A Taste of the Riviera Three-Day Program

Dates:
9, 10 and 11 July 2009

If you're fascinated by the colourful food markets in Provence and want to learn more about the local cuisine without feeling the least bit stressed about your cooking skills, this program is tailor-made for you. Canadian-born food writer Rosa Jackson has lived in France and led culinary tours for the past 14 years; she founded her home-based cooking classes Les Petits Farcis in Nice five years ago. Visit the Cours Saleya market any day of the week and you are likely to see her chatting with the small-produce farmers, her turquoise-and-grey shopping trolley filled to bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Price for the three-day program: € 450
Includes lunch on Day 1 and 2, transport on Day 3 and all tastings.

Please contact Les Petits Farcis directly.
Day 1 – A Taste of Nice
9.30am-2.30pm
Location: the Old Town in Nice
Nice is the only city in France that is famed for its street food, a reminder of the days when the county of Nice belonged to the Italian-ruled Kingdom of Savoy. On a fascinating three-hour tour, you will learn about the history of Nice and its food and taste such unexpected delicacies as pissaladière (caramelized onion tart), socca (chick pea pancake), fougasse (Provençal flatbread) and tourte de blettes (a sweet pie with a surprise ingredient). You will also sample a selection of Provençal olive oils, taste vinegars flavored with passion fruit or piment d'Espelette, discover the secrets of French cheese and visit an artisanal pork butcher. After the tour, Rosa will lead you to a typically Niçois bistro for a lunch made of fresh ingredients from the market, accompanied by local wines.

Day 2 – A Relaxed Cooking Class with Rosa
11am-2.30pm
Location: the Old Town in Nice
Whether or not you're an experienced cook, Rosa will make you feel at home in her kitchen as you prepare a three-course meal of light Provençal dishes that are easy to recreate at home. Rosa can cater to your tastes and adapt the menu to any food allergies or intolerances.
Sample menu:
Tomato-tapenade tart on a Parmesan sablé
Sea bass fillets with sauce vierge
Poached pears with vanilla ice cream

Day 3 – Tea Under the Olive Trees
2-6pm
Location: the Nice back country, departing from the Old Town in Nice (transport provided)
Rosa and her charming French husband Philippe, who you will have met during the cooking class, will drive you up to an olive farm in the stunning countryside near the Italian border. After touring the farm with the owners, you will taste its organic olive oil and delicious olive paste, tapenade and jams – all in an idyllic setting under the olive trees.

Hearts and Minds Three-Day Program

Dates:
28, 29 and 30 July 2009
4, 5 and 6 August 2009
9, 10 and 11 September 2009

Catering for all levels, this Group Program with 1 on 1 emphasis offers a dynamic Package (using Cardio, Pilates, Yoga, Shiatsu/Massage Treatments & Tuition, Deep Breathing Exercises, Vipassana Meditation and Proper Dietary advice) as the foundation to a program designed to create positive life changes! Does this sounds a wee bit scary? Well....the theme is simply to enjoy your self awareness in a novel and fun way. '

Muriel & Adrian will accompany you during these sessions. Muriel is a qualified yoga teacher, trained with the Sivananda International Yoga Academy in India and currently training in Therapeutic Yoga with the French Institute of Yoga. She runs several yoga classes each week and has been practising yoga for 17 years.
Her partner, Adrian is a Personal Trainer, trained by Premier Training International of London; a Shiatsu Practitioner from the London Shiatsu College and a Remedial Massage Therapist ( Northern Institute of Massage in Bury, UK). For a full CV & our ethos, please visit lifestyleriviera.com.

Price for the three-day program: € 300

For all queries please email Adrian at lifestyleriviera directly.

Day 1 – Park Chateau, Nice

9.30am-1pm

9:30: Health & Goal Assessment. Prior to the course you will be asked to provide detailed information about your health, general fitness and possible goals. All those who opt out of this induction are free to take in the panoramic scenes from this amazing vantage point.

10:30: A gentle group game-styled warm up and dynamic stretching; An intro-melange of mild balance challenging Cardio / Pilates to wake up all body systems to an optimistic new sun; Then it's Extensive Relaxing Yogic Stretching to induce the parasympathetic de-stressing process. Finishing with a short intro to Meditation.

12:00: Tuition - an introduction to the ancient Japanese Healing Art of Shiatsu. Very easy. You need to be wearing light fitting clothing and it is practised on a futon at floor level in pairs, learning how to lean on each other, giving direct pressure using hands & forearms (for now). Great fun! It's said that the beginner is always the best at Shiatsu, because the giver is more 'playful' and not to much 'in the mind'. Shiatsu can determine your areas of real need from an energetic perspective and give great clarity.

13:00: Personal fitness testing, lung performance & % body fat testing for those interested!

Day 2 – Eze Bord d'Mer - Eze Village

9:30am-12:30pm

9:30: Trekking (Sportif/Soft) at Eze sur Mer. A beautifully scenic trek up hill and back down (optional) or just downhill for the easy-trekker who wants to roam around Eze Village and its Swedish Castle. On-going discussion about motivation technique and sabotage avoidance applied to goal setting, diet and health issues.

11.00: Tuition On the beach at Eze; An intro to the Ancient Indian Meditation Technique of Vipassana - and its claim to purify the mind through the practise of Equanimity and its integration into every day living!

12.30: An informal chat about how it's going so far and any personal questions answered.

Day 3 – At your holiday apartment or at the Chateau

9:30am-2pm

9:30: Depending on what our bodies are telling us, this is the morning for another mix of Cardio / Pilates / Yogic Exercising with Deep Breathing Tuition. You will also take Meditation to the next level concentrating on focus and the calming of the mind.

11:00: Sports/Relaxation Massage Tuition. Learn how to prepare for and relax after physical training.

12:00: Forum. Here's the time to ask us about anything done over the course over a green tea or black coffee and tell us how can we improve! If you wish to venture a little deeper into the you that you would like to become then we'd be happy to guide you.

If the mood takes you, take advantage of additional services at a reduced price. How about a 1 hour Shiatsu or Deep Tissue / Relaxation Massage or Lymphatic Drainage? Subject to availability, book early.

Zen Package Three Day Programme

Dates:
6, 7 and 8 August 2009
18, 19 and 20 August 2009


Catering for all levels, the Zen package is perfect for stressed out individuals who want to get away from it all – well, for a couple of hours a day anyway.
At your own pace and level, we will stretch gently into the yoga postures, whilst focusing on the breathing and the effects of the posture on your body and mind. Surrender to the moment. Meditative technique releases the ties of the mind to promote inner calm. These two techniques, as old as the world, will bring you back completely into the 'here and now'. When was the last time you allowed yourself to do that?
Then, as the 3 days go, we'll cruise through the wonderful various techniques of massage, from India to China, to reveal all their goodness.

Muriel & Adrian will accompany you during these sessions. Muriel is a qualified yoga teacher, trained with the Sivananda International Yoga Academy in India and currently training in Therapeutic Yoga with the French Institute of Yoga. She runs several yoga classes each week and has been practising yoga for 17 years.
Her partner, Adrian is a Personal Trainer, trained by Premier Training International of London; a Shiatsu Practitioner from the London Shiatsu College and a Remedial Massage Therapist ( Northern Institute of Massage in Bury, UK). For a full CV & our ethos, please visit lifestyleriviera.com.


Price for the three-day program: € 200

For all queries please email Adrian at lifestyleriviera directly.




Day 1 – Park Chateau, Nice

9.30am-12:30pm

9:30: Meet at the top of the Chateau Park at 9.30 for a yogic stretching extravaganza to wake up those muscles and feel alive again. Overlooking the beautiful bay of Nice and surroundings, with the early morning sun and the azur sea behind, it’s a great start for the new relaxed you...

11:00: A gentle introduction to the wonders of Meditation. Let's start with easy techniques and see how far you want to go! Perfect to empower the effects of a yoga session.

11:30: Let's share those well guarded secrets (until nowadays) of an Indian head massage. In pairs, practising on your partner, discover how 'hands on' can relieve stress & increase the 'feel good factor!' It's even good for a healthier scalp and hair!

Day 2 – Park Chateau, Nice
9:30am-12:30pm

9:30: Sink into phase 2 of the meditative process: Let's go a bit deeper into this newly met person: YOU. Perfect first thing in the morning, if only just to appreciate silence and how the cheerful songs of the birds resonate differently once you are deeply focused on the moment.

10:00:Discover (if you haven't already) the precision and the alignment theory of Pilates. Exercises are gentle but with powerful results!

11:00: Give & receive the immense therapeutic effects of a Shiatsu Massage.

Day 3 – Park Chateau, Nice
9:30am-12:30pm

9:30:Yoga session. 'Remember how good the last session felt? Now lets try some new postures. We might sprinkle some Pilates postures into it now that you're a master!

11:00:We'll learn how to only count on ourselves when there's nobody around to give you this massage you're craving for! Discover the art of 'Do-In' or 'self massage' applied on face, feet, arms, belly and legs. It works better than any anti-wrinkle cream when done on the face!

12:00: All those new experiences are bound to raise a torrent of questions! Go ahead, don't be shy... ask away and we'll talk further over some Green Tea about any subject we've approached.

If the mood takes you, take advantage of additional services at a reduced price. How about a well deserved Shiatsu, Deep Tissue or Relaxation Essential Oil Massage at a €30 reduction on the usual rate of €80. Book early.

Nature and Discovery Kid Club (5 -10 yrs)

Dates:
4, 5, and 6 August 2009
18, 19, 20 August 2009
25, 26, 27 August 2009

Let the kids make friends and explore the outdoors in the confines of the Parc du Chateau in Nice. Meeting at 9am, the children can enjoy discovering the natural habitat of the Riviera with activities involving Kid's Yoga, Ecology, Nature and Self-Development in English or French as preferred by your child. All rosy cheeked and bushy tailed, your children will be returned to you at 12 noon, just in time for lunch!

Price for the three day programme:

€ 90 per child or € 160 for 2 children of the same family. € 230 for 3 children of the same family.
For more information, please email here.
Days 1, 2 and 3: 9am – 12 noon. Activities will vary depending on the group, but will include:

Yoga (I hour): Within a playful and fun environment, kids will stretch and play learning self-awareness, deep breathing and improving their concentration as they go.

Artcraft: Paper mache and recycling – kids learn how to make new paper from the old and how to take care of the environment around them.

ArtLand: using the natural elements around them, kids learn to create pieces of art

Sports Day and Competitions: Usually on the third day, Kid’s can take part in sports day with fun party competitions as well as group photos.

Catherine and Muriel both love children and have several years experience of working with them. Muriel runs a yoga workshop for children and is a qualified yoga teacher with several classes available for adults. Catherine is a children’s teacher and playmate at a local school. Muriel has an 8 year old daughter. Both speak English and French fluently.

Programmes are limited to 8 children per programme. Further information and details of where to meet will be provided upon booking along with a form for completion for health and safety and emergency contact numbers. Children who are almost 5 are welcome if they will be with a sibling, but parents should assess whether their individual child would enjoy and benefit from the programme which is aimed at a learning level of between 5-10 years.