Travelling Guidelines and Information
Our group: The maximum number in the group is 14 and the minimum is 10 to ensure a smaller, more intimate experience. Anyone age 18 or over is welcome to join us! This is a wellness retreat created to offer a space for you to relax and reset and reconnect, and you get to choose each day what you need. Our priorities are nature, moving in our bodies, discovering French culture in small villages, and having time for rest and quiet. Our desire is to have a laid-back attitude with lots of laughter and a sense of wonder. (The picture to the left is the medieval town of Castnou, with its castle and rampart walls still intact. This is a short 30-minute walk from our retreat!)
Health & Fitness: Each day will begin with optional meditation and an optional 45-minute yoga practice with a certified instructor. Note this is optional: this is NOT a yoga retreat, but will be offered each morning on the outdoor deck with mats and props provided. Water yoga in the afternoons may be available as well! Several days will offer you some kind of hike in the French countryside. This is not to be missed if you are able physically to take part. Please note that we will certainly be walking a lot each day visiting villages and touring olive groves, vineyards, and local sites. Comfortable and broken-in walking shoes are a must.
Questions to consider while signing up for this retreat:
• Am I physically fit to take part in yoga or do shorter hikes if I should choose?
• Do I have the balance to hike safely on rocky, uneven surfaces when they are offered?
• Can I hike at least 3-5 miles over hilly terrain & keep up with the group?
• Do I have a good pair of broken-in walking shoes?
• Am I prepared to see the sites in a variety of weather conditions?
REMEMBER, this is your retreat, and you do not have to take part in any of the hikes/walks/excursions offered. It is always an option each day to stay back at Domaine Madrona and do your own thing, or to take your own short walk to the neighboring village of Castelnou to discover on your own. You get to choose what suits you best!
What is included: The trip price includes your fabulous retreat accommodation for 7 nights, meals indicated, all transport required for excursions, two evenings of cooking lessons with our own chef, and wine and olive oil tastings. Not included are airfare, beverages, and tips.
Accommodations and Meals: We will stay at the incredible Domaine Madrona retreat center. All rooms have bathrooms ensuite. Rooms are assigned on a first come, first serve basis once your registration is complete, and as soon as we can see how many double rooms are needed. Breakfast is served each morning on site, and you have the option to take a lunch with you each day. We have our own private French chef who is cooking for us each evening in the Madrona kitchen, except for our one evening away when will be on the Mediterranean coast in Collioure, France, where you will be on your own for dinner.
Travel: Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements to Perpignan, France, where we will be available to meet and provide transportation for you to the retreat center at a designated time. We would also transport you back to Perpignan at the end of the retreat. The Domaine Madrona is a 30-minute drive from Perpignan.
The most direct route from the US to Perpignan is to fly into Barcelona, Spain, 2.5 hours by car or train away from La Domaine Madrona. You can then take a train to Perpignan or rent a chauffeured van with several others that can bring you straight to Madrona’s door. I will provide more information on the chauffeured car in time. It will be much more affordable with more of you splitting the cost. In that case, closer to time, I will send out a group email where all of you can communicate with each other about flight arrival times, etc.
We recommend allowing yourself time upon arrival in France to adjust to the time change and recover from travel before starting the retreat. Consider staying a couple of days in Barcelona before you head to Madrona!
A valid passport is required for all trips outside the US. It is recommended that all travelers have a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond completion of travel.
Reservations and Payment:
To make a reservation, e-mail us at lajohnson.coaching@gmail.com to receive the trip registration and waiver forms.
You will send back the registration and waiver form (either digitally or by snail mail) along with your non-refundable deposit of $400 (by Venmo, website credit card, or personal check). When both of these are completed, we will send you information on how to choose your own room!
After all registration is complete, you will receive an invoice from me with three different payment deadlines to pay off your total cost minus the deposit. The balance of payment must reach us 90 days before the trip start date, otherwise your reservation cannot be held. If you make your reservation within 90 days of the trip start date, the full payment is due at the time of the reservation.
Please note that all payments after the deposit here on the website will be made to the LLC bank account directly through Quickbooks or Venmo. Any credit card charge on Quick books will be required to add on a 4% transaction fee.
Cancellations
Please send written notice of cancellation to lajohnson.coaching@gmail.com
Refunds will only be made as follows:
Notice received prior to trip date: Cancellation fee per person:
91 or more days $200
61-90 days 50% of trip price
0-60 days No refund
I strongly urge you to purchase travel insurance. Generally travel insurance must be purchased within 2 weeks of making your initial reservations. An unexpected illness, an accident or family emergency can make a sudden change of plans necessary. Having insurance to cover your already paid trip expenses is most helpful. A travel agent can give you information on travel insurance or you can find information online.
Confirmation
After I have received your reservation, release form and deposit, I will send you information on choosing your room at Domaine Madrona. Both forms and deposit are required to complete your reservation.
Contact Lea Ann Johnson:
lajohnson.coaching@gmail.com
1+ (719) 239.8072
