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One of our best decisions during our trip to Rome was the Cooking Class that is posted on the Dolce Rome Apartments website! Natalia personally picked us up and another couple who were staying at one of their other apartments; then we were on our way in Sabina. Arriving in the countryside hills of Sabina was breathtaking. The scenic beauty of Old World Italy, untouched by commercialization, is quite moving.

The heart of Italy was found in Chef Anna and her husband, Pino. The owners of this quaint, authentic restaurant and inn treated us to a day of warmth, generosity, and a hands-on experience making authentic Old World Italian recipes. Chef Anna certainly made sure we learned our craft! Her passion for her art is one that is inspiring for those of us who don't take the time to create such amazing dishes. Chef Anna and Pino do not speak English; Natalia provided the necessary translation for us.

We also had a tour of their beautiful inn and Pino invited us to view the landscape from their home on the premises. Just beautiful.

Our delicious lunch included the 5 types of pasta, vegetables, and dessert dishes we made and an array of others.

After lunch and our goodbyes, Natalia drove us to the Farfa Abbey. As we are passing the beautiful landscape, we have time to savor and converse about our experience with Chef Anna and Pino with Natalia and the other two guests.

As we experienced the tour and learned the history of the Abbey, I experienced a sense of peace and presence. This presence opened my mind and senses to appreciate the discipline and skills of the Monks that have lived here for centuries. Their work and contribution to the past and present was fascinating to me.

The personal attention that Natalia provided to ensure there we were well oriented and informed of the area was so much appreciated. Grazie! We hope to be back in Rome one day to experience the Olive Oil Tour with Natalia!"

Jim and I have been sharing our wonderful trip with friends and family. I am sharing your website with a co-worker who is planning a trip to Rome next year. Hope you hear from her. Hopefully, we will be back with friends or family soon.

Warm Regards,

Cindy and Jim

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Dear Lia ,
I am very late to thank you for the incredible trip I took with Dolce -Roma in September this year ,
It was the most amazing time visiting the countryside and attending the cooking school with Anna.
Most of all was the visit to the old historic town and seeing the place where St Peter broke bread with the family in a humble altar. I am sure that no one else could have given me this unique experience , and I am going to suggest that anyone who comes to Rome should take one of your tours .( anyone can visit the colosseum,Vatican etc on their own ) so Congratulations on a very professional and interesting time .
I have been so happy with the fashion shopping trip that we did together , and am complimented every time I wear one of my outfits .
Thank you once again ,
Best wishes Dorothy .

Dorothy Gallop

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"I had no idea what to expect from my day tour to Sabina, and all I can say is: Wow! It was an incredible combination of delicious food -- both cooking AND eating! -- unique, moving, non-touristy important sites; topped-off with shopping for exquisite table linens. Cooking in the countryside, visiting a site where Saint Peter broke bread, combined with shopping -- is my idea of a perfect day! Please keep me posted on whatever new adventures you have planned. Thanks again,

Judith Rubins (Beverly Hills, California)."

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I do not know where to begin to describe the wonderful day I spent in the Lazio countryside near Rome. It has been a mixture of history, culture and good Italian food. It was fun to try to make "strozzapreti" with my hands, a type of pasta I did not know, made with only water and flour, bake the bread in the real wood-burning oven, prepare the vegetables "au gratin" and more ... When I got home I made for my friends the recipes learned in my cooking class and it has ben a success! In the afternoon the visit of Farfa was a union of mysticism, history and culture and I also made some shopping in the old lab that still uses the original chassis. Thanks Natalia for introducing me to a part of Italy I never imagined existed, and I highly recommend to try this incredible experience.

Nancy (Miami - FL)

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This was my fourth visit to Italy but I always stopped to visit the great art cities like Rome, Florence and Venice. This time I wanted to know a less touristy part of Italy and spend a day away from busy Rome , learn to cook same dishes that I love so much of Italian cuisine. In less than an hour I found myself in another world , full of peace , culture and traditions . The cooking course was really good fun ,with chef Anna and the other participants we baked the bread, prepared "ravioli" , stew beef with potatoes.... We were all very proud to have for lunch all we had cooked with our own hands and everything was delicious ... In the afternoon the visit to the church of Vescovio was a hidden gem , the bishop in person came to illustrate all the wonders of this sacred place , from the crypt to the wonderful frescoes on the walls .
The memory of this day will remain in my mind and in my heart for a long time!!! . thanks Natalia !!!

Valerie (Perth - Australia)

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I love Italian food and it was a long time I wanted to do a cooking course, but it had to be something special in a special place, and so it was. Natalia has organized everything from pick-up to transport in Sabina where we met another beautiful person: chef Anna. Thanks to his great skill she has been able to teach us in a few hours to prepare a whole meal, from appetizers to pasta made by hand, to the main course and as desserts "tozzetti" to enjoy with muscat wine. The visit to a medieval village was a real surprise: the time has stopped in this village: no cars, no noise, no pollution ... you could hear only our footsteps running through the ancient streets of this village ... I recommend everyone to try this unique and special experience!

Margareth (Seattle - USA)

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Our family and I had an absolutely incredible time on our day trip to Sabina! Cooking with chef Anna + Pino at their lovely place was so fun and delicious: My mom said it has her favorite thing she has done in years. We are so grateful to Natalia for organizing all that and spending one day with us shawing around Farfa, truly a gorgeous spot!

Elise Allison Paul e Jack (Illynois - USA)

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Jacqui and I really enjoyed the cooking class – we had a great group. The
apartment is extremely well positioned (central 'old Rome') and appointed
(everything we needed and more). It was so helpful that you spent time to
personally introduce us to the apartment as well as the city/transport on
the day that we arrived – especially so because we were a bit jetlagged.
Thank you also for responding so quickly to our problem re the washing
machine.

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We have many photos of our street, the rose garden, & the historic sites and
sculptures. The weekend market across the road was very good. We had dinner
& drinks at 'Panella' (thank you for your recommendation) and watched the
Corpus Christi parade. We went on to Sorento & Pompeii via the ship and
ended up buying an inlaid wood tray and cameo pendant from Sorento! Thank
you to Anna & Guiseppe for the cooking class – it was fabulous & a lot of
fun - and to you for the village tour (it was great especially the Abbey &
making of materials for the Vatican etc).

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Our stay in Rome was tiring for me this time (broken shoulder) but I was so
pleased to have a 'home' to go back to after walking for 6 - 7hrs (eg. last
photo I look tired & 'fading'!). Wonderful memories of Rome – for a 2nd
visit.

Regards

Faye and Jacqui
Australia

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Hi Natalia,

I read the lovely review Cindy and Jim wrote for you and it spurred me to finally write down my impressions too. Thank you again!

Natalia is the designer and host of a fantastic full-day culinary and cultural tour to Sabina, one hour north of Rome. Natalia has a warm personality and infectious enthusiasm for giving visitors a taste of the treasures so close to the capital, yet so far away in ambience and geography. She picked us up from one of her apartments in Rome and drove us, along with a couple staying at another of her apartments, to a delightful restaurant and bed and breakfast in the hills north of the city. Here, sweet and hardworking Anna and her hospitable husband Pino welcomed us into the kitchen, where our first task was to spread topping over a massive pizza, which then went into the oven. This was to be our breakfast and when it emerged smelling so fragrant and delicious we dived in. Pino insisted on opening a bottle of white wine to accompany our treat and this set up the pattern for the day. Over the next hour or so we learned how to hand roll various types of pasta, under Anna's kind but firm direction. We also helped with the preparation of some sweet biscuits and cut up some vegetables for antipasto. It was great fun but serious too as Anna made sure that we did things properly. She and Pino speak little English but Natalia was the perfect interpreter. The magic was in how much everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Pino continued to treat us as royal guests and we sat down to an amazing feast of all the various types of pasta we had made smothered in various deliciously rich sauces. It was one of the most memorable meals I have ever had. Afterwards, Anna, Pino and Natalia joined us for a group photo and waved us off with genuine kindness. Thank you all!

God bless,

Anne

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Dear Natalia,

 
Thank you again for setting up the cooking class. It was absolutely amazing. Not only was the country side beautiful, but Anna and Pino were so gracious and hospitable. I can't thank you or Anna and Pino enough for such an incredible day. You showed us unparalleled kindness. Spending the day with Anna and Pino was something I will never forget and hope to repeat soon. They were lovely, gracious, passionate, and humble hosts who were able to put a smile of everyone's face. From pizza, bread, pasta and veggies I learned so much and felt cared for the entire time. A special thanks to Anna as well for enduring the heat of the kitchen to teach us to her. She has tremendous patients! Pino' s energy really brought the group together and brought in a lively atmosphere. The two of them are an unstoppable duo! It is clear to me know that people come to Rome to see the ancient buildings and history, but they stay because of the people and adventures like what I experienced with Pino and Anna in Sabina. That day lives on as the highlight of my trip. The time I spent in Rome would not have been the same had you not been our host. 5 stars are not enough to rate this experience, but I'll make sure that they're 5 brightly shining stars! 


My kindest and best wishes,
Elizabeth Whitney

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Dear Natalia,

The cooking class with Chef Anna was one of the most wonderful and unique experience of my life and I will never forget it. My parents and I are all relatively experienced cooks, but we are not familiar with the art of pasta making. Chef Anna and Pino immediately made us feel like part of their family. We all understood each other pretty well despite the fact that we speak different languages. They are serious about their food and we were very serious about doing their recipes justice. We made so many different kinds of pasta and Anna is an excellent teacher. Even my father, who is the least experienced cook, got into it and learned how to shape the perfect tortellini. And after we made the pasta we got to EAT it! It was hands down the most delicious pasta I’ve ever eaten (and we ate pasta for a solid week in Italy). Pino showed us all around his gorgeous Bed & Breakfast and it was a true gift to get to know these people who take so much pride in their work and really enjoy sharing what they have with others. We were overwhelmed by their kindness and generosity. After the cooking class we walked off a bit of our lunch during a private tour of the Farfa Abbey, which was incredible to see. Our guide worked in the library there and was so knowledgeable about the history of the Abbey. Everyone we met was enthusiastic and passionate about their crafts, and that made our experience so much more enjoyable. This day in the Italian countryside cooking and exploring was absolutely once-in-a-lifetime and it is an experience I and my parents will treasure always. Thank you so much Natalia and Walter for putting this together and taking us on this fantastic journey!

 

Gizelle Jancovic

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