A walk and talk creative journey experience
Re-ignite your creative spark!
Dates TBC
Happiness Retreat
Sardinia, Italy
A thread, a pen, and the pleasure of the ladle
Journey along the creative revolutionary trails blazed by 2 incredible Sardinian women, rekindle your own creative spark and find your bliss along the way!
A walk and talk coaching retreat full of authentic, off the beaten track, culinary and creative adventures.
On this journey, we’ll
- encounter the female art world in Sardinia, focussing on two historical creative giants – Grazia Deledda (the pen) and Maria Lai (the thread) – see side bar highlights – symbols of women’s emancipation, each a revolutionary in her own way who left their mark and an exceptional legacy in the history of Sardinian arts. We’ll also meet with a contemporary female artist.
- delight in the pleasure of the ladle (a phrase borrowed from Grazia!). The rich simplicity of Blue Zone cooking where these women came from. Possibly also a Sardinian cooking or bread making lesson.
- get creative! Craft our own journal and do some journalling along the journey. Make some art – don’t worry, no art skills required.
- explore, in 1:1 and group coaching sessions, what creativity and happiness mean to you, what inspires you, what’s blocking you, how you want to move forward…
- spend time in green and blue spaces, connecting with nature and ourselves
So a thread for Maria Lai and visual arts, a pen for Grazia Deledda and writing, and a ladle for nourishing food along the journey – the ladle could also perhaps be symbolic of the hunger of our soul for happiness? In any case, we’ll weave ourselves a beautiful story as we journey together
Planning for this 6 day creative journey experience retreat is still underway with more info coming soon on dates and programme details. If it sparks your interest, please subscribe for updates using the form below and we’ll notify you when things are firmed up.
PROGRAMME TBC
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Want to rekindle your bliss? Re-ignite your creative spark? Join us on this happiness retreat: A walk and talk coaching journey with unique culinary and creative adventures into the heart of the Blue Zone of Sardinia – an ancient island full of myths and legends, giants and fairies, centenarians, revolutionaries, heroes, and a few bandits.
This retreat is a collaboration with KeepAliveTours, a Dutch-Sardinian tour operator, run by the fabulous Samuele (Sam) Pitzalis, who has a deep love for and ancient roots in Sardinia. And for staying alive! In that process he likes to discover and disclose and present useful, practical information. He likes to be helped by serendipity, ‘perhaps God’s way to remain anonymous’. Instructor in Mindful run, Smooth running, Blue Zone coaching, interested in wisely physical and serenely metaphysical. Quick wit and analysis, broad interest and great health. Your guardian angel for a week. Keeps vampires from your door: even venturing outside the ordinary – focussing on meaningful beauty – you are absolutely safe; we do appreciate that you dared to join on not your average retreat. Sam’s philosophy: “Appreciate nature, natural energy, and it will appreciate us. It will even whisper solutions! You will see: inspiration is all around us, if we actively open up to it.”
Fiona Pape
Life Coach
After over 30 years of globetrotting in cultural relations, Fiona Pape fell in love with Sardinia and now calls it home. She’s been on her own healing journey since a mild stroke a few years ago and is passionate about slow and seasonal living. She is an ICF ACC qualified coach with a focus on transformational life coaching in nature – working with clients on thriving through change and transitions, well-being, women’s empowerment, personal branding and creativity. She is also a marketing and communications specialist (MCIM), a consultant and trainer, a curious and creative spirit who plays with colour and mixed media, a blogger, entrepreneur, mother and wife. Fiona believes that the most important relationship you will have in your life is with yourself. It is deserving of as much love, time, and commitment as any other relationship, if not more. It makes her heart sing when coaching journeys help people to reconnect with themselves, their values and purpose, to step into their power and be their own hero, and to heal with a joy that makes their inner child happy.
WHO IS THIS RETREAT FOR?
This retreat is for you if you are…
- craving a renewed sense of your life purpose,
- feeling like you’ve lost your creative spark and/or desire a deeper connection with creative you,
- seeking inspiration from an art-based creative journey,
- searching for an immersive authentic adventure in a beautiful place,
- curious to learn more about Sardinian art and artists, Blue Zone principles, and slow living,
- interested in connecting with other people on a quest to live well.
If this , below, sounds like you, we’d be delighted to have you join us:
- Good vibes & fun – we all expand in positive energy. Embrace your inner child!
- Openness & playfulness – we all have an interesting story to tell. Be curious!
- Love, kindness & respect – we’re all human. Be generous!
- Strength orientation – we all have gifts. Be encouraging and uplifting!
- Humility & empathy – we are only experts in ourselves. Be compassionate!
HIGHLIGHTS
Grazia Deledda (Nuoro, 1871 – Rome, 1936) is a Nobel Prize winning Sardinian author. In 1926, she was the first Italian women to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. She wrote about Sardinia and relationships, inspired by peasants and their struggles associated with poverty. Much of her writing is autobiographical. It’s deep, insightful, humorous, and sometimes dark. A revolutionary in that writing was not the normal path for a woman in her culture, society, or family circumstance and she did not have the support of her family.
“I saw the sunrise and the sunset, the moonrise in the immense solitude of the mountains, I listened to the songs, the traditional music and fairy tales, and the words of the people, and this is how my art was formed”.
Grazia Deledda
Maria Lai (Ulassai, 1919 – Cardedu, 2013) is a well-known artist best known for her textile works, defined by critic Giorgio Di Genova as ‘a poetic amanuensis of sewing.’ Her artistic work refers to the past of her land and the ancient traditions of Sardinia, making use of elements such as tradition, waste, and weaving. A symbol of women’s emancipation in that she was able to transform what should have been the ordinary (such as work at the loom or in the kitchen) into her art, and in this way escape from an already written future.
“I am happy if, in a moment of global uncertainty, I can make you feel like you are holding the sun in your hand.”
Maria Lai
LODGING AND FOOD
Double rooms on a shared accommodation basis (twin beds and, for couples, a double bed). The places where you will stay are more than just nice: authentic, with a good atmosphere. They all bring you back to original, pure, rich simplicity, simple richness. Often elegant, tasteful, not in a superficial way, but being themselves.
The retreat is on a full board basis. You’ll enjoy freshly prepared breakfasts and dinner in a hotel or restaurant. Each day you will have a healthy picnic lunch, with local Sardinian products only. Meals include proudly made local wine and home-made liquor and healthy mineral rich water and coffee/tea. There will be regular refreshment stops included.
HOW MUCH?
This 6 day full immersion walk and talk coaching and creative journey retreat experience is TBC€ per person.
NB There is a discount for couples.
INCLUDED
- Full coaching and activity programme, including all entrance fees and tips
- All transfers included in the programme destinations and visits, starting from and ending in Cagliari
- Shared double room (double or twin beds)
- Full board including regular refreshment stops
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights to and from Sardinia (Tour transfers start/end in Cagliari )
- Additional transfer not included in the programme (can be arranged for a surcharge)
- Travel insurance
- There’s a surplus charge for single room accommodation (providing rooms are available)