20/02/2023
For those who did not get wider note Heidi and I posted on our personal FB page/s, we wanted to announce that our Cretan Destination Retreats website and booking software is up and running.
This is an exciting update, because it not only represents a final component of our initial business setup (Yay!), but will allow us better create, support and share retreat & adventure travel opportunities with passionate facilitators & guests.
While we’re proud of the excursion planning we’ve done as we’ve learned more and more about our new home and set up the business end of things, we’re mostly grateful. Many of you have played important roles by visiting, sharing photos that reflect how much fun we’ve had taking you around and showing you the hidden parts of Crete (😊 ❤), all the while hearing your ideas, reflections & suggestions—all of which contributed to a great set of retreats.
Take a look at the links below. In addition to the CDR home site (www.retreatplaylove.com) our daughter Margaret has set us up on several other social media platforms that she and other really young people claim will make frequent postings of events easy.
On the websites, let us know of any spelling error we missed! 😊 And on the social media sites, “Like,” “Follow,” “Share,” “Link” & “Subscribe” so we can keep you up on news, photos and videos we’ll be posting; and so that we can better spread the word and share the opportunities. You can use your social media pages to link our sites to other sites and/or those friends who would love a vacation featuring good food, exercise, learning and/or fun. Such simple ‘clicks’ not only share our sites with your immediate friends, but increase the sites’ search rankings, and ensure others, too, will find Villa Koukouvayia and online.
Because if we can get things going well enough for the normal vacation crowd, we can start using the villa to host non-profit programs to some of the underserved populations in our area, like refugee and trafficked populations. (There is more about that part of our vision on our dedicated program-hosting site, Cretan Destination Retreats (www.retreatplaylove.com); but we’re actively seeking facilitators who have a passion for sharing skills/experiences that would empower such groups; and seeing those who excel in accessing grants to allow such programming sooner than later.)
Here are the links:
Home Sites: Take a look & share the links with others when you want.
• www.koukouvayia.com. VKF’s home site, with all the details of the facility and how people can reserve book the retreat center or any of its residences.
• www.retreatplaylove.com. CDR’s home site: The site contains details about how to:
o Host your retreat idea/s here on Crete.
o Create custom reunion/vacation itineraries for Crete or Greece that capitalize on the best, little-known local places, activities & food.
o Join upcoming fitness, historical &/or creative-arts retreats being hosted here and on the Greek mainland.
pages: “Follow” & “Like” (we’ll send a direct invitation, too) to get formal announcements & updates on events and retreats we’re hosting here at the villa and elsewhere.
• VKF: https://www.facebook.com/villakfarms
• CDR: https://www.facebook.com/cdretreats
Instagram: “Follow” for more informal news, events & pictures of happenings at the villa and during retreats/programs.
• VKF: https://www.instagram.com/villakfarms/
• CDR: https://www.instagram.com/cdretreats/
YouTube Channels: “Subscribe” & “Like” for video content of VKF & CDR events.
• VKF: https://www.youtube.com/
• CDR: https://www.youtube.com/
Google Business Sites: These link to Google Maps and provide easy online gateways to our business locations and other websites. They’re easy to share and are good places to write comments and post photos from visits, too.
• VKF: https://g.page/r/CUmiC_JWCRHIEAI/
• CDR: https://g.page/r/CSypuL7I9lrSEAI/
And for those of you who end every conversation with us with a plaintive “Oh, I can’t wait to come!” here’s a beautiful push to move that notion from fantasy to fruition: After reviewing all the retreats, take a close look on the CDR site at the June Thessaloniki & Mount Olympus historical tour and mountain hike:
https://www.retreatplaylove.com/event/thessaloniki-mount-olympus-a-7-day-6-night-adventure-of-food-fun-health-history-flexible-enough-for-all-ages/
This one is our 2023 favorite!! We’ve got several friends already signed up, and the itinerary provides wide options in terms of the Olympus hike (from neophyte to elite, from young to old) and in less than a week the program highlights Greek history from ancient to modern—and will feature some great food! We’re hoping this turns into a kind of reunion for OUR friends 😊.
Here’s hoping this or other retreats inspire you to visit. And in the meantime, take our love and thanks,
Richard & Heidi
