Jan 19 2017

Get Your Move On in Positano with a Yoga Retreat!

Laura Thayer
What's On
ciao-amalfi-sole-yoga-holidays-love-positano

(Photo courtesy Sole Yoga Holidays)

Winter has settled in on the Amalfi Coast, which means we’re in the height of the bundled up inside dreaming of summer season. As much as my body tells me to get outside and MOVE after the holidays, which are celebrated here in southern Italy with a lot of food, the cold wind and snow-capped mountains remind me that it’s might be a less than pleasurable experience. While I wait for the first signs of spring to arrive, there’s only one place my mind wanders if I let it float off down the Amalfi coastline for awhile. It ends up high above Positano doing yoga with a wonderful group of people in the most breathtaking of places. This place:

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Snap snap … come back mind! Last year I shared about my time at this incredible Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat in Paradise, and it was absolutely one of my top experiences of 2016 and one of my favorite in my 10 years living on the Amalfi Coast. This retreat has been lovingly created by yoga teacher and Amalfi Coast enthusiast Shari Hochberg, who owns Sole Yoga Holidays. Shari adores Positano and this shines through in her entire retreat, which is situated in the rustic eco-resort La Selva that is set in the mountains above town surrounded by peaceful terraced gardens. If you want to get away from it all while still being a short hike from Positano – this is your heaven!

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Imagine joining a group of fun-loving yogis for daily Ashtanga flow yoga on that outdoor platform or in a beautiful room surrounded by nature, all with the Amalfi Coast as the backdrop. Then there’s the beautiful organic meals prepared from locally grown products. We couldn’t wait to see what was on the menu each day! Everything was so fresh and rejuvinating – full of the Amalfi Coast sunshine.

For the group, Shari also organizes a boat trip around Capri, a relaxing day at the beach in Positano and includes extras like handmade sandals in Positano. At La Selva and in the mountains surrounding the eco-resort there are also options for hiking and rock climbing for the more adventurous. The peaceful setting above Positano is absolutely idyllic –  perfect for a yoga retreat to recharge and reinvigorate the soul while surrounded by the beauty of the Amalfi Coast!

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(Photo courtesy Sole Yoga Holidays)

After the fun I had last year joining the retreat for a couple of days (which weren’t enough!), I knew I had to share more about this unique experience that Shari has created. Because I know that if you love the Amalfi Coast and love yoga – this is something you won’t want to miss!

This was the inspiration behind my new Amalfi Coast Experiences page on Ciao Amalfi. This Positano Yoga Retreat is the first of many wonderful local experiences that I look forward to sharing with you this year!

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If you’ve been thinking of a summer holiday this year on the Amalfi Coast, mark your calendars for July 30th – August 5th, 2017 for an incredible week of yoga in Positano. BONUS! Shari is offering a special gift for Ciao Amalfi readers, too! Just enter my code “CIAOAMALFI” when you BOOK your Positano yoga retreat to receive a special €100 euro discount + a natural cosmetic gift made right at La Selva!*

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I couldn’t imagine a more stunning way to expand your yoga practice, get moving in 2017, make new friends, enjoy fabulous organic meals and, of course, those panoramic views of the Amalfi Coast. I hope I’ll see you in Positano this year for the Sole Yoga Holidays Positano Retreat!

 

 

Italy Blogging Roundtable

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This blog post is part of a series called The Italy Blogging Roundtable. Every month our group of Italy based writers takes on a new theme, and you can read the contributions for this month’s topic – Move – at the links below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. Please share the stores if you’ve enjoyed them!

ArtTrav – The Cost of Living in Italy: My Annual Budget

Bleeding Espresso – 10 Dos & Don’ts of Moving to Calabria

Girl in Florence – Why Moving To Florence Might Not Be The Best Idea For You

Italofile – Before Considering a Move to Italy, Consult This Quality of Life Index

Italy Explained – Moving Lets the Light Get In

 

 

*Not to be used with any other offer or discount. Please review the Sole Yoga Holidays policy for information.

May 28 2016

Ravello Festival Program for 2016

Laura Thayer
What's On

Amalfi Coast Travel Ravello Festival Pino Izzo

One of the signs that summer is arriving is the announcement of the program for the Ravello Festival. Earlier this week at a press conference in Rome, the full program for the 64th edition of the Ravello Festival was announced. It’s time to get out your calendars and start planning that summer trip to the Amalfi Coast!

The Ravello Festival 2016 promises to be another great event from beginning to end, with concerts covering a vast range of musical genres from classical to folk music by Tim Robbins. There’s also theater performances celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare and ballet from noted companies around the world. I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibit by Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto. Looking for some inspiration? This video will transport you there!

Tickets will be on sale online shortly. In the meantime, browse the Ravello Festival 2016 program and have fun picking out what you’ll see this year!

(Photo courtesy the Ravello Festival, Photographer Pino Izzo)

Ravello Festival Photo by Pino Izzo
May 30 2015

The Ravello Festival 2015

Laura Thayer
What's On
Ravello Festival 2015 Photo by Roberto Vuilleumier

The stunning stage set up for the Ravello Festival at the Villa Rufolo  (Credits: Roberto Vuilleumier)

If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast, mark your calendars for June 20th to September 5th for the Ravello Festival. The 63rd edition of the popular festival dedicated to music, theater, opera, dance and the arts is set to be a blockbuster with an outstanding line up of performances. The Ravello Festival 2015 Program has been announced this week, and the selection is tempting. From world class ballet, classical performances and opera to the European exclusive concert by Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson or the lively Bobby McFerrin or Dee Dee Bridgewater, there’s a lot to choose from at this year’s Ravello Festival.

The season very appropriately begins and ends with the music of Wagner, who visited the Villa Rufolo in 1880. On June 20th there will be a ballet performance of Tristano e Isotta while the final concert of the season will be Parsifal, which is the opera Wagner was working on when he visited Ravello.

Ravello Festival 2015 Mimmo Paladino

Each year the Ravello Festival presents a theme, and this year’s is InCanto, a word play that highlights the various ways the human voice is used as expressive instrument (as “canto” means “song”) and the word “incanto” meaning “enchantment.” The Italian artist Mimmo Paladino has created a striking image to represent the Ravello Festival this year. Some of you reading may have seen the incredible installation of many of his sculptures on the terrace of the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer in 2013. This year there will be an installation of work by the sculptor Augusto Perez throughout the Villa Rufolo and on the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer terrace.

Ravello Festival Photo by Pino Izzo

Book your tickets soon for the Ravello Festival (Credits: Pino Izzo)

Keep an eye on the Ravello Festival website as online ticket booking via their Box Office should be available soon. If you know your travel dates then it’s a good idea to book in advance as many concerts sell out well in advance. Also, it’s noted on the website, but I’d highly recommend paying a little extra for seats in the Tribuna Centrale – the central seating area. What’s the difference? Well besides being great seats it also secures you a seat should the concert have to be moved to the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer due to bad weather. While the weather is usually good, I experienced this just last year. If I hadn’t paid a little extra for tickets then I would have missed the concert with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, which had to be moved to the Auditorium. Although you’ll be reimbursed for tickets in the Tribuna Laterale in the case of bad weather, it’s a disappointment to miss a concert you’ve been looking forward to on holiday!

 

What concert would you like to see at the Ravello Festival this year?

Si Accettano Miracoli – Now in Theaters!

Laura Thayer
What's On

Si Accettano Miracoli Film Amalfi Coast Italy

Today is the day! Oh, yeah, new year and all that jazz. But today is also the release in Italy of “Si Accettano Miracoli,” the movie by Alessandro Siani that was filmed on the Amalfi Coast last spring. Now I know that a lot of you reading this will be sad that you can’t see it right away, but do enjoy the trailer below and put it on your radar. If you’re in Italy, check it out at the movie theater. I’m really excited to see it, but not sure if I can make it to the showing on the Amalfi Coast. While there were other filming locations in Campania, a lot of the film was shot on the Amalfi Coast in Conca dei Marini, Atrani, Scala … and even my front yard! For about three weeks we had an up close view of how films are made as most of the equipment was stored in our garden along with lunch taking place right outside our windows, too. It was quite the experience! I had the chance to be an extra in some scenes shot in Atrani, which was really interesting.  I hope you’ll get to see the film … it looks like a fun one!

There are tons of great photos and videos on the Si Accettano Miracoli Facebook page if you’d like to see more.

Ravello Festival 2014

Laura Thayer
What's On
Ravello Festival 2014 Photo by Pino Izzo

A magical setting at the Ravello Festival – Photo by Pino Izzo

The stage is set, the lights are ready, the gardens perfectly manicured and the 2014 Ravello Festival is ready to begin! With the spectacular Amalfi Coast and Bay of Salerno as the backdrop, many performances will take place in the Villa Rufolo on a stage that seems to cling dramatically to the very edge of the mountainside. This specially built stage, along with the modern Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer, will host another outstanding series of concerts and events for the Ravello Festival 2014, which runs from June 21st to September 20th, 2014.

This season brings luminaries from the world of music–of a wonderful variety of genres–theater and dance, along with events with writers and artists from around the world. Highlights of this year’s Ravello Festival will be the already sold out show by Italian musician Pino Daniele, along with performances by Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, Chrysta Bell, Burt Bacharach, the Kronos Quartet, Chanticleer and the Orchestra del Teatro “Carlo Felice in Genova for the stunning Concerto all’Alba held as the sun rises over the Amalfi Coast.

Ravello Festival 2014 Pino Daniele

Pino Daniele will perform at the Ravello Festival on July 6th, 2014

Each spring I look forward to the publication of the Ravello Festival program of events to see what will be on. We attend at least one show each summer, but this year was a tough choice with all the great options! If you’ll be visiting the Amalfi Coast this summer, I highly recommend checking out the Ravello Festival program and booking your tickets in advance. They have a Box Office right by the entrance to the Villa Rufolo in Ravello or you can find out how to book tickets online here.

Ravello Festival 2014 Photo by Piero Cioffi

The Concerto all’Alba at the Ravello Festival – Photo by Piero Cioffi

It’s an incredible feeling walking through the entrance of the Villa Rufolo for a concert. The gardens are an enchanting setting for art of any kind, and this year they also host an exhibition of work by British artist Tony Cragg. Arriving for the concern, you can stroll through the gardens, admire the cloister with its intricate arches and find your seat overlooking the stage and the sea beyond. With lights twinkling along the coastline, the artists and musicians take center stage.

Visit the Ravello Festival website for more details on concerts, events and booking tickets. I hope you’ll be here this year to experience the magical setting of Ravello and attend the Ravello Festival 2014!

 

(Image Credits: Photos used with kind permission of the Ravello Festival)