Welcome to Terra (in)Cognita: a creative, tasty and reflective retreat exploring female heritage & tracing family landscapes through art, food & storytelling.

We offer a curated creative experience of art making & food tasting for female* individuals who are curious to explore further in their family & ancestral backgrounds.

Over five meditative, self-reflecting and soulful days, we’ll journey through art creation & curated menus, painting, bread baking, and storytelling.

We gather in a female* circle to create, cook, move, share, and connect — tracing memory and exploring landscapes of our family heritage.

* All Trans & Non binary individual and those who identify as female are welcome.

You will stay in a beautifully restored family house of La Maison Bleu, nestled Deep in the Mountains of Crete. 

We are based in Zaros, Crete  surrounded by mountains. It's a place that invites stillness and inspiration — a world away from rush and noise.

Zaros is a refreshingly unspoiled village in the heart of Crete island. Surrounded by mountains, water springs and gorges, allows for an authentic experience of the Greek Summer away from the rush and noise.

A place to turn within oneself and a place to connect with nature.

Our retreat is small, gentle, and deeply personal.

Each day flows between guided art and culinary practices, curated meals, expeditions in nature & sums up with a group story-telling and sharing of the day’s experience.


Art-Expression Workshops will empower you to retrieve and express memories, thoughts and feelings while exploring techniques in acrylic, collage, mixed media, visual journaling.

No art-experience is necessary — only a desire to be immersed.


With Kitchen in a Suitcase, you will travel through tastes and aromas that have significant meaning in women’s sense of community and resilience. You will be gifted with the ancient art of bread baking in the traditional way it was made by our grandmothers. You will take home our 60 years old sourdough bread yeast and her story to continue your own journey.

Daily Flow:

• Morning:
  - Mindful Movement (gentle yoga or stretch) followed by guided breathing exercises.
  - Breakfast in a Suitcase
  - Art-Expression Workshop
  
  
• Midday:
  - Lunch in a Suitcase: Curated menu & its story prepared with local ingredients
  - Free time for rest or solo sketching
  
  
• Afternoon:
  - Group Discussion to wrap-up the Art-Expression Exercise
  - a Journy to bread making (short 30-40 min classes)
  * Optional: Excursion in the nearby areas (hikes, visits to villages, beach)

 

• Evening:
  Dinner in a Suitcase: Story circles, quiet reading, or simply a glass of wine at sunset.
  
  

We will close our Retreat with a celebration & comfy final showing of works.

Our culinary experience will be crafted by seasonal and local produce. You will experience traditional Greek home cooking with updated surprises. Freshly made sourdough and olive oil from our own family produce in the famous Kalamata region. Sea salt picked by hand from the Mani Peninsula and other delicacies from various regions in Greece.

We will be able to accommodate more personalized culinary and nutritious demands as long as they are communicated in advance to allow for adequate preparation time.

A curated selection of Greek wines will also be available at an additional cost or even a wine tasting experience if the group is open to share. Our wines will represent women-owned and family owned wineries from all over Greece

Maria Tsolka

... is the heart behind Kitchen in a Suitcase, where she explores the intersection of food, place, and memory. With a suitcase full of spices and stories, she brings gourmet creativity to intimate gatherings and unexpected places.

Golnar Tabibzadeh

is a visual artist, curator and art educator and the founder of Art-Expression Workshops, a visual & intellectual adventure to learn, practice & use visual arts in favor of exploring & expressing self, developing communication skills as well as processing & exchanging context.

What is Included:

• 6 days-5 nights accommodation in shared rooms
• Breakfast, Lunch and non-alcoholic Beverages
• All Creative Sessions and Art-Materials
• 2 Group Excursions (beach, mountains)
• Welcome Gift + Final Dinner
  
  

What is not Included:

• Flights to Crete
• Travel insurance (Mandatory)
• Local Transport to the Retreat (We could help you order transport for a fee)
• Dinner (We offer an exciting dinner menu on sight and there is a local taverna in the village)
• Alcohol (We offer a wine & cocktail selection a la carte)

Excursions not included in the group’s itinerary

Deposit:

 
A non-refundable deposit of 400,0€ (25% of the admission fee) is required to reserve your spot. This deposit will be applied toward your total retreat cost.


Cancellations must be submitted in writing via email to art.expression.workshops[at]gmail[dot]com Refunds will be issued based on the following schedule:

Transfer Policy:

If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your reservation to another person at no additional charge. Please notify us at least 14 days in advance.

Retreat Cancellation or Postponement:

We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the retreat due to unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters, low enrollment, or governmental restrictions. In such cases, participants will receive either a full refund or a credit toward a future retreat.

Travel Insurance:

We strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance to cover unexpected trip cancellations, medical emergencies, or travel disruptions.

Exceptions:

No refunds or credits will be given for late arrivals, early departures, or no-shows.