TUSCANY
MAY 16TH – 21ST 2024
5-DAY RETREAT DEVOTED TO:
COOKING, STYLING, SHOOTING, EATING, EXPLORING & PROP HUNTING
BIG NEWS: 1 SPOT HAS BECOME AVAILABLE!
A TUSCAN SPRING FAIRYTALE IS FOR YOU, IF…
🌿 If the idea of residing in an authentic Tuscan stone house, rich in history amid olive groves and vineyards in the medieval village of Codipontee, appeals to you.
🌿 If your ideal morning involves waking up to the picturesque view of rolling hills, the scent of freshly brewed coffee, and immersive classes on crafting delectable fresh pasta from scratch, coupled with honing your skills in shooting magazine-worthy food and lifestyle images.
🌿 If the thought of savoring a mouth-watering homemade Italian spring feast served in a tranquil local olive grove beneath the stars feels like pure magic.
🌿 If your passion lies in prop-hunting, and the prospect of joining us in Lucca to explore Tuscany's largest antique market filled with stands featuring antique linens and aged cutlery sounds intriguing.
🌿 If spending a day in a charming Tuscan townhouse nestled in the historic village of Vagli Sotto, mastering the art of styling and photographing the pasta-making process to capture the essence of a Tuscan home and village, resonates with you. This unique experience will be guided by myself and our esteemed guest teacher, Catia Lemmi—a London-based stylist, photographer, and creative brand strategist known for her remarkable skills.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS “OH, YES!”, THEN A TUSCAN SPRING FAIRYALE IS FOR YOU!
There’s something about Tuscany that instantly draws you in, especially in spring. the lush rolling hills, the sunsets, the lengthy lunches, the carpets of daisies through the olive groves, and the SUNKISSED cobbled alleyways, that blaze with colour and life. may is A MAGICAL time to visit tuscany, and During ‘A TUSCAN SPRING FAIRYTALE’ we will celebrate spring and everything it has to offer.
People from all walks of life are welcome, and all ability levels from beginner to experienced can join the retreat. Men are also wholeheartedly welcome, provided they are ready to join the company of visionary and adventurous female creatives! Feel free to bring your smartphone instead of a bigger camera if that suits you better. Regardless of your skill level, you'll receive new tools and guidance to enhance your content creation, styling, and visual storytelling skills. Even if photography isn't your primary interest, there will be ample opportunities for skill-building and learning throughout the retreat.
A TUSCAN SPRING FAIRY TALE & LEARNING ADVENTURE
Back in 2017, I had the profound joy of crossing paths with the loveliest, most heartwarming couple living in a restored Tuscan 13th-century monastery nestled in the lush rolling hills of an undisturbed part of Tuscany called Codiponte. This fantastic couple, Maartje Schonefeld and Davide Donati, became precious friends, and since our meeting, I’ve had the privilege to create and conduct 10 amazing retreats in their agriturismo.
In May 2024 I am excited to offer another highly curated retreat in close collaboration with my dear Tuscan friends, who know this bountiful region like the back of their hand. This time I will invite you on an insider's explorative and culinary tour to hidden gems, treasures, and trattorias of the region, fuel you with new learning about cooking, styling, photography, mini e-cookbook creation, and how to tell captivating food stories AND nourish your tastebuds and your other four senses massively along the way.
On the day of your arrival …
… our wonderful local Sisterhood team and I will welcome you for a 'meet-and-greet' with festive aperitivos and delicious Italian snacks at the terrace made by our heart-warming host couple, who cook all our meals in the farmhouse, based on organic, fresh ingredients, some of them grown in their very own garden. After the aperitivos, we will serve you a homemade Tuscan welcome dinner and celebrate our first night together.
Each morning you will wake up to the scent and taste of the loveliest Tuscan breakfast served either in the courtyard with the most stunning view of the little, charming village, Codiponte, or we will enjoy a freshly brewed cup of espresso or latte and a ‘cornetto’ and blend in with the locals in one of the charming little cafés in the area.
In the evenings …
… we will chat, laugh, and exchange dreams, ideas, and experiences about life, work, and all that makes our hearts beat a little faster around the dining table in either the farmhouse or at handpicked trattorias in the nearby villages driven by locals with a huge love for the Tuscan cuisine. And, not to forget, we will find time to relax, unwind and soak up the beauty of the surrounding lush rolling hills, bountiful wine yards, and olive groves.”
“During our time together my wonderful team and I will do our utmost nurture your tastebuds, and fuel you with inspiring cooking, styling, and food- and lifestyle photography classes, wonderful excursions, and exploration of one of the most beautiful places in the world - at true Narnia.”
BIG NEWS!
cook, style, shoot!
During our days together we will cook, indulge in delicious spring feasts, explore the local food scene, visit local farmers and makers, and learn how to make the most delicate and photogenic fresh pasta.
During this retreat, I have the immense joy and honor to welcome a wonderful guest teacher and amazingly talented stylist, photographer, and creative brand strategist, Catia Lemmi, to the sisterhood. We will visit her in her charming cottage house in Vagli Sotto and let her guide us through an inspiration-packed day workshop, where she will teach us how to create homemade pasta from scratch. We will shoot the pasta in its making, learn how to take gorgeous process shots, style the scene, and tell strong visual food stories based on images of the food, table, village, and people. AND she will treat us to a three-course seasonal lunch, while we chat and soak up the beauty of her place. I truly can’t wait!
Photo: Catia Lemmi
“During our days together I will also teach you how to make your own mini e-cookbook with recipes from the retreat + your own photos and text. You will get a beautiful editable cookbook design template created by yours truly, in which you easily can fill your own photos and texts. And the good thing is, that you can use it again and again when you come back home to create beautiful cooking-, travel- and lifestyle e-books to give as a gift for your friends and family or perhaps sell through your website, Etsy, or social media. So excited about this new initiative in Sisterhood Retreats!”
LUNCH & PROP HUNTING IN LUCCA
Does a day trip to one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, Lucca, hunting props at old stands and exploring one of Tuscany’s biggest and most famous flea markets, and lingering over a delicious lunch at one of our favorite trattorias, sound appealing to you?
Lucca is home to one of Italy’s nicest antique markets. During summer the market takes over Lucca’s two largest piazzas and almost all the streets and alleys in between. There are many stalls and exhibitors, and the market bursts with antiques of every possible kind and for every conceivable taste.
In addition to its famous market, Lucca is renowned for its wide grass- and tree-topped city walls, originally built by the Romans and refurbished during the Renaissance. These walls are actually so wide that a walking and biking pathway has been built on top of them all around the city! Such a beautiful place.
During our time in Lucca, there will also be an opportunity to join me for a stroll around the old, picturesque streets of Lucca, learning a few tips and tricks about street photography.
DETAILS
WHEN:
May 16th - 21st, 2024
Pick up at Pisa airport at 3:30 PM
(You are of course also welcome to rent a car and drive to the retreat location yourself or we can pick you up at the train station if you land in another airport - more info under “How to get there”)
Check-in at the retreat location is from 4 PM on May 16th, where a lovely welcome goodie bag will be waiting in your room, and you will have time to get yourself settled in. Aperitivos and Italian nibbles will be served on the terrace at 7 PM and a homemade, joyous welcome dinner at 8 PM.
Check-out is after breakfast on May 21st. We will drive you to the airport at around 10:30 am, and if you need to leave earlier or later, we will help you book train tickets and bring you to the local station so that you get to Pisa airport in time.
WHAT:
5 days of lodging in one of two wonderful old stone houses owned by our local host couple, all meals, drinks, and snacks during the retreat (both at the retreat location + at local trattorias), guided facilitation, food- and lifestyle photography classes, cooking and styling class in how to make, style and shoot fresh pasta, a dinner in the olive grove, a day trip to Lucca with lunch and market stroll + all transportation during the retreat.
The retreat doesn’t include airline tickets, taxes & baggage fees, travel insurance (highly recommended), meals/items/activities bought when you’re not with the group.
WHO:
People from all walks of life are welcome.
Space is limited to 8-10 attendees.
WHERE:
Your home for the 5 nights will be in one of two charming stone farm/townhouses drenched in history and set amongst olive groves and vineyards in the small beautiful medieval village of Codiponte in a quiet and unspoiled part of Tuscany. The houses are located within 8 minutes walking distance from each other and are both owned by our warm-hearted and in every way lovely host couple. They are both characterized by peace and tranquility, and you can choose between a beautiful single room or a shared double room. The ones who book their spots first will have rooms with a private bathroom. However, you will never be more than 2 people sharing a bathroom.
HOW TO GET THERE: The nearest major airport is Pisa Airport, about 1 hour and 15 minutes from the workshop location by car. A pick-up will be arranged on May 16th at 3:30 PM from Pisa Airport to the property, and a car will drive back to Pisa Airport after breakfast on May 21st. If you wish to fly to Florence, Parma, Bologna, or Milan Airport instead, you can either rent a car, or jump on a train, and we'll be happy to pick you up at the local train station in the little village 'San Lorenzo' called "Minucciano-Pieve-Casola" (it is named like that, since 3 villages are near to the station, but it's only one station). The pick-up is of course included in the retreat cost.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
Please bring the camera you normally shoot with. If you normally shoot with your smartphone, that’s fine. I have many tips and tricks on capturing and editing beautiful photos with both a “big camera” and the one on your smartphone, so all camera types are welcome, just as all ability levels from beginner to experienced.
TEACHER:
Your teacher during the entire retreat will be yours truly, publisher, 7-time award-winning cookbook author + food-, lifestyle- and travel photographer, stylist, and founder of Sisterhood Retreats, Sif Orellana + guest teacher, the talented stylist, photographer, and creative brand strategist Catia Lemmi.
PRICES AND ACCOMODATION
PRICE FOR THE ALL-INCLUSIVE-RETREAT
- prices listed are per person
You have the option to book a single room or a shared double room (double bed or two separate beds). Most of the rooms have their own private bathroom. A few of them have shared bathroom with one other guest. Please note that this is a non-refundable retreat, so make sure you can come before booking.
SINGLE ROOM
DOUBLE ROOM
FAREWELL DINNER
On the final evening of the retreat, we'll prepare a wonderful, festive - and incredibly photogenic - farewell dinner in the olive grove served at a long wooden table in the midst of olive trees - the most picturesque scene you can imagine. And these are just some of the highlights we have in store for you - lots of other wonderful surprises will be revealed during the retreat.
WELCOME LETTER & SECRET FACEBOOK GROUP
About 10 days prior to the retreat start you will receive a welcome letter with more practical information, a list of participants, a detailed itinerary as well as a welcome video or an inspirational e-book with a few helpful tips and tricks on how to capture beautiful food and lifestyle photos + a simple assignment (absolutely optional). You will also be invited to become a member of a private ''A TUSCAN SPRING FAIRYTALE’' Facebook group. Here you can communicate e.g. about meet-ups before or after the retreat, practicalities, post questions, ask for advice, share insights and personal goals, and I can upload the links, recommendations, tips and tricks, I share with you during the talks.
“We can’t wait to welcome you to the Sisterhood and fill you up with new essential learning and useful tools, that can help you grow and bring your ideas into existence. From the day you arrive, we will do our utmost to take well care of you and fuel you with delicious food, inspiring classes, wonderful excursions, and exchange of ideas, dreams, and thoughts around the dining table between like-minded creative souls, food- and travel lovers from all over the world.”
TESTIMONIALS
“These days have been just magical! Thank you so much."
MARIA HÄRDNER, SWEDEN
“I AM STILL IN SOME KIND OF EUPHORIA AFTER MY RETREAT WITH SIF ORELLANA."
Thank you so much for being the most inspiring, caring and warm person I have met in a long time, Sif. I will always be grateful for this retreat.
NETTAN DAHLQUIST. NORWAY
"I
SIGNED UP FOR SIF'S WORKSHOP HOPING TO HONE MY VISUAL STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES...BUT I LEFT WITH SO MUCH MORE."
For me, the main benefits came when Sif shared the inside secrets of her incredible personal success story and from receiving invaluable individual feedback which she happily provided beyond workshop hours and even upon my return home! Importantly, she makes you feel comfortable instantly, no matter your photographic experience. Her down-to-earth approach helped participants to immediately gel well together which made the workshop fun.
Sif's style of communicating her visual storytelling knowledge is unique and made me feel truly connected and inspired. I returned home equipped with more tools and fully motivated to take action on my dreams.
I can’t speak highly enough of Sif's workshops.
IVAN EBEJER, MALTA
"AFTER SPENDING JUST A FEW DAYS TOGETHER AT A SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS TALE RETREAT, A VERY SPECIAL BOND WAS CREATED BETWEEN EVERYONE IN OUR LOVELY GROUP."
It was such an honor to be a part of this creative bunch, made extra special by our lovely leader and teacher Sif. Her passion and ability to inspire, her big heart and kind words, her empathy and unlimited generosity are so precious and inspiring that we were all in awe. I came back home with a full heart and lots of new friends. It was unforgettable! Thank you Sif for bringing us all together and sharing your hearts and wisdom!”
KARMEN KODA, PARIS
“I strongly recommend joining Sif Orellana in any upcoming retreat. She shares her talent, but, more importantly, her wisdom! "
You might not know but you cannot really live happily without it!
KAJSA JEPPSON, SWEDEN
“I have been full of peace and happiness ever since."
Thank you for an amazing retreat and learning experience.
LOUISE GRANHOF JUHL, DENMARK
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Due to logistics, the people involved, this is a non-refundable retreat, so please register only if you know you can attend. However, we´d happily transfer your spot to someone else should you be unable to make it and know someone who will take your spot. If a replacement traveler is found, Sisterhood Retreats will bank 100% of your paid fee as a credit to use for another workshop, retreat, masterclass, or creative gathering less an administration charge of €250 and less any fees that were incurred to make the transaction. We encourage you to have a valid travel insurance before embarking on the trip. More info about our terms and conditions can be found here.
“We look so much forward to embarking on this travel-based learning adventure with you! See you in the rolling hills of Tuscany.”
