and we're baaaacckk!!!

Wow. Has it really been six weeks already? Finally just a few days ago I arrived back to NYC and am finally getting over the jet lag!

The last time we spoke I was just about to board a transatlantic flight - and boy has the time flown! Well now I'm back after some unforgettable weeks in both Marrakesh and Ischia. For now I thought I'd just give you a nice recap of the Marrakesh retreat and the amazingly fun time we had at Peacock Pavilions in September. ...Of course, stay tuned for even more updates about the Ischia retreat - and news on the upcoming 2012 calendar announcements.

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OUR EXPERIENCE AT PEACOCK PAVILIONS

I thought I'd break up the posts on the Marrakesh retreat into several categories. The first being about the amazing location and hosts of Peacock Pavilions. Words won't do it justice so I'm only going to give some snippets of how beautiful it really was.

As soon as we arrived we were given a tour of the grounds and just oooh'd and aaaahh'd at all the details that had gone into every single space. The rooms are magnificent and each piece of paint, artwork, or fabric seems to have some story behind it.

Many an afternoon was spend lounging by the beautiful pool area while mint teas were sipped continuously. We even had a henna & cocktail party as well as a wine-tasting event around the pool throughout the week...but more to come on that in another post!

Morning and evening yoga classes were held in the lovely yoga tent in the olive grove. Spacious and always nice views, the tent has most recently been painted even more awaiting our next retreat in March! Meditation class, including a walking meditation around the grounds, was always a nice wake-up routine with just the warm breezes and occasional bird caw filtering in through the tent.

Meals here are another story that will require its own post - as there's just too much to say about it. I think that between all of the guests, the plates were the spotlight of the most photos all week! Each meal, including breakfast, was served in courses, each one more beautiful than the next. And don't get me started on the mouth-watering tastes. Plus, we enjoyed dinner in the dining tent which made us all feel like kings and queens each evening!

Maryam with me and some of our lovely guests

Then there are the hosts Chris and Maryam (plus their adorable kids, interns, and staff) who all welcomed us with open arms. Their hospitality makes you feel at home - ok, well maybe a bit more pampered than at home - but a beautiful home nonetheless!

...More to come on the rest of the Marrakesh experience!

Tempting Tuesday :: A Walk Around the Villa

If you've already checked out the EAT.PRAY.MOVE Yoga Retreat website and read through the details, you'll know a little already about my friends' villa in Umbria and the lovely art retreats they host. You'll have a sense of the loving details they put into restoring each room of the house, and how they make guests feel like part of the family.


Then you won't be surprised when I tell you how much I love visiting, and I thought I'd give you a few reasons to why I can't wait to get back there this summer. (Plus, I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, you'll read this and picture yourself there with me this summer as well. *hint*)


There are so many reasons really, but let's start with the little ones. The small pleasures...Let's take a walk around the estate where the EAT.PRAY.MOVE yoga retreat will be held, shall we?


Heading out the villa, past the olive tree in front, and down the pebbly road we're greeted by Tartufo & Tiddly Feet, the resident pets ready to take an afternoon stroll as well. Tartufo is aptly named as, you see, he's of the specific breed of dogs trained to sniff out those Italian treasures in the Umbrian earth, tartufi (truffles). Funny enough, those types of dogs even look like truffles with their brown, uneven surfaces.


As we continue up the road the pebbles change to packed clay and on either side of us are sweeping hills of winter wheat and depending on the season, there are endless rows of sunflowers or red poppies, or even a freshly plowed field revealing orange earth. The layers of colors and textures are always changing, always beautiful.


Stroll past the lines of cypress towering over us, guiding us long the paths of the estate. Cypresses, which so iconically invoke images of Italian landscapes, are often seen lining the edges of drives and seem to welcome a traveler forward. As we head back over the last hill, the villa comes into view once more and we gather again for an evening yoga class during the sunset and the evening is topped off with a glass of wine on the terrace before dinner.

Won't you JOIN ME?!