Dear subscriber,

 “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

Welcome to our final newsletter for this year.
Travellers will find the Calendar for all our exciting 2012 programs, including a new gastronomic tour in Provence.
Postcards cover some of this year's highlights.
Cooks may be inspired by what we plan for Christmas.
Gardeners will want to know about the water-wise wicking beds we have installed.
Readers may want to add some wonderful titles to their summer reading.

Wishing you a joy-filled, safe festive season with your nearest and dearest and hoping to see you join us for something uplifting next year.
Warmest Regards,
Marieke

Summer travels

Our summer is the ideal time to visit North India, that mysteriously exotic country resonating with a zillion images and contrasts which should be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked." --Mark Twain

A few spaces remain in our classic signature tour of RAJASTHAN, now in its 18th year. Celebrate both regal and sumptuous traditions and witness the rapidity of change. This trip unravels her enigmas and lets you inside her multidimensional diversity. It is of course on again same time next year, if ever you have yearned to visit the subcontinent,

A Celebration of handmade collectibles

The spartan marshy Kutch region of NW India forms the major focus of this thrilling GUJARAT Tour. Despite the austerity, the area abounds with master craftsmen and exuberant artisans keeping alive the arts of block printing, dazzling embroidery, weaving in silk and local wools, tie-dying and natural pigments, laquerware and bell making. Meet traditional professions stepping into innovation whose productions are "ballads of sustainable development, pride, fine art, funny stories, labor, livelihoods, beauty, precision and tribal customs".

Heaven for photographers, the anthropologically curious, adventurous wanderers and lovers of beauty!

"THE GREATEST LITERARY SHOW ON EARTH"

Between Rajasthan and Gujarat spend a couple of days at The Jaipur Literary Festival, masterminded by William Dalrymple. Drawing increasingly large crowds, this carnival-spirited festival offers a superbly stimulating interlude between trips.
This year amongst over 200 writers, they will draw togther such iconic authors as Tom Stoppard and David Hare, two of our greatest living playwrights; cutting edge writers of non-fiction like Amy Chua, Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker; and great novelists such as Annie Proulx, Ben Okri, Jonathan Safran Foer and Michael Ondaatje, as well as the editor of the New Yorker, David Remnick known for his frontline reports of the Arab Spring and the art of writing for stage and screen.

".....this  is definitely the least dry, the most carnival-like. Where else would you go from Shakespeare to contemporary politics to V.S. Naipaul and then Sufi music—each in such a full-bodied way? The music definitely had a cleansing, clarifying quality after that clash of ideas, like a sorbet in the middle of a rich meal "– Pico Iyer, Author

2012 Calendar of Tours at a glance

Intelligent, Elegant, Professional Tours for Passionate Travellers

TURKISH TREASURES

The idea of modern Turkey - the idea of a country at the hinge of Europe and the Middle East that manages to be at once modern, secular, Muslim, democratic is that it alluringly also remains ancient, religious, wondrous  and exotic - and therefore makes for a powerfully rewarding destination to explore.
Turkey is custodian over a vast array of artifacts and revered sites from ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine civilizations stretching through to the Ottomans. With the rapid pace of modernisation she still remains unspoiled and boasts a stunning coastline. Importantly the whole country is dedicated to hospitality.
Read more about how to join us in May.

Inner Journeys

"The art of travel is about making contact with the Moment: a timeless instance of profound awareness". Phil Cousineau, in The Art Of The Pilgramage, says: “If we truly want to know the secret of soulful travel, we need to believe that there is something sacred waiting to be discovered in virtually every journey.”  
This inaugural Spirit of India journey in August, combines Yoga, Ayurveda and the Culture of South India in a two week program that enables students both a self dicovery and an exploration of those tenets of ancient wisdom that have given thousands of years of meaning. 
Following the success of this year's special Bali retreat, we are delighted to be collaborating again with a grand Yoga master, Saraswathi Vasudevan. 

Pearls of south india

A sweet tropical langour overlays much of South India's stunning landsacpes and adds to the gentle sense of tolerance. Two coastlines with a long history of sea trade are intersected by the Ghats from which flow immense rivers. Hindus, Muslims, Arab traders, Christians, Chinese and Europeans have all left their cultural signatures: impressive temple architecture and ceremonies, stunning cuisine, a panoply of music, dance and handicrafts. Shimmering waters, scuplted plantations, verdant paddys all form a wonderful backdrop to this alluring August program.

new! La Vie en Provence

Recently having returned from researching this beguiling, sun-drenched, ebullient region I eagerly anticipate sharing 10 days here during the next European autumn. Offerings include daily excursions into the countryside, with several half day cooking classes at our fabulous villas with Marieke and exceptional chefs, fine dining meals in some of the region’s excellent restaurants, lovely gardens, visits to local markets and quaint villages such as Ménerbes and Oppède Le Vieux, shopping for brocante and antiques, excursions to such alluring towns as Aix en Provence, Avignon and Arles, and VIP wine tastings.
Having already been met with wide enthusiasm, this tour is expected to fill quickly. Read More about how to join us in September.

Northern Spain: a tour for food + wine lovers

Despite "the winds of change" hovering over Europe, Spain remains as contagious and effervescent as ever and her people living life with impressive zest. Spain has been at the cutting edge of design, setting watermarks for modernista architecture and cuisine for well over a decade. La Rioja produces wonderful wines. Traditions and regional pride abound everywhere. The warmth and hospitality of the country is legendary. Join us for 9 epicurious days discovering the New Wave and traditional Spanish celebration of amazing cuisine, wine and design.

postcards + highlights

After a truly special yoga retreat with Saraswathi Vasudevan in East Bali, and wanting to preserve the sense of being anchored in tranquility, rather than being catapulted into the maddening crowds, we visited two magical places. 

For the first time: Linda Garland's Panchoran estate, a glorious retreat outside Ubud with houses to rent.  This is a lush canvas of bohème chic, vast stands of bamboo, environmental aesthetics, cooling breezes, negative ions and sweet gurgle of the river that runs through, caring staff and superb home grown food. Rare bliss indeed.

I then took myself to the dreamy rural environs of Jogja to fulfill a long held wish to see Borbudur, the great Buddhist masterpiece. From the rarefied air of Amanjiwo to the natural beauty of the landscape there was so much of profound cultural significance to absorb. Read more @ Visit Borobudur.

Sharing India with guests, as I have for nearly two decades, continues as one of life's great joys. In October we masterminded a 2-week birthday extravaganza for 10 privileged guests where no fantasy was left unturned: from elephant polo, to lakeside fireworks with Manganiars performing their soulful desert music. Learn more about: A Private Party in Rajasthan.

Last month in Melbourne, I held my first exhibition sale of Indian Collectibles, one-off  pieces, mostly textiles and some lovely jewellery, made by artists and craftsman of the highest calibre, all uniquely beautiful and all hand made. If you wish to be invited to next year's event, please send me an email.

In the Garden

At the end of winter it was time to redesign and expand the vegetable garden and install a rainwater tank for pure drinking water. An abundant year for rain not withstanding, we wanted a water-wise garden. After extensive research, we purchased several raised corro-steel troughs and old apple crates and set about creating wicking beds as thoroughly refined and defined by innovator and environmentalist, Colin Austin. This is superbly effective and simple technology that can be applied to the smallest domestic inner urban spaces to large rural properties. 3 months later, we are already enjoying fantastic and nourishing crops. To see how it is done go to:  Wicking Beds.

Nearby, friends Robin + Peter have started a noble sustainable community food project at their farm that people who care about food security and fine produce can support in the most mutually benefical way. To learn more.

From the Kitchen

Christmas Menu This is what we are cooking.

Richard Mohan from  Maleny was the first to introduce Pimientos de Padrón to the Australian table. This season he has added an exciting range of new frying peppers, from Pimiento de O Couto, Fushimi peppers from Japan to Stavros peppers from Greece. These will be fried in finest olive oil, dusted with smoked sea salt flakes and served with home-conserved kalamatas warmed with crumbled chorizo, garlic, chilli, + rosemary. La Latteria's That's Amore exceptional mozzarella di buffe will be sliced with early season Beefsteak tomatoes grown by our local Cypriot gardener. Kingfish or Tuna will be sliced transparently thin, as for Carpaccio, and briefly marinaded in an asian style pickle served with a salad of garden beans and the last of the plump asparagus. Andrew McConnell's duck legs with walnuts and quince paste is a must try for the red wine drinkers. (Incidentally for those who must tackle turkey, the ultimte technique is to brine first...just search the web for tips from American chefs). I am filling biscuit barrels this week with homemade peppered panforte, hazelnut shortbreads and sticky baklava and tomorrow setting up the ocean trout gravadlax with a little more sugar than most recipes and coriander along with the dill. My youngest nephew Mikey is perfecting the art of ice cream and will be churning up coffee and liqueur flavours.

Books that made it to my heart this year:

In a year when publishers are despairing there seems to have been a plethora of marvellous books to choose from.

It has been years since I have bought a cookbook and Cumulus Inc by Andrew McConnell, the Melbourne chef I most unhesitatingly admire had me reading it in one sitting cover to cover. Refreshing, intelligent, accessible, without ego, all about superb flavours and well judged tastebuds.

Hare with Amber Eyes by famed British ceramic artist, Edmund de Waal haunts me still. This memoir spans some major epochs of modern history, the tragedy of a Jewish family, intertwined with a netsuke collection that passes into each new displaced generation.
Joan Didion's Blue Nights, another searing, elegiac memoir of grief, valued not quite as much as her earlier The Year of Magical Thinking.
Jeanette Winterson's Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?, deeply moving and by turns sad and funny.
And as I conclude this newsletter the world has learned of the untimely death of Christopher Hitchens. Described by Graydon Carter, who published him for years in Vanity Fair, as an “incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant”, the world will be a lesser place without his fierce intellect and searching headlights.

PHOTOGRAPHIC INSPIRATIONS

I am still an aspiring amateur and now trying to learn the ins and outs of a new Panasonix Lumix G3. Two photographers have come to my attention this year:
Raghu Rai, born in former Pakistan and nominated by Henri Cartier- Bresson to join Magnum Photos in 1971. Publisher of many books his most recent India: Reflections in Colour is a mesmerising collection of saturated almost 3-dimensional plates of daily life imbued with an unearthly earthiness.

New York-born, African adventurer, Peter Beard, whose work I saw hanging recently at the Hotel Nord Pinus in Arles and found utterly captiavting. The fabulous house of Taschen books II volumes includes his collages, diaries, personal photos and interviews.

And these are some photographer's sites I now follow for beauty, inspiration or "truth",  or simply to travel to those places I have not yet seen:
Stuart Freedman
Tewfic El-Sawy
Jamie Williams 
Joey L.
Arif Iqball

A House in France

Researching  Provence, during the "indian summer" of October, we enjoyed a wonderful day around the very ambient town and surrounds of Uzès and stayed with a cherished friend, Gill, whose adorable house in the nearby hill town of Saint Siffret is let during the summer months.
As her other home is in the prettiest village of Bali, (from where she has written a profound 'eyes wide open" account, Secret + Sacred, now also a documentary), and her love of life has been seen through the eye of the camera lens with a long career as an international photojournalist, the house abounds with immesne personality, fine objects, collected artifacts and many books and is ideal for 2 couples. Contact Eugene for further information.

Yoga in the Park

Anyone holidaying on the Mornington Peninsula this summer may relish starting their days in a seaside park with Baxter's yoga sessions. Classes are offered in Sorrento, Somers, Flinders and Mt Martha.
Open to all ages and stages, this is an uplifting way to start your day. We hope to see you there.

peace and prosperity for the year ahead

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered.."Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; 
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."