|
11-15 September 2013 Monthly payment plans available |
Costs Book Back |
|
Location: Join us for a life coaching and cooking holiday in Tuscany this September. You'll stay in beautiful Benabbio, a quintessentially Italian village nestled high in the majestic hills of northern Tuscany. With stunning views down the Lima valley and the snow capped Appenine mountains as a backdrop, this is a wonderfully peaceful and picturesque location. We have the run of a 17th Century Baroque villa which has been beautifully renovated and restored. It has nine individually designed bedrooms, a private walled garden, its own olive grove and a small dipping pool with mountain views. Programme: Our Mind Spa is all about time out for you. It’s a unique opportunity to slow down, rest and take a step back from your everyday life. It’s time to reflect and explore your hidden talents and unrealised dreams with our coach, Stephen Yates. In between your sessions, you can enjoy our stunning villa and surroundings, eat delicious food, take some cooking classes if you like and pamper in the nearby thermal spa. |
|
|
Coaching: You’ll have two one to one sessions with our coach, where you can ask and find answers to the following questions.
Cooking: Our chefs will also run a cooking class every morning where you’ll make a delicious Italian dish from scratch. You'll have a take-away recipe pack so you can impress friends and loved ones with your gourmet Italian cooking skills when you return home. |
|
|
Other things to do: Our venue is a peaceful location ideal for relaxing, reading, walking and enjoying some quiet time in the private garden, pool and surrounding olive groves. It’s a great sunbathing spot, or you can relax in one of the three lounges or on the covered terrace upstairs which has perfect mountain views. There is a yoga room too, so if you wish to bring a mat and do some self practice or meditation you are welcome. Benabbio village: There are several walks around the surrounding hills and forests or you can wander around the traditional village where you’ll find a couple of local bars and shops. Bagni di Lucca: Bagni di Lucca is our nearest town. It's a pretty riverside town with the thermal spa, a swimming pool, cafes, bars and shops. Thermal baths: This area is famous for its natural thermal waters, so we highly recommend a visit to the traditional thermal baths in Bagni di Lucca, where you can relax in the warm therapeutic baths, take a steam in the caves or have a massage, facial and other pampering treatments. Swimming pool: We have a small dipping pool at the villa, perfect for cooling down during the hot days but if you'd like to have a swim, the local swimming pool in Bagni di Lucca is lovely. With two large pools and fabulous views of the surrounding hills, it's a wonderful place to spend a few relaxing hours. River swim: Ten minutes drive away is a fantastic natural pool, which is part of the Lima river. It’s a great spot to sunbathe on the warm rocks and take a refreshing dip in the beautifully clear river. Days out: The historical town of Lucca is less than half an hour away. Lucca is one of the last walled medieval cities with beautiful cobbled streets, picturesque piazzas and old churches. Lucca is also great for shopping, with many fashion outlets and boutiques. There are trains from Bagni di Lucca or we can arrange taxis. If you are the mood for some hustle and bustle, Florence is around an hour and a half away. Set on the banks of the River Arno and famous for its history, art and architecture, Florence is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are trains from Bagni di Lucca (via Lucca). We'll run a daily drop and pick up for the river, swimming pool, spa, town and train station each day for 10 Euros return. |
|
| Accommodation: Our villa has nine individually designed stylish rooms, most have their own private bathroom and all rooms have beautiful views. Restored over the last four years, the owners have retained the original rustic style but upgraded the rooms to be wonderfully comfortable and plush, with carefully selected furniture and fittings, ornate beds with beautiful silk covers and fresh cotton sheets. The bathrooms have fluffy white towels, handmade soaps, free standing baths and big showers. | |
|
Meals: With our own chefs preparing delicious Italian inspired food you'll be spoilt for choice with our sumptuous meals. You’ll be served delicious, healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. We’ll have plenty of teas and drinking water available, and we suggest you reduce your caffeine while you are with us so that you can slow down and relax. We’ll serve you a glass of wine with your evening meal. |
|
|
Costs: Large luxury suite £675 Available Single ensuite room with shower and bath £600 2 available Single ensuite room with shower £550 Booked Twin room shared bathroom £450pp Booked Double ensuite room with shower and bath £450pp Booked Monthly payment plans from £200 available. |
|
|
What’s included:
|
|
| Weather: The weather will be hot in September. Average temperatures are likely to be around 26-28 degrees Celsius and it’s unlikely to rain. There may be some light breezes due to our hillside location. | |
|
Travel information: You should arrive by 4pm on 11th and we will finish at 3pm on 15th. Trains We encourage our clients to travel responsibly, so if you have the time to make the journey part of your holiday then you can travel by train. With great scenery, no baggage or check in fees, no airport taxes or 2 hour check ins, it’s a less stressful way to travel. There are several options for travelling by train, the best being the Eurostar to Paris and then a sleeper train to Florence, where you can pick up a connecting train to Bagni di Lucca, via Lucca (see seat61 for more details). Fares start at around £175 return, but you'll need to book in advance to get a good fare. Flights The nearest airport is Pisa and you can fly direct from UK with British Airways, Easyjet and RyanAir. Fares will be around £125. We advise that you book early to avoid higher fares. Transfers from the airport Hire a car You can hire a car from Pisa for around £120 plus fuel (we will link up clients who are interested in car sharing) which will give you the freedom to explore the area more widely during your week with us. Catch a train You can also catch the train from the airport (Pisa Aeroporto) to Bagni di Lucca. The journey takes around 90 minutes and costs around 5.20 Euros one way. You’ll need to change twice, once at Pisa Centrale and then again at Lucca. You can check out trains here: www.trenitalia.com. As we are encouraging responsible travel wherever possible, we are pleased to offer a free pick up and return from Bagni di Lucca station. Minibus pick up You can join our minibus pick up which will depart Pisa airport at around 3pm on 11th. We will also have a return minibus departing at 16.00 on 15th. The mini bus will be around 25 Euros per person each way. The price may change slightly depending on how many are sharing. |
|
