At the heart of Italian culture is food. Food represents life: from the bounty that nature provides into the hands of the skilful cook to create a masterpiece, a skill that is passed down from generation to generation. The respect for and the appreciation of the natural source of ingredients in Italian cooking allows for the simplicity in the preparation and the unique taste of each dish prepared. Mother and son duo, Rosetta and Mario, have been passionate about Italian cooking their entire lives; a passion instilled in them from spending valuable time with Nonna Maria in her kitchen from young. In this retreat, we will share some more of Nonna Maria’s vegetarian Italian cooking: freshly made basil pesto (or roasted red pepper pesto) will be paired with light, pillowy potato gnocchi. Nonna’s vegetarian spaghetti carbonara will also be shared. Finally, we will end off with two traditional Italian desserts, a classic panna cotta and bigne alla crema (chocolate-topped profiteroles filled with Italian pastry cream), and the torta caprese (Italian hazelnut/almond gluten-free chocolate cake, a decadent tea-time classic).

Find meaningful solitude on a Self-Retreat.  One can do as much (or as little) reading, walking, meditation or resting as one chooses. Enjoy walks and bird watching in 300 acres of beautiful rolling hills and indigenous forests. Savour our delicious vegetarian food prepared with love by our wonderful cooks; or browse our well-stocked library. Visit the stupa and the raked Zen sand gardens and walk the labyrinth. Massage treatments, guided walks, qigong and meditation are offered by resident staff, Krishia and William mid week. Self-Retreats are an ideal opportunity to be in a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself.