Active Vacations: Breezing Through Europe
December 7, 2011
BY MARY JANE HORTON
Have you always wanted to take a walking or bicycling trip abroad but thought it was too strenuous? Think again. There are several options for trips that will exercise your body – but not too much – and your senses at the same time. Here are some choices:
Biking The Netherlands Why not take a trip to a land where bikes are a preferred mode of transportation. A bike holiday in the Netherlands is much more than simply taking a superficial look at the country. When you are you on your bike you are right there with the wind and water mills, trading towns and picturesque villages, as well big cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam. Star Tours from Dutch Bike Tours are perfect for those who want a base and to travel to a different venue each day (this makes it so that you don’t have to cover a certain amount of miles). The region is largely flat and easy breezy to bike through. http://www.dutchbiketours.nl/en/
Walking Ireland Ireland retains a wonderful range of old paths and roads which are ideal for walking tours and have not been invaded by tourists. Easy walking tours take participants through quiet valleys, boglands and by the wild Atlantic ocean. Groups are small and friendly, with an average of 12-16 walkers. An example of one of the tours offered through Irish Tourism, http://www.irishtourism.com/, is a week -long tour is based in Donegal town, centrally located for the best walks in the area, and famous for its 15th century castle, tweeds and traditional music. from 6-10 miles each day (but that can be very slow leisurely) and take you to Slieve League, among Europe’s highest sea-cliffs and into the glorious Glenveagh National Park.
Yoga in Spain Kaliyoga Retreat and Detox Center (http://www.kaliyoga.com/yoga-retreat-detox-retreat-spain) is a perfect way to get some healthy living and exercise into your life while soaking the local sights of the Alpujarra region of Andalucia in Southern Spain. The area is one of great natural beauty along with architectural gems of old castles and churches. Because of its warm southerly climate combined with a reliable supply of water for irrigation from the rivers running off the Sierra Nevada, the valleys of the western Alpujarras are among the most fertile in Spain. The yoga retreats are 3 or 6 days, with two classes a day, gourmet vegetarian meals and plenty of free time to sightsee. There are also optional seminars ranging from educational sessions on raw chocolate to flamenco dance.
Meditation and Qi Gong in Tuscany Learn tremendous new ways to support your well-being by experiencing a week stay under the Tuscan sun and picturesque backdrop of Tuscany, Italy, within lovely accommodations in 15th Century Palazzi and historic houses. These week-long retreats in Tuscany, Italy run from June to October and accommodate individuals, couples, or groups of six to ten people. As a retreat participant, the focus of an Inner Being Retreat is to simply relax, rejuvenate and energize the mind and body. Retreat-goers will learn breathing, meditation and qigong organ cleansing exercises based on the principles of concentration and awareness and how to integrate these practices and technique into their daily life to. Guests will also visit charming Umbrian and Tuscan villages everyday and enjoy healthy delicious meals prepared with fresh organic vegetables, handmade pastas in delicious sauces, using the freshest fish and finest meat, followed by succulent fruit and typical sweet delicacies. (http://www.inner-being-retreats.com/pause.html)
Mary Jane Horton has been a writer/editor for 30 years. She has written for such magazines as Runner’s World, Fodor’s Guides, Time, Ms., Shape, Prevention, Living Fit, Woman’s Day special interest publications, to name a few, and worked as an editor for Fit Pregnancy magazine. Most recently she was editor in chief of Plum magazine, a health and lifestyle magazine for women over 35.