Newsletter - August 2025

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 now back home in our lovely country home in south eastern Australia enjoying the awakening of spring with daffodils, newly opening leaves, magnificent flowering wattles, blossoming fruit trees and an abundance of rain.

It is so nice to be home again after almost three months of wonderful adventures in Spain and Provence with time to reflect on the many delightful moments that we have shared with our Aroma Travellers this year.

This has been our most successful season ever with all of our 2025 tours sold out, and at the same time, next year's tour season is already down to the last few vacancies!

As always, it is our returning guests and their friends who are leading this fabulous response as well as shared "word of mouth" recommendations growing ever stronger.

• For more details, prices and itineraries please visit our tour information page and if your would like to "Seize the Day" and journey with us next year, your adventure begins on our make a reservation page.

Memorable Photos from Aroma Tours 2025

One of the best ways to enjoy the spirit of our Aroma Tours is by taking a peek at some of the photos we have taken during our adventures in France.

We are too busy to be able to share any more of this year's lovely photos with you but as soon as we have time we will be adding them for your viewing pleasure.

Memorable Photos 2025-1

Memorable Photos 2025-2

Memorable Photos 2025-3

We also invite you visit our other Photo Galleries Pages to enjoy more of the 1000's of other lovely photos of our Aroma Tours adventures.

Our Current Booking Status

This year has become our most successful season ever with all of our 2025 tours now sold out and our 2026 season going from strength to strength, with several tours already sold out and those remaining down to the last few vacancies.

• 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

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 and 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.

Our artist friend was in fact the famous painter Raymond Gluzac who has sadly now passed and this chance, magical meeting is a treasured memory that I will always keep with me - his paintings now fetch in excess of €3000!

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

Tuscany and the Dolce Vita

Each autumn we return to beautiful Tuscany and are welcomed by a riot of colour and sweeping vistas.

As well as nourishment for the eyes, life takes on a different pace with long lunches in beautiful hilltop villages, wonderful coffee, delicious wines, truffles, pecorino cheese, porcini mushrooms, prosciutto, fresh pasta..... ( so many wonderful tastes ), laughter and the fine Italian art of "dolce fa niente" - sweet doing nothing!

Our journey is also about absorbing the richness and passion of Italian life and savouring its cultural heritage, evident in the art, architecture, pageantry, festivals, fashion, design, craftsmanship and joy for life.

We are all destined to be transformed, which is the magic of this wonderful place. Feeling more Italian moment by moment, speaking more enthusiastically, smiling broadly and even display a bit of emphatic arm waving!

• There are still 2 places available for our wonderful Aromas of Tuscany Tour for 2026 and if you would like to join us to explore Tuscany's perched villages, rolling hills, delicious food and wines, rich culture and joy of life we invite you visit our Information Request Page for more details.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

During our Spanish Gourmet Pilgrimage we visit the spectacular Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in Bilbao, recognized as a masterpiece of 20th century architecture and one of the world's most spectacular buildings.

It is a triumph of inspiration, planning, cooperation and execution and was realized as the result of the Basque government's vision to revitalize the struggling port city of Bilbao. The idea was to create a world class museum for contemporary art which would attract visitors and create new prosperity.

With that in mind, in 1991, they approached the Guggenheim Foundation in the USA to propose that a Guggenheim affiliated modern art museum be built on a 32,500-square-meter site along the Nervion River in the old industrial heart of the city.

The commitment was as large as the vision, with US$100 million set aside for construction, US$50 million for an acquisitions fund, a one-time US$20 million fee to the Guggenheim Foundation and agreement to subsidize the museum's US$12 million annual budget.

The Guggenheim Foundation agreed to give their name to this new museum which they would design and manage, as well as rotating part of their permanent modern art collection and organizing temporary exhibitions.

 Canadian architect Frank Gehry was chosen to design the building and was tasked to create a daring and innovative design; which he most certainly did! His  stunning concept utilized three key elements: glass, titanium, and limestone in seemingly random curves, "to catch the light", positioned around a central flower-like atrium.

This amazing building ( even more amazingly ) was constructed on time and under budget and was opened on October 18, 1997 King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Almost immediately, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao became a popular tourist attraction, drawing approximately 4 million visitors from around the world in its first 3 years and adding almost 500 million to the local economy! Not only was Bilbao's economy strengthened but the taxes raised from hotels, restaurants, shops and transport more than paid for the cost of the project.

The exhibits usually highlight Avant-garde, modern and contemporary art, as well as 20th century abstraction, and non-objective art. The exhibits change regularly with traditional paintings and sculptures less emphasized compared to installations and electronic forms. The highlight of the collection, and its only permanent exhibit, is "The Matter of Time" a series of weathering steel sculptures designed by Serra, which are housed in the 130 meter long Arcelor Gallery

Visiting the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a total feast for the senses, especially with our colleague, art historian and bon vivant Carol guiding us expertly through the amazing exhibits.

For the latest details of our tours and retreats, please visit our information request page and if you would like to join us for one of our delightful aromatic journeys, please visit our booking request page to reserve your place.

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!

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 the pleasure of welcoming you to enjoy one of our delightful Aroma Tours in 2026.

• 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