Monica Maloney Heidler’s Mediterranean Retreats Presents an Italian Mind - Body - Spirit Adventure for Women
Discover the Magic of the Amalfi Coast
Monica’s Retreat Features the Jewel of Southern Italy.
Have you always wanted to go to Italy?
For years, so many years, I dreamed of Italy. I read all the books, watched the movies and then I made a decision to just go. I convinced a friend to go with me and we had such fun planning the adventure and and then to experience the magic of Italy. It was incredible – the food, the places, the people! We still talk about that journey even though she has never returned with me. It taught me a lesson I’m sharing with you: There is no time like now to say yes to yourself!
Monica's Italian Retreat
May 9th – 15th, 2020
October 18th - 24th, 2020
This is the Dream Adventure You’ve Been Promising Yourself.
Don’t Wait Another Year.
Let’s Go!
Reserve Your Spot Now! A $500 deposit will guarantee your adventure in October.
Imagine sitting on your balcony with the boats bobbing in the harbor and the lights of the town reflecting in the waters. Tomorrow is another day in paradise! It doesn't get any better than this!
Why Italy?
Italy is a magical place filled with amazing food, wonderful people and sight that we see in books or magazines. Let me tell you, there is nothing like experiencing the real thing. Close your eyes and imagine having a café in the piazza, next to a group chatting in the musical Italian language with the fountain in the background, with the fountain in the background, watching the Italians mill around they stop into the church and then continue on to the shops that beckon us with their brightly colored goods and animated shopkeepers. The scene is so entertaining it’s mesmerizing to sit for hours.
Don’t wait for the right time because
it will never be the “right” time.
How about Now?
There’s nothing like a retreat to change your perspective and add more joy to your life.
You’ll bring a piece of Italy home with you! It adds color, vibrancy, joy and happiness to your home, your table and everything you do.
This retreat is designed to transcend the "tourist" barrier. You will meet the Italians, learn their lifestyle and cook with my Italian family, Salvatore and Marilu.
You will be immersed in the Mediterranean way of life to find your passions! The table is the center of Italian life – you will sit at the dining table for hours exploring your intentions for the life of your dreams! .
Coffee is the national beverage of Italy. We’ll visit an Italian home and enjoy the ritual in a cozy, intimate setting to learn the secrets of Italian Coffee and why the ritual is so important to create strong bonds between friends. (Never fear there will be plenty of wine!)
We’ll learn the history and traditions of the local Italian Wine. Images of you at the tasting table overlooking the amazing scenery will stay with you forever.
The Amalfi Coast will be your new happy place. Even during the dreariest of days you’ll be able to close your eyes and feel the warmth of the Southern Italian sun.
This event is limited to a very small number of participants, so you will experience so much in a family setting. The itinerary is designed to showcase the highlights of the Amalfi Coast, the gem of southern Italy. All you need to do is show up and enjoy!
Reserve Your Spot Now! A $500 deposit will guarantee your Adventure in October of 2019.
If not now, When?
I’ve found a place in Italy that is like home. I want to share that, to introduce you to my second family, show you the sights that I fell in love with, the food (OMG – the food!), soothe your body and soul by tapping into the Mediterranean Lifestyle.
Monica's Italian Retreat
Fall Dates: October 20 – 26th, 2019
The Mediterranean Lifestyle…
Have you always wanted to know more about the Mediterranean lifestyle? Some call it a diet – I have never understood that. The emphasis is on simple fresh food and strong bonds with others that center around the table. Close your eyes and envision vine ripened tomatoes just picked from the garden, baskets of lemons, basil, figs, seafood caught that morning, simply prepared and doused with olive oil, lemon and herbs. This bounty is enjoyed with friends, family and loved ones sitting for hours around the table laughing, talking and when the meal finishes there is such a feeling of warmth that extends past the table. This is the Mediterranean culture I fell in love with on my first visit and have gone back every year to experience and now I want to share it to you!
It’s no wonder that those who live the Mediterranean Lifestyle live healthier, less stressed and life happier, fuller lives. Come with me and learn the secrets for yourself.
Retreat Itinerary:
You will spend 4 nights on the Amalfi Coast. Each day will be a different adventure – experience the famous Lemoncello, taste authentic Mozzarella made fresh that morning, pull up a chair on the beach and sip a Prosecco, shop in the colorful boutiques that make these beach towns special and unique. Then at night sit on the verandah to watch the spectacle of the lights dancing on the sea below anticipating tomorrow’s adventures.
We will make our home in Ravello for two nights. What an amazing drive to climb to the top of the hill where the Città della Musica awaits you. We’ll dine at one of my all time favorite restaurants Cumpa' Cosimo. A stroll on the piazza will show you why it was the playground for the rich and famous - a destination for artists, musicians, and writers, such as Richard Wagner, Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Graham Greene, and many more. You will have plenty of time to walk through the gardens, enjoy the stunning vistas, tour the Villa Rufolo, take in a concert overlooking the sea, or sip a cocktail at the famous Villa Cimbrone. You will see why Ravello was Jackie O’s favorite places and it will become one of yours as well.
My Italian family took me in and now I visit with them every chance I get. I can’t wait to introduce them to you my Italian family! We will wind our way up into the hills above Positano to meet Salvatore and Zia Marilu of IL Ritrovo, another of my all time favorite restaurants. I have been cooking with them for years and I can’t think of a better way to introduce you to the Cucina della Costiera Amalfitana (the Cuisine of the Amalfi Coast) You will make pasta with cherry tomato sauce, mozzarella in lemon leaves, pesce all'acqua pazza, then enjoy your creations in their open air dining room overlooking the sea.
Master the art of Pizza! You will learn to make authentic Neapolitan pizza – the soft dough made with 00 flour, the sauce from San Marzano Tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella cheese that was made that day and basil fresh from the garden. There is a process to making each element and you will learn each step with much laughter along the way. Then you will sample your creation after the class is finished.
Visit the towns that make up the Amalfi coast: Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento. Can you imagine yourself sitting here under one of these umbrellas enjoying the beach and this amazing view? Stroll along the beach, stop in for a café, or better yet - a glass of wine, shop in the boutiques featuring the famous lemons of the Amalfi coast, the ceramics and so much more. There is a different rhythm to life here and you will fall in love with it just as I have.
…and so much more!
Want to Learn More?
Schedule a Discovery Session with Monica!
Meet your Guide
Once long ago I travelled to the Amalfi Coast. I remember the first time I experienced it. The hairpin curves, the amazing scenery, the sun-drenched coast, where the hills meet the sea. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.
This is where I found my Italian family, the place I return to again and again. Winding up in the hills above Positano to Montepertuso for cooking classes at Il Ritrovo, a beautiful restaurant overlooking the church, the sea the town in the hills above Positano.
Many years ago I met Salvatore and his aunt, Zia Marilu while taking one of their culinary classes. They joked I could come back to work and I jumped at the chance. They didn’t have to ask twice. Steve and I laugh at the fact, we go on vacation and I arrange to work - and now I go back as often as I can. I work in the restaurant, teach in the culinary school and love every minute of it! It’s not work work – it’s a way of life. Each time I visit (and I visit as often as possible) I learn so much from them. I come home refreshed, relaxed and renewed.
Living and working amongst the Italians has given me so much. Through this experience I’ve found a new family and more importantly I’m part of their Italian table. It’s the most colorful, vibrant table I’ve ever seen. It’s added such color to my life and I bring a piece of it home every time I visit.
Now I’ve developed a tour that will introduce you to my Italian family along with some of the most stunning places on earth.
Close your eyes and imagine savoring a glass of wine overlooking the sea, sipping a café on the piazza then joining the Italians for an evening stroll, or learning the secrets of authentic Italian cuisine from my Zia Marilu, the quintessential Italian Nonna.
This is more than a tour – it’s a glimpse into Italian life that your will savor forever.
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This is an intimate group of 8 people and will sell out fast! Secure Your Spot Now!
Overcome your fear of traveling alone, expand your horizons and create some memories!
Reserve Your Spot Now! A $500 deposit will guarantee your Adventure in October.
*Click the button above and you will receive the brochure, a detailed itinerary and have a link to schedule a discovery session with Monica!
Extremely Limited Availability! Reserve Your Spot Now!
Even if you come alone in the small intimate tour we’ll all be family after the first day.
When I first felt the urge to travel, it was hard to find someone to travel with. First I found a friend, then a boyfriend, now I have Steve and a wonderful group of friends that I’ve found through my adventures. My vision for this trip is to have a small intimate group – no more that 8 +/-. That’s where we can all sit at the table, share our adventure and become a family who experiences the magic of the Amalfi Coast.
We will wind our way up the hill to Montepertuso to the kitchens of Il Ritrovo where you will meet Salvatore and Zia Marilu who have adopted me into their Italian family and taught me how to make the food that has made the region one of the most famous in the world.
They will teach us the secrets of the cuisine of the Amalfi Coast! To make pasta that is light as a feather, fresh tomato sauce that tastes of sunshine, stuff zucchini flowers with fresh cheeses then fry them golden brown. There’s nothing like these little morsels with a glass of Prosecco. This is a gift that you will take home with you and treasure forever!
A Note from Monica:
I talk to so many women, men, couples who want to travel, have visions of visiting the famous places but never get around to it. They say:
“Maybe Next Year”
“I don’t know where to start”
“I’m not a tour person”
“I don’t have anyone to travel with”
….Does this sound familiar???
Come as a couple, Solo or bring a friend…everyone is welcome!
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