there is an old Elban proverb that says “Only the best business decisions are made with the feet under the table!”   Our group will journey by kayak to a hidden beach where we’ll land and embark on a foraging expedition along Elba’s cliffs.  Here we’ll discover fresh herbs, flowers, and other ingredients, which will be used in the preparation of our evening’s meal, by the head chef at our magnificent Inn, the Hotel Cernia.  The magical botanical gardens that surround our Inn become a perfect place for an evening stroll or just to sit with a glass of Elban wine at the end of the day.  Saturday afternoon will find us on the road back to Impruneta to prepare for the famous Festa dell’Uva.

 (B, L, D)

Day 9, Sunday (Sept. 30)

From our rooftop vantage point, we’ll have first row seating for the pageantry that opens below us, a tradition whose history goes back through the millennia, that is the region’s festival of the grape harvest.    The four wards or districts of the region have been planning and preparing for the grape harvest festival over the course of the year.  The month of September has been spent building floats and organizing allegorical dramatizations of the region’s agricultural roots, which will be performed in the town’s square, Piazza Buondelmonti, for a full day of celebration.

It is a time of great merriment, festivity, and fun shared by everyone; a unique event not to be missed. We’ll enjoy the Becucci family’s special luncheon on this day, a multi course meal supplemented with wonderful Chianti wines and topped off with Espressos and Capuccinos and a desert of the famous house BellaVista cake.  A satisfying and fitting end to our Tuscan adventure. (B, L)

Day 10, Monday (Oct. 1)

Departure day. (B)