Charlotte Severin
September 11-23, 2009
Charlotte Severin is a signature
member of CWA and her paintings hang in
the Oakland Museum and the Riverside Art
Museum. She has taught art for 15 years for
the city of Pleasanton and over 30 years in
Bay Area schools. Charlotte has videotaped a
series of five lessons, “Art Made Easy,” (now
also on DVD). She specializes in watercolors
painted en plein air. She has led art tours in
Europe, Turkey, China, Tibet, Mexico and
the United States.
What's Included:
- Lodgings - 1 night Burgos, 1 night Santallina del Mar, 8 nights Petit Rousset,
2 nights St. Cirq Lapopie
- All breakfasts
- Dinners at Petit Rousset
- Pick-up in Barcelona, Spain, drop-off in Toulouse, France
All transfers and transportation by private coach
- Entry fees to Altamira & Pech Merle caves
- Private & Group Instruction & Critiques
Itinerary
SPAIN
See Barcelona pre-trip information. or independent Arrival in Barcelona.Work-shop concludes in Toulouse. France.
Day 1 – 10:00 a.m. Depart for Burgos. We arrive mid-afternoon in Burgos, a city on the Pilgrim’s Route to Santiago de Compostela which still preserves its medieval splendor. The city's masterpiece of Spanish Gothic architecture: the Cathedral of Burgos, a World Heritage Site. Overnight in Burgos.
Day 2 – Morning departure for the quick drive to Santillana del Mar, considered by many to be the prettiest village in Spain. We’ll settle into our hotel and then we visit the nearby Altamira Caves. While we can no longer visit the original cave, we can visit a replica that was created in 1979. Overnight in Santillana del Mar.
Day 3 – Morning departure for Bilbao and its glorious Guggenheim Museum designed by the American architect, Frank Gehry a decade ago. The building, like those by Gaudi, is fun to look at from a distance and up close. Nearby is a beautiful pedestrian bridge by the Spanish architect, Calatrava. After lunch we’ll depart for France and our home in the Dordogne. Welcome dinner.
DORDOGNE
A sampling of our Destinations
We’ll explore small towns and tiny villages. We’ll enjoy a guided visit to a cave with prehistoric paintings; a medieval fortress; a Renaissance chateau; and a water mill where they make paper by hand, the old fashioned way.
Petit Rousset – Our home provides many opportunities for painting and sketching, in the garden, on the terrace, by the pool, near the orchard, and in the new Art Studio created especially for you.
Eymet – Our ‘hometown’ a 45 minute
stroll from Petit Rousset, past rows of grapevines, fields of sunflowers and meadows of grazing cows. This bastide town has a perfectly intact 13th century square. Little streets radiating off the square are dotted with houses made of wattle and daub.
Bergerac – The town made famous by the poet-Musketeer, Cyrano is the capitol of the wine growing region. We'll visit Old Town with its medieval houses clustered along the banks of the Dordogne River. Nearby is the fairy tale Château de Monbazillac. We'll visit the château, then taste the golden, mellow wine of the same name.
Beynac – We'll visit the town and the château at its summit. Built during the 100 Years' War, the Château de Beynac perches high atop a cliff dominating
the Dordogne River. Now we marvel at the views of the valley below, but its imposing profile attests to its original military purpose.
Sarlat – Founded as an Abbey Town, when Charlemagne visited, he brought a fragment of the True Cross. Nearly all of Sarlat's restored town houses were built from 1450-1500, its years of greatest prosperity, giving Sarlat a rare architectural
unity.
Monpazier – Hailed as the most perfectly preserved bastide town in SW France, the 13th century houses. surrounding its market square are identical in size, unique in appearance.
September 21-23 – St. Cirq Lapopie/Toulouse
Depart for St. Cirq Lapopie - a magical
village, suspended on a cliff with a spectacular
view overlooking the river. We’ll
savor two nights here, taking time to to visit the Grotte du Pech-Merle,
one of the finest prehistoric painted caves
still open to the public. After a leisurely morning, we depart for Toulouse airport and/
or train station. Onward journeys from
Toulouse after 4:00 p.m. please. |
