We are continually inspired by vintage travel posters, postcards and photographs. When we were rebranding last year, these tokens were our main inspiration. Not only for the color and type, but for the memory they provoke. We wanted to share with you a collection of a few from some of the locations we are visiting this year. Hope you enjoy and tha it inspires you to travel somewhere with us in the future!
Our EPM team are avid readers and we wanted to share with you what we are currently into. We would love to hear back from you any suggestions. We want to make this a place we can share and exchange ideas, so comment away!
We always love catching up on their journal for recipes, informative articles, city guides and so much more. On the blog this week we wanted to share a super simple face mask you can make at home with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Enjoy and take some time to pamper yourself naturally with ease.
We are looking forward to several retreats in Tuscany this year and thought we would highlight some of the charming Italian towns we visit while there. (Our Itinerary changes depending on the retreat and time of year but this will give you some insight into the region.)
We are so excited to introduce to those of you who don’t already know her, our newest collaborator for our yoga + self care + cuisine retreat in Tuscany, Amy Commander! Amy has been friends with our founder Erin for many years and after last years Puglia retreat (Amy is also half of Boxerina) they have finally found the perfect collaboration in Tuscany.
Sarah Scarborough of Tea Huntress led retreats in both Morocco and Iceland this spring, and she did it through the lens of her work, which is tea ceremony.
Earlier this month we wrapped up a really unique and wonderful time in Venice over our New Year’s retreat - the perfect melding of adventure and tranquility. While it’s true that Venice is a bustling city, full of art and color and life, it’s also true that in winter, it’s incredibly peaceful and quiet. It’s the perfect time to explore and see the city as it’s meant to be seen. And, as we found out, it’s an ideal setting for transitioning out of one year and entering another with clear minds.
We just returned from an amazing retreat on the Amalfi Coast last week - it was our first retreat at this location as it was a special request from a private group. It was a group of friends - many who are past guests, and just a big celebration of life, activities enjoyed together, and a small reunion of sorts.
After our post "
" in last week's installment of our 2014 year summary, we wanted to go ahead and give you an update about the rest of our summer and fall this year.
At the very end of June we headed to our home-away-from-home of Italy and enjoyed a week among the sunflowers with a fun group! Since many of the guests were Americans, we even celebrated the 4th of July with a private fireworks show put on just for us on the hillsides of Tuscany. Then later in July we returned to the villa in Tuscany for another week of village tours, Italian cuisine, thermal spa visits, and yoga under the Tuscan sun!
In between the two Tuscany countryside retreats was spent in Florence with the first annual collaboration
where we spent five days in the amazing city of
Firenze
exploring one of the five senses per day - SEEING the sites, SMELLING the aromatic spas and notes of a wine tasting, FEELING our bodies in a Chianti bike tour, HEARING Gregorian chants sung by monks on a hillside church, and TASTING the Tuscan cuisine during a cooking class. It was a completely successful experience and we couldn't have asked for a better group of women.
Join us in ITALY in 2015!
(click on the links for details)
:: Tuscany, Italy
:: Florence, Italy (Five Senses Retreat)
The very next month we were off again for our first retreat in the "Land of Fire and Ice" - and what an Icelandic adventure it was! Experiencing Iceland in the summer is a treat and our group explored the southwest region from the Ion Adventure hotel to the Blue Lagoon - all with geysirs, waterfalls, and plenty of blue thermal pools in between. Can't wait to return for our Northern Lights trip for New Years!
Join us in ICELAND in 2015!
(click on the link for details)
:: Southwest, Iceland
In September it was back to Marrakesh for a couple of weeks of Moroccan magic (summed up in
), before it was back to Italy in October for the "Tastes of Tuscany" retreat at a wine resort villa outside of the beautiful city of Siena. Each day was filled with different highlights of the Tuscan cuisine during harvest season. From truffle hunts to wine tastings, and cheese farm tours to city visits and spa days - we had a full week with beautiful company.
That almost wraps up the year until our New Year's retreat in Iceland, but we were also able to scout another amazing location getting added again to the schedule next year - the breathtaking island if Ischia, Italy. Neighbors with Capri and the Amalfi Coast, Ischia is one of our favorite places and we can't wait to bring guests there once again in 2015.
Join us in ISCHIA in 2015!
(click on the link for details)
:: Ischia, Italy
Stay tuned for more retreats to come in the new year. Join our newsletter
to get first notifications when new dates are added.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN 2015!
I know we're not quite all the way through this year, and as we're still looking forward to the holiday season and to our final retreat of 2014 to ring in the New Year in Iceland under the Northern Lights I thought it's a good time to stop and reflect on the amazing year it's been thus far.
This year we began the season in Marrakesh, Morocco at our amazing location of Peacock Pavilions - a "do good boutique hotel" in an olive grove outside the city. There were two amazing weeks there, one classic itinerary and one luxury retreat, filled with great guests as always. We also had two more weeks in Marrakesh this past September and began the "
" retreat initiative, where we were able to donate over $800 to the
non-profit group that we've been working with at Peacock Pavilions. It was wonderful to be able to see the group of girls from the village again, and in September we also got to work with their mothers as well and see the difference that this project is making in their lives.
There are 3 Marrakesh retreats in 2015. Join us for a magical week and also to know you're giving back to an worth while cause!
(click on the links for details)
:: Luxury Retreat
:: FORM+FOCUS Yoga/Art Retreat (only a few spots left!)
:: Classic Retreat
In May we headed to Provence, France for our second visit to the beautiful Cote d'Azur and enjoyed yoga, a visit to the islands of the southern French coast, wine-tastings, and
joie de vivre
! The very next week was spent with our premier week in Dubrovnik, Croatia and it was a week that exceeded everyone's expectations...bike rides through the wine country, secluded beaches with crystal clear water, yoga in the lush gardens, and the warm hospitality of the Croatian people.
We are returning to France and Croatia early summer 2015 and would love to have you join us!
(click on the links for details)
:: Dubrovnik, Croatia (only 1 room left!)
:: Provence, France (SOLD OUT)
These retreats were a great kick-off to the summer and fall that lay ahead...Stay tuned for part 2 where we'll update on how the summer and fall in Italy, Iceland, and Morocco went!
SALUT! SALAM!
So we're back from the back-to-back yoga retreats in Marrakesh about a month ago, and also from a scouting trip in Provence, France. Looks like there is lots to catch you up on.
First of all - what an AMAZING time we had in Marrakesh. Peacock Pavilions was lovely as always, and the groups were so much fun! I should do an upcoming post just about the dishes we enjoyed each day - as there were many.
This time of year the air was so clear that you could see the gorgeous snow-capped Atlas Mountains in the distance. Such a strange and beautiful juxtaposition from the desert.
We enjoyed some relaxation (with Moroccan mint tea of course!) around the pool...
...while listening to the many songbirds sing away from the branches of the olive trees.
That is, of course, when we weren't out watching fire dancers...
Plus, something new since last time in September 2011 - the yoga tent now has a beautifully painted floor that we all got to admire during those downward-facing dog poses.
Both groups were full of energy, laughter, wonderful spirits, and (newly made) friends!
Now don't miss out on the ONE SPOT LEFT for Sept 23-29 this year - and 2 weeks are on the site now for MARCH 2013!
ps. I'll talk to you soon about the NEWLY ANNOUNCED retreat in PROVENCE, FRANCE after my time touring the area and getting details set up... stay tuned!
Wow! Just said 'arrivederci' yesterday to all the wonderful guests at the June retreat in Tuscany. It was an amazing time with a great group of people. However fabulous a place may be, the dynamic of a group is one of the most important pieces of a retreat - and we couldn't have asked for a better one! Friendships were made, plenty of laughs shared, growth made in the yoga studio, and lots of delicious food was enjoyed.
We started the week out with an amazing dinner on the terrace overlooking the picturesque hills. Most of us were commenting that everyone knows that stereotypical Tuscan landscape in your mind...but it's still a bit surprising to see that it is actually exactly like that.
We'd missed the fields of red poppies in bloom just by a couple weeks, but were greeted by plenty of lavender and the bursts of yellow sunflowers beginning to bloom. One field we found was so abundant that we decided to do some group shots in the flowers.
Amazing dish by amazing dish was provided throughout the week by Amanda (villa owner / interior decorator / Tuscan cook extraordinaire) and each meal was met by mmmmm's and ahhhhh's around the table. I think by the last day we were all glad to have practiced daily yoga as well as walked as much as we had in order to enjoy all the dishes provided.
Thanks to Julian, Amanda's husband and who usually runs the art retreats at this location, we were entertained with lots of interesting anecdotes about the region, sites, and chauffeured around for the day trips...including stops in Arezzo, Chiusi, Florence, and the beautiful tiny hilltop town of Panicale. I think one of the favorite times of relaxation came during a trip to a thermal spa where we all lounged by the thermal pools and took in some of the warm rays.
Here's a video from the experience:
Overall it was an amazing week, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it. Today I'm writing from Florence and am heading tomorrow to Ischia to work out some details for the October retreat there...then it's back to the villa next week for the second Tuscan retreat this summer! Can't wait to meet the next group!
