Learning about Italian cuisine was one of our major goals. By arriving in Rome a day before the group experience began, we took a Street Food walking and tasting tour in Trastevere (photos in Row 1). You can see the deep-fried artichoke and the Roman-style "sheet" pizzas that we sampled. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, we sipped a cappuccino, nibbled on bruschetta for lunch, and consumed as many gelatos as we could manage. The wine tasting in Volterra for our group was an amazing experience. We added an extra day in Florence to take a cooking class that included a tour of the Mercato Centrale and a hands-on cooking lesson at Florencetown, as recommended in Rick Steves' Italy (540). See those photos on the bottom row of pics.