Olives & Joy Retreat
August 1, 2023
We’re getting ready for our fall harvest. During the month of October, our olive trees will be filled with fruit ready for Olives & Joy, our second olive harvest on Andros. This ancient ritual of shaking the trees and watching the bounty fall to the ground is both ceremonial and fun. We sort through the sticks and the leaves, then rake the olives and pack the precious fruit into burlap bags.
Loading up the truck comes next, and off we go to the local olive press, which is pristine and filled with modern machinery. The olives go through the washing, sorting, and crushing process, then miraculously, mysteriously they’re turned into liquid gold, an elixir of good health and nutrition. The pits are ground, recycled, and used as fuel and animal feed. Each part of the olive tree is precious, including the leaves our ancestors brewed into a therapeutic tea with beneficial properties.
During the five days of our retreat, we’ll learn of the rejuvenating and revitalizing qualities of this humble yet glorious crop and how it defines Greek life. There will be workshops on how the olive is cured, how to use olive oil in cooking Greek specialties, and how to make artisanal soap. We’ll hike along some of the best trails in Andros, laugh, eat amazing food, visit villages and beaches, and experience an insider’s tour of our precious island. We’ll leave refreshed and renewed, with lasting memories, soul connections, and new friendships to cherish.
Join us October 20th - 25th, 2023, on the island of Andros, Greece, recently listed among the world's top 52 “most cherished” places by the readers of the NY Times.
Check out our website, www.oliveandloveretreats.com, Instagram @oliveandloveretreats, for more information, or email us at oliveandloveretreats@gmail.com
Love,
Despina, Melia and Natalia
Lemon Cake
April 4, 2023
Hello April. Exciting month. Between the 20th and 23rd we celebrate spring and welcome our guests to our wonderful lemon retreat. There’s no better way to connect to nature, the sea, revitalize both mind and body than in the company of friends. Get ready to go on hikes and meditations, head to the beach, savor delicious lemon-inspired recipes, whirl through towns and museums, and meet the beating heart of local life. We’ll show you the secret, offbeat sides of this majestic Greek island and its thriving community. In the meantime, let’s all sweeten the season with a recipe for lemon cake!
Love, Despina, Melia and Natalia
LEMON CAKE RECIPE
1 pound unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
6 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup lemon zest
2 tbs. vanilla extract
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Grease the inside of a round or Bundt pan and bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Optional: Dust with 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar for decoration.
Olive & Love
It all begins with an idea.
February 1, 2023
When three life-long friends get together to host a retreat, magic happens: In November 2022, we launched Olive & Love Retreats. Our first theme: A fall harvest of the ubiquitous Greek olive.
Two of us live in Greece, the other, in Los Angeles, but despite the ten-hour time difference and cross Atlantic distance, our vision came to life with Olive & Love 22, a 4-day program filled with activities to showcase what we love about Andros. There’s nothing more heartwarming than combining food, island history and physical activities to forge deep friendships with other like-minded travelers.
Retreats have a way of attracting warm-hearted, curious people, looking for something beyond a destination. They want experiences that will connect them to the spirit and authentic soul of the places they visit. What we discovered, as we took the first steps of our journey, was the enthusiasm and goodwill of our local Andros friends, neighbors and colleagues. Everyone rallied together, flung wide their doors, shared their hearth and homes, laid a feast on their tables, and invited us in, making their own indelible and memorable contributions to our event.
We can’t wait for our next retreat – this time, featuring the Glorious Lemon, Starlet of Spring, and the island’s next big harvest. Grab your sunscreen, hats and mojo and join us for this grand affair.
Lemons & Laughter, April 20-23, 2023.
Love,
Despina, Melia and Natalia