Arezzo

 The course started off well， with a bottle of bubbly and Italian nibbles. And before long she met Alistair Little， one of the big cheeses of the cookery world.

　　The cookery course caters for all abilities， the average size of the group is 14. The first lesson was an introduction to the ingredients that the group would be using over the next seven days - such as sheep's cheese and parmegiano reggiano.

　　Aromic Arezzo This course was held in a villa near the town of Arezzo， in Central Tuscany， famous for its produce. As well as demonstrations you get the chance to gain plenty of hands-on experience. But it's not all cooking， the villa is an hour from Florence and there are day trips on offer. Arabella lived here for a couple of years and decided to go it alone and re-visit some of her favourite places.

　　San Lorenzo market is the place to buy meat. If you feel a bit peckish， drop in at one of the nicest eateries in Florence， Cibréocaffe. There are lots of snacks on the bar， so it's worth it even for just a drink.

　　Towards the end of every day you're back in the kitchen to cook. If you get too hot in the kitchen， you can always go outside with a cool glass of chardonnay， and enjoy the great countryside views. The best thing is you eat everything you cook. All the food is included， even the expensive ingredients like truffles and you also get the chance to wash it all down with a choice of 21 different wines.

　　Every Thursday morning Alistair takes a group to the local fruit and veg market， a 20 minute away. Montevarki market， like all Italian markets， is a real mix. There are plenty of fruit and vegetable stalls， and little stalls where the smallholders bring in their produce.