Bikram Yoga El Paseo

Arrivederci Italy………Ciao Ciao for now but hope to return soon with a group of yogis to do a yoga, culinary, history tour of your amazing country !!

I never tire of Italy, and now with a couple more Bikram Yoga studio’s popping up it’s even a more exciting place to visit!!!

Antonio Sera opened Bikram Yoga Milano one year ago, and Enrico Di Bernardo will be opening a Bikram studio in Venice in November !! So now I have even more reasons to head back to my grandparents country!!

My Italy trip this time took me to cities I’d never been.

I visited friends and their winery in peaceful, rustic Mombercelli in the Piedmont wine region of Italy. I experienced the hustle and bustle of big city Milano to the contrasted serene and peaceful waters of Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, (and no I didn’t see George Clooney but did get a glimpse of the little town that boasts his big estate, Laglio. So sorry Wendy, I could not tell him you said hello!)

If you are ever in need of a little R/R to get away from the rest of the world the Italian Lakes district should definitely be on your list.

It’s amazing that just one hour drive can take you out of the hustle and bustle of Milan and place you right smack in the middle of vineyards, or on the amazing waters of the Italian Lakes.

I visited friends who left their crazy busy lives back here in the desert to fix up a dilapidated old farm house, cultivate the vineyards and start their own winery. Talk about a scene right out of “The Tuscan Sun,”… the before and after pics are amazing!! Their renovation produced an incredibly beautiful house and separate guest home apartments where I stayed, with the very same bricks from the original structures. Each brick was sand blasted clean and set into the new structure!! I marvel at what they have accomplished.

I loved their garden with all the fresh vegetables. The grape tomatoes were the best I’ve ever tasted and the eggplant (my favorite ) divine. I also drank more wine than I care to admit but somehow it tastes so much better in Italy and right from the place where the grapes are picked and harvested !!!

In Milan, (the fashion capital of the world,) I window shopped along Via Spiga admiring the most beautiful people dressed in the most amazing couture, and Via Buenos Aires that had more affordable goods for sale.

I visited the spectacular Duomo that sits proudly right in the heart of the city in the middle of the Via Spiga shopping district . I’ve visited many Duomo’s in Italy, and have to say that was definitely one of the most beautiful I’ve seen.

I had the pleasure of visiting the only Bikram school in Northern Italy. Celebrating their one year anniversary and hosting a champion guest teacher-workshop, Bikram Yoga Milano is just steps from the main shopping area of Via Buenos Aires. Since I purchased Bikram Yoga Palm Desert just one year ago we share the same anniversary date of our new beginning!

The expanse of Lake Como and it’s beyond spectacular views from every village surrounding it left me speechless. From the amazing town of Bellagio with it’s quaint shops and sprawling Villa Serbelloni, to the smaller village of Menaggio with it’s extensive promenade boasting breathtaking views of Lake Como and the Alps beyond. THEN there is Como, Cernobbio and Varenna!!!

It was in Verenna I tasted the most amazing Gelato, met Giorgio, owner of Il Pozzo Jewelry, and his friend Mario, chef/owner of il Cavatappi . Georgio showed me how Cameos were made and his extensive collection. Mario painstakingly cooks every night for his 5 table restaurant then personally visits each table after every course. When finished he always goes outside to dine with his one waiter at an outdoor table .

I fell in love with Varenna’s cobblestone walkways, outdoor caffe’s with bistro tables that spill out to the waters, and endless Gelato counters.

I practiced my own Bikram yoga in the “CAVE” spa at Villa Aminta on Lake Maggiore. Once a wine cave built long ago, The Zanetta family turned it into a Grotto Spa. I got the grand tour of the spa, and for 35 Euro you could enjoy the facility without booking a treatment. The massage tables had a thin water bed mattress layer on top that circulates warm water during a massage. The fully tiled steam room was the perfect temperature and large enough to stretch my jet lagged muscles and complete my Bikram routine. The Turkish hot tub utilized light therapy in addition to the healing waters changing color every few minutes. I thought about Sallie and Roxanne and the night we drove out to DHS to relax in those healing waters and wished that they were now here to join me as well.

All good things must come to end and now it’s back to reality. It’s time detox all the pasta, wine and gelato. While I had an amazing adventure, I’m eager to get back into my routine and my consistent Bikram practice! I’m even more eager to share with others some new Bikram yoga tips I picked up from the Champion guest teacher.

While travel is always fun and exciting, it’s nice to return home, catch up with friends and sleep in your own bed!!!!

Looking forward to reuniting with my fellow Yogis very soon in the hot room!!

Ciao and Namaste`