From 28/10/2010  to 9/1/2011   Scorrano (Le), Italy   Be a cook for one day in Salento.
The appointment is in Salento (Apulia - Italy), precisely in  Scorrano as  guests  of Duke Guarini  for a long weekend aiming to discover  the local  cuisine. Every weekend in November, December and during the festive season you can enjoy  walks  among the olive trees, tasting of the  freshly pressed olive oil on toasted warm bread and cooking classes held by the cook of the Guarinis,  who teaches  genuine and  easy to prepare recipes , typical of the diet of Salento,  with a variety that goes from  homemade pasta, such as Sagne 'ncannulate and Ciceri e tria ( pasta and chickpeas)  to desserts of the  Christmas tradition  like cartellate and purcedduzzi. This  holiday offer  runs from Thursdays to Sundays.  Guests can stay in the elegant  ducal residence; on the  Friday you can visit the  wine cellar nearby where you can also admire the  nineteenth-century underground oil mill dating XVI century . On the Saturday morning  the proper cooking class (4 hours) ending  with a nice  lunch to taste the freshly prepared dishes and taste the excellent wines produced from Guarini. Those who wish can shop in the winery outlet and  buy  wines as well as the extra virgin olive oil from the Estate  Lucagiovanni  and the vegetables pates of the line, "Le Masserie del Duca “ delicious cream of artichokes, red and yellow peppers, sun dried tomatoes and the olives Celline di Narḍ ( a local olive variety). It was Giovanni  Guarini and his wife Lucia great desire  to open to guests Palazzo Guarini, located at only  half an hour from Lecce: it is a distinguished, old-fashioned place where is possible to spend some time in total relax, reading a good book in front of the fireplace or sitting  in the nineteenth century garden, surrounded by the scent of lavender and rosemary, among citrus trees, palms, exotic plants, old rose gardens, columns and fountains. Inaugurated  last year, the guesthouse of Palazzo Guarini  has been restored respecting the original structure and materials, and it shows great taste in choosing the colors, fabrics and furniture. The new apartment  has 4 bedrooms,  including 2suits   elegant  in their sobriety . The rooms are built with the traditional ceiling  “ a botte “ or " a stella", iron bedsteads, old household furniture and the bathroom decorated with hand-painted ceramic tiles are ideal for a demanding public, who loves privacy, silence, and requires  a personalised  service and attention to detail. The common areas are large : the reading room with views on the citrus grove  and Internet connection, the TV room with a fireplace and an  impressive ancient fresco on the wall, the room for breakfast and the kitchen where the lessons are held with the cook. Palazzo Guarini offers refined hospitality in a setting of great charm, in a quiet village about 30  kilometers from Lecce. The history of the family has been traced back over a thousand years, descending from Ruggero Guarini, a Norman knight. The passing centuries have seen many members of the family upholding prestigious roles in the community, as well as entertaining many important people, including San Francis of Assisi and Gioacchino Murat. Nowadays Giovanni, together with his brother Fabrizio and his sisters Anna and Ianuaria, run one of the leading farm and wineries in Salento. They still remember their history on their product labels, which they have dedicated to their ancestors and famous historical figures. Their Buemondo primitivo is dedicated to the Prince of Taranto and the Mura sauvignon blanc wine honours Gioacchino Murat, the king of Naples, who was once guest of the Palace Guarini and even engraved his name on one of their golden framed mirrors. Double room B & B: from 160 euro (minimum stay 2 nights) Package "Be a cook for one day in Salento “ (from 28 October to 19 December 2010): 4 days / 3 nights including breakfast, guided tour of the olive groves of ancient olive press and the  winery, one day  cooking classes lasting  four hours followed with  lunch and wine tasting costs  280 euro per person in double room. Special Christmas & New Year's stay 7 days / 6 nights including breakfast, guided tour of the olive groves of ancient olive press and winery, a 4 hours cooking class followed by lunch and  wine tasting costs 500 euro per person in double room. Info and booking: Palazzo Guarini, Largo Frisari 3, Scorrano (Le), tel. +39 329.6223916, www.ducacarloguarini.it.