Bienvenue all Walkers, Readers and Writers!

Just wanted to wish you, on behalf of the whole ménagerie ( the horses and the cats!) a very warm welcome.

Your retreat has been structured to provide you with lots of time for yourself – to slow down, unwind, chill out, decompress and sleep, as long as you need. I’ll be present in the background, should you need anything.

House Keeping

• As mentioned in the description of the 5-day retreat; we will be having dinner at one of Nogaro’s delightful bistros one evening, usually the evening of day 4. We will each pay for our own meal and wine, to support a local small business in these still challenging times.
• If you would like one or more massages during your stay (subject to availability) you’ll find Sarah Thacker’s contact details on the table in the corridor and you can arrange it with her. The costs of massages are not included in the cost of the retreat and have to be paid in cash after each massage.
• The wifi password is: 32LaGelize1408 (see QR code for direct access.) It sometimes takes a few attempts, but everyone has managed to log on so far.
• Even though you will not directly interact with the horses, please familiarise yourself with this page: Safety Precautions around Horses. Please do not, under any circumstances, feed the horses.
• There are no clothes washing facilities available on-site, in Nogaro there is an easily accessible laundrette at the Carrefour.
• For Writing Retreat Participants Only
• The retreat ends at 11h00 on Day 5.

Program

Our program during your stay is simple, to allow you as much time as possible to relax, recharge your batteries and simply enjoy your surroundings. 

Saturday

• 18h00 Arrival
• 19h00 Dinner
• 21h00 Yoga Nidra (see instructions below) and Writing Meditation – Making the most of your Retreat

Sunday–Tuesday

• 9h00 Esprit Meraki Morning routine
• 10h00 Brunch + Sandwiches
• 11h00 Transport to the start of the day’s walk
• 16h00 Pickup at the end of the day’s walk
• 19h00 Dinner
• 20h00 Yoga Nidra and Writing Meditation – Camino de Santiago Walkers

Wednesday

• 10h00 Brunch
• 11h00 End of the retreat

The program is not set in stone and may be changed to make the most of the weather etc.

Your Camino de Santiago de Compostela Walk

Finding your way:

• You do not need a map, the path is well indicated. You can also use the Buen Camino de Santiago App. Or download a couple of maps as pdfs by clicking here.
• Returning to the farm after your third walk (only for the hiking retreat) : Aire-sur-Adour to Nogaro Bus Timetable

The route is very well indicated, you’ll find the signs below every few hundred meters, so you can easily walk it without a map:

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Walking Meditation

It’s a great idea to fit in a walking meditation during your Camino walk.  Full instructions on how to do this are available here: Walking Meditation Made Easy. During your walk, you can listen to a guided walking meditation like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXYFNmFb6zY 

Yoga Nidra

I have made a recording of a yoga nidra session that you can listen to whenever you have a moment. Best time to do so is last thing at night. CLICK HERE to access it.

Pick-up points

Hope you’ll have a great time and see you at Lou ‘tit Mercat in Manciet on the first walking day and at Brasserie Les Cordeliers in Nogaro on the second walking day.

Sleep well,

PS. Don’t forget to make and take some sandwiches with you at tomorrow morning’s brunch and if you have any questions, just ask!