This post first appeared on the Slow Travel Tours blog in June, 2025.
I just returned from five weeks in Orvieto, here’s a spring recap of the groups and the fun we had!
First up, Koosje Koene. I had taken a workshop with Koosje a couple of years ago and knew she’d be the perfect fit for Adventures in Italy. We assembled a small but fierce group of women to sketch around Orvieto and learn Koosje’s mantra to “embrace the wonkiness.”
The town became our classroom as we set up in various coffee spots around town to have a lesson then sketch, even sketching at the market.
Koosje really does sketch everywhere! Her sketchbook is a diary of our week together as she captured guides, events and meals in the heat of the moment.
Next up, Sue Spargo. Sue holds the record for the most return trips to Orvieto, this was her fourth just since I took over! We tried something new and made this trip longer – eight nights instead of six – to have plenty of stitching time and plenty of time to explore. The ladies loved having the extra time, and progressed so much farther in their pieces than in the six-night trips.
Sue did two groups back to back, lovely adventurers all. The first group was treated to the Palombella celebration, which is the annual celebration on Pentecost involving Medieval costumes, parades, and a dove. The Palombella celebration also means the annual Orvieto in Fiore, where 10 locations around town have massive floral displays on the ground.
In the second group we welcomed four husbands who joined us for all of the meals and cultural activities. They were such a fun addition to our group, and all got along with each other and spent some of their days together exploring Orvieto on their own.
Both groups enjoyed a visit to the workshop of Marino Moretti, a local ceramic artisan. He has a shop in town and treated us to a demonstration and a peek into his workshop on our visit. A highlight of the trip for sure!
Also part of Sue’s classes is a visit to the shop of Federico Badia, who is a vital part of Sue’s project. Federico and his wife, Hannah, create the bag bottoms and handles used in Sue’s bag. As part of the visit to the shop, Federico explains how to spot good leather from bad, and shows the ladies how they will assemble their bags.
You could be a part of the magic next year!
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