Madreselva Retreat in English

Madreselva Retreat: two days just for you in a alpine  cabin, during which you can explore the environment with me through the practices of Foraging and Forest Bathing.

The courses I offer throughout the year give me the opportunity to get to know you, listen to your stories, your desires. But we often say goodbye with the feeling that it would have been nice to have more time, a time in which we could talk about each other with the calm and care that only deep listening in nature can offer.

Madreselva Retreat was born with this intent: to spend two days in a convivial atmosphere in which, in a splendid Alpine setting, we share practices of profound reconnection with nature inside and outside of us. Relaxing in the woods, foraging wild herbs, cooking a simple meal on the stove that warms the heart while chatting. A precious opportunity for personal regeneration and encounter with the territory. With the hope that this experience can leave you with new knowledge and inspiration.

The place

Baita Fogliolina is a private cabin (mine and my partner’s) located at 1900 meters above sea level in the La Thuile area (Aosta Valley) surrounded by abundant meadows and woods, 15 minutes away from the town centre. Here, you will have your own private bedroom and bathroom (the shower is shared and the kitchen is shared).

Fogliolina is an off-grid cabin: this means that it is disconnected from the municipal water, gas and electricity services. These services are therefore generated on site autonomously: the water comes from a source that serves a handful of huts, electricity and hot water are provided by a petrol generator, gas comes from an underground cylinder. These are not conveniences, they certainly make everyday life a little less simple. But they are the price to pay for living in a unique and authentic place, where you wake up in the morning with a view of Mont Blanc from one window and the Grand Assaly from the other, with wild animals wandering around  peacefully, the fire crackling in the stove…and you go to sleep in total silence with a magical starry night in your eyes.

Program

Arrival at the cabin on Friday evening for dinner and a chat. Start of activities on Saturday morning. End of activities on Sunday in the late afternoon.

The days will be dedicated to a relaxed, conscious and respectful exploration of the territory, with a succession of wild harvests and sensory immersions in the typical Madreselva® style: we will take short walks in the environment where we will practice Forest Bathing, we will identify and forage wild seasonal vegetables (herbs, flowers, fruits, lichens…). We will learn to transform what we forage to create simple recipes on the stove, infused oils, vinegars, herbal teas, tinctures or other preparations inspired by the habitat and season in which we find ourselves.

The meals are shared and we will prepare them together, partly using the wild herbs that we forage (however, I cannot manage vegan meals or meals for celiacs). After lunch we will take a one hour break in which we rest a bit before meeting again for the afternoon activities.

The spirit of Madreselva Retreat

This is a simple but intense experience. In order for both of us (you and I) to fully enjoy it, it is important to arrive with an open mind, curiosity and a spirit of adaptation: I offer the context and knowledge, but we build the experience together with our intentions and the energy we bring. Nature teaches us to stay with what is there and this applies to the weather, to what the forest has to offer and to anything that can happen when you choose to stay in an off-grid cabin high in the mountains.

I cannot guarantee the sun and in such case we will have to adapt our day accordingly; I cannot guarantee that there will be no interruptions in the supply of running water because it comes from a source that serves a small group of cabins and sometimes you have to wait a few hours before it come back; electricity is  rarely used and goes out quickly because it is supplied by a generator; some days it could be cold and in that case we will have to be patient until the cabin is heated by the stove.

Madreselva Retreat is not a hotel retreat, the experience should not be idealised. But it offers the possibility of staying in contact with the essential, with the mountains and with your emotions, learning something new about the links that weave our lives with that of the wild environment.

What is included

• Transfer by car from the center of La Thuile to the cabin and back (you will leave your car in a public car park and I will pick you up with mine).
• Overnight stay in private room on Friday evening and Saturday evening.
• Dinner on Friday evening and Saturday, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, lunch on Saturday and Sunday. The meals will be simple but tasty and genuine, home cooking…since we will cook together 🙂
• Bed linen and towels.
• Crockery.
• All the material for the transformations we will make with the herbs we forage.
• Finally, but above all: I offer you my skills as a forager and certified forest bathing guide. This for me is not a hobby but rather my full-time job, to which I have dedicated years of training and constant experience, leaving the security of a permanent job to pursue with the utmost seriousness and professionalism something I deeply believe in.

What is not included

• Your transfer to get to La Thuile and back home.
• Everything not indicated in “What is included”. If you have any doubts, just ask me!

Can I bring my dog?

It is not possible to bring your dog as the cabin does not have a fenced outdoor area.

Can I share this experience with another person (friend or family)?

Yes, as long as you both participate in the activities.

Weather

The experience will also be carried out in case of rain: in this case we will adapt our clothing and manage the weather outside and inside. If conditions are prohibitive and/or dangerous (strong and prolonged thunderstorms for the entire duration of the Retreat) the experience will be canceled and it will be possible to reschedule it or obtain a refund of the deposit. The evaluation of the weather conditions and the relative feasibility of the experience are responsibility of the guide.

Cancellation policy

The deposit is refundable only in the event of cancellation of the experience by the guide. In case of cancellation by the individual participant, the deposit will not be refunded for any reason.

The “Non-Story Pact”

There are places so rare and precious that they deserve not to be told. This is to protect both the environmental integrity of the place and to avoid transforming them from wild destinations into tourist spots. Baita Fogliolina is a private home and is covered by the Non-Story Pact. It means that by choosing this proposal, you choose to protect the privacy of the place, helping to safeguard it. I therefore ask you not to publicly reveal the locations of Madreselva Retreat in detail, and if you wish to publish stories or images of our days on social media, I ask you to maintain confidentiality regarding the location of the cabin.

Price and registration

Price for one person: €1,000

Price for two people: €1,150 total

Deposit of €500 to be paid at the time of booking via bank transfer or Paypal. Balance in cash (Euro) at the meeting point.

Are you available on weekdays? Fill the form below for a little discount!

To register, fill out the form at this link: https://forms.gle/Esj1LEZ1pBGRnRXT8

Once you have filled out the form, I will contact you for a quick phone call in which I will answer any questions you may have and we will evaluate together whether this is the most suitable experience for you. After that, I will provide you with the details to pay the deposit and from the moment the payment is received your registration will be confirmed!