Get ready for Dolce Far Niente!
If you're not traveling with us on this group adventure, you can still use this information to plan an awesome trip for yourself!
Course Modules
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1
Welcome to "Preparing for Dolce Far Niente - Hidden Gems of Village Italy"!
- Welcome! Start here...
- How to Use this Platform: a quick tutorial from the folks at Thinkific
- Want to turn off the weekly "course progress" emails?
- The philosophy of Dolce Far Niente
- Travel Insurance
- Itinerary June 13 - 20
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2
Entry & Re-Entry Requirements
- If you land elsewhere in Europe first...
- ENTRY into Italy
- Digital Passenger Locator Form (dPLF)
- MOVING AROUND Italy
- Re-Entry into the United States
- Preparing for a Quarantine
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3
Day 1 - June 13 - Florence to Greve in Chianti & Montefioralle, then Monteriggioni
- Overview of the Day
- Antica Macelleria Falorni and Enoteca - Greve (lunch)
- Main Square of Greve - Piazza Matteotti
- Santa Croce Church - Greve
- Wine Museum (Museo del Vino) - Greve
- Videos of Greve in Chianti
- Montefioralle
- The walk from Greve to Montefioralle
- "Castle" of Montefioralle
- Videos of Montefioralle
- Arrival + Hotel + Group Dinner
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4
Day 2 - June 14 - Monteriggioni (free day)
- Breakfast
- Lunch & Dinner on your own
- Overview of Monteriggioni
- Videos of Monteriggioni
- Piazza Roma
- Walk the Walls
- Visit the Gates
- Museo Delle Armature
- Via Francigena - fancy a walk?
- Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta
- Wine Tasting (included!)
- Book an adventure!
- Abbadia Isola - nearby hamlet
- Abbazia dei Santi Salvatore e Cirino - across from Abbadia Isola
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5
Day 3 - June 15 - From Monteriggioni to Lucignano, then Montepulciano
- Breakfast
- Overview of the Day
- Overview of Lucignano (free time!)
- Museo di Lucignano / Municipal Museum
- Church of Saint Francesco
- Collegiate Church of San Michele
- Videos of Lucignano
- Cheese tasting! (on the way to Montepulciano)
- Arrival + Hotel + Group Dinner
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6
Day 4 - June 16 - Montepulciano (free day)
- Breakfast at Montepulciano B&B
- Lunch & Dinner on your own
- Market Day!
- Things to do ...
- Videos about Montepulciano
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7
Day 5 - June 17 - day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio & Pitigliano
- Breakfast at Montepulciano B&B
- Overview of the Day
- Civita di Bagnoregio (free time)
- Videos about Civita di Bagnoregio
- Pitigliano (free time)
- Videos about Pitigliano
- Montepulciano - group dinner
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8
Day 6 - June 18 - Montepulciano via Siena to The Borgo
- Breakfast at Montepulciano B&B
- Overview of Day
- Things to do in Siena
- Farm to Table Lunch
- Arrival + Hotel + Group Dinner
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9
Day 7 - June 19 - The Borgo (free day)
- Breakfast
- Cooking Class + Group Lunch (included)
- The Pool
- Walk the Grounds
- Book an Adventure
- Light Dinner
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10
Day 8 - June 20 - Borgo to Florence
- Breakfast
- Drive back to Florence
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11
Before / After - Florence (not included in group adventure)
- Train from Rome to Florence
- Hotel(s)
- Luggage Storage
- Things to do in Florence
- Easy day trips from Florence
- Transfer to/from airport or train station
- Duomo Complex on Monday, June 20
- Museums on Tuesday, June 21
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12
After - Cinque Terre (not included in group adventure)
- Train to Cinque Terre
- Hotel
- Boat excursion - Thursday, June 23
- Visiting the Five Villages
- Videos about Cinque Terre
- Other Accommodations
- Train from Cinque Terre back to Florence
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13
Preparing to Leave
- Checklist: Escape from Work
- Checklist: Escape from Home
- Checklist: Escape from Travel Drama
- Checklist: Escape from Home & Travel Drama (condensed version)
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14
Camino Supplies
- About this "Camino Supplies" section
- Supplies to Consider
- Footwear aka Shoes! - 1:49
- Tops - 1:25
- Hats - 0:44
- Bottoms - 1:00
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15
Packing for a Vacation
- Dress Code
- Packing PRESCRIPTION medications (plus a note about supplements)
- Checklist: Escape from Packing Meltdowns
- The Secret to Maximizing Space - 3:20
- Packing Light: Carry-On Only - 8:45
- Medications Bag - 4:03
- Toiletries Bag - 6:46
- Electronics Bag - 3:57
- Purse or Messenger Bag - 4:09
- Backpack or "Personal Item" - 4:04
- Day Bag or Day Pack - 2:08
- How to Store Your Passport and Credit Cards - 2:21
- Dealing with a Lost Passport - 0:51
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16
FAQs
- Dolce Far Niente FAQ (from the website)
- Will laundry be available?
- Are credit cards accepted in these small villages?
- Are you going to bring euros with you?
- Is Italy safe?
- What kind of dress code is there?
- What will you wear in the evenings to dinner?
- Are bags or backpacks allowed in buildings?
- What do you carry as your on-plane personal item vs your day bag while walking around Italy?
- Question about international plan for cell phone
- Aren't most of the electrical outlets in Europe 220 volts? Where can I get some gizmo so that I don't blow out my phone?
- I was going to bring my laptop along or something similar because I am thinking I will need access to the internet, and I'm not real good about accessing the internet thru my phone. Any thoughts about bringing a laptop with me to Italy?
- Is it safe to use WiFi over there?
- What kind of vehicle will we have in Tuscany?
- Can we bring CBD oil or CBD oil-based products with us?
- sun screen. Any recommendations on liquid/spray/solid as far as efficiency and packing ease?
- Can you bring nail file and clippers in carry on?
- I would like to ask if you would please send me a very simple packing list . Since you have travelled internationally many times before you really know how many pants, shirts - long and short sleeve, etc. to pack.
- I can't find my monthly emails with tips. Where can I get copies of those?
- Besides this portal, where else can I get information about traveling in Italy?
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17
Buon viaggio!!
- Before you go...
FAQ
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How long does this course take to complete?
There are approximately 75 minutes of videos plus numerous documents.You can spend about 2 hours going through every module and tip in the course, or you can experience this 10 minutes at a time when you want a break in your day.
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Are there tests or quizzes?
Nope. Even though this is called a "course", there are no graded tests or quizzes. You're here to prepare to have fun.
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Do I need to go through every single module?
No. You can go through any module in any order. You can also skip any modules that don't interest you.
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I'll be going with a different company. Will this still help me?
Absolutely! There are a few "lessons" that are specific to how we'll be traveling in our group. Everything else applies to anyone traveling through Tuscany and Chianti with a travel company.
Meet Your Instructor
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Time Management Fixer
Helene Segura, MA Ed, CPO
Time management fixer Helene Segura delivers thought-provoking, yet entertaining time management keynotes and seminars that give busy professionals the powerful strategies and tactics they need to cut lost time. By improving efficiency, she helps companies lower employee stress levels, decrease absenteeism, improve retention, and increase profits.
The author of four books - two of which were Amazon best-sellers - Helene has been the featured organizational expert in more than 200 media interviews including publications such as US News and World Report and Money Magazine, as well as on Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC affiliates.
Her Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University is in Political Science. She focused on international affairs, so she learned about negotiations and the importance of dissecting situations from different perspectives. Her Master’s degree from UTSA is in Educational Leadership. She learned about running a business, as well as educational psychology – behavior change and behavior management. Since 2006, in both her individual consulting and trainings, she's used all of those skills to teach audiences how to pin-point their barriers to personal efficiency and implement changes that will save their sanity – and save the companies for which they work a great deal of money.
When she's not revealing solutions as The Inefficiency Assassin, she enjoys experimenting with recipes, traveling and watching movies.