What better way to experience true Italy, than to take a train to the countryside of Rome to explore and learn to cook like a true Italian. Then to enjoys the fruits of your labor with a glass of wine overlooking the green rolling hills filled with olive trees.

After researching day trips from Rome, I came across this adventure in a travel blog I was reading. So, I reached out to www.conviviorome.com to see if this was feasible. Best decision ever. After deciding on a date that would accommodate our schedule, Sally sent me all of the information needed to get there. She gave us very detailed train instructions and that got us to our destination without a hitch. This was Day 1 for us in Rome, so we were still learning our way around.

We arrived at the train station in Fara Sabina, an easy, relaxing 45 minute ride from Rome, to be greeted by both Sally and Guido. They were both so warm and welcoming. Our first destination took us to the village of Castelnuovo, a beautiful small village in the Sabine Hills. What a treat! Sally filled us with information and history of this area as we walked the streets and admired Castelnuovo.

We next headed to Sally and Guido’s place to start our cooking lessons. Guido led us through the steps of our 3 course meal. He would show us each step and then turn it over to us. I won’t lie, I’m not the chef in the family so I let my husband do the majority of the preparing while I took pictures and videoed the process. We learned the true Italian process of making fresh pasta without the fancy machines and tools. One thing I learned throughout this cooking process is that the Italians don’t rush the cooking process and they use clean, fresh ingredients. It amazed me the simplicity in their ingredients, yet a rich, enjoyable flavor.

We thoroughly enjoying sitting down with both of them and enjoying our meal. It was so nice to learn about everyday life in Italy, as well as some of the historical information surrounding the area. After our amazing meal, we headed off to see to the local monastic village of Farfa. Again, just stunning! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. They also do multiple day tours and tours that include some of the olive groves. It was a true Italian experience.