LOCATION TEMPTATIONS

Italian day-trip \ market in Arezzo

Today I thought I'd take you on an Italian day-trip...won't you join me? One of the side trips we'll be taking on the

EAT.PRAY.MOVE Yoga Retreats

in June and July this year in Italy is to the lovely Tuscany town of Arezzo. This once Etruscan city is home to the famous 

Fiera Antiquaria

 (antique fair) which is spread up and down all the streets, alleys, and squares of the city center.

There are over 500 antique vendors with everything from jewelry, books, oil paintings, original edition comic books, tapestries, linens, furniture, frames, tin toys, carved wooden doors, stamps, postcards and almost anything you could think to collect.

A few years ago, while my husband and I were living in Florence, we visited Arezzo with the lovely Julian and Amanda (owners of the villa where the yoga retreat will take place). It was a beautiful spring Sunday, and such a great way to experience this Tuscan town.

We meandered up the street past many frames of silver, pine, and iron leaning against the stone walls and tables of bric-a-brac being picked through by tourists and Italians from all regions. As soon as we got to the first intersection, I looked to the right and left down the crossway and each 

strada

 (street) was just as full of antique vendors as was the current one on which we stood. 

We quickly came upon a small piazza with the 

Basilica di San Francesco

, which we were able to step in for a little bit to see the 

Legends of the True Cross

 by Piero della Francesca. Since it was Sunday mass, we had to view it from afar...luckily Julian (owner of the villa where the retreat will be held, and who will be also leading this day-trip) teaches art history and was able to explain much of this massive fresco to us from the prints in the back of the church. As soon as we exited the silent hall, the hum of shoppers filled the air once again and we continued the trek through town. 

Soon we were at the Vasari Loggia, a hall of old shops with a covered sidewalk and archways leading to Piazza Grande, the culmination of the fair. Here is where 

Frances Mayes

, author of 

Under the Tuscan Sun

 and 

Bella Tuscany

, writes about buying things for her villa in Cortona. I searched through some stalls of bed linens and found a couple white embroidered pillow cases. Notice, I didn't say a "pair" of cases, as the two I chose don't match...but it's nice to find mismatched linens with different stories behind them (not that I 

know

 the stories, but at least I can 

imagine

 two stories now instead of one).

After a small lunch at a cafe under the shade of the Loggia, we inspected several more streets and even found the cathedral, near where a scene of 

La Vita e' Bella

 (Life is Beautiful) was filmed. This town was the main backdrop of the first part of this internationally famous movie, and there are even plaques around the city at certain sites, marking scenes from the film. 

Arezzo is a beautiful town with or without happening upon it on the market day. If you're in Tuscany I highly recommend a visit...or you can always

join us in June

 ! 

Tempting Tuesday \ A Peek at the Pavilions

Today's "Tempting Tuesday" post is all about taking a closer look at the location of the

Marrakesh, Morocco yoga retreat

. I'm so happy to be hosting this retreat at such a lovely location. Peacock Pavilions has been featured in travel and design publications, and it's easy to see why.

This boutique hotel is located in Marrakesh on 8.5 acres of land, including 5 acres of olive grove, this stylish and eco-friendly abode has been featured in worldwide publications, including National Geographic Traveler.

Breathtakingly beautiful and luxuriously designed, the living quarters where guests will stay during the retreat features gorgeous fireplaces and a glamorous bathrooms in each room. Each bedroom also has its own private terrace - just the right place to enjoy a minty tea or a zingy cocktail!

I mean, just look at these bedrooms? The hand-painted details, and carefully chosen linens to give the perfect ambiance of exotic, modern, and Moroccan.

The entire pavilion property has been decorated with care and loaded with art, special fabrics, and exotic good stuff from all around the world...A swanky place to relax, the salon/great room has a stunning lacy plasterwork that took weeks to complete. There is also seating and dining areas for intimate discussions and cozy meals. A spiral staircase leads to a catwalk high in the air, where you can sit on vintage embroideries and admire the view. 

Not only is this place gorgeous, but it's also eco-friendly. Observing "green" building and gardening techniques, you'll feel good about the organic bounty served to your plate, and the hot water you use heated by the solar panels! Spend some free time at the lovely, inviting pool and patio, or join us for a henna and cocktail party in the painted tent, or perhaps an outdoor cinema night on the lawn.

Peacock Pavilions is owned by Maryam and her husband Chris, both recently featured on HGTV's House Hunters International. Chris is an architect, and Maryam a freelance photographer, travel and lifestyle writer, and the author of the award winning blog, 

My Marrakesh

. Both make a perfect team in putting this amazing estate together.

Yoga + Souks + Camels! Oh My! New Morocco Yoga Retreat!

Not sure if you've visited the

EAT.PRAY.MOVE

website lately, but there's been some changes! We have a new site design...all to accommodate some new events!

The most recent big announcement is the addition of an

exotic retreat in MARRAKESH, MOROCCO

! Taking place SEPT 11-17, 2011, I'm so excited to add this to the growing EAT.PRAY.MOVE yoga retreats in the Mediterranean area.

This fantastic yoga retreat will take place at the fabulous Peacock Pavilions boutique hotel. Located in Marrakesh on 8.5 acres of land, including 5 acres of olive grove, this stylish and eco-friendly abode has been featured in worldwide publications, including National Geographic Traveler.

Breathtakingly beautiful and luxuriously designed, the living quarters where guests will stay during the retreat features gorgeous fireplaces and a glamorous bathrooms in each room. Each bedroom also has its own private terrace...just the right place to enjoy a minty tea or a zingy cocktail!

Guests will not only enjoy the grounds of Peacock Pavilions, the outdoor areas including a lovely pool, patio, private terraces, and covered yoga platform, but the retreat includes some amazing day-trips to the surrounding sites. A guided day in Marrakesh will lead guests through an introduction to Souqs and visits to sites such as Jardin Majorelle, Djema Al-Fnaa, Bahia Palace, and Saadian Tombs.

A full day will be spent in Essaouira, a historic fortified town on the Atlantic coast. Here we'll experience camel rides along the shore, yoga on the beach, meals on the docks, and plenty of exploring. The final full day entails a trip to the famous Bains de Marrakesh, a luxurious spa facility, where guests can be pampered to their heart's content (one treatment is included in retreat cost). What better way to wrap up a week of yoga than a day of pure relaxation.

Learn more about the Morocco Retreat HERE

Sign Up HERE

Back by Popular Demand! New Retreat Dates Announced!

Wow! We're excited to announce that the

EAT.PRAY.MOVE

July Italy retreat is now completely FULL! We had such an amazing response from so many people interested it was so nice to have booked it this early.

But we didn't want the site to just say "SOLD OUT" for too long...so we've added another retreat week!

JUNE 19-25, 2011

So if you missed out on signing up for the July retreat, go ahead and join us in June. Same program. Same amazing villa. And same affordable price of just $1400 for 7 days inclusive (lodging, meals, day-trips, transportation in Italy, daily yoga classes, and more!).

Check out our new re-designed main site: www.eatpraymove.com

Find out all the JUNE retreat details HERE

Sign up HERE

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

?!