Day 2 - After breakfast our early morning balloon adventure will take us across ancient rooftops, waving to the Sienese who lean from their windows to greet us with a cheerful “Buon Giorno!” From our balloons, this well-preserved medieval town is visually sensational and these city crossings are spectacular! Mid-morning our guide of 16 years will bring the story of Siena into focus as she guides us through this remarkable town of 14th century private palaces and the great cathedral, one of Europe’s most beautiful. Today we are the private luncheon guests of our good friend, Marissa Cardini, in her elegant, art-filled penthouse overlooking the town’s medieval rooftops. Her daughter, Fiama, thoroughly enjoys flying with us and is a treasured source of insights into the enjoyable complexities of Palio. Free time in the town for exploring or shopping, meeting this evening for a lively dinner party.

Day 3 - Early morning balloon adventure across another part of Siena with our champagne landing shared by curious and delighted locals. Today’s enjoyable private luncheon is hosted by our very good friend, the Countess Sandra Bianchi Bandinelli, in her lovely, 16th century Villa di Geggiano. On a hill surrounded by vineyards and lush gardens, the home has a rich past, which Andrea, the personable son of the Countess who is also a frequent guest in our balloons, will share with us. He delights in showing us the family estate and it is he who makes the excellent wine we will enjoy at their elegant table. Mid-afternoon we’ll return to our hotel with free time for personal pursuits. Meet this evening for delectable Tuscan cuisine.

Day 4 - Our early morning balloon adventure will take off from just outside the 13th century ramparts of the amazingly well preserved, fortified, medieval town of San Gimignano. We’ll have a spectacular aerial view of this walled architectural jewel and its surrounding vineyard-covered hills, which still appears almost exactly as it did 700 years ago. We will land and enjoy a truly memorable walking tour with our local guide along the narrow streets lined with medieval houses.

Today we are the private luncheon guests of our very good friends, the extremely charming Princess Irina Guicciardini-Strozzi and her husband, Prince Girolamo at their ancestral summer home, Villa Cusona. It was chosen to be the villa used in the filming of The Winds of War. The estate dates from 994 and is well known for its magnificent Vernaccia wine. The Strozzi family played an important role in the story of the Italian Renaissance. One of the most imposing palaces of that period is their Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, now the city’s convention center. The family flies frequently in our balloons, and Princess Irina joins us every January in Gstaad, Switzerland, to fly on our Winter Festival programs. After an exceptional afternoon with this most congenial family, including an enjoyable tour of their impressive estate, we will return to Siena for personal time before our elegant dinner party.

Day 5 - Early morning balloon adventure through the golden Tuscan landscapes. Today’s private luncheon is hosted by our good friends, the Baron and Baroness Bettino and Constanza Ricasoli at their massive, ancestral home, Castlello di Brolio. Built on a prominent hilltop in Chianti, the large and impressive fortress-castle has belonged to their family since the 11th century. Our host today is the 21st Baron Ricasoli. Arriving at the end of the 10th century as warrior knights, the Ricasoli’s conquered a vast section of southern Chianti and erected 11 powerful castles to protect their new land. When peace came to the region some 300 years ago, they turned to raising grapes. Today, Brolio is one of Italy’s most prestigious wine estates and produces some of its best wines. The creation of Chianti Classico and Classico Reserva, which lifted Chianti to a level of greatness, was the work of the Baron’s great grandfather at Brolio. Luncheon will be served in the ancient Knight’s Hall with its two storey high ceiling. This was the armory in which the knights kept their battle armor, some of which remains there today. It was also the “War Room” when Florence, using this castle, successfully laid siege to and conquered Siena in 1555. The Ricasoli family has greatly enjoyed their frequent flights in our balloons, and has been extremely helpful in creating some of the elegance our guests enjoy while with us in Siena. Your visit with them will be a memorable one.

Tonight we’ll be the dinner guests of about 1,200 of our “Newest Best Friends”, a participating “contrada” or neighborhood, running in tomorrow’s Palio race. The extremely colorful affair, an almost tribal ritual, will be held outdoors in each participating contrada’s piazza with much spontaneous singing by the younger members, sometimes standing on the tables. The night will be alive with all of these “pep rallies”, attended by most members of each neighborhood to show support for their jockey.

Day 6 - Morning visit to Monte dei Paschi Bank, a medieval treasure located in the Palazzo Salembini. Relax for lunch at Il Pozzo, a fine restaurant in the former medieval military fortress, Monterriggioni. On returning to Siena we’ll be entertained by impressive flag twirling and drum corp demonstrations performed by all 17contrada, then be escorted to our privileged, well-placed, reserved seats for the parade and Palio race. Once seated, a truly magnificent medieval procession begins with a brilliant cavalry charge by 24 members of the mounted police of Rome, in full dress uniform with swords drawn. They are followed by 22 members from each of the17 contrada, some mounted, in full spectacular, authentic medieval dress.

The 10 horses running for the Palio enter the track, having just been blessed in church, and the excitement in the crowd of 35,000 spectators builds to a fevered pitch. After much jostling, maneuvering, threatening and last minute negotiations at the starting line, the race starts. The horses are ridden bareback 3 times around the square, with the nearly hysterical Sienese intensely tracking every move. The first horse to cross the finish line, with or without a rider, is pronounced the winner amidst wild expressions of joy and many tears. Extra-hyper Sienese pour onto the track from every direction; everyone extremely emotional, winners and losers crying. After we catch our breath, we make our way to a superb dinner awaiting us at Mugalone’s.

Day 7 - Farewell to Siena, with a return transfer to the Westin Excelsior Hotel in Florence. Our June 27 trip departs Siena at 10:00 a.m., arriving Florence at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Note: July 1 and August 15 trips operate in reverse and depart Siena after lunch on Day 7, arriving in Florence approximately 2:30 p.m.

Siena and its Palio
June 27-July 3 • July 1-7 • August 11-17 • August 15-21, 2007
$11,377 per person, double occupancy, single supplement $1,544