MYTHICAL IRELAND
| Storytelling & Castles |
An Indulgence into Ireland’s Riches & Easy Elegance
JUNE 7-17 | 2024
From Me To You
When our original travel plans were upended due to the earthquake in Morocco, a quick round table with near and dear ones put Ireland to the top of the list for 2024. What's not to love?!
The Emerald Isle with it's ancient past, and more recent history, from castles to literary writers, famine to uprisings, folklore and music, incredible cooking schools and top chefs, I'm so excited that we are heading to a country so rich in its bounty and offerings.
We've been organizing our exclusive, annual tours for a decade now but I often joke that it's going to be really hard to 'top' this one. Fortunately for us, it's easy to create incredible journeys around the world when you are surrounded by magnificent people with a love for their corner of the world and are eager to share their knowledge and passion with us.
My hope is that this immersive journey will be a gateway for us to indulge in the riches of Ireland; enjoying a literature tour in Dublin, visiting one of the oldest ale breweries in Co. Kilkenny, spending the day in one of the best cooking schools in Ireland where farm to fork is a way of life, or spending time with an Archaeologist in the Dingle Peninsula with the greatest concertation’s of archaeological sites in Western Europe, stretching back over the past 7000 years, while staying in the comforts of the most luxurious castle estates and country inns that Ireland has to offer.
This is Mythical Ireland.
Hope you'll be one of 10 persons to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime discovery...in the Emerald Isle!
warmly,
Devaki
A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME...
LUXURIOUS
ACCOMMODATIONS
URBAN CHIC | CASTLE ESTATES | COUNTRY INNS
We will be staying in distinctive accommodations reflective of the counties in which they are situated will therefore be unique experientially.
In Dublin, a luxury 4-star urban hotel in the heart of Dublin's south city. An oasis of calm in Georgian Dublin and stone throw from the hottest museums and cities charms.
In Kilkenny, we will be staying in the city center, in a former bank building on a charming cobbled street which is just a 4-minute walk along John Street Lower to a riverside pub offering folk music.
In Kenmare; Relais & Chateaux, five-star elegance enveloped by some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery, this storied hotel is one of Ireland’s grande dames. Expect to be blown away by everything including the exceptional landscapes surrounding this incredible property.
In County Claire, we will be staying at a Castle Hotel & Country Estate that is considered one of the finest 5 star castle hotels in Ireland.
All luxury accommodations are 4-star and 5-star are of historical significance, in cities or in country estates.
EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
ROCK & ART | A DAY WITH AN ARTIST
We will spend the day with world renowned Sculptor & Artist in his magic world of Lecce white stone.
We will dive into a therapeutic journey of modelling a piece of stone using just our hands and some primitive tools, so to uplift ourselves into the unexpected world of Art,
He will open the doors of his home and studio, share with us some basic knowledge on sculpting and then guide us during our creative process as we create a personal & unique piece of art to take home with us.
During the art-lab we will also enjoy relaxing moments of local food and wine in the studio’s garden and visit the artist's art Gallery to better appreciate his work.
EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
A BOTANICAL JOURNEY | BIODIVERSITY & ANCIENT FIG TREES
In the paradise of Ancient Fruit Trees: The main collection of fruit trees is dedicated to the Ficus carica species : 600 varieties between Afghan, Bosnian, French, Portuguese, Albanian, Israeli and of course Italian and Apulian figs: this is one of the most important collections in Europe and the Mediterranean basin , for quality and variety.
The day will begin with a walk among the figs, tasting all sorts of different varieties and harvesting straight from the trees the best ones for drying purposes.
Preserving, transforming, tasting. | A unique opportunity for us to be at the botanical conservatory “ to learn ancient techniques of preparing the typical “ fico maritato”: dried figs filled with almonds and lemon zest.
HISTORICAL EXPERIENCES
ANCIENT CAVE ART | CRYPT OF THE ORIGINAL SIN
The Crypt of the Original Sin is the most iconic Rock Church in the South of Italy from the 8th century.
Commonly known as the “Sistine Chapel of Rupestrian Art”, the Crypt was discovered in 1963 by a group of local youths, who noticed the wonderful frescoes dating back to the second half of the 8th century, realized by an anonymous artist named “The Flower Painter.”
The cycle of paintings has a clear Late-Romanesque style and formal elements of Oriental inspiration, due to the arrival of Eastern Popes in Italy.
WE COOK!
THE WORLD OF 500-YEAR OLD BREAD OVENS THAT STILL BURN & HANDMADE PASTA
Our culinary experiences are as authentic as they come!
This isn't some touristic dime-a-dozen culinary experience but a day shared with locals, Julia and Francesco as they share their daily life in Puglia.
From shopping at the local markets, picking up seasonal vegetables, cheeses, olive oil and freshly baked DOP Altamura bread and focaccia, we will make our way to the cooking studio where we will roll up our sleeves to cook a traditional, three course lunch together.
THEY COOK!
FROM ONE-MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANTS TO STREET FOOD
What's always been that one truth we have always held onto no matter where we travel?
We go where a great meal takes us!
We've scoured the hills of Sicily to taste the greatest Farsumagru ever made to being the first outsiders ever invited to a traditional Portuguese Confraria in a village, so why stop now?
From spectacular One-Michelin strarred restaurants, to eating grilled bombette in a traditional butcher shop, our quest for the next great meal continues. Unapologetically.
FOR THE LOVE OF
OLIVE OIL & WINE
WINE SPECTATOR FEATURED WINERY & An ANCIENT MASSERIA WITH 2000 YEAR OLD OLIVE TREES
A Winery that features pure Apulian wines. Primitivo, Primitivo di Manduria, Susumaniello & Verdeca Salento are some of the featured wines made from local Pugliese grapes.
We visit the winery, learn about the vinification process followed by a vertical tasting of featured and exclusive wines.
We visit a 500-year-old Masseria, one of the oldest in Puglia whose 100 acres of olive groves have produced olive oil for centuries! We will learn to distinguish the range of flavors, blends bouquets and color qualities of different olive oils, as well as, how to pair them with various foods.
SAY CHEESE!
WE VISIT A 16TH CENTURY APULIAN FARMHOUSE FULLY DEDICATED TO ARTISANAL CHEESEMAKING & OLIVE OIL
This Apulian farmhouse boasts about 20 hectares of land where a flock of over 100 sheep graze. As per tradition, the milking of the sheep is done exclusively by hand every day.
Here the the milk cycle ends in a few hundred meters. and the milk collected in the stable travels less than 200 meters before reaching the cheese laboratory where the milk is entrusted to the master cheesemakers who will take care of transforming it into real delicacies.
We will learn about the cheese making process for both fresh and seasoned cheeses: mozzarella, burratta, giuncata with Arugula, smoked scamorza & Caciocavallo are just few of the cheeses we will taste.
LET'S TALK ARCHITECTURE
FROM TRULLI TO BAROQUE TOWNS
The trulli are entirely composed of stone, including their cylindrical (sometimes square) bases and conical roofs. and unlike most brick or stone buildings, traditional trulli requires no mortar between the stones to hold the structure together (known as dry stone masonry).
The Baroque town of Lecce is built of stone that glints gold and cream in the sunlight, it is taken from the surrounding land and it is called pietra leccese (literally stone from Lecce), a light yellow, soft, compact and easily workable limestone.
OTHER INCLUSIONS
TOUR BEGINS IN BARI
TOUR ENDS TRANSFERS TO BARI OR BRINDISI
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Airport Transfers
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Transfers between destinations in A/C Minibus.
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Walking tours & historical tours with Subject-Matter-Experts.
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Authentic experiences created exclusively for our group.
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Market Tour & Cooking class in Altamura with lunch and wine service.
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Winery visits & Masseria visits for Cheese making and olive oil tastings.
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All breakfasts, 13 meals (lunches and dinners)
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All taxes, fees, and gratuities.
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ZOOM Meet-ups with the Group prior to departure.
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Your itinerary is in real-time on your smartphones and devices on the travel app. Hauling paper copies around is the thing of the past!
Know Before You Go!
This itinerary is the current plan but is ever evolving and things may change. We will make every effort to provide the tours and experiences that are described above. However, since we are traveling off the beaten path, it means that plans may change at the last minute. You always have the option of skipping a particular excursion, but please note that we will be unable to make refunds for any missed meals or other events.
**We only have 8 rooms available at the hotel in Matera. These will be allotted first come-first served. If you are traveling with a friend we may request that you share a room in Matera or you may choose to stay at the 5-star a few minutes away - any cost difference will be communicated in advance.