A vision of what will be: A visit at MareGold Retreat Centre
A twenty-minute drive from the historic town of Annapolis Royal, the road narrows as it climbs to the top of the bluff opening to a breathtaking view of the ocean…
Welcome to the MareGold Retreat Centre
As you check-in at the rustic old farmhouse with its exposed beams, the delicious smell of baking wafting in from the kitchen makes you feel at home. You are standing in what locals say is the oldest house in the area. The chatter is friendly as guests enjoy fresh organic meals inside at the farmhouse café and on small tables on the outside terrace.
From here, all vehicles are left behind. Your bags will be delivered to your cabin.
As you leisurely stroll to your wilderness retreat, you enjoy the beauty of the colourful wildflowers in the meadows and the greenery of the herbal gardens scattered throughout the landscape. The fresh ocean air refreshes your senses as you walk along the path that winds through beech trees. You have left your other life behind.
Then you get the first glimpse of your cabin…. nestled in a private, wooded setting on the clifftop with a magnificent view of the ocean beyond. This place is truly secluded, quiet and rejuvenating.
As you enter your cabin, the smell of the spruce logs greets and relaxes you. The cabin is “off-grid” but has all the amenities of a five-star retreat, with luxurious furnishings and linens, a wood stove, and a
clawfoot bathtub placed to give you a view of the ocean. Up the ladder is a queen size bed in front of a large window overlooking the majestic Bay of Fundy.
Your evening workshop gives you time to explore the property. A map in your cabin outlines trails and points of interest. You pass meditation spots and even see a caravan modelled after a gypsy wagon.
Walking along the cliff you see a whale breaching in the bay. Eagles soar beside the rock face below. You can’t see the other cabins along this cliff –they are as secluded as yours. Heading down the stairs to the private cove 200ft below, you pass the rushing waterfall and the stream entering the Bay of Fundy at low tide. Here, at peace, warmed by the sun on the cobbled beach, you watch the ocean.
Settled in, you head to your first class in the meeting room. The topic is building a herb garden using biodynamic techniques. Your lively conversation with the other guests continues the next day with a walk through the meadows to identify wildflowers, ending at the café to sample herbal teas made from plants and flowers grown at MareGold.
Later, you climb the lookout tower. From here, you have a panoramic view of the whole retreat—the log cabins in the field, the shelters in the woods, the English cottage by the stream, the outdoor stage, the classrooms and the hot tubs, all in harmony with their environment. Next to the vegetable garden you notice the earth sheltered greenhouse that produces the fresh fruits and vegetables for the café. You’re glad you’ve worked up an appetite.
You share a meal with your classmates before returning to your cabin to enjoy the beautiful sunset as you soak in a relaxing hot bath. At the end of another perfect day, you crawl in to your luxurious bed and fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves below.
Now you truly are on MareGold time
