Puglia Italy: affordable retreat/Tour with Blissful Travels with Margaret

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Call 860.978.8111

Blissful Travels with Margaret presents

“Get Blissful in Puglia, Italy” May 13 – 20, 2014 or May 13 – 23, 2014
Margaret Sylvester & Ylenia Sambati have created a fabulous, affordable Retreat/Tour for 8 guests.

If you are a foodie, wine lover, a shopper, like art and history, love being pampered, want to relax by the pool and eat healthy… join us!

Yle has been planning and organizing cultural experiences in Puglia for over 10 years. She was recently recognized in the Huffington Post as one of the best tour guides in Italy! Yle was Margaret’s Tour Guide for 6 days in 2013 showing her Puglia’s treasures. We put this special trip together for YOU!

Our Daily Itinerary
Day 1 – Tuesday, May 13 - Welcome to Puglia!
You are picked up upon arrival at Brindisi airport.
Welcome to Masseria Provenzani http://www.masseriaprovenzani.com/masseria-en.php
Enjoy a “Benvenuti” (Welcome) Aperitivo Pugliese.
Unpack, relax by the pool…
Welcome Dinner
Meet your hosts Margaret and Yle and learn about the week ahead!

Day 2 – Wednesday, May 14 - Cooking Class with Special Healthy Puglia Recipes
Breakfast
Enjoy a relaxing morning at our beautiful accommodation.
Cooking Class and lunch at the Masseria using traditional healthy recipes.
Relax by the pool this afternoon and Massage in the privacy of your room.
Buffet Dinner

Day 3 – Thursday, May 15 - Guided Tour of Lecce
Breakfast
Lecce tour, a “passeggiata” in the city of Baroque http://beautifulpuglia.com/lecce/
Cartapesta (Papier-mâché) Experience with famous local artisan.
Free afternoon to explore Lecce or relax by the pool.Cooking Class and bread making together with a Private Wine Tasting by Sommelier at the Masseria. Dinner based on our creations.

Day 4 – Friday, May 16 - Wine and Olive Oil Day
Breakfast
Wine Tour We will visit two famous local wineries with tastings.
Picnic Lunch, delicious, healthy, local recipes, enjoyed in a gorgeous Olive Tree Grove and Private Olive Oil Tasting.
Back to the Masseria for relaxing and Dinner.

Day 5 – Saturday, May 17 - Excursion to Gallipoli
Morning Tibetan Bowl Meditation and Reiki with Margaret and an all Levels Yoga Class.
Breakfast
Private Wine Tasting in a Southern Winery
Gallipoli Tour http://beautifulpuglia.com/gallipoli/ the “beautiful town of fishermen”
Picnic Lunch on a white sandy Gallipoli beach.
Back to Masseria for afternoon Wine Tasting/Aperitivo
Dinner at the Masseria with a special Cheese and Wine Tasting Session.

Day 6- Sunday, May 18 - The Trulli Valley Tour
Breakfast
Photography Day in the Itria Valley http://beautifulpuglia.com/itria-valley/ and its rural landscape of “Trulli”, cylindrical buildings with conical roofs. We visit Cisternino, http://beautifulpuglia.com/cisternino/
Ostuni, and Martina Franca. http://beautifulpuglia.com/ostuni/
A Light Lunch on our way sampling the delicious “Focaccia Barese”.
Free time to explore and delight in the labyrinth of whitewashed village streets, the olive trees and the bright blue color of the Adriatic Sea.
Back to Masseria for Dinner

Day 7 – Monday, May 19- Excursion to Otranto
Morning Tibetan Bowl Meditation and Reiki with Margaret, all Levels Yoga Class
Breakfast
Excursion to Otranto http://beautifulpuglia.com/otranto/
Beach Day on the Otranto white sandy beach with Picnic
Late afternoon Painting with Local Italian Maestro.
Dolce Cooking Class and Dinner at the masseria.

Day 8 –Tuesday, May 20 - Abbracci Day
Breakfast
Time to finish packing, relax by the pool and say our good-byes.
Transfer to Brindisi Airport.














What’s Included:
7 Nights accommodations at Masseria Provenzani with pool, ensuite, wifi, private bath.
7 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 7 Buffet Dinners Prepared by Mamma
1 Massage at your accommodation
2 Yoga Classes
1 Day Winery Tour and daily Wine Tastings
1 Olive Oil Experience and Picnic amidst the olive trees
Cooking classes at the Masseria.
Pick up and drop off at Brindisi Airport
Beach time with picnic lunch
All land transportation
Services of a local travel expert
Integrated Energy Session, Reiki, BioMat, Tibetan Bowl.
Note: Itinerary is subject to change with or without notice. Sequence of day trips may vary.
COST: May 13 – 20, 7-Nights/8 days 1350 Euro = $1850.00 P.P. Double, Single, add $275.00

Add 3 nights with Breakfast, May 20 – 23, $300.00 P.P. Double, Single, add $150.00 at the time of print.
Adjustments will be made upon final payment.
NOT INCLUDED Airfare, personal expenses, snacks, drinks and meals not listed on itinerary and travel insurance. Please purchase insurance when purchasing your airfare.
To hold your space: 50% down, payable with Credit Card. Capitol One and a few other companies do NOT charge conversion fees. Check with your Credit Card company. Call Margaret at 860.978.8111 for deposit or information.
Final Payment due 60 days before trip, March 12, 2014.me at 860.978.8111


Margaret Sylvester has spent years of traveling, experimenting with foods and flavors, and learning about living healthy. Blissful Travels with Margaret is a small group of 8 travelers, making special memories while exploring fantastic destinations with stunning scenery in Sedona, AZ, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos, New Mexico, the Colorado Rockies, New England, Sicily, Puglia, Italy and more.
We tour local sites and partake in yoga classes and massages. Each day starts and ends with recipes that include seasonal, local and organic ingredients. By hosting these peaceful yet exhilarating trips, the name Blissful Travels with Margaret sums up our mission.
The more I travel, the more I realize that the trips I've taken in small intimate groups have become my favorite experiences and my fondest memories. Often my fellow travelers have become life-long friends.
I am also the owner of Blissful and Balanced. We believe the integrated blend of Reiki, Sound Healing and the Amethyst BioMat promotes wellness of Mind, Body and Spirit. I am a Reiki Master Teacher, using this combination of therapies to lower blood pressure, to reduce stress & anxiety, to enhance the immune system, promote healing, relieves pain, and more.
I use Tibetan Singing Bowls during your session to help restore balance & energy. You will be lying fully clothed on a massage table, lined with the gentle warmth of an Amethyst BioMat that delivers therapeutic Far Infrared Rays and Negative Ions as I incorporate Reiki. My integrated sessions are portable and are offered to you on all trips.
What makes your vacation with us Blissful? In addition to luxurious accommodations, fabulous food, hiking, visits to museums, galleries, wineries, and national or historical sites and more...Yoga classes and a massage are ALWAYS included!
Blissfully Yours,
Margaret Sylvester