Newsletter - February 2011

Greetings from Robbi and Jim

A warm welcome to the more than 6000 members of our Aroma Tours Newsletter in over 35 countries around the world.

Robbi and I are excited to be at the beginning of another delightful year of adventures and we are greatly looking forward  to sharing the beautiful aromatic places and experiences that we love with our guests from around the world.

We are once again enjoying a wonderful start to our tour season with four of our Aromatic Adventures now fully booked and several of our other journeys soon to join that status.

We invite you to visit our information request page for the latest details of our journeys and if you would like to join us this year please visit our make a booking page. 

Memorable Photos from our 2010 Adventures

One of the best ways to enjoy the spirit of our adventures is by taking a peek at some of the photos we have taken during our Aroma Tours 2010 season.

We have added a page of Memorable Photos from 2010 for you to enjoy, including images of some of the delicious meals that are an integral part of all of our adventures and are especially emphasized in our Flavours of Provence and Aromas of Tuscany tours.

As always we also invite you visit our other Photo Galleries Pages to enjoy more of the 100's of other lovely photos of our aromatic adventures.

Aroma Travellers Our Thanks

Without doubt, one of the main reasons that we continue to grow and flourish, is the on-going support we receive from our past Aroma Travellers.

This year we are enjoying the largest number of returning guests we have ever had, making up 27% of our total numbers. For Robbi and myself, it is such a great delight to be welcoming back so many good friends.

We would also like to give our heart-felt thanks to all of you who continue to support us with your kind words and referrals as you spread news of our tours and retreats amongst your friends.

We also greatly appreciate you wonderful words of thanks, it means so much to us to know that we have shared a special time with you during our journey together.

Australian Flood Thankyou

Robbi and I were deeply touched by the many phone calls and emails we received enquiring about our wellbeing during the recent storms that have affected the north of Australia and also in our home state of Victoria.

We live in Provincial Victoria, which is in the south east and well away from these happenings and thankfully, apart from the tiny creek at the bottom of our property becoming a gushing torrent for a short while, we have not been affected.

For our overseas friends, Queensland in the north east of Australia, recently experienced as much rain over a three week period, as we in Victoria receive in one year. The area devastated by the floods in Queensland was larger than France and Germany combined, with  75% of the state affected with heartbreaking losses and thousands of homes destroyed.

This was followed very closely by the effects of cyclone Yasi, a category 5 storm that has left the north of Australia and parts of Victoria in a challenging situation.

Still, we are a resilient nation and it has been inspiring to see the true Aussie spirit shine in this time of tragedy as communities come together to clean up and rebuild.

Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy and hardship.

The Eat, Pray, Love Phenomenon

Of recent times we have been experiencing the interesting phenomenon of receiving enquiries for both our Aromas of Tuscany Tour and Bali Women's Retreat at the same time.

After several repeats of this unusual combination of tours, it dawned on us that this was as a result of the popularity of the book and film "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.

The story is about Liz's journey to rediscover her joy for life by travelling firstly to Italy to indulge in the richness and passion of Italian life, by savouring its mouth-watering cuisine, delving into its cultural heritage, sharing in the friendship and laughter of the locals and of course the the fine Italian art of "dolce fa niente" - sweet doing nothing!

And where better to experience this Dolce Vita than in Tuscany and Umbria in the heart of Italy!

A picture speaks a thousand words, so if you haven't already done so please take a peek at our page of photos of our Aromas of Tuscany Tour

Her journey then takes her to India where she seeks to discover her inner peace and finally to Bali the island of 10,000 temples, where beauty and spirituality are woven into every aspect of life which finally led her to an awakening of love and nurture in her life.

The purpose of our Bali Women's Retreat is to create a nurturing and nourishing environment that celebrates life and offers pampering as well as an opportunity to look at life from a different perspective.

The Balinese make thousands of flower offerings to the Gods every day and they believe that the sweeter the flowers, the more quickly their prayers reach heaven. In this idyllic setting  the retreat sets the intention to open to the love and beauty that resonates in all of us. Robbi has been going to Bali since 1975, adores the Balinese people and considers Bali her spiritual home.  There is nowhere on earth more beautiful to surrender to love and life fully.

"I went to Bali on a whim, hoping for lots of pampering and some new experiences. What I didn't realise was that my heart and soul would be pampered as much as my body. A door opened and I have changed the way I look at my life. Every woman should have this experience." Belinda Howard, Marton New Zealand

If you would like to join us this year for your own own Eat, Pray, Love experience exploring Tuscany's perched villages, rolling hills, delicious food and wines, rich culture and joy of life and  indulging in a delightful week of pampering and nurture in Bali, we invite you visit our information request page for more details.

Current Booking Status

We are thrilled with the fabulous start to this year's tour season with 4 tours now fully booked and both our Heart of Provence Tour and Provence Lavender Tour soon to join their ranks.

Please note that due to a booking transfer, 2 places have become available for our Turkish Aromatic Odyssey - they will certainly not last very long though.

We have also pleased to announce that we have been able to make arrangements to add a second Bali Women's Retreat to this year's offerings.

Our booking status at the time of this newsletter is:-

It is our pleasure to assist you with any questions you may have and we invite you to get in touch with us either by email at [email protected] or by phone on: +613 5331 3254 (afternoon/evening USA time zones, mornings from other countries). 

Robbi and I hope to have the pleasure of your company this year for one of our Aromatic Adventures and invite you to reserve your place by visiting our booking request page

Please note

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

• If the tour you would like to attend becomes fully booked you may like us to add you to that tour's waiting list as sometimes we receive late cancellations or transfers.

Hole in the Wall Gastronomy

Not far from Paul Cezanne's home town, is a picturesque perched village redolent with climbing roses, geraniums, tiny cobblestone laneways and views across the vine clad valleys below.

There, we found the most incredible restaurant tucked away, a foodie haven which really was heaven. What a meal we enjoyed and later that summer we took the good folk participating in  Flavours of Provence to share in our gastronomic joy!

As we left that night, walking up the tiny alley,  the chef , whisk in hand, popped his head out of the window and shook my hand thanking us for coming back with our friends.

We will most certainly be going back again this year too and hope to share this glorious dining moment with more of you!  Another triumphant gastronomic delight of the Flavours of Provence tour.

"Another excellent vacation - Aroma Tour number five for me! A wonderful group of people, exquisite places and delectable food experiences - thank you for your lovely attention and care." Rowena Ritchie, Melbourne Australia

Provence Skincare and Wellbeing Retreat

Our Provence Skincare and Wellbeing Retreat last year was an absolute triumph and we are excited that our dear friend Ron Guba, will be joining us in our tiny village amongst the lavender fields for this year's retreat.

Ron is Australia's leading proponent of aromatic medicine, having studied and practiced since the early 1980's. Completing his diploma in Phytotherapy and Aromatic Medicine in 1988 in France, he established Essential Therapeutics, a company devoted to providing therapeutic-grade essential oils to health practitioners.

Ron founded the Centre for Aromatic Medicine in 1989, to provide education and training in the practice of aromatic medicine and aromatherapy. Ron was a founding member and past chairman of the International Federation of Aromatherapists (Australia) and a founding member and past chairman of the Australian Aromatic Medicine Association. He writes and lectures extensively throughout Australia and overseas,

Whether you are actively beginning to create a successful skincare and wellbeing business or simply have an interest in natural skin care, this week will deepen your practical and theoretical knowledge on the use of essential oils and associated disciplines, for the creation of natural skincare products and for the maintenance of wellbeing.

You will learn the correct method of prescriptive product making and the basis behind the products used in formulating those skin care creations. Ron actually creates the products used to formulate prescriptive blends and his knowledge about blending and the products used in making skin care formulae are second to none.

"I came here with certain expectations and this week has been far beyond what I could have imagined. All my senses have been awakened and I feel honoured and grateful to have attended the retreat. I return home with happiness in my heart." Kate Nilsen-Nygaard, Marne Norway

"I return to the USA confident and inspired to put into practice the wonderful things I have learned. What a beautiful, magical week - thank you." Toni Jacoby, Phoenix USA

"I have been blessed to be at this wonderful retreat. What an incredible wealth of knowledge, set amongst the beauty of the  lavender fields. Thank you for creating such a powerful healing space. With gratitude and love."  Marinalva do Vale Souza,  Indaiatuba Brazil

For more details please visit our information request page and if you would like to reserve your place please visit our booking request page

The Story of Champagne

If you are new to our newsletter and have not already read the fascinating 4 part "Story of Champagne" that we published in our past newsletters, I highly recommend that you do so now by following these links:

Part 1 - La Champagne: Wine of Kings; Louis XIV and Dom P�rignon; Claude M�et, Madame Pompadour and le champagne.

Part 2 - The Reign of Terror; Napoleon and Jean-R�my M�et; Napoleon III and The Industrial Revolution; Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin; Sitting on Top of Golden Hours.

Part 3 - The Franko-Prussian War, Louise Pommery and the Birth of Brut; The Belle Epoque; Hard times for the Champenoise.

Part 4 - Blood Amongst the Vines; The Re-birth of Dom P�rignon; Champagne Triumphs.

Arranging Your Travel

Once you have reserved your place via our tour booking page, all your need to do is make your travel arrangements to meet us at the tour rendezvous point. You can either ask your travel agent to assist you, or for the more adventurous you can book your flights and connections yourselves. All of our rendezvous are easily achieved and naturally we provide all of the information and assistance that you will need.

Just a reminder that we have a frequently asked questions page to help answer the most common questions including how to book, travel arrangements, group sizes etc.

Previous Newsletters and Stories of Interest

Our past newsletters contain a lot of interesting stories and are well worth a read. You can find them by visiting our newsletter archives

You may also enjoy reading a few of the stories that we have compiled over the years on our stories of interest page

Thought for the Day

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.
  ~ Miriam Beard

Our Invitation

Robbi and I look forward to welcoming you to one of our delightful tours or retreats in the near future and invite you to take a peek at the latest photos of our travels in our photo galleries

If you would like detailed information about any of our tours please visit our information request 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 either by email at [email protected] or by phone on +61 3 5331 3254 ( afternoon/evening USA time zones, mornings from other countries ).

Please note you need to replace the '+' in our phone number with your country's international dialling prefix: from the USA/Canada it is 011 from most other countries it is 00.

Warmest regards,

Jim and Robbi