Explore Italy

exploreitaly.luciareardon.com/

Trip Planning, Italy, Walking Tours

Yoga, Walking, and Exploring off the beaten trail for the active traveler!

Location: Italy in the environs of Siena and Lucca

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Come Explore Italy!

 

Enjoy the breathtaking historical beauty of Tuscany through leisurely walks, inspiring tours, and vigorous hikes.  Rediscover your spirit and your body's potential through a daily practice of yoga within the tranquility of the sustainable agricultural estate of Spannocchia that dates back to the 11th century or the organic wine producing estate of Fattoria La Torre, which boasts an elegantly appointed minimalist interior and classic tuscan exterior.

We do not "DO Tuscany". Our goal is to create a home away from home and to learn about the history of the local communities so we can savor what it has to offer and feel part of them. 

Lucia has a 25-year relationship with Tuscany and will ensure you experience a memorable, fulfilling, and relaxing adventure.  She provides excellent yoga instructors with years of training and experience whose skillful and gentle manner will promote alignment for greater freedom of movement and breath awareness for serenity of mind.  No prior experience is necessary as these instructors tailor their classes to meet the skill level of their practitioners and help them attain their individual goals within the practice.

Walking, Yoga, and Discovery in Tuscany

April 30 to May 6, 2009

Now on sale for $200 of the original price of $2,380 (double occupancy) and $2,600 (single occupancy) maximum of 12 participants

The Sienese "Montognola" is an area of undulating hills dotted with Romanesque churches, monasteries, castles, hill towns, and Etruscan tombs.  It is the ideal place for the curious traveler to explore natural and cultural treasures while developing inner peace and participating in both invigorating and restorative yoga classes.

Your lodgings for the week will be at the Tenuta di Spannocchia, an agricultural estate whose history dates back to the 11th century.  Spannocchia was built by the wealthy banking family, Spannocchi, of Siena, Italy, which lies twelve miles to the north.  Spannocchia sits on a hilltop in the middle of 1200 wooded acres, that include open rolling hills, lush meadows, silvery olive goves, abundant fruit orchards, and rows vineyards.  The accomodations are inside the villa where we can relax in rustic elegance in rooms furnished with antiques owned by the Cinelli family, who purchased the estate in 1925.  Breakfast, most lunches, and dinner will be provided by the estate and will be comprise of fresh, flavorful, organic locally grown and raised fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and wines served family style in the communal dining room. 

This program includes a daily practice (sometimes more) of yoga, walks that depart directly from Spannocchia or locales just a short van ride away.  The walks are 3 to 6 miles long,  and take you through fields of poppies, cypress-lined country roads, medieval villages with architectural surprises and charming country churches that date back to the 10th century.  Participation in the pogram includes a one membership to the  Spannocchia Foundation, a non profit organization based in Portland, Maine.  Its mission is to encourage global diaologue about sustaining cultural landscapes for future generations through the example of the the sustainable agricultural practices at the Tenuta di Spannocchia.  This is like no other agro tourism you have read about or expereinced. 

For more information and an application, go to www.spannocchia.org  and follow the links to Education and Enrichment programs, or go to Lucia Reardon's website http://exploreitaly.luciareardon.com/. Price includes room and board, breakfast, picnic lunches, and dinner, all scheduled transportation from the Florence airport, yoga classes, tours, and organized outings. 

Yoga and Active Relaxation in Tuscany

May 17 to May 23, 2009

Price: $2,450 (double occupancy) and $2,600 (single occupancy), includes all scheduled travel within Italy, room and board, breakfast, dinner, and scheduled activities.

Come explore Italy while relaxing in comfortale and elegant style.  The home base for the week is Fattoria La Torre,an organic wine and olive oil producing agro tourism.  La Torre is strategically placed, less than a 1/4 mile  from the preserved medieval village of Montecarlo di Lucca, approximately 20 minutes from the fully walled city of Lucca, and an our from the unique mountenous landscape and remote villages of the Garfagnana.  La Torre also lies on the historic "Strada del Vino"(the Road of Wine, which offernumerous opportunities for the oenophile to indulge in tastings of world famous wines from the region at neighboring estates.  The accomodations are impeccably appointed in a sleek, minimalist decor, and each room containing a refrigerator, television, phone, wireless access, and large bathtub to soak in after a long, invigorating walk.  There are a large pool and Jacuzzi in which to cool off, do laps, or warm sore muscles.  Breakfast is served in the newly built and spacious cabana, where you can enjoy a croissant and cappuccino or lounge on a couch with a good book.  Yoga classes will take place in the cabana or on the deck next to the pool, depending on the weather.  Most dinners will be served at Ristorante La Torre, where an exceptional dining experience will be ensured by the owners, Elisabetta and Chiara, who create local classic dishes with delicious, inventive twists.

Although there really is no typical day, a loose schedule consists of a daily yoga practice with Melora Gregory, RYT, a leasurly breakfast, and a carefully planned activity.  Activities include a short walks, historic tours in the vicinity, or a half a day of wine tasting on the "Strada del Vino", or an energizing hike in the rugged and magical hills of the Garfangana.  One full day will be dedicated to walking the Renaissance walls of Lucca, enjoying a walking historical tour of the Tuscan city and free time to explore, eat, and shop on your own.  Feel free to participate in all or none of the activities.  The goal is to actively relax which should be interpreted individually!

For more information and application go to http://exploreitaly.luciareardon.com/.  To view Fattoria La Torre, please go to www.fattorialatorre.com . For more information about the Ristorante La Torre, please go to ristorante@fattorialatorre.it .

Contact Information

Company: Explore Italy

Name: Lucia Reardon

Street: 314 Blanchard Road

City: Cumberland

State/Province: ME

Country: USA

Zip/Postal Code: 04021

Website: exploreitaly.luciareardon.com/

E-mail: Click here to send an e-mail inquiry