ACTIVITIES - another Karma Exchange

This spring's Karma Exchange, on 8. May, was a great time, with new faces and of course new items to swap! Accompanied by a glass of champagne from Quinson and freshly baked muffins 6 women and one man came together, and everyone left with some new items!


Twice a year, in the spring and fall, an eclectic mix of people meets up here at La Vudèle for a Karma Exchange: the swapping of previously loved items like clothes, accessories, food, decoration or sometimes books, of ideas or whatever we would like to pass on. Everyone is welcome to show up, with or without something to physical to exchange: a smile, one's presence, one's spirit are plenty! With a glass of champagne or rosé in hand we sit together and swap, try on, decide to keep, admire, pay a compliment, laugh... enjoy.
 
Spring is a great time to get rid of items found and collected over the winter, be they from the closet, the cellar, the library or wherever. To make room for new items and to de-clutter, to re-discover and re-arrange. The same in the fall, and because people keep asking if they could bring their friends I am certain this fall's Karma Exchange will see more new people!

Happy swapping!

YOGA - extra retreat in June vegan cooking

Top Vegan Chefs

We just finished our first yoga & organic vegan cooking retreat and would like to thank the participants, Paul & Anna who were already here for last year's 6-day retreat, and Justine & Sofiane from Taiwan, for coming here to La Vudèle and sharing their spirit and enthusiasm with us during this weekend!

And for those who would like to attend this summer we have 2 more dates before August: Tuesday, 14.6. - Thursday, 16.4. & Friday, 1. - Sunday, 3. July

retreat goodie bag

Friday afternoon we started out with a welcome workshop, blind-folded with the eye mask of the La Vudèle goodie bag and using the sense of smell only to explore the various beautiful aromas of herbs and flowers like lavender, thyme, sage, and essential oils like orange, rosemary and fennel. Also contained in the goodie bag were
~ the yoga & nature en Provence apron
~ the La Vudèle guest book with recipes, mantras, yoga sequences and various information
~ a post-yoga tea blend
~ a special herbes de Provence salt
~ all presented in a typical Mediterranean straw basket

This was followed by our first afternoon yoga session outdoors, enjoying the beautiful sun, vistas and sounds all around.

Using the freshest ingredients from the market and our favorite organic food store "Nature & Vous" in Manosque we prepared an apéritif dinatoire in the evening, with lots of delicious delicacies like
* caviar d'aubergine
* black olive tapenade
* white bean dip
* our freshly baked sourdough bread
* and a superb quiche, with the recipe to be found in the La Vudèle guest book

Saturday morning we met for an invigoration morning yoga session and a mindfulness meditation, to the rising sun, followed by breakfast in the morning sun. Afterwards we went to the local market in Riez to purchase delicacies for dinner like artichokes, the first courgettes and strawberries. In the afternoon another lovely yoga session outdoors, under the beautiful blue sky of Provence, with a Metta meditation and some challenging asanas!


We then started cooking in our farmhouse kitchen, with everywhere assigned to different tasks: there was a dessert station, a pesto making station, pea shelling of peas fresh from the field, marinating the tofu, and the artichokes also had to be prepared, cleaned and then boiled, to be grilled for dinner.

Sofiane at the grill

Anna, a trained nutritionist

master sage pesto maker

Mia the cat with Justine

lavender custard - yum!

Sofiane and his new toy

The copious gala dinner, with lots of candles, we enjoyed accompanied by local wines of Quinson, thanks to Jim's selection and expertise. The two desserts, a lavender custard and a chocolate mousse, finished off our meal, and we all went to bed feeling accomplished and light-hearted.

Sunday morning started out with another morning yoga session to the rising sun - simply wonderful -  and breakfast with crêpes à la Jim were served at the breakfast table.

the flag ceremony

As a parting gift the participants designed their own flags, to be added to the Tibetan prayer flags fluttering in the wind....

This was a wonderful weekend, thank you so much, you all! 

And for those who would like to attend this summer we have 2 more dates before August:

yoga & organic vegan cooking

Tuesday, 14.6. - Thursday, 16.4.

and another weekend of yoga & fun
Friday, 1. - Sunday, 3. July

On our web site is more information, photos and prices, or simply email us 

Hope to see you here

this summer!

EXTRA - Thursday morning yoga starting 2. June

It's this time of year again... time for outdoor yoga at La Vudèle! Starting next Thursday, 2. June, at 10h we will take our morning practice to the garden behind the house, to greet the rising sun and enjoy a lovely morning practice.

Each week there is a different theme, a different focus, be it on balance, inversions, cooling asanas, invigorating sequences, all dependent on the experience of the participant, the mood of the day and the general energy.

And what a joy it was to practice outdoors, to be outside, surrounded by nature: in the cooling shade under the vast mulberry in our garden; by the side of the wheat field with views across lavender fields onto Mont Denier. This mountain range, with an altitude of almost 1900m, serves as a focal point for tadasana or mountain pose: imagining oneself a mountain, a natural structure which like our body and mind does neither sway nor move, solid, grounded. 

No reservation is required, mats are provided, € 10 per person participatory fee.

Namasté and welcome to everyone who will join this summer!

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - video of lavender in bloom

We would like to share this beautiful video of the famous lavender fields here in Provence, all around us, filmed with a drone. Amazing views, gorgeous colors: we are ready for lavender season!

Enjoy this short film provided by a group of passionate local filmmakers who want to share their passion for this wonderful area.

 

If the video does not start automatically try watching it here https://player.vimeo.com/video/159332435

Enjoy lavender and its magical color!

EXTRA - yoga retreats May, June & July with organic vegan cooking

Inspired by the success in running our yoga retreats for several years now and on the positive comments we received from our guests dining with us at our table d'hôtes we decided to combine our two passions, yoga & cooking. We offer 3 dates for yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends with Claudia as the chef and Jim as the wine sommelier:

* 20. - 22. May (2 spaces left)
* 14. - 16. June
* 1. - 3. July (4 spaces left)

Cooking with Devotion: Good food requires more than top-notch ingredients and creative recipes - it's the compassion, intention, and energy of those in the kitchen that make a meal fulfilling. Cultivating a selfless intention, committing to recognizing the Divine in those you're feeding, and cooking joyfully without expectation of recognition will improve your awareness as well as your food. For the yogic cook, integrating mindfulness and love only deepens a cooking experience and, according to some, enhances the quality and flavor of the food itself.

Fridayarrival after 15h and installation in your rooms
16h workshop on healthy, clean, organic vegan cooking and introduction of the weekend's menu and activities plus the La Vudèle goodie bag
19h classic Provencal apéritif dinatoire: a relaxed sit-down dinner with several different dishes prepared by your hosts, to explore the flavors and aromas of Provence

Saturday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature, to get Prana flowing and stimulate digestion
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast with sourdough bread
10h visit of the local farmers' market in Riez with guide to our organic producers. We will purchase the ingredients for the delicious meal for dinner
afterwards free time to explore the area, the lavender fields, the gorge du Verdon and its lakes, etc
16h cooking course and preparation of our dinner:
Cooking with the fresh ingredients from our own vegetable garden and purchased at the market in the morning.
Practice of mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga.
Awareness meditation: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us
19h gala dinner presenting the bounty of our cooking experience accompanied by wine tasting of local organic wines from Quinson, some cultivated right behind La Vudèle

Sunday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast|
followed by a workshop on ideas for a healthy vegan breakfast and a certificate of your participation of this workshop
afterwards departure or possibility to extend your stay in our B&B

2 nights accommodation in our organic B&B or guest house including our copious organic vegan breakfast and 2 dinners € 580 for two

Bienvenue à La Vudèle & bon appétit!

YOGA - World Yoga Day '16

Every year on the third Sunday in February World Yoga Day -  now in its 8th year - takes place allover the world. This year on 21nd February between 10h and 12h yogis everywhere came together to celebrate this special moment, united spiritually and connected through yoga.


A donation-based project every year a different cause benefits from the contributions of each yogi, be it monetary or idealistic. This year it is for Borderline-Europe

50.000 participants in Ahmedabad/India

"Borderline-Europe is a non-governmental organization which aims to raise attention to the tragedies at Europe’s borders: In the wake of the European politics of shielding, hundreds of people die every month in the Mediterranean Sea. We counter the authorities’ cover-up attempts with in-depth research at Europe’s frontier regions as well as create a public awareness based on reliable information and facts of the deadly consequences of present migration policy. Therefore we produce reports on issues such as human trafficking, human rights and refugee camps in Italy, Cyprus and Greece. Another important element of our work includes the support of humanitarian aid at the borders and the formation of a worldwide network. All in all borderline-europe avows for freedom of movement for everybody!"

With great thanks to the initiators and supporters of World Yoga Day!

Namasté

&

enjoy your yoga!

RECIPES - a vegan Christmas

Winter offers a cornucopia full of delicious fruits and vegetables, accentuated by legumes, nuts, grains and essential oils: we can make use of these fantastic ingredients. Why not incorporate that into a delicious vegan holiday dinner?

As we promote a vegan lifestyle here at La Vudèle we would like to give you some ideas for the holiday table. When busy cooking for our guests at our table d'hôtes we tend to forget to take photos of our creations... Fortunately our guest Solli from Sweden/Paris took some during her two stays this year and last and posted the recipes on her blog; these dishes work really well for a fancy dinner with friends and family and are all animal cruelty-free.

Along the same lines is thoughtful gift giving. In this world of materalistic abundance it's a smile, a gesture, a thought which makes a difference... Bonne fête!
 

~

The starter: a warming flageolet bean soup with freshly sprouted alfalfa

~

The main course: slow-cooked risotto with freshly cracked linseed

~

The dessert (to be dressed up with sparkle and glitter, of course!):
lavender custard with cranberries

Enjoy your home-cooked meals
and thank you for thinking of the animals that did not
have to suffer and were not killed for this meal!

Jim & Claudia
 

ACTIVITIES - fall in Provence

This time of year the weather tends to be a bit of a mixed bag, usually sunny days with some rain, cool in the evening and overall a bit less cheerful than the rest of the year. But this year we have been enjoying the most gorgeous fall weather, with temperatures around 20 degrees every day, no wind, lots of sunshine and an overall feel of calm
Provence - land of eternal sunshine

Provence - a beautiful part of the world where every season has its charme

Provence - land of space and vastness, of natural beauty

the beautiful gorge of Quinson

lunch at the lake

breathing space... space to breathe...

YOGA - taste the rainbow

Every time I see a rainbow, a natural occurrence very common here in Provence, I think of the Skittles commercial where this girl's voice comes on at the end, very hushed: "Taste the rainbow." On our annual end-of-season trip to Italy I had the fortune to not only see one but two rainbows - parallel and equally beautiful - right in front of us, above the coast line of Cinque Terre which we were visiting.

double rainbow over the Med in early October

Jim took this photo of me from the promenade in Rapallo, a pretty town near Portofino, and despite or because of the downpour just minutes before this image shows the beauty and power of nature so beautifully!

But what does a rainbow mean, where does it come from, where does it end? Legend has it that at the end of every rainbow sits a leprechaun, described as being no more than 2 feet tall. Leprechauns supposedly spend all their time busily making shoes, and legend has it that if you can keep your gaze fixed on them long enough that they are compelled to reveal the whereabouts of their pot of gold. The idea that a pot of gold can be found at the rainbow's end originated somewhere in old Europe. 

The scientific explanation is that a rainbow is one of nature's most splendid masterpieces. A rainbow is an excellent demonstration of the dispersion of light and one more piece of evidence that visible light is composed of a spectrum of wave lengths, each associated with a distinct color. To view a rainbow, your back must be to the sun as you look at an approximately 40 degree angle above the ground into a region ...more here

But whatever the reason, origin or chemical composition: a rainbow is a beautiful sight, free to all and for all to enjoy!

Enjoy nature!

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - thank you

Claudia & Jim with Mia

October has arrived, the season of contemplation is starting, the sun shines less strong and the evenings get colder... This is also the time to reflect. And to pick up projects left aside during the busy season, like this blog which we stopped in early summer but gathered new ideas, recipes and other news which we will share throughout the winter. 

To reflect is to look back at our activities the past few months which started in March. We hosted many people in our organic vegetarian B&B, all lovely guests from allover the world who stayed with us, not only from all over Europe but also from South Korea, Australia, the US and Canada, Puerto Rico and India and many more places - we would like to thank each one of these persons for having spent some time at La Vudèle, for having brought this energy here.

We also again held yoga workshops which we as hosts enjoyed very much, and judging by the feedback and emails we still receive our participants enjoyed their time here as well. This also gave rise and inspiration for a cook book which turned into the idea of offering yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends for 2016!

Claudia & Jim with Mimie
Mia somewhere else ;-)

We would like to thank all of our guests for making this place so special, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming back some of them next year who already booked for June and July, for the famous lavender season! 

A bientôt!

Jim & Claudia

Mimie & Mia

YOGA - 6-day yoga retreat: LAVENDER in bloom

For 2015 we not only offer the usual weekend retreats in May and September but also a 6-day/5-night yoga week in June! We chose this date to offer our yoginis the unique opportunity to experience the fantastic sight and scent of lavender in bloom, usually from the middle of June until the end of July

Join us for this June yoga retreat as this is the best time to visit Provence: the famous lavender fields are in bloom! We will take our yoga practice to the lavender fields and enjoy the scent and color of this wonderful flower.

Discover the key elements of Hatha yoga with elements of Iyengar yoga, enriched by meditation and relaxation, adapted to all levels. The program offers a holistic time where you cantake care of yourself from the inside through yoga practice, delicious organic vegetarian food, meditation, and free time to explore and relax.