Once again we return to the beauty, the traditional culinary delights, and the rich history of Tuscia.
While visiting this very special area in central Italy, we will stay at the welcoming spa Residence Sorano Terme, arriving on June 15 and leaving the morning of June 24, 2018.
The Residence offers apartments, not single separate rooms like a hotel. Everyone will be sharing an apartment, either in a single or in a shared room. Every apartment has an outdoor area, a bathroom for each room, a living room and a kitchen. The accommodations are roomy, simple, quiet and comfortable. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, inviting leisurely strolls. Sorano Terme is built around ancient but modernly rebuilt hot mineral springs. It is a magical spot. Several years past, the owner rediscovered and re-opened healing springs that had gotten buried by a long-ago earthquake. The dedication to Water and the appreciation of its physical and spiritual qualities is palpable throughout the area. The Residence will be our home for the entire duration of the Retreat, providing a welcoming, spacious, and restful “home away from home”.
I call these traveling events “Retreats in Motion” because I always experience transformation, new insights, and fresh inspiration when I travel in special corners of the planet, and Tuscia is one which has been at the top of my list for decades. Tuscia is out of the beaten tourist track, it is rural quiet and slow, and filled with precious cultural and artistic treasures. The ancestors' footprints are still palpable, and tradition runs deep in the social and cultural patterns of its inhabitants. The land, history, food and art of Tuscia provide an extraordinary environment for the creative unfolding of our souls, and the relaxation of our bodies. Time has layered in unique and powerful ways on the landscape and humanscape, turning this environment into a setting conducive to deepening our relationship with Nature, with time, with our humanity, and with our ancestral past.
The Residence (which looks more like a village than a Hotel) is built around ageless but modernly rebuilt hot springs, and it comprises a pretty Pieve, an ancient chapel restored by the hotel’s owners and other special spots in the woods like the “Friars' Bath”. We will hike in nature, visit special places such as a cavelike hermitage, enjoy healthy foods from sustainable organic farms, and relax in the healing waters. Every other day we will stay “home” and integrate our experiences through SoulCollage® card making and “readings”. We will use our cards to explore specific aspects of what we are learning during our outings, invite insights and transformation. If that is too much rest for you, there are activities like horseback riding organized by the Residence that you can add to your schedule. In the past, several SoulCollagers have come with their partners. Some chose to join us for all the activities, some only for the meals and excursions. Please write me if you would like to come with your partner and need further details.
Massages, energy work and other healing treatments are available but not included in the Retreat Fee. It is necessary to make reservations before we arrive, we will be happy to help you make the necessary arrangements ahead of time so we may enjoy your treatment during our break times. Please remember that the prices are in Euros. You may use a credit card to settle your bill directly with the Residence Office the day before departure. Click to see the list of treatments.
During our excursions we will walk trails that have been used for centuries if not millennia, learn about the Etruscan world view while expertly guided through archeological sites, visit Pitigliano, a magnificent village also called the “little Jerusalem” and learn about its history, visit local artists, and much more. Near the Residence is Sorano, is a small picturesque village located near a verdant (at least when the rains behave in a normal pattern - which nowadays is not guaranteed) Etruscan archaeology site called Vitozza . We will visit them with expert guides.
We will hike in nature, enjoy healthy foods from sustainable organic farms, relax in the healing waters. Sovana and its world famous yet a bit remote archeological area, isolated hermitages, and other gems is another destination we will seek. We will drive average less than hour one way, to reach locations and trail heads, and then we will walk the rest of the way, as most of these places cannot be reached directly by car. The hikes are not strenuous, and we will alternate them with rest. But you need to be able to walk for up to three hours in a day (with rest in between - one of the excursions might be a little longer). I cannot give you the exact schedule yet, in fact it will be confirmed only a couple of weeks before the Retreat, because conditions may change unexpectedly in this area which is not, as I said, a well travelled touristic destination.
On the Summer Solstice we will celebrate the turn of the season. If the amazing cathedral in the village of Sovana is open we will witness the magical journey of the light. The Bishop doesn't always grant permission to witness this stunning architectural feat, yet every year we ask. We will not know until the last minute if permission will be granted. Otherwise we will enjoy our Solstice ritual in a beautiful sacred spot in the grounds of the Residence, or next door in the Sant'Egle farm near two Etruscan tombs. Each place holds its charm and magic, and sacred energy, so we cannot go wrong. We will adjust to what is available and tune into this precious cyclical moment, with drumming, sounds, movement, and images.