Our week at beautiful Bellorcia in the scenic Val D’Orcia with hands-on cooking classes was absolutely fantastic. The villa is comfortably appointed, with gorgeous grounds and perched atop a hill in a pastoral Tuscan setting but the highlight of the trip was the staff - our Chef Laura Guisti and Villa Manager Shennah Lamont and their assistants. Laura’s passion for cooking, outgoing, friendly personality, terrific sense of humor and enthusiasm for teaching were infectious. We had four cooking lessons during our week and Laura smoothly managed to organize 10 of us to make multiple dishes each day. Dinner was a four-course meal (the fruits of our labor)coupled with great conversation and lots of laughs as we all became good friends with each other and with Laura and Sheenah. From pasta and pizza dough to tomato sauce, tiramisu and typical Tuscan dishes, Laura kept us busy making delicious creations from her comprehensive recipe collection as she emphasized the importance of fresh, seasonal ingredients and extra virgin olive oil. Besides the delicious food, we benefited from Laura’s sommelier training as she chose and explained the attributes of the two specialty wines served at each dinner. 

Sheenah welcomed us on arrival and did her utmost to make us comfortable. She offered tips on local attractions and went out of her way to make sure everyone in the group was enjoying the Tuscookany program. She went above and beyond in our case even picking us up after my sister and I had taken a long hike and realized we couldn’t hike back in time for cooking class. Her organizational talents extended to beautiful table settings and centerpieces complemented with creative napkin folding, which she happily demonstrated. 

Besides the four cooking lessons, the Tuscookany included a day excursion to a local farm, wine, olive oil and cheese tasting and a free day and evening to explore or just hang around the villa. There are several interesting, scenic towns in the area which made for nice morning excursions for sightseeing, shopping, wine tasting or hiking or you can just choose to relax at the villa by the infinity pool or in the comfortable living room. I must say we spent most of our time at the villa in the kitchen and dining room!

All in all, a fabulous vacation, made even more special by Laura and Sheenah, and perfect for both active types as well as for those looking for rest and relaxation. The only requirement is a desire to prepare and eat delicious food and enjoy making great new friends!