After breakfast we had our first cooking lesson. We were introduced to our chef and teacher for the week, Dominico, who told us that each day we’d make a starter, a main and a dessert, which we would then have for lunch. I’ve never eaten a three course lunch before, never mind made one, but I was eager to rise to the challenge.

Our first recipe was a ragu made from 3 different meats, pork, veal and beef. We made fresh tagiatelli pasta to accompany the ragu, a messy business indeed, but a lot of fun. My eggs kept trying to escape from the well of flour I’d made, but eventually it all came together!

The ragu tagiatelli was scrumptious and tremulously filling and was followed by dessert, also made by our own hands, which consisted of 2 separate bowls of fresh peaches. One marinated in sugar and lemon juice, the other, in white wine. The sugary lemon one was my favourite, as I’ve more of a sweet tooth than a taste for wine.

After lunch we headed off to the village of Bracciano. We were taken on a guided tour of the beautiful Bracciano Castle, which is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied the knotted…! Afterwards we wandered around the city’s market which was full of very interesting and intriguing antiques.

We returned to the villa where we were treated to a starter dish made of mixed roasted vegetables with varies Italian cheeses. Our main was two veal dishes one marinated in lemon, the other in white wine, served with courgettes. Needless to say, I was quite taken with the lemon veal. Dessert was a light chocolate mousse and if truth be told, even after a three course meal, I could have still, just about, fitted in a second helping of the delightfully fluffy chocolate mousse!

After dinner we had a pool tournament, while enjoying an additional few glasses of wine and sambuca which eventually improved our playing performance…or at least it seemed to…! A fun night was had by all, as both the giggles and drink flowed very freely!

Monday - A Day of Discovery