What the press say about Sunflower Retreats Holidays
Our reviews can be read online, or printed out to read later.
From the book '100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go by Susan Van Allen, winner the Gold Award for Best Travel Book of the Year in the prestigious Lowell Thomas Awards sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.
Featured in the top 10 on ABC News web site, February 2010
'The enchanting medieval village of Casperia, north of Rome, has a time-stands-still ambience. It's the home of Sunflower Retreats, created by Lucy Bremner, a British Hatha Yoga teacher and holistic practitioner, and her husband Alan Scheda, a Casperia native.
The couple has revitalized this hilltop oasis: renovating homes, employing locals, and promoting ecotourism. Sunflower Retreat packages include morning yoga classes and accommodations scattered around the village.
Participants style their retreats any way they wish - choosing to add options such as visits to hot springs, massages, guided walks, cooking or meditation classes. All this plus welcoming natives, wonderful food, and pine-scented air make for a perfect chill-out vacation, Italian style.'
Reviews from Responsible Travel's web site »
From Grape Occasions, April 2009
'This quiet and enriching experience is tucked away in the ancient hilltop village of Casperia in the Lazio region north of Rome.....'
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Yoga Journal, February 2007
'For our honeymoon, my husband and I spent a blissful week....'
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Article from The Italian Magazine, March 2006
Sunflower Retreats Holidays was founded in 1998 by Lucy Bremner and Alan Scheda. Alan is from Casperia, a beautiful medieval hilltop village in central Italy's Sabina area, 1 hour north of Rome...
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Joanne Heath,Yoga Teacher and writer, September 2004
'Casperia is a one thousand year old, magical medieval village built on the top of the Sabina Mountains, one hour north of Rome, surrounded by valleys and distant mountains, lush green fields and tiny farm houses scattered perfectly. The fresh crisp air is scented with open fires burning and wood-fired pizzas... '
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Beginners' Yoga
Christopher Mouze Yoga Magazine and Website Ireland
Written by Roy Peters
'Before I went to Casperia the only bit of yoga I had done was part of a class I do twice a week at my local gym which incorporates elements of Tai Chi with Pilates as well as yoga. I had chosen Sunflower from The Retreat Company's website partly because it was non-denominational as it were, and partly because the day started with an hour and three quarters of yoga...'
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Refreshing the parts other trips can't reach
The Times 12th of July 2003
David Smith discovered that occasionally stretching himself a little really wasn't that bad.
'I booked a yoga holiday in Italy in a fit of madness. Or guilt. Or optimism. The last time I touched my toes was back in the Seventies...'
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Sunflower Retreats
Sharon Jones, Tiscali
'Yoga. You've seen what it's done for celebs like Madonna and Geri....but would you go on a yoga holiday?....'
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Stretching a holiday
Elvira Cordileone, Toronto Star , 1 March 2003
'The tiny village of Casperia is just an hour outside Rome and the perfect place to unwind with yoga. For two weeks, time hovered as lightly as the morning mist over the surrounding Sabine mountains.'
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En Helsereise Til Italias Hemilige By (Norwegian magazine article)
By Charlotte Berrefjord Bergløff & Christopher Olssøn, 2008
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Suukkoja Resilihaksille
By Maria Miklas from Finnish magazine 'Kauneus' in May 2009
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