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February 2008Very Early Spring Issue!

Dear Friend

In this issue…

At the watermill…

• Curing Winter blues
• Lucca, the quintessential Italian city

Painting holidays…

• Painting tutor of the month: Jennifer Branch
• More details about the watermill painting tutors for 2008
• You get to Pisa, we do the rest!
• Getting there

Creative writing courses…

• Creative writing tutor of the month: Sharon Kendrick
• Your writing tutors for 2008
• Writing courses: what’s included

Self-Catering apartments…

• Just relaxing at the watermill

...... Cure Winter blues with Summer plans

There have been days here in the North-east corner of Scotland, when even the Highland Cows, standing forlornly in the field next to our garden, have had a frost sparkling on their shaggy coats. And other days when, cosy inside, we’ve listened to rough winds buffeting the cottage and throwing hailstones at our windows.

It hasn’t all been bad, of course, and we’ve had plenty of crisp, bright days, with early morning sun gilding the beech trunks and the undersides of low-flying geese. And the snowdrops are already flowering in their thousands in sheltered spots in the rhododendron glen.

But it is certainly the time of year to be thinking of Tuscan sunshine and to be planning this year’s holidays at the Watermill at Posara. The creative writing courses and painting holidays are beginning to fill up (two are already fully booked), so now is the time to book your place - and if you’ve a favourite week or two for an away-from-it-all self-catering Summer rental in one of the mill apartments, it’s time to get your name down, too.

As we scrape the ice from our windscreen ready for the school run, we’ve been thinking of Posara, too. We’re off there at Easter with a group of Scottish friends who haven’t been before and we’ve been thinking of all the things we might do together for 10 days or so in March.

There are essentials, such as regular visits to Fivizzano, our neighbouring walled medieval town for leisurely breakfasts of cappuccino and crisply toasted ham and runny cheese sandwiches and then shopping for local cheeses, ham, bread and tomatoes (oh! and wine) for lunches on the vine verandah. And we’ll visit favourite restaurants for supper, not least Il Vecchio Tino in its dramatic setting in the Apuan Alps, where the pasta with wild boar ragù is to die for.

We’ll catch the train to Monterosso and walk the clifftop paths of the Cinque Terre, where you can enjoy “the ocean and the sky together, under the roof of blue Italian weather”, as Mr Shelley put it.

We’ll explore the caves of Equi Terme and swim in the sulphurous pool emanating from the hot springs. We’ll walk through the sweet-smelling woods of the botanical gardens at Sassalbo, high in mountain pastures, and fly a kite while picnicking in the olive groves in Terenzano, marvelling in the views of the Apuan Alps and Mount Pisanino in the distance.

We’ll probably take a boat from the sparkling seaside town of Lerici across the bay to Portovenere, for a stroll through the narrow streets and an ice cream in the square. We’ll look cool (in Bill’s case, cool-ish!) in our shades and new bathing costumes at Roberto’s beach club in Marina di Massa ...

… but above all we’ll all hop in our cars and take the 50-minute drive to Lucca, our favourite Italian city. And we’ll hire bikes and cycle on top of the walls.

Lucca, the quintessential Italian city 

If you rent one of the mill apartments, a trip to Lucca is a must. And if you are on one of our painting holidays or creative writing courses, you’re lucky, because an excursion there on your free day in the middle of the week is included in the price.

Course participants take the single track railway from Soliera, a few miles from the mill, where the little train meanders slowly through the Alpi Apuane regional park and eventually reaches Lucca. The journey itself is worthwhile, not just for the great scenery, but for observing Italian life. But don’t take the train if you are in a hurry. Although it is a mere 50 miles or so, the journey takes at least two hours and there is a lot of whistle-blowing, flag-waving, telephone-calling and arm-waving on the way, to ensure that only one train at a time is going down each section of single track.

Lucca is undoubtedly our favourite Italian city, not least because of its fortifications: the city is surrounded by lovely walls, built of small red bricks to protect the city against the old enemy, Florence.

The walls were built during the 16th and 17th Centuries, but never saw a shot fired in anger.  In the 19th Century a broad path was built on top of them and trees were planted. The path is just over four kilometres all the way round, so an easy 20-minute circumnavigation by bike.

There are three or four bike-hire shops beneath the walls and we usually go for ‘tag-along’ bikes (a sort of mini-tandem with an extra rear wheel, seat and pedals added behind the main bike). Lydia and Lara sit behind Mum or Dad and, despite being frequently told “It’s not a race”, they urge us to pedal faster (and make their own contributions to motive power from behind). Before long we’re quite puffed out and it’s a relief to freewheel down from the walls and cycle through the narrow streets, stopping for a coffee and soft drinks and, for Lois, a little (Italian leather) retail therapy.

The therapy consists of Bill and the girls sitting in a café on the fashionable Via Fillungo while Lois raids the shoe shops, returning an hour or so later with numerous smart-looking plastic bags and the news that, because of special offers on shoes, she’s saved hundreds of pounds, although she makes no mention of how much she’s spent!

Much of the city centre is car free and, even when it isn’t, the narrow streets mean the cars, vans and busses travel sluggishly. So now set off again and deliberately try to get lost, taking a first left, first right and so on and discovering, with glorious serendipity, shady little squares, old churches, elegant palazzi dozing in the midday sun. We’ll enjoy once again the exuberant wedding-cake façade of the church of San Michele, take in the classical splendour of the Piazza Napoleone, whiz past the tourist crocodiles in front of the cathedral, then weave through the shoppers in the Fillungo again and into the Piazza del’amfiteatro, the site of the old Roman amphitheatre, now surrounded by high medieval houses.

After all this exertion, we fancy a picnic lunch, so pop into a delicatessen to buy panini, packed with freshly cut salami, hams or cheeses, and either head for a shady picnic in a tree-filled redoubt on the walls or enjoy watching the fountain splash amid the classical statues of the gardens of the Palazzo Pfanner.

Then, after too short a repose (“Come on Dad, let’s go!”) it’s back on our bikes and time for another difficult executive decision: where to have an ice-cream. Dad likes the calm atmosphere of the outside tables at the Gelateria Venezia, tucked away behind the Teatro del Giglio, while the younger executives fancy the busy Pinguino in the Piazza Napoleone. We resolve the problem by having an ice cream in each of them!

Hold the biciclette, Lucchese, the Breckons are on their way again.

Painting tutor of the month: Jennifer Branch

In our newsletters we like to highlight the talents of each of our tutors at the watermill. This month’s featured tutor is Jennifer Branch, who will be taking a course at Posara from Saturday 30 August 2008 to Saturday 6 September 2008.

Jennifer comes from Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. She describes herself as a ‘modern impressionist ‘ and her style is uniquely vivid in colour and concept. In her paintings she explores the full possibilities of ‘transparent’ watercolour, a medium which brings colour and light to life. As well as her studio work, Jennifer makes frequent and varied inspirational travels. While she prefers to work in watercolours, Jennifer is also skilled in oils and acrylics and is happy to teach in those media, too.

Here’s a vibrant watercolour of hers featuring Soave grape vines. She says: 
“I love the patterns vines make - the craggy vines and leafy tendrils all creating a gorgeous varied pattern - and then I add color! It's hard to refrain from painting every leaf, but keeping detail to a few leaves makes the pattern bolder”.

On an Italian theme, here’s a charming little watercolour ‘Grocery boat’. “In a world of supermarkets and mass produced stores, a grocery boat in Venice appealed to me,” says Jennifer. “Bright colours of the fruit overhung by the green dark shade of the awning made a beautiful contrast. The shadows make the fruit seem brighter, almost glowing.”

Jennifer likes painting plants and flowers, too. Here’s a study of a butterfly on a coneflower (Echinacea). She says: “I'm an avid gardener and when I saw this butterfly settling down for a drink, I had to paint it! The trick in painting moving elements like a butterfly is to take a photo, then sketch the moving part very quickly!”

Jennifer subtitles her course ‘Energizing Your Watercolors’ (she’s American, so sorry about the spelling) and with the attractions of the mill and its surroundings as well as Jennifer’s teaching skills and enthusiasm, this seems an ideal course to recharge your artistic batteries. There’s more about all our painting courses on www.watermill.net.

The 2008 painting courses

You can find out more about our tutors, about their courses and about the watermill on www.watermill.net, where each tutor also has a gallery featuring some of their work.

Annelise Pio Hansen (3 places left)

(Saturday 10 May to Saturday 17 May 2008)

Watercolours

Annelise's colours are soft but bright, just like the light reaching the sandy beaches and the soft hills not far from where she lives just outside Copenhagen.

For more about Annelise and her paintings, visit her Tutor's page

Michael Kitchen (course fully booked)

(Saturday 24 May to Saturday 31 May 2008)

Watercolours, oils and pastels

Michael works in watercolours, oils and pastels and is skilled in portraiture and in country and coastal scenes.

For more about Michael and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page

Mike Willdridge (still plenty of places)

(Saturday 31 May to Saturday 7 June 2008)

Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels

Mike works in a wide variety of media both ‘on location’ and in the studio. He works and teaches in a loose and free painting style.

For more about Mike and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page 

Muriel Owen (1 place left)

(Saturday 28 June to Saturday 5 July 2008)

Watercolours

Muriel is a leading watercolour painter.  Her speciality is architecture and landscapes.  Printed handouts accompany some of her demonstrations.

For more about Muriel and her paintings, visit her Tutor's page

Bruce Wilson (still plenty of places)

(Saturday 5 July to Saturday 12 July 2008)

Watercolours and other media

Bruce has become well known as a botanical artist, having done botanical illustration for books, magazines and TV.

For more about Bruce and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page

Patricia Johnston (still plenty of places)

(Saturday 19 July to Saturday 26 July 2008)

Watercolours and oils

Patricia loves painting on location, to produce exciting, vibrant work. Her tutorials are fun and encouraging, both to beginners and more experienced painters.

For more about Patricia and her paintings, visit her Tutor's page

Frank Halliday (3 places left)

(Saturday 26 July to Saturday 2 August 2008)

Watercolours

Frank’s dry Yorkshire sense of humour makes every class or course that he runs a perfect delight, and you will have fun learning. Frank ran a fun-filled course at the castle last year; this is his first trip to Posara.

For more about Frank and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page

Jennifer Branch (5 places left)

(Saturday 30 August to Saturday 6 September 2008)

Watercolours, oils, acrylics

Jennifer is a modern impressionist bringing her subjects to vibrant life on paper. While she prefers to work in watercolours, Jennifer is also skilled in oils and acrylics and is happy to teach in those media, too.

For more about Jennifer and her paintings, visit her Tutor's page

Laraine Simpson (full at the watermill; places in the village)

(Saturday 6 September to Saturday 13 September 2008)

Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels

Laraine is highly regarded as a perceptive, patient and encouraging tutor working with beginners and advanced students alike. She works in oils, pastels, watercolours, and a variety of drawing materials.

For more about Laraine and her paintings, visit her Tutor's page

Terry Jarvis (2 places left)

(Saturday 13 September to Saturday 20 September 2008)

Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pastels

Terry is one of Australia’s leading watercolour artists. He also works in oils, pastels and acrylics. He also loves drawing and helping his students to develop their drawing skills.

For more about Terry and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page

Charles Sluga (5 places left)

(Saturday 4 October to Saturday 11 October 2008)

Watercolours

Charles is a highly respected and sought after artist and watercolour teacher in Australia. His friendly and enthusiastic approach, and eagerness to impart his wide knowledge, is reflected in his popularity as a tutor, and the waiting lists for his regular classes.

For more about Charles and his paintings, visit his Tutor's page

You get to Pisa, we do the rest!

Don’t forget that everything is included in the cost of your course: accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals (including dinner with wine at charming local restaurants), local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; the excursion by train to Lucca) and tuition. All you have to do is to get to Pisa and we do the rest.

You will stay in bright, well decorated bedrooms with traditional features in an elegant Tuscan house complex around a courtyard. There is a large communal sitting room with an open fire and a dining room for leisurely breakfasts. Dinner (included in the cost of the course) will be at several small and friendly local restaurants and will include regional Italian dishes and wines. We can cater for vegetarians on request. Non-painting partners are welcome (at a reduced amount), but you’ll have more fun if you join in and dabble!

Prices depend on which room you choose (see www.watermill.net for details). They start at £665+IVA (Italian VAT) per person per week (based on two people sharing), with a discount of £25 for a non-painting partner. Single rooms start at £715+IVA (Italian VAT). Italian IVA is currently 20%.

Getting there

It is very easy to join a Watermill at Posara painting course. We pick you up at Pisa airport between 11am and 2pm (unless you decide to drive to Italy, in which case we’ll give you full directions).

You can book your own flights (there are good connections from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, East Midlands, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Bristol and Exeter) or, to make life easier, you can use the services of our Personal Travel Adviser, Ann Carter, who will fix everything for you at very competitive prices. There is absolutely no obligation to use her, but if you would like her help, her phone number is 01886 889000 and her email address is ann.carter@tarsc.net.

We have found that many travel agents these days are not very helpful and are often tied to big tour operators. Ann will give you personal service.

Creative writing tutor of the month: Sharon Kendrick

We are running just two exclusive creative writing courses this year. The tutors and the format are based on the highly successful courses we ran at the Castle of Park in Scotland. Our first-ever creative writing course at the watermill is with best-selling author Sharon Kendrick, who has written more than 65 books for Harlequin Mills & Boon. So she’s our creative writing tutor of the month.

Sharon says she falls in love with each and every one of her heroes (there are many of them!) and she believes that the best stories are the ones which make you "live" the experience. She’s been writing stories for as long as she can remember and completed her first book at the age of eleven. It featured identical twins fighting evil at their boarding school, but sadly this early manuscript has been lost.

Sharon wanted to be a journalist and so enrolled on a secretarial course to learn shorthand and typing, but life ‘kind of got in the way’ and she drifted in and out of a succesion of jobs. She has been a waitress, a cook, a dancer and a photographer. She has worked in shops and sung in bars and she qualified as a nurse and drove an ambulance across the Australian desert!

When she settled down and married her dashing doctor, she decided life was not a rehearsal and that if she wanted to write a book she'd just have to sit down and do it. Not easy with a lively toddler and a six-month-old baby while living in a tiny apartment. But she did it, and so Nurse in the Outback was born, and it was accepted by Mills & Boon without any changes. Since then Sharon has gone on to write many books for Mills & Boon and they have been published worldwide.

She adores writing romance and considers herself lucky to have the best job in the world! “It is a fantastic way to spend a day - inventing gorgeous heroes and complex, interesting women and charting all the ups and downs, the highs and lows of their relationship until they are really ready to let love into their hearts.

Sharon intends to carry on writing for ever :  “And why not? For what greater pleasure could be gained than when a reader writes to tell you that you moved her to laughter and tears?”

Sharon’s  course at the Watermill will really help you to become a better romantic writer. You will have opportunities to experiment with new techniques and fresh ways to express your thoughts and ideas. As well as group presentations and discussions, Sharon will discuss your work with you on a one-to-one basis.

The ethos of Sharon’s course is creativity and enjoyment, but if one of your aims is to sell your work, you will also learn what publishers are looking for and how to provide manuscripts that are more likely to be accepted.  This service and the critique of your work is, in itself, worth more than the cost of the course!

The 2008 creative writing courses

These are the courses:

Sharon Kendrick (3 places left)

(Saturday 3 May to Saturday 10 May 2008)

‘Writing romantic fiction’

Sharon will pass on the benefits of her vast experience in writing romantic fiction and her intimate knowledge of what publishers like Harlequin Mills & Boon are looking for in a romantic novel.

For more about Sharon, visit her Tutor's page

Anita Burgh (5 places left)

(Saturday 27 September to Saturday 4 October 2008)

Novel writing: release your potential’

For those of you who want to write a novel, but need help with work in progress or simply don’t know where to begin.  While Anita loves to write, she also enjoys motivating others to do the same.

For more about Anita, visit her Tutor's page

Writing courses: what’s included

As with our painting courses, we should emphasise that everything is included in the cost of your course: tuition, accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals (including dinner with wine at charming local restaurants) and local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; the excursion by train to Lucca). All you have to do is to get to Pisa and we do the rest. (See 'Getting there' in painting courses above.)

We welcome couples, even if one of you will not be taking part in the course. There is a small discount for non-participating partners. Prices depend on which room you choose (see www.watermill.net for details). They start at £665+IVA (Italian VAT) per person per week (based on two people sharing), with a discount of £25 for a non-writing partner. Single rooms start at £715+IVA (Italian VAT). Italian IVA is currently 20%.

Just relaxing at the mill

When the mill is not busy with painting and creative writing courses it easily reverts back to self-contained apartments which are available for self-catering lets for a week or more.

The five spacious and elegant apartments are arranged around the courtyard.  All have comfortable living rooms, well furnished bedrooms, a well equipped kitchen and modern bathroom.

Two apartments are in the three-storey Tuscan house in the mill courtyard, with views over the gardens and the mountains beyond; two others are set above the older watermill, with river and valley views; the fifth is set beside the olive press and the artists’ studio and looks out over gardens and the river. There’s more information and plenty of pictures on our website www.watermill.net.

We still have availability in April, June, one week in July, the second half of August and one week in September. Please call us for more details.

Anything more you’d like to know?

If there is anything more we can tell you about our activities, and the true Italian lifestyle, please call us on +44 1888 568375 or use our secure Contact Form. And keep up with our website at www.watermill.net.

In the meantime, with very best wishes,

Lois and Bill, Lydia and Lara, Bella and Rosa (the Labradogs)
- and Blaze, the guineapig.

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