THIS ISSUE
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- Welcome
- Booking status
- Turkish Aromatic Odyssey
- One Evening in Istanbul
- Cave House Hotel
- Spa Luxury on the Turkish Riviera
- Internal Flights - Turkey
- Gourmet cooking class in Provence
- La Lumiere de Provence
- Lavender recipe
- Previous newsletters
- Thought for the day
- Our Invitation


WELCOME
=========================================
A warm welcome to all the members of our Aroma Tours newsletter. We are
getting close to the start of this year's adventures and Robbi and I are
looking forward to sharing another delightful season with you all exploring
the fragrant trail.


BOOKINGS STATUS
=========================================
It is now approaching the time of year when bookings for our Turkish and
Provence tours need to finalized. We would love to welcome some more of you
to join this year's Aroma Travellers and encourage you to get in touch with
us shortly.

Our current booking status is:-

Turkish Aromatic Odyssey            5 vacancies
Provence Aromatherapy Retreat   6 vacancies
Heart of Provence Tour                  4 vacancies
Essential Provence Tour                8 vacancies

Bali Women's Retreat                   5 vacancies

We can be contacted at info@aroma-tours.com or by phone on [international]
61 3 5331 3254 ( afternoon/evening US time zones, mornings from other
countries ) and would be pleased to help you with any questions or
assistance you require.

If you are ready to make your booking now, please visit our booking page at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/booking-request.htm to reserve your place.

As always our current tour information, including pricing and itineraries
are available at http://www.aroma-tours.com/info-request.htm


TURKISH AROMATIC ODYSSEY
=========================================
We have changed the name of our Turkish Rose Tour to "Turkish Aromatic
Odyssey". We feel that this new name better captures the true essence of the
delightful experiences we share in Turkey, including of course our wonderful
time in the valley of the roses. We are also very pleased to be adding two
exciting new hotels to the Turkish itinerary - see Cave House Hotel and Spa
Luxury on the Turkish Riviera below.


ONE EVENING IN ISTANBUL
==========================================
Last year we were relaxing after a lovely meal on the roof top terrace of
our hotel in the old city area of Sultanahmet, watching the sun set over the
Bosphorus and enjoying the fragrance of honeysuckle drifting on the early
evening air. After the lingering twilight had faded to night we saw behind
us the crescent moon hanging in the night sky right next to the magnificent
Blue Mosque, itself bathed in lights.

As I sat there with my camera balanced precariously on a bread roll, it
struck me how fortunate we were to be in this ancient and exotic city, at
the exact right time and place to experience this magical moment.


CAVE HOUSE HOTEL
=========================================
Robbi in her indefatigable pursuit of the unusual and the unique has been
busy sourcing some interesting and very different accommodation during our
stay in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. As a result she has found for us an
amazing, exquisitely restored seventeen room hotel built into a cave
situated in a traditional Cappadocian village.

The hotel is partly located in a one thousand year old Byzantine monastic
retreat complete with frescoes, and offers modern conveniences without
distracting from the character and spiritual feeling of the area which has
been known to be inhabited for more than five thousand years.

There is an underground city just across from the hotel waiting to be
excavated and from our windows we will see fine examples of cave houses
where ancient people once lived. We will also experience traditional Turkish
village life with the women filling their water pitchers from the communal
fountain and every two days the village stone oven is fired and we will be
welcomed to taste the hot bread fresh from the oven.

In the hotel kitchen, organically produced food is used in the preparation
of typical Cappadocian style Turkish dishes and our meals will be enjoyed on
a lovely walled terrace.

After we leave Cappadocia, it is off to Konya and the Mevlana museum, where
we will see a performance by the Whirling Dervishes and then on to the
Valley of the Roses where we will pick blooms in the early morning with the
warm hearted village women and enjoy the beautiful fragrance of rose
essential oil being produced at the distilleries we visit.


SPA LUXURY ON THE TURKISH RIVIERA
============================================
After we have been suitably aromatically inspired in the Valley of the
Roses, we head off to a heavenly corner of the Turkish Riviera which lies
between the mountains, pine forests and clear blue sea on the Mediterranean.

Here we will soak up the sun for two days at our lovely 5 star hotel,
interspersed with fascinating visits including the ancient city of Perge and
the magnificent amphitheatre at Aspendos.

Our hotel also contains a traditional French Thalasso Spa where you can
indulge in some glorious spa treatments. What better way to help you to
relax, replenish and rejuvenate.

The treatments available include: a 2-hour spa with cream bath, followed by
an essential oil massage, hydrotherapy massage beneath strong jets of sea
water to stimulate the circulation or perhaps a seaweed body scrub and body
mask.

Sheer bliss!


INTERNAL FLIGHTS - TURKEY
============================================
Turkey is a large country and much time can be wasted simply travelling from
point A to point B with little in between. Although it does add to the price
of our tour we believe that it is far better to keep coach travel to a
minimum by including two domestic flights ( Turkish Airlines are very modern
and efficient ) as an integral part of our Turkish Aromatic Odyssey.

As a result we have a great deal more time to enjoy the fabulous sights,
flavours, aromas and experiences that are part of our Turkish Aromatic
Odyssey.


GOURMET COOKING CLASS IN PROVENCE
============================================
This year the gourmet cooking class during our Essential Provence Tour will
be held in Avignon in a charming Provencale restaurant tucked away behind
the city walls. Afterwards we will sample our cuisine expertise, dining in
the lovely shaded gardens of the courtyard.

Our chef Jean Marc, a former student of l'Ecole Hotelière de Paris has
travelled widely and his cuisine is inspired from the produce of the region
mixed with exotic flavours derived from his travels.

By definition there are three types of traditional Provençale Cuisine:-

From the mountain:- spring lamb, poultry, game, salaisons (salted meat) and
a large variety of cheeses.

From the plain:- Salads, vegetables, fruits, spices, essential oils, olives
and olive oil, truffles known as "black diamonds," honey and a plethora of
wine varieties.

From the sea and the rivers: Seafood and fish.

Together we will discover the richness of the Provencal traditions, the
soft, the crispy the refined tastes, the products and flavours of Provence,
while spending a satisfying afternoon preparing, cooking and sampling under
the watchful eye of our chef.


LA LUMIERE DE PROVENCE
============================================
Throughout the Provencale countryside you will find great diversity; from
the grand port city of Marseille to the Rhone river valley with its
extensive wine producing regions, the bustle and conspicuous wealth of the
Cote d'Azur and the rugged beauty of the Alpes de Haute Provence. For us the
true Provence is found in the countryside and small perched villages with
their shady squares, fountains and a way of life that is based on tradition,
the cycles of nature, good food and wine.

Provence is famous for the vibrant clarity and intensity of light found
there and many famous painters such as Monet, Renoir, Piccasso, Dufy,
Chagall, Cezanne, Gaugan and Van Gogh were drawn there to try and capture
this unique quality in their paintings.

We clearly recall our first time travelling to Provence by train from Paris
and observing the character of the sky gradually changing. It was almost
like a curtain being drawn back and we could see why Provincia Gallia as the
Romans called it has for thousands of years been renowned as a place of
special beauty and wonder.


COOKING WITH LAVENDER
============================================
Here is a delicious lavender recipe that will send your thoughts floating on
the wind to aromatic Provence.

LAVENDER CHICKEN
   1 quart water
   2 tablespoons dried lavender or 30 fresh stems
   2 large whole chicken breasts boned and skinned
   3 tablespoons ricotta or cottage cheese
   1 tablespoon chopped parsley
   Pinch salt

Bring water to the boil and add half the lavender. Turn off heat and allow
to infuse for 10 minutes. Flatten out the  chicken breasts. Mix together
ricotta cheese, parsley and salt. Divide this mixture in half and spread it
evenly over each breast. Roll up each breast and secure with a toothpick or
tie with string. Bring the lavender water back to simmering. Place both
breasts in a steamer basket and place the basket over the lavender water.
Sprinkle remaining lavender florets over the chicken breasts. Cover pan and
steam for 20 minutes. Serve with green beans or asparagus and garnish with
lavender.

Bon appetit!


PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
=========================================
If you would like to browse through our previous newsletters, they can be
found at www.aroma-tours.com/newsletters/


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
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"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is!"

Will Rogers


OUR INVITATION
=========================================
We look forward to welcoming you on one of our delightful tours or retreats
in the near future and invite you to visit our website at
http://www.aroma-tours.com for more information about this year's Aroma
Tours as well the latest photos of our travels.

As always if you have any questions or would like our advice about your
travel arrangements or with any other details please contact us at
info@aroma-tours.com

Warmest regards,

Robbi and Jim

Aroma Tours (R)
Ballarat Australia
p: +61 3 5331 3254 f: +61 3 5331 3254
e: info@aroma-tours.com
w: http://www.aroma-tours.com