Newsletter - September 2024

Greetings from Robbi and Jim

A warm welcome to all of the members of our Aroma Tours Newsletter in over 30 countries around the world.

Robbi and I are greatly looking forward to completing the remaining chapters of our Aroma Tours adventures this year, with our delightful Aromas of Tuscany and Flavours of Italy tours.

After more than 25 years, it is finally time for us to say farewell to our Bali Women's Retreats in September which have been so well loved by women from around the world.

Other horizons are calling us and we will be sharing details of our exciting new "project" when all is in readiness.

Robbi and I feel truly blessed to be able to share our passion for the fabulous places and experiences that we love, with delightful people from around the world.

We are also delighted to see that demand for our Aroma Tours is the strongest we have ever seen.

As always, it is our returning guests and their friends who are leading this fabulous response.

• If you would like to "seize the day" and journey with us next year, we invite you to visit our tour information page for more details or our make a reservation page to reserve your place.

Memorable Photos from 2023 and 2024

It has been a very busy time for both Robbi and I over the last 2 years and we have finally had time to collate 6 new pages of lovely photos from our 2023 and 2024 travels for you to enjoy.

We also invite you to enjoy some of our other lovely photos via our Photo Gallery Page

The Picasso Experience

During several of our Provence tours last year we were able to experience a wonderful "Picasso in Provence" exhibition that was being held to celebrate the years Picasso spent painting in southern France.

After being exiled from Spain, he painted many of his masterpieces in Provence, was inspired by the beauty of the region and was influenced by the work of Cezanne.

We saw a wonderful sampling of his amazing works from this period which we all greatly enjoyed and for myself as an aesthetic person but not an art buff as such, it was a revelation and a whole new unfolding of visual pleasure.

After being so impressed, I explored further and discovered this wonderful quote that speaks so beautifully about art and the artist:-

"Everyone wants to understand art. Why don't we try to understand the song of a bird? Why do we love the night, the flowers, everything around us, without trying to understand them? But in the case of a painting, people think they have to understand. If only they would realize above all that an artist works of necessity, that he himself is only an insignificant part of the world, and that no more importance should be attached to him than to plenty of other things which please us in the world though we can't explain them; people who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree." ~ Picasso

Our Current Booking Status

The enthusiasm for our Aroma Tours in 2025 has been outstanding with all of next year's tours now down to the last few vacancies.

We have only just opened our 2026 tour season and already we are receiving bookings from past Aroma Travellers and others wishing to make their plans well ahead.

• For detailed information about any of our tours please visit our tour information page and if you would like to join us please visit our make a reservation page.
• It is our pleasure to assist you with any questions you may have and we invite you to get in touch with us at [email protected]

Please note

• Our up-to-the-minute booking status is available via our calendar page

Flavours of France

Robbi and I are very excited to once again be offering our spectacular gourmet tour Flavours of France, exploring the beauty, culture and fabulous gastronomic traditions of eastern France.

Experience the fascinating heart of Lyon, the gourmet capital of France and enjoy journeying through the beautiful vine clad countryside of Burgundy and Alsace with their enchanting hilltop villages, medieval towns, lush vineyards, spectacular chateau and gardens.

Elegant 4 and 5 star small luxury hotels and spectacular gourmet cuisine and wines are a feature of this tour and your taste buds will be tantalized in some of France's finest restaurants, from hidden gastronomic treasures, to spectacular 3 Michelin star fine dining; with a total of 6 Michelin stars during our week together.

There are still 2 vacancies available for Flavours of France and we would love to share this spectacular and luxurious French gourmet adventure with you.

• For more details please visit our tour information page and to reserve your place for this delightful gourmet experience , please visit our make a reservation page

Adventures in Art

Serendipity is a wonderful thing and during our Heart of Provence Tour a few years ago it took us on a most delightful and unexpected journey.

During market mornings on tour I like to use my free time to run about checking that all is well with our up and coming visits. For some reason I felt drawn to a small sign on the side of a road I had travelled many times, only to discover that for the next week only, an artist was having a small exhibition in an otherwise nondescript house.

When I entered, there was no-one to be found, just 3 rooms full of the most wonderful paintings of Venetian masquerade ball figures with their elaborate costumes and ghostly masks as well as vibrant still-lifes and Provencale panoramas.

After a while I noticed a man on a small bed next to an easel and as I entered he arose from his siesta to greet me with the most beautiful, clear and soulful eyes. The ravages of many years of focus and close detail work plus exposure to oil paints were evident, but as we chatted in French it was clear that his joy and reason in life was to paint - and the most beautiful paintings they were!

Right then and there I knew that I had to bring our group back to witness this amazing talent. I could see as I left that he didn't think I would return but the next day true to my promise we arrived and the smile he gave me was priceless.

Everyone was amazed to see such fine paintings in such a simple setting and a few of our group members were moved to buy several paintings. It is fair to say that the artist's life is generally not one of great fiscal reward so our talented friend was doubly delighted by our visit.

Sadly the small travelling note book I always keep with me on tour went missing last year so I do not have this wonderful man's name but our meeting is one of the memorable moments I will always keep with me.

By the way, after his small Provencale showing he was on his way to exhibit these same paintings in major galleries in Venice, Holland and New York!

Travelling Solo in a Group

As well as couples and friends travelling together, we are regularly joined by solo travellers - mostly women, who appreciate being able to journey with liked minded people from around the world, without the need to do all the planning and take on the daunting task of touring by themselves.

Joining one of our small group tours is easy and we have already made all of the arrangements on your behalf to ensure that you have a delightful, stress-free holiday with the focus on having fun.

Having a ready-made group of friends to travel with, and us to take wonderful care of you is the way to go!

• There is no extra charge for solo travellers who are willing to share a room with another same gender guest from our group.

We have carefully crafted off-the-beaten-path itineraries that are the perfect balance of structure, experiences, details and free time to enjoy in your own way.

Our Invitation

Robbi and I look forward to welcoming you to one of our delightful Aroma Tours in 2023 or 2024.

• For detailed information about any of our tours please visit our tour information page and if you would like to join us please visit our make a reservation page.
• As always if you have any questions or if you would like us to assist you personally with advice about your travel arrangements or with any other details please contact us at [email protected]

Warmest regards,

Jim and Robbi