Italy Retreat

There are five towns called the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. The northern most town is Monterosso followed by Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarole and RioMaggiore. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is paved. This trail is called the "Via dell'Amore" or Street of Love and is short, only 20 minutes between the towns. Doesn't it sound like fun to walk the Path of Love? This is the easiest hike, many of the others are more strenuous. The last portion of the trail, from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare, is the longest. It takes about two hours with lots of up and down ending with 700 steps down to Monterosso at the end. Of course, that would be better than 700 steps up!

On our Italy Retreat in September, we will take the train to Rio Maggiore, and then walk the Path of Love into Manarole. The trains stop in each of the five towns, so we can hop on and off the trains and have lunch in different cities each time we travel, or have picnic lunches with us. Serious hikers walk the trails through all five towns.

To truly know Italy, wherever you visit, you must walk, talk to the locals, relish the smells, sights and sounds full on. Get ready for our trip by starting to walk around your neighborhood. Start with 10 minutes walks and build up. Use the treadmill if the weather is too cold outside. Walking 20 minutes at 3 miles per hour (not strolling, but a pretty good pace) will cover about 2000 steps or 1 miles. It's fun to wear an inexpensive pedometer ) to keep track of your steps. Walk up hills or use the incline on your treadmills. I use the $5.00 ones.

The average temperature in September is 60-78 degrees Fahrenheit. http://wanderingitaly.com/weather/cinque-terre-weather.htm

Any questions, leave a comment or email me.

I posted this entry on my Happiness Zone blog and then realized I wanted to share this great video here. This September I'm combining my passion for Italy with my passion for helping women expand their possibilities to create a life they love. Even though I'll be teaching in northern Italy, my roots are in southern Italy as shown in this video ad. My husband, two kids and I visited over 40 cousins in Calabria, Italy twice within the same year. That was two years ago, and I wanted to return.

I got tired of hearing myself whine about going back to Italy acting as though it was impossible. "Well, why not?" I asked myself over and over. "We still are paying college tuition, so travel has to be put on the back burner." "Do you believe that?" I'd answer, "Yes", until I thought of teaching there. But then the doubts set in. "I've never taught there before and not sure anyone would want to join me." "Want to find out?" "Yes, I wanted to" and and I did. I focused on following a faint desire that grew into a possibility. Since I am an asker of questions in my life's work as an Option Method teacher, I'm used to carrying on a dialogue with myself. I suggest you try it too! Or call me, and I'll help you question and clarify your thoughts.

Michelle at Bleeding Expresso, an American living and blogging in Calabria, posted this beautiful ad featuring Gattuso Gennaro, a soccer player from Calabria. He asks…"simu o no Calabrisi? Are we Calabrians or not?!"

The last line of the video is “Calabria has everything,” and then the closing line "we put our hearts into it."

Maybe I'll teach my next workshop in the foot of the boot of Italy, Calabria! It's old Italy, full of mountainous raw beauty surrounded by the blue Ionian/Mediterranean Sea.

Whatever your dreams are, can you just keep them in your vision? Simultaneously, examine the thoughts or conclusions you have that block you from fulfilling them? Maybe one of your dreams is to visit Italy? I can help with that! I can help you with all of your dreams. Like the ad says, LET'S PUT OUR HEART INTO OUR DREAMS.

Photo of Portovenere (Port of Venus) in Liguria Italy
Fred Plotkin has written many books about opera, classical music, food, wine and the art of Italy. He is an expert on Italy and is, in my opinion, living la dolce vita (the sweet life). He divides his time between homes in New york and Italy. Two of his books I am now reading are Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, and Recipes from Paradise: Life and Food on the Italian Riviera.

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Fred about Italy and this is the first post from that interview about the Ligurian Coast, also known to tourists as the Italian Riviera. It's always so enjoyable for me to have conversations about Italy, and especially with someone who also loves it. First of all, as he says in his books, Liguria is his favorite region in all of Italy. The Ligurian Coast is known for its herbal cuisine. You can smell the herbs in the air and Ligurians place fruit and vegetables at the center of their eating priorities, which is one explanation why they are such a helathy people. Of course, the other reason is that by necessity, they walk up hills and steps all of their lives since the towns are built on hillsides overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. So, ladies, let's get in shape so we're ready to walk and enjoy the fragrances of the Mediterranean.

The first question I asked was,

Why would Italy be a good place to have a workshop?

He said that In Italy, the senses click on--the sounds, smells and visuals are heightened. This place commands you to pay attention. Your awareness and thought processes rachet up. Music, flavor, fragrances, beautiful scenery, art, food, and people are all sources of pleasure, known in Italy as piacere.

I told Fred that the Retreat in Italy was a chance for each woman to focus on what they wanted to create in their lives, and just dissolve any beliefs that stood in the way of doing that. He encouraged each one of us to be open to the sensory experiences, incredible natural beauty, and to allow ouselves to feel everything.

Everything there has a meaning and occcupies a place that is part of a larger whole. Making connections with the culture, lifestyle, philosophy, a people and their fascinating history is all expanding. He went on to say that the Italian Riviera has always attracted and inspired writers, musicians and poets to stay and create. To name just a few: DH Lawrence, Byron, Monet, Wagner, Hans Christian Anderson, Edith Wharton, and Elizabeth von Arnim.

One of the beautiful towns Fred recommends to visit is Portovenere (Port of Venus) south of the Cinque Terre (the five lands) that has always attracted women to its shores.

More from the interview in the next post.

This is an invitation to live the sweet life, la dolce vita. Please join me in ITALY, where possibilities abound, for a transformational retreat for women, surrounded by all the flavors of Italy.

Learn to be happy like Italians who find pleasure in everything around them: music, food, fragrances, scenery, and art. The air, water, food and people are exceptional. It is a country full of stunning beauty and pleasures to be savored.
The Italian Riviera coastline is dotted with charming fishing villages, rocky cliffs, and sandy beaches. The mountain valleys are covered with flowers and herbs that scent the air and provide the tastes that are a part of life in Italy.
This September I’m combining my passion for Italy with my passion for helping women expand their possibilities to create a life they love.

During this Italian Retreat, discover how to:

* Manifest greater possibilities in your life
* Awaken happiness while gently dissolving limiting beliefs
* Dive into the passions of Italy while tapping into your own passions
* Navigate more easily through life's transitions and changes (job loss, empty nest, divorce, moving....)


What to Expect on this Retreat:
After a delicious breakfast of local fruit, cheeses and homemade breads, we’ll meet to begin learning the Option Method Dialogue – questions that you will take with you to continue experiencing the happiness gained during this retreat. You will broaden your belief of what is possible and begin to expand and live “La Dolce Vita”, the sweet life.

We’ll continue with techniques and exercises after lunch that will help enhance clarity, creativity and happiness. Some afternoons will be filled with visits to the beautiful Cinque Terra (five towns), as well as to other picturesque seaside villages that cling to cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. Our time outside in the lush splendor of Italy will inspire us to find our inner beauty.
Italy’s gift to the world is to teach us to enjoy beauty and pleasure in every aspect of life—food, family, fashion, art, language, nature and love.

As women, we are notorious for giving and supporting others, whether we have careers in or out of the home. Now, let’s do something for ourselves. Give ourselves the gift of happiness—a chance to travel to Italy with a group of like-minded women for the purpose of finding and living pleasure, joy and love every moment of our lives.

If you are interested, please email or call me (641) 472-0414 asap. Space is limited and booking deadlines are approaching. Click here for more information. Prices and exact dates will be posted soon.

photo of Monterosso, the northern most town of the Cinque Terre (5 towns) on the Ligurian Coast, northwest coast of Italy, the Italian Riviera. Monterosso is known for its beautiful beach.

We cannot think of Italy without conjuring up images of large plates of steaming spaghetti, topped with parmigiana cheese, with bread, perhaps foccaccia or bruschetta. This was probably preceded by an antipasti of local olives, basil, tomatoes, olive oil and a glass of local wine. And the outdoor markets draw us into the fresh produce arranged like artwork from the finest painter--ripe peaches, plump grapes, red tomatoes and asparagus and artichokes to name just a few.

There are many reasons I have chosen Italy for this La Dolce Vita Women's Retreat, but one of them is that the food, fragrances, art, culture and Italians themselves activate all our senses for the enhancement of pleasure. While we'll be focused on creating happiness, we'll be surrounded by it every moment on all levels. This environment and culture will easily jumpstart us to being able to live the sweet life "La dolce vita" in Italy and when we return to our homes.

The mountainside terraces are lined with ancient grapevines and olive trees cover the hillsides, so wine and oil are a delicious addition to every meal.

The cuisine of the Cinque Terre preserves the traditions of the past using fresh local ingredients. For example,
troffie is a kind of pasta made from chestnut or wheat flour and is one of the more traditional pasta. I love growing basil in my own home garden and then making and freezing pesto. This fragrant food is an original Ligurian sauce made from basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, grated cheese, pine nuts, and marjoram. It's an ambrosia!

Tagliatelle, a broad handmade pasta, is used with sauces that contain mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes, beans, chickpeas or sometimes pesto sauce.

The vegetable pies, prepared with a stuffing containing borage (borago officinalis) and other local herbs that grow profusely in the Cinque Terre also includes artichokes, swiss chard, zucchini, potatoes, and leeks combined with egg and ricotta cheese or with stale bread soaked in milk or béchamel sauce (depending on each family's traditions), parmesan cheese, Italian parsley, and marjoram.

Each region of Italy has its own specialty dishes made to please all the senses! For this we are grateful.

I have visited Italy twice in the last two years and met 40 of my relatives in southern Italy. We've never met before, but we loved each other. This is a photo of me with my great uncle Ilario, cousin Dominic and the legs of his wife, Ines. I'm writing in my notebook capturing snippets of family history as Uncle Ilario shares stories in italian (translated by my two cousins). We're sitting under the orange tree that my grandfather picked oranges from when he was growing up on this piece of land before he left in 1914. I loved being there under the Italian sun savoring stories about my heritage, and inhaling the fragrance from the trees of lemons, oranges and almonds.
Both sets of grandparents immigrated from southern Italy, and only my maternal grandfather talked about his life there. The other three just wanted their children to be as American as possible. Their children (my parents and their siblings) were not even taught to speak Italian. Perhaps my one grandfather told so many stories because he left his parents and seven siblings behind, not to return to Italy until 67 years later, when he was 89 years old. The cousins my husband and our two children visited two years ago, are the descendents of my maternal grandfather's family.