Taiji on Marettimo 12th to 19th April 2020

We have just returned from our week on Marettimo. New friends added charm and bounce to our group at our late October seminar, the sun and waters still warm for swimming and perfect for our walks on the myriad paths over the stunning mountainous terrain. Enthusiasm is such that we are already looking to our next gathering this coming spring.

As a place of teaching, it is pretty ideal. Our dojo is a wooden pavilion in the hillside garden of Marettimo Residence where we all stay. The mountain is our backbone, the sea, islands and the bulk of the Sicilian mainland an embrace as we stand in qigong, as we twine silk, as we explore the hidden realms of Chentaiji. The small group instruction allows time to attend to each person's needs, for the material is complex and commitment is required of both the teacher and the student.

The spring dates for Marettimo, 12th to 19th April, coincide with the great Mystery celebrations at Trapani, the port-city for the Egadi. On Good Friday I Misteri, the uncanny sculpted figures of Christ's Passion who live in the Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio, descend into the city of Trapani and are carried through the streets in an astounding 24 hour procession. The few of us who have witnessed Trapani in these days, the sea-city throbbing with music sombre yet profoundly joyful, would like to take the chance to be there again, and welcome anyone heading for Marettimo Taiji to join us a couple of days before the lessons begin on Marettimo on Easter Sunday. We can help you make the necessary arrangements.

Trapani and Marettimo are easy to reach. This spring will be our 6th taiji gathering on Marettimo, and friends from Iceland, Ireland, GB, Germany, Spain and Italy will think little of the journey now that they know the ropes. There is an airport at Trapani; alternatively, from Palermo airport Trapani is 70 minutes by coach (five times a day) along the highway.

Here's a link to a travel page we prepared for 2018 ~ taiji.org/paese18/teatime

And a few photos of Trapani during Settimana Santa, April 2019 ~ pix.taiji.org/massari

I hope you will come. Please ask if you would like to know costs of Marettimo lessons and accommodation. I'm putting this in train early, as the period of Easter will hike up the price of flights. We are ready to help you figure out the best route and timings for spring.

with warm wishes from Kinthissa