an extended week which offers three extra days to the normal course to discover the Loire Valley and it’s history.

Visiting ANGERS, CHINON, FONTEVRAUD ABBEY and SAUMUR,

these days out will give the opportunity to visit interesting galleries and Chateaux, but also to experience  French city life, with plenty of cafes, shops, and other places of interest to keep you occupied.

Sat 26th

Arrive and relax with a glass of wine (or two) and a meal after your journey

Sun 27th

BATIK on tissue paper - experiment with wax, bleach and dyes– you will be amazed by the effects you can achieve – you may not want to try anything else!

Mon 28th

Batik on fabric  –building on skills learnt yesterda- looking at traditional and more modern techniques - using tjantings, brushes and other methods of applying wax, create samples and larger pieces of work.

Tues 29th

A picturesque drive to Chinon and the Chateau of the English kings, where you will have time to browse the shops and cafes, and admire the beautiful architecture of the town. Then on to Abbey Fontevraud where King Henry, who died in Chinon castle, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their son King Richard the Lionheart were all buried.
Return via troglodyte settlements on the east side of Saumur and back through the countryside and small villages.

Wed 30^th

     Work in the studio in the morning then take lunch at the    .

   Restaurant du lac in Argenton les Vallees

Thurs 1st

 A day visit to ANGERS, wandering the boulevards of this elegant French city where it will be possible to visit  Galerie David d'Angers, the tapestries "of the Apocalypse" at the Chateau, Musée des Beaux Arts and the twelfth century Cathedral of Saint-Maurice  (a national monument of France).

Fri 2nd

        A visit to the local town of Thouars and its excellent market followed by an afternoon in the studio to complete your work

Sat 3rd

Site-seeing in Saumur with it's beautiful Chateau, street market, shops and cafes.

 Returning via a visit to the ‘methode champenoise’ houses of Bouvet-Ladubay or Gratien & Meyer, following the road alongside the river Loire passing the troglodyte mushroom producers, maybe time for the mushroom museum, calling at the 11th-13th C Romanesque abbey church of Cunault, on to Gennes then home via Doue la Fontaine through Loire Valley countryside

Sun 4th

Silk painting  – learn basic skills – such as use of gutta,  salt, wet on wet techniques, and other experimental techniques, using stencils.  Create samples and other larger pieces of work.

Mon 5th

Machine embroidery/fabric collage – create small samples and  larger pieces using fabric scraps, possibly working onto a piece of silk painting or batik, and using machine embroidery, or simple stitches to embellish the work. Try also reverse appliqué by layering, stitching and cutting into the fabric

 Tues 6^th 

       Depart after breakfast at your leisure

On the days out to Saumur, Chinon and Angers as well as sightseeing there will be time for you to buy a snack lunch from the many cafes, bars, restaurants and boulangeries  available, we will then return home for a four course meal each evening

SAUMUR MARKET