Painting, Yoga & Cooking Retreat
12.09.2020 - 17.09.2020
Le Marche
| 
John Skelcher
painting,
nature,
yoga,
culture
1300 EUR
This Retreat is a combination of painting, cooking and yoga, the holy-trinity of Retreat activities!!! Expert tuition in all fields with a laid back relaxing atmosphere in this beautiful part of Italy makes for a uniquely creative and relaxing experience. It is aimed at anyone wishing to explore more than one area of their creativity and leave room for more in depth exploration in either field! A must for those intrepid travellers who need to unwind through learning based activities. Aimed at the hard working individuals on tight schedules and budgets. Maximising the Retreat experience whilst enjoying the calm and peace in this tranquil setting for maximum relaxation and re-charging of your energy! It’s a fun packed retreat with outings, great vegetarian food, trips to local hill towns, restaurants and wineries. After each activity based day, enjoy gathering with like- minded people, talking about art, feeling rejuvenated after Hatha yoga sessions and relaxing an aperitivo before dining and savouring the rewards of your newly found culinary creations.
ACCOMMODATION
There are 6 individual guest bedrooms over 2 floors. 4 bedrooms have an en-suite bathroom. Two bedrooms in a self-contained apartment on the ground floor share one bathroom.
There are tea/coffee-making facilities available all day.
Each bathroom/bedroom has a hairdryer provided, some toiletries and hand soap, linen and towels are provided.
Electric sockets have European two-pin 220-240V outlets. You may wish to bring a USB phone charger, which are wide and cheaply available to charge your phone. These work on most mobile phones.
Wi-fi is available throughout the property and parts of the garden.
There is a swimming pool open seasonally for guests to use, sun-loungers, a library, covered terraces with beautifully scented roses and wisterias providing shade while you’re drawing or relaxing on the terraces around the house. There are beautiful short and longer walking routes to the local town of Force, nearby vineyards and olive groves and an ancient chapel behind The Retreat providing for an uninterrupted 360degree view across the region, towards the sea, mountains and myriads of hill-towns dotted across the rolling hills.
FOOD
We believe that good food is part of a great Retreat experience and vegetarian meals from fresh local produce will be provided throughout. This is why you will be able to enjoy healthy and delicious meals made from home-grown and local seasonal produce.
Over the years, we have gathered a wealth of yummy ideas and recipes for great summer meals that won’t add on the pounds. So, you will be able to enjoy a variety of local and international meals made from seasonal local produce.
There will be plenty of opportunity to indulge and enjoy fresh organic and locally grown produce together with the crisp locally made wines from the vineyards and local Cantina which can be found right behind The Retreat’s estate. The local white-wine grapes used to produce the deliciously fresh and light Pecorino white wine go back to Roman times, when shepherds would bring their sheep down from the mountains through the vineyards to their winter shelters. The sheep would feed on the grapes on their passage through the vineyards, and the wine, as well as the local cheese, originally produced from sheep milk were hence named Pecorino, after the word for sheep – pecore. The pecorino cheese is traditionally eaten with honey and walnuts or served with locally made hams and salumi.
The rich, fruity and superbly flavoured local red wine “Rosso Piceno” is named after the region’s symbol the ‘piceno’, the wood-pecker. The roots of the piceno population pre-dates
the Romans and goes back to the times of the Sabine tribes populating this area from ancient Greece. The Rosso Piceno is a perfect wine to accompany the many grilled meat and pasta dishes, including the infamous ‘Vincisgrassi’, a rich lasagna created as a gift to emperor Napoleon when visiting this region. It is has many very fine layers of pasta sheets (more than a usual lasagna) and is yet much lighter and scrumptious. The local red wine also makes a perfect companion to the many healthy vegetarian dishes provided during this retreat.
The area around The Retreat is a popular spot for truffle hunters and the seasonally available summer black truffle and white winter truffle will have the opportunity to sample it’s delicate aromatic flavour in some meals during the truffle season.
And of course we know, that just because many of our guests love Italian food, they don’t necessarily want to eat pasta every day during their stay.
Vegetarian/vegan requirements can be accommodated. So, if you have any specific requirements, just let us know at the time of booking.
During your stay, at least one meal will be in a local restaurant.
WHATS INCLUDED
- Accommodation, room according to type selected, linens, towels, hairdryer, soap/shampoo
- Daily breakfast
- Lunches and dinners at The Retreat (apart from selected meals on excursions
- Wine and Water during meals on-site
- Tea/Coffee and refreshments during painting breaks
- Daily aperitivi
- All activities
- Painting Workshops with demonstrations and practical sessions
- All Art materials, aprons, easels etc.
- Yoga mats/equipment are provided
- Aprons for cooking are provided
- Transport to and from painting locations/excursions
- Transfer on arrival and departure day at specified times from San Benedetto del Tronto train and bus station
- Trips to historic local towns and locations of artistic interest
- Use of swimming pool (seasonal), library tea/coffee-making facilities
*Not included are airfare/transfer to pick-up/drop-off location, selected meals during outings
* schedule and activities may be altered due to weather
RETREAT LOCATION
The Retreat is a traditional restored Italian farmhouse located in the magnificent countryside in the heart of the Le Marche Region, lovingly named by Italian’s “All of Italy in one region’ as it is one of the few regions boasting the sea, mountains and rolling hill-sides with its charming ancient towns within its panoramic views.
Nearest towns:
Force: An ancient hill-town named after the Roman word Fork, as several valleys spring from its location. It is famed for its copper beating tradition and other ancient crafts. From The Retreat you enjoy a wonderful panoramic view towards this ancient hill-town nestled in rolling countryside.
Ascoli Piceno: One of the oldest towns in Italy, it is named after the Roman word for woodpecker (piceno), the symbol of the Region. It’s origin and population pre-date that of ancient Rome. It boasts Italy’s finest Early Renaissance Travertine squares. There is also evidence of its Knights’ Templar history and medieval towers demonstrating it’s past merchants wealth and not to forget it’s past as paper-making town for the Papal State. Nestled on the ancient trade route of the Via Salaria, Ascoli Piceno is home to some of Italy’s oldest bridges across the majestic Tronto valley.
click here for more information on the area
Nearest major airports: Rome Fumicino (Leonardo da Vinci Airport -FCO), Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA)
Nearest local airports: Ancona Falconara Airport, Pescara Airport, Bologna Airport, Rimini Airport, Perugia Airport
Train stations: San Benedetto del Tronto
For pick-up/drop-off times please see our comprehensive information booklet provided with your booking.
WHAT TO PACK:
Comfortable, casual clothing and sensible shoes, sandals, flip flops for the summer and comfortable shoes for when we are out and about during the day. Appropriate clothing for painting and yoga sessions. Aprons for painting and cooking classes will be provided will be provided. Yoga mats are provided.
- Phone charger (USB)
- Bathing suit/trunks – beach towels are provided
- Sun hat, sun-cream and insect repellent
A TYPICAL SCHEDULE:
DAY 1
15:00-18:00 Check-in
6:30 Welcome Aperitivi and Course Orientation
19:30 Dinner
DAY 2
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 Demonstration and practical drawing and painting session (coffee break 11:00 am)
13:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Yoga session
18:00 Aperitivi
19:30 Dinner
21:00 Seminar on principles of painting.
DAY 3
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 Demonstration and practical session
13:00 Lunch
15:00-17:30 Cooking Class
18:00 Aperitivi/Critique
19:30 Dinner
DAY 4
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 demonstration and practical painting session
13:00 Lunch
15:00-17:00 Yoga Class
18:00 Aperitivi
19:00 Dinner
21:00 Seminar on the perspective
DAY 5
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Demonstration and Painting Session
13:00 Lunch
15:00-17:30 visit to a local vineyard for wine-tasting
19:30 Dinner at restaurant
DAY 6
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
10:30 Check-out/drop-off San Benedetto del Tronto
*Activities may be subject to change weather depending
