Painting on the Duero
Spain has over 50 million visitors a year and yet much of its interior
remains inexplicably forgotten and unexplored. One such region is the
Province of Soria, unknown even to most native Spaniards. Soria is a
perfect place to experience rural Spain at its most alluring: the astonishing
landscapes peppered with medieval villages, castles, churches: the visitor
has the sense of participating in a lifestyle that is in danger of extinction.
Soria offers the artist very special and exciting subjects and we shall
be accompanied on this tour by Louise Waugh, a distinguished artist
and an experienced and charismatic tutor. Throughout the week we shall
find ourselves in many diverse locations amongst wild flowers, birdsong,
under shady trees or in a village square sketching buildings and daily
life. Watercolour and drawing will be taught but if you wish to paint
in acrylics, oils or use pastels, Louise will be happy for you to experiment
or use the medium of your choice. For those who would like to take home
something really special, Louise will show you how to keep a Travel
Sketchbook in pen and wash. All levels of ability will be welcome: chairs
and boards will be supplied.
We spend the week in the village of Salduero. This is a delightful place,
tranquil and picturesque, and our hotel, located in a traditional building
and family-run, is suitably atmospheric and charming. Throughout the
week the needs of those wishing to draw and paint will be fully accommodated.
At the same time there will be an extensive programme of cultural visits.
DAY 1: Flying to Madrid, we travel through central Spain to the Province
of Soria and our home for the week: the Hotel
Las Nieves in Salduero.
DAY 2 & 3: The hotel is set on the edge of two Natural Parks of
great beauty. The scenery is spectacular and we shall devote much of
the first part of the tour to exploring these landscapes so beloved
of the poet Antonio Machado. We ascend 6,000 feet to the glacial lake
of Urbión and walk in the remarkable Rio Lobos Gorge. We spend
a morning in Burgos de Osma, one of Spain’s smallest cathedral
and university towns and discover the lovely vernacular architecture
of Vinuesa and the exquisite hill-top village of Calatañazor.
DAYS 4, 5 & 6: We spend Day 4 in the provincial capital Soria. Our
visits include some of the greatest examples of
Romanesque art in Spain: the doorway of Santo Domingo, the extraordinary
cloister and church of San Juan de Duero and the riverside sanctuary
of the Patron Saint Saturio. The deep tones of the sandstone of the
historic centre add to the allure of this charming little city.
Days 5 takes us to Almazán and beautiful Medinaceli, the Roman/Moorish
village par excellence, whilst on Day 6 we shall enjoy a gentle day
in the environs of the hotel, walking along the river to Molinos de
Duero, perhaps reading the poetry of Antonio Machado.
DAY 7: We travel south to Berlanga de Duero with its great castle and
Collegiate Church (and its associations with El Cid); the greatest Moorish
castle in Europe at Gormaz and the extraordinary walled village of Rello.
DAY 8: We return to Madrid and our flight to London.
TRAVELLING COMPANIONS: LOUISE WAUGH
has been a painter and printmaker all her life. Her work has hung in
the House of Lords, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition on several occasions,
the Royal Watercolour Society Exhibition at Bankside and various galleries
in mixed and oneman exhibitions in the UK and abroad. She has tutored
in painting throughout Europe, knows Spain well and is happy to share
her expertise and enthusiasm with beginners and experienced students
alike.
THIS TOUR WILL DEPART: 20th May 2010
OUR HOTEL: the lovely Las Nieves
NUMBER IN PARTY: 12-16
THE PRICE OF THIS TOUR: £1460
(single supplement £130)