Gardoussel Retreat Newsletter
August 2010
(list
of previous newsletters)
Dear friends,
Summer-time… and the livin’ is easy… Well, we
haven’t seen any fish jumping or cotton rising (with the exception
of bed sheets in the occasional warm breeze) but it certainly has been
a languorous season of long sunny days with an easy, shimmering river
of visitors through Gardoussel.
We’ve had a very successful run of events so far this year.
Our season kicked off with three yoga retreats in April/May which went
extremely well despite a bout of unseasonally poor weather. Our creative
writing event in June was a huge success with a sudden last-minute
influx of attendees whose talents and colours were teased out and flourished,
like magician’s silk scarves by the wonderful Jan Fortune-Wood.
More yoga events continued the season, culminating in Karen Stamper’s
Art and Yoga course with its usual final-day display of stunning paintings
by yet another talented group of artists. Chickens and cockerels seemed
to be a dominant theme this year if the selection I peeked at was anything
to go by!
Other visitors old and new have passed through our gites and it’s
been lovely to meet them all.
STILL TO COME this year:
* Finding Your Voice in Writing with the
fabulous Crysse Morrison (17-24 Sep). This course is for anyone - pure
beginner or more experienced writer - who wants to explore their creativity
and develop a personal voice in writing. Crysse will help you explore
all aspects of style and narrative, including using memories, imagining
characters, describing settings and using dialogue. The emphasis is
on enjoyment and fun, and ideas are adaptable to any genre from poetry
to novels.
We still have spaces on this course at a reduced price for a slightly
pared-down version of the original schedule. Instead of £535 we
have dropped the price to £265 which will include
four guided morning writing sessions plus one-to-one individual sessions
during the week, with free time on the Saturday and Sunday for your
own writing. The event will also now be self-catering, with the group
getting together to share the cooking of meals. The cost of food will
be paid for separately (the local village 1,6km away has the necessary
shops - plus 2 restaurants!) Non-participating partners also welcome.
(Note that for those who’d prefer the original meals-provided
format, then if we get four more people we will be able to provide
this (for an additional fee) but at the moment we are working on the
assumption of the week being self-catering. Please contact Sharon asap
if you are interested in attending under either of these options.)
* A new addition to our calendar is What’s
Your Story? with Thea Euryphaessa from 16-21
October 2010 (cost £650). Drawing on storytelling, poetry, myth,
dreams and ritual, this five-night retreat will help nurture creativity,
evoke natural talents, and draw out each individual’s gifts.
The focus will be on awakening each person’s sense of purpose
and cultivating a deepened sense of self-identity.
We are delighted to welcome Thea to Gardoussel for the first time.
Her first book, ‘Running into Myself: A Journey through the Soul
of the Feat,’ was released in the UK this year and she has worked
with people in a healing and mentoring capacity for many years.
Elsewhere, we still have some last-minute availability for our two
gites, le Gite Vert and le Pigeonnier, for those who prefer a self-catering
retreat or family holiday. Please enquire for dates.
For more information about these events and other happenings at Gardoussel,
do visit our events page.
We hope to see you soon!
Warmly,
Sharon & Alex
Gîtes
Our 2 beautiful, independent gîtes (holiday apartments) are
available for weekly rentals for those who want to do their own thing
at Gardoussel Retreat. We have 2 gîtes available:
* le Pigeonnier has two twin/double bedrooms
and a sofa bed in the living room giving it a capacity of 6 people.
It has a large kitchen
with an open-plan living/dining room and a shaded, completely private
terrace for outdoor dining. Also a shower room and separate toilet.
450€ per week
* le Gîte Vert also has two twin/double bedrooms and a sofa
bed in the living room (total capacity 6 people). It has a living/dining
room and a modern fitted kitchen as well as a terrace overhung with
rambling vines for outdoor dining. 430€ per week
Both gîtes are available for let from Saturday to Saturday.
Guests have the use of our loft workspace and outdoor yoga deck in
addition to our 18 hectares of meadow and woodland – perfect
for bodywork, ball games and exploring! There are also swings for children
and a badminton/volleyball net. A cot can be provided on request.
Guest Rooms
We have five independent guest bedrooms in addition
to the gîtes.
All have been tastefully renovated and are available for rent in addition
to one or both of our gites. This can suit larger groups or families
holidaying with a friend or another couple who wish to share a gite
experience but don’t necessarily want to rent two gîtes.
220€ / week or 32€ / night per bedroom
* la Bergerie :
A former barn adjacent to the main property containing three en-suite
bedrooms, two with a double and a single bed, and one with four singles.
* le Nid :
At the heart of the main building, le Nid was recently converted to
create two three-person bedrooms, each with a mezzanine and a shared
adjoining bathroom.
Therapies
Various extras are available at Gardoussel, provided by experienced,
fully-qualified practitioners. Take your pick from Ayurvedic or Swedish
massage, craniosacral therapy, reiki, acupuncture, Ayurvedic consultations,
cookery classes and group yoga classes (min. 5 participants).
**************
Gardoussel Retreat : 30940
Saint-André de
Valborgne, France
www.gardoussel.com
tel : +33 (0) 4 66 60 16
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