Aroma Tours Newsletter - February 2004

THIS ISSUE
=========================================
- Welcome
- Turkish Aromatic Odyssey
- Aroma Traveller's Photo Gallery
- Current Booking Status for 2004
- Letter from Bali
- Galungan and Kuningan Day
- Flavours of Provence
- Provence Aromatherapy Retreat
- Emperor of Scent
- The Story of Vanilla
- Camembert
- The 13 Desserts of Christmas
- Arranging your Travel, Bookings etc.
- Previous Newsletters
- Thank You for Your Support
- Thought for the Day
- Our Invitation

WELCOME
=========================================
A warm welcome to all of the members of our Aroma Tours newsletter in over
30 countries to our first offering of 2004. We hope that you are enjoying an
abundantly happy, healthy and fruitful year.

If you have recently joined our newsletter or haven't visited our web site
in a while we invite you to drop by for the latest updates, photos and
information about our tours at http://www.aroma-tours.com

We have had a very busy start to the year and it is only now, almost at the
end of February, that we are able to finally find time to write to you.

Our strong bookings results are continuing to delight us with most of our
tours now over half full and some nearly fully booked. This is by far our
best result ever.

TURKISH AROMATIC ODYSSEY
=========================================
As we mentioned in our last newsletter we are greatly looking forward to
continuing our aromatic adventures in Turkey and we are pleased to already
have a lovely group of people for this year's journey.

Turkey is without doubt one of the world's great destinations with more
ancient sites than Greece, stunning coastline, striking countryside, rich
culture, fabulous food, wonderful friendly people and many unique and
fascinating experiences to be explored.

There are still 12 vacancies left for the tour and Robbi and I would like to
encourage you to join us this year.

Information about our Turkish Aromatic Odyssey can be found at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/turkish-tour.htm and via our information request
page at http://www.aroma-tours.com/info-request.htm

AROMA TRAVELLER'S PHOTO GALLERY
=========================================
Jim is continuing to expand our Aroma Traveller's photo gallery and has
recently included some stunning photos taken by our dear friend and frequent
Aroma Traveller, Betty Caldwell from Baltimore USA during her time with us
in Provence last year.

Please do be sure to take a look at these lovely photos that Betty has so
kindly shared with us beginning at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/gallery/aroma-travellers-photos1.htm

Also we would like to once again encourage our past guests to send us some
of your favourite photos of your time with us to share in our Aroma
Travellers gallery pages.

Please send your contributions to info@aroma-tours.com or to our mailing
address at PO Box 55N, Ballarat North 3350 AUSTRALIA

CURRENT BOOKING STATUS FOR 2004
=========================================
We are now well on the way to enjoying our best year ever with enquiries and
bookings continuing strongly.

Our current booking status is:-

Aromas of Italy                    Bookings open   ( 9 vacancies )
Turkish Rose Tour                  Bookings open   ( 12 vacancies )
Flavours of Provence               Bookings open   ( 7 vacancies )
Provence Aromatherapy Retreat      Bookings open   ( 5 vacancies )
Heart of Provence Tour             Bookings open   ( 2 vacancies )
Essential Provence Tour            Bookings open   ( 6 vacancies )
Bali Rejuvenation Retreat          Bookings open   ( 11 vacancies )
Bali Women's Retreat               Bookings open   ( 5 vacancies )

Tour details including current pricing and itineraries are available via our
information request page at http://www.aroma-tours.com/info-request.htm

We would like to encourage all of you who are planning to join us this year,
or considering the possibility, to contact us shortly so that we can help
you with any questions you may have. Places are still available and we look
forward to assisting you with your plans.

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

LETTER FROM BALI
=========================================
Bali is a destination that is very close to our hearts and this charming
letter written by Made ( pronounced: Mar-Day ) who is a daughter of the
family who built and owns the lovely hotel that we stay at for most of the
time during our Bali Women's Retreat
http://www.aroma-tours.com/bali-women.htm

Over the years since the early 1980's Robbi has become like a sister to
these beautiful, gentle and caring people and the welcome for Robbi and the
women's group is blessed by this strong and genuine affection.

"Dear Robbi

Greeting from Ubud

Thank you for your email.

We are all find in Bali, & we hope you are too.

Made have taken long day off since December 2003 to early March this year.
She is having baby ( prety girl ). Ni Made Marni is her complete name.

My wedding was a great ceremony. We are all happy, but the big ceremony was
in Sangeh ( in my husband house ).

I will get my baby too in April. So, I hope that when you come on September,
you'll be able to see my baby.

I am very happy to hear that you will write a book and mention us in the
book. I hope everything is going well.

All my family and the staff are well here in Bali and we celebrating
Galungan and Kuningan day and hope you and Jim also well.

Hope to see you soon

Yani"

GALUNGAN AND KUNINGAN DAY
=========================================
Galungan and Kuningan day are the most sacred times in the Balinese
calendar. Prayers, incense, burning sandalwood, spices, aromatic flowers,
ornate fabrics, holy water and food were all offered to welcome and
entertain the family's ancestors and to celebrate the victory of Indra (
good ) over Mayadenawa ( evil ).

In March 2001 Robbi and I had the rare privilege to be invited to Made's
family's private temple on Galungan day to share in their most important day
of rituals and prayer. It was a great honour and we both felt truly blessed
to be able to experience this special time with our dear friends.

If time permits Jim will put up a page with some of the photos that we took
( with the family's kind permission ) during the Kunungan day ceremony so
that you will be able to get a sense of the wonderful event that we were
privileged to witness.

FLAVOURS OF PROVENCE
=========================================
A passion for fine food and wine are an integral part of the Provencale way
of life.

In our Flavours of Provence tour you will experience and savour a
tantalizing contrast of flavours and aromatic delights in gorgeous settings,
such as hillside villages, shady terraces, lovely gardens, Provencale mas,
historical hotels and charming country inns, all at the proper leisurely
pace.

We have many wonderful experiences for you to enjoy including tutored wine
tastings, garden visits, gourmet cooking class with master chef Robert in a
beautiful refurbished 19th century kitchen followed by dinner in our own
private dining room decorated with tapestries and antiques. Also visits to
Provencale markets, antique and brocante stores, Provencale gardens,
lavender fields and gorgeous villages.

We stay in a magnificent 18th century Chateau, set amidst acres of serene
and peaceful gardens in the Bouches du Rhone and in a lovely riverside hotel
in the delightful village of Fontaine de Vaucluse.

More details can be found at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/flavours-of-provence.htm
and via our information request page at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/info-request.htm

PROVENCE AROMATHERAPY RETREAT
=========================================
Our Provence Aromatherapy Retreat
http://www.aroma-tours.com/provence-retreat.htm
is now almost fully booked once again which will make it 5 years in a row
now. If you are thinking of joining the retreat there are still 5 places
left and we ask you to contact us as soon as possible.

Those attending will enjoy a wonderful and informative week with teachings
from Dr Penoel, Dr Schnaubelt and Robbi, however, due to a change in his
work commitments Ron Guba will not be able to join us this year ( but
hopefully next year ). Happily Mark Webb, who is a world authority on
Australian aromatic plants is attending the retreat this year and has agreed
to share his unique knowledge with us in Ron's absence.

THE EMPEROR OF SCENT
=========================================
For those of you who are interested in perfumery there is a wonderful book
that Robbi and I have just read called "The Emperor of Scent" by Chandler
Burr.

It tells the story of Lucca Turin, a scientist with a passion to understand
exactly how it is that we are able to smell the many thousands of things
that are in our environment and in doing so develops a theory of smell and
takes the reader on a journey into the secretive word of the perfumery
industry.

At one point in the book for his own pleasure Lucca writes a perfume guide
which because of his prodigious talent for discerning, remembering and
characterising aromas becomes a kind of bible of perfume.

You need to be an enthusiast to enjoy this book, but if you are such a one,
you will adore it.

He describes Guerlan's "Aprčs l'Ondee" ( after the rainstorm ) as :-

"Divinely named, a prototype of the cold and melancholy fragrance, this
stunning creation is the counterpart--the brighter, fresher younger
brother---of the mysterious L'heure Bleue ( Guerlan ). Aprčs l'Ondee evolves
only slightly with time: its central white note, caressing and slightly
venomous, like the odour of a peach stone, imposes itself immediately and
retains its mystery forever."

And of the simply named "Vetiver" [ the fragrance of the Vetiver plant is
normally associated with men's fragrances ] he writes:-

"One of the rare perfumes so named that do not betray the character of this
uncompromising raw material, Vetiver is a temperament as much as it is a
perfume, above all when it is worn by a woman. Stoic and discrete, Vetiver
scorns luxury save that of its own proud solitude. At the same time distant
and perfectly clear, it must be worn muted and must never allow itself to be
sensed except at the instant of a kiss."

THE STORY OF VANILLA
=========================================
Vanilla is one of the most valuable spices in the world and was originally a
native plant of Mexico. It was first described by the conquistador Hernan
Cortes in 1520 as a result of meeting the Aztec emperor Montezuma who drank
a special beverage flavoured with powdered cocoa beans, ground corn and
vanilla pods mixed with honey. Sounds delicious.

Attempts were made to grow vanilla outside of Mexico by the French beginning
in 1819 in their Indian ocean territory of Reunion, however, because the
vanilla plant which is in fact an orchid, is normally pollinated by a
particular bee in Mexico these attempts failed to create the seed pods
necessary to produce the spice. It was not until 1841 that artificial
pollination of the vanilla orchid was discovered and successful cultivation
became possible.

Most of the world's vanilla is grown in Reunion, The Comores, Madagascar,
French Polynesia, Fiji and Tonga.

Vanilla is widely used to flavour foods and drinks including Coca Cola and
is very popular in perfumery in both its natural and synthetic forms.

Natural vanilla is superior to the much more common synthetic vanilla and
once you have tasted "real" Bourbon vanilla bean ice cream which is pale
straw in colour, rich in butter fats and contains tiny black flecks from the
vanilla seeds I am sure you will agree. The perfect accompaniment for a Tart
Tartin or for making Jim's favourite, Affogato al Cafe.

An affogato is simplicity itself. Place a generous scoop of fine quality
Bourbon vanilla ice-cream in a glass and pour a hot double espresso coffee
over the top. Eat it with a spoon and enjoy the way the bitterness of the
coffee marries with the cool, creamy richness of the vanilla ice-cream.

CAMEMBERT
=========================================
Camembert is the most famous of the white mould cheese family and was first
produced during the French revolution, a real newcomer in the world of
French cheeses.

During the worst of the terrors of the French Revolution a kindly farmer's
wife from the village of Camembert in Normandy hid a persecuted priest who
fled from the area of Brie which was already famous for it's soft white
cheeses ( fromages a croute fleurie ).

In gratitude the priest shared with the kindly woman all of his skills in
the art of cheese making. As is often the case this new delicious soft
cheese took on the name of the place of its origin and Camembert was born.

This style of cheese is now made all over the world but the true Apellation
d'Origine Controlle Camembert is only produced in the French departments of
Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne and Seine-Maritime.

A genuine top quality Camembert is always made from unpasteurized milk and
is carefully poured into moulds using a special ladle in 5 portions. It is
this specificity of region, ingredients and method that is central to the
system of quality certification that is very important especially in France
and Italy.

A culture is added to the surface of the cheese to help in the formation of
the typical downy crust and the cheese is salted and places in a cheese
cellar on racks to mature.

Each round is turned every 2 days and takes about 30 - 35 days to mature. A
properly matured round will have a soft downy white crust speckled with
brick red patches, a soft, bright yellow semi-liquid interior and a rich
odour. Once experienced, never forgotten and much more succulent and
delicious than the chesses by the same name lurking in our supermarket
shelves.

THE 13 DESSERTS OF CHRISTMAS
=========================================
In Provence at Christmas the tradition is to have a celebratory meal called
the Gros Souper on Christmas eve prior to attending midnight mass.

The table is set with 3 table cloths and 3 candles and a meal of various
traditional vegetable and fish dishes is served followed by cheeses.

The high point of the evening however, comes at the end of the meal when the
table is re-laid and out comes dessert. There are 13 of them, to reflect the
number seated around the table at the last supper.

According to tradition the first 4 desserts represent the four orders of
friars. Raisins for Dominicans, dried figs for Franciscans, almonds for
Carmelites and hazelnuts for Augustinians.

Next comes walnuts and one or more types of dried fruit usually dates or
prunes. Seasonal fruits provide another 3 of the 13 dessert items usually
including apples and pears and either melon, grapes, mandarin or oranges.

Nougat will always be part of the list and the final dessert will be the
Pompe de Noel a l'huile d'olive, a light textured cake made from a yeast and
egg dough, sweetened with sugar, flavoured with grated orange and lemon zest
and sprinkled with orange flower water.

The pompe is never sliced but always broken apart by hand and drunk with Vin
Cuit ( cooked wine ) which actually refers to sweet local wines such as
Rasteau or Beaumes-de-Venise.

ARRANGING YOUR TRAVEL, BOOKINGS ETC
=========================================
All of our rendezvous are arranged to be easily achieved either with the
help of your travel agent, or for the more adventurous, by booking your
flights and connections yourselves. Naturally we provide all of the
information and assistance that you ( or your agent ) will require.

If you have any questions or would like our advice about your travel plans
or with any other details we are most happy to assist you. You can either
contact us at info@aroma-tours.com or if you would like us to give you a
call please let us know the best number to contact you on.

Just a reminder that we now have a frequently asked questions page at
http://www.aroma-tours.com/faq.htm to help answer the most common questions
including how to book, travel arrangements, group sizes.....

PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
=========================================
If you would like to browse through our previous newsletters, they are
available at http://www.aroma-tours.com/newsletters

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
=========================================
Many thanks to all of you who continue to support us with your kind words
and deeds, enthusiasm and referrals, and most especially to our returning
aroma travellers who continue to make up over 20% of our bookings each year.

If you have any friends who you think would enjoy our website or maybe would
like to know about our tours then we encourage you to forward a copy of this
newsletter to them.

THOUGHT FOR THE YEAR
=========================================
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

~ Annie Dillard ~

OUR INVITATION
=========================================
We are thrilled to have had such a fabulous start to the year and we invite
you to join us for one of our delightful tours or retreats in 2004.

If you have any questions or if you would like us to assist you personally
please contact us either by email at info@aroma-tours.com or by phone on
+61 3 5331 3254.

Warmest regards,

Robbi and Jim

Aroma Tours (TM)
Ballarat Australia
Ph: +61 3 5331 3254 Fax: +61 3 5331 3254
Email: info@aroma-tours.com
Web: http://www.aroma-tours.com

ITALY

TURKEY

PROVENCE

LOIRE VALLEY

BALI

AUSTRALIA