Escape the cold and dreary weather of northern climates and come to Portugal and be creative while you are there!!

Colina Flora, a comfortable “green” guesthouse in the wonderfully beautiful Sintra Natural Park is offering Painting/Etching/Collage Holidays.  Mary St. George a multitalented artist, architect and experinced arts teacher  hosts the painting and etching classes in her ancient, converted stone barn.    Check out Mary St. George´s artist statement at www.zhibit.org/marystgeorge.  And experiment with various collages ideas on two mornings with textile artist Aasta s. Torsen

This creative week includes ample free time to explore the many wondrous museums and historical sights, walk and enjoy the unspoilt nature, meet  wonderful new people, have a relxing tuina massage and experience the magic of the Serra da Sintra on a guided night walk.

Dates are:6 November – 13 November, 2011
4 December – 11 December, 2011
22 January – 29 January, 2012
12 February – 19 February, 2012

Mary will teach participants two mornings of painting and one full day of etching. 

The painting/etching holiday incudes

7 B&B

airport transport and specific shuttle service

6 lunches (3 at local restaurants)

3 dinners (farewell dinner with Fado music)

2 three hour painting classes

2 three hour collage sessions

1 full day etching class

day of sight seeing in Sintra

1 Tuina massage

1 guided night walk with introduction to the lore of the magical Serra da Sintra

all art materials

Price per person is €725.-  shared double room.  Minimum 4 people maximum 10 people.

Perfect for special destination trips/celebrations.  contact www.colinaflora.com for more details or to make a reservation.  Inquire about group discounts.

Hello Everyone! Colina Flora guesthouse www.colinaflora.com , peacefully located in the heart of the wonderfully beautiful Sintra Natural Park, offers walkers the opportunity for year round walking holidays either self-guided or guided. 

The mild Mediterranean climate, with no frost, is perfect for year round walking.  It does rain some during the winter months, but it is still pleasant enough to walk most  days.  And for rainy days there are many amazing historical sights to visit.

The hosts at Colina Flora will customize your walking holiday according to your requests. Each morning a different route will let you explore the wonders of the Sintra Natural Park: magical forests, pristine beaches, hills and valleys, beautiful flora and fauna, birds etc.  Walking holidays can start anytime for a minimum of two people.  The walks can be long or short, and according to your desired level of ease/difficulty.  The definitive book on walking in the Sintra natural park, complete with detailed maps will be sent once the tour has beeen booked.  This will give walkers the opportunity to read and plan their walks a bit ahead of their arrival.

A 7 day walking holiday includes:

7 B&B

3 dinners (4 course with wine)

airport transport/shuttle to beach and village

1 Tuina massage

1 guided night walk led by Paulo Patrizio, a student of the  lore of the Mountains of the Moon as the Serra da Sintra was called in pre-christian times

shuttle to Sintra for a day of sightseeing

bottled water, hiking sticks,  snacks, maps, customized daily walking suggestions, assistance and advice,  book on Walking in the Sintra Natural Park

Walking weeks cost €595.- per person, double occupancy ensuite rooms, minimum 2 people.

Perfect for honeymoons, anniversary, destination birthday trips etc

contact Colina Flora www.colinaflora.com for more details

Indulge yourself, nurture your spirit, body, mind, and awaken your positive energy , escape the dreary winter months  and come to Portugal, the secret gem of Europe for revitalizing yoga retreats.

Rejoice/Replenish/Rejuvenate Yoga Retreats at Colina Flora guesthouse www.colinaflora.com , peacefully located in the heart of the awesome Sintra Natural Park, are a great way to re-engerize body/mind/spirit.   Participatants will rediscover their inner self, learn to destress, recharge, relax, laugh, breath fresh country/sea air, experience the unspoilt nature of the amazing Sintra Natural Park`s pristine beaches, magical forests, and historical sights, eat delicious and organic, fresh and locally sourced Food for Life breakfasts,  lunches and dinners , make new friends and leave with a new sense of awareness and wellbeing.  These retreats motivate and inspire participants to enjoy and live life more fully, gain vital insights and deal with stress more effectively.

These week-long retreats include 7 B&B, 6 lunches , 6 dinners (several at local restaurants), airport transport , 5 yoga/yoga nidra sessions  , 1 Tuina massage,  1 cosmetic rejuvenation facial acupuncture treatment, 2 de-stessing/sophrology sessions,  an afternoon sightseeing in Sintra, 1 nutrition counseling session, 2 morning beach walks and 1 night walk with introduction to the  magical lore of  the Sintra Natural Park, introduction to meditative knitting,  2 music/dance therapy sessions and  ample free time to enjoy the natural beauty of the Sintra Natural Park.  The Retreat costs  €895.- per person.

Minimum 4 people, Maximum 10

Shared double rooms.  Inquire about single room sur-charge.

Perfect for celebrating special occassions, group of friends get a way week etc.  inquire about group rates and for more information at www.colinaflora.com

Retreat dates:

20 November – 27 November, 2011,

December 23 to January 2 ( A special Holiday Yoga retreat with Christmas/New Year celebrations, a Yankee Swap and more….the dates for this retreat are flexible…join or leave whenever it suits your schedule and price will be calculated accordingly …price for the entire 10 day retreat is €1175.-)

8 January – 15 Januray, 201

5 February – 12 February, 2012 Retreat Program (subject to change and individual needs): Sunday: arrive, settle in, welcome tea, yoga session,getting to know you dinner, meditative/de-stressing  knitting Monday: wake up tea, yoga, breakfast,  de-stressing session,lunch, energy  walk, therapies, dinner, meditative knitting Tuesday: wake up tea, yoga, breakfast,  nutrition counceling, lunch, music/dance session, therapies, dinner, night hike Wednesday: wakeup tea, yoga, breakfast, destressing session, luch, energy walk, therapies, dinner, meditative knitting Thursday: wake up tea, yoga , breakfast, art class, lunch, music/dance session, therapies, dinner, night walk Friday: wake-up tea, yoga, breakfast, destressing session, lunch, meditative  knitting/free time, therapies, dinner Saturday: wake-up tea, yoga, breakfast, day in Sintra for sightseeing, dinner, meditative knitting. Sunday: farewell breakfast, depart feeling revived and having made new friends!! Dr. Izilda Gallo, acupunturist, yoga and yoga nidra teacher, trained with special degrees  in  de-stressing therapies and Sophrology is the retreat leader.  Izilda is Portuguese and has several degrees in Chinese Medicine and Sophrology, plus an MA degree in Social Studies.  She has traveled extensively and frequently participates in speical training seminars to expand her own horizons.  Izilda has a successful acupuncture office in Cascais where she also teaches yoga and yoga nidra.  Izilda is fluent in English, French and Spanish besides her native Portuguese .  She will be assisted during the retreat by several other experienced therapists.  Izilda embraces life, loves to laugh and dance (especially the tango), enjoys organic gardening and excells at teaching/sharing her expertise with others.  Adding to her studies in Chinese Medicine and Yoga, she has studied and recived a degree in Sophrolgy de-stressing techniques.  Sophrolgy is: To reinforce positive action, in order to develop the positive elements of the present, the future and the past rather than focussing on the negative

To develop an objective reality, to learn how to see the things more as they are rather than how we think they are.

Specific techniques and exercises (specific sophronisations): practised especially in individual sessions, they are numerous and selected according to level, needs and relevance (concentration on an internal stimulus, positive projection in the future, the past…). (10 to 15 min.) , with immediate or short-term objectives.

Dynamic Relaxations : A term used to describe the exercises designed to promote relaxation and focus in everyday l

These  mental and physical exercises are based on the concept of dynamic relaxation (relaxation in movement) used in everyday life situations. Their benefits are claimed to

• Lower stress levels
• Improve sleep
• Manage emotions
• Improve concentration
• Increase energy levels
• Improve relationship with yourself and others
• Improve self-esteem and self confidence
• Harmony in mind, body and soul

The practice is also said to lead to inner and outer awareness, leading to moments of “being as one, being in the flow, living in the now.”

Hello!

There is a Times of London reporter who thinks that Adraga Beach is one of the top ten in Europe.

Adraga has not yet made it into any of the major guidebooks. It is a beautiful unspoilt beach with white sand, towering cliffs, caves, mesmerizing sunsets and not ever really crowded.  A wonderful resteraurant and cafe feed beach lovers great fish dinners. It is  beautifully groomed and  wheel chair accessible during the summer months. 

And www.colinaflora.com a green and comfortable guesthouse is only 5 minutes drive from the beach – a lovely downhill walk of about 35 minutes.