Special note (added December 10, 2008): In the summer, 2008, we decided to postpone our CFI efforts in the Amalfi Coast region until we could get a more definitive take on exactly where the Comorra was illegally dumping toxic waste throughout the Italian countryside. Having determined that the most pristine parts of Italy could be found in the North rather than the South, we settled on Lucca as our home base location. The "cancer free" concern remains fundamental to our agenda, and our (Native Italy) healthy friendships theme is supportive of that focus.
Sylvie has decades of experience abroad, helping people worldwide to appreciate the glories of a number of things, from Parisian flea markets and cemeteries to painting in the countryside of Southwest France. Richard, a former college professor of Dramatic Art, Comparative Literature and Cinema History, has also served as a facilitator for various workshops/seminars/retreats overseas*.
*For starters, see their archived websites: Paris Graves and French Paintbox . Their premier getaways have been featured in a wide-range of magazines, from the prestigious Victoria to the very practical Transitions Abroad. Major media coverage of their contributions is available upon request.
But their Cancer Free Italy mission is focused on encouraging the nurturing of wellness and well-being. Assisting participants in discovering what they can do to lead healthier lifestyles. In doing so, they see themselves helping themselves by doing what they can to improve the world. Making joyous waves, creating positive ripples all around. Fully believing that what goes around comes around.
Sylvie and Richard are both members of the National Antiques & Collectibles Association, running a prosperous vintage furnishings business in Los Gatos, California called Blossom Home. Sylvie became a National Award-Winning Interior Designer when she won a 2007 contest sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens. Richard has taught and directed theatre productions throughout Europe and Japan, and is currently, with Sylvie, home schooling their sweet and world-traveling eight-year-old son, Marcel.
They tread lightly on foreign soil; contributing to the people and places that host them is a top priority. Generally they keep in touch with participants long after the return home, trusting -- in the case with Cancer Free Italy -- that such contact will encourage an ongoing embrace of healthy living.
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