A new tour operator, Tuscan Colors, announced this week that it would begin offering trips to Italy's Tuscany region in spring of this year. The company's mission, according to founder Ornella Tempestini, must necessarily be "a journey for the heart and soul—to 'live Tuscany like a Tuscan.'" Accommodations will be distinctive, including private villas, working wine estates and castles; experiences will include watercolor lessons, artist encounters and visits to marble quarries. Together with its Italian service providers, Cap Viaggi and Corolla Hotels, the company's initial products include a two-week "Grand Tour" of the region, as well as the nine-day "Sophisticated Ladies in Florence" program exclusively for women. The company also says it will inaugurate what it calls "land cruises," or holidays based in one area with daily excursions around the region. Visit [www.tuscan-colors.com].
