Jan. 2, 2024

Dear Friends of Meli Melo Travel,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I wish you all good health, abundant joy, and beautiful adventures in 2024.

On the topic of adventures, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be co-hosting a different type of travel experience in the spring - one that might pique your interest. 

I am partnering with my cousin, Joan Lawder Paul (in photo with me with our guest Alicia at right), on an inspirational retreat (March 20-23) in beautiful, historic Beaufort, South Carolina, for women aged 50+ who are interested in exploring ideas for their next chapter in life, whether it be writing a memoir, traveling the world, volunteering at home or abroad, or focusing their energies on any of the other myriad pursuits available to them. 

Joan is a dynamic person, an engaging speaker, and a creative entrepreneur. She and her husband, Doug, own the Griswold Inn in Essex, Ct., and a few years ago, she launched an exciting new side gig: She founded “Her Next Act” (HNA), a community of women exploring purpose, passion, and projects of meaning in their post-50 years.

She hosts regular online gatherings for these bright, thoughtful women, many of whom attended her first in-person retreat at the Griswold Inn last September - and they’re still raving about it. 

The Essex retreat featured thought-provoking speakers, awe-inspiring activities (daily outdoor yoga with poetry, a sunset dinner cruise to see migrating swallows…), and plenty of time for mingling and impromptu sharing.

Our collaborative retreat in Beaufort combines the best of both Meli Melo Travel and HNA - cultural immersion; authentic, off-the-beaten-path exploration; and a taste of place as well as motivational speakers; sharing of like-minded women; and experiences that prompt soul searching, reflection, and self-discovery.

And so it goes... this retreat was a huge success, so much so that many of the attendees are heading to Provence, France, with the two of us this coming September.  Ooh-la-la! 

Why didn't I think of that?

When we moved to Portland, Maine, last summer, we were excited about trying out an urban lifestyle - yet a gentle one at that. Portland is a small, friendly, and very walkable city with close proximity to spectacular natural beauty (Eastern Promenade!) and an abundance of outstanding restaurants. (So many, in fact, that Bon Appetit Magazine named Portland the "Best Restaurant City in the US" last year.) My husband, Bernard, who grew up in France, said half-jokingly that his primary requirement for choosing a new hometown was the ability to "walk to a bakery." Well, he can walk to at least 10! Walking at a brisk pace, it takes him just under four minutes to walk to his fave: Standard Baking Company. Good thing that we can also walk to a gym!

So when friends, many of whom are alums from our Provence tours, suggested we host food tours in our new hometown, it made perfect sense.

And so we did! In early April, we hosted our first Portland tour, and it was a huge success. See posted reviews. To inquire about bringing your own group to Portland for a culinary tour, either for a day or a weekend, contact Jenn at melimelotravel@gmail.com.

The Meli Melo Travel team is just home from its fifth culinary and cultural tour of Southern France, and once again, we had a wonderful time. Our cozy group enjoyed three nights in the Mediterranean fishing town of Sete and four nights in the quintessentially Provençal village of Saint Remy, which lures us back again and again.