As we approach the winter solstice, Vistas Sketching Holidays would like to wish all clients past, present and future, a very happy festive period and a peaceful, healthy and prosperous 2023.
In the new year I will be updating dates, prices and departures of the holidays and, hopefully, finalise the itineraries of the new Scottish trips. I am aiming to send out a newsletter with the details, so keep your eyes peeled for that (and if you are not yet on the mailing list, just send me a message. Newsletter updates are very infrequent and are designed to inform, not harangue).
I am greatly looking forward to being back in Morocco for the month of March, with two itineraries running at maximum capacity: the ‘Painted Desert’ trip starting and finishing in Fes, and ‘Discover Morocco’ which leaves from the pink city of Marrakech. As both these trips are full, if you are hoping for a Moroccan holiday in 2023, please ask for details of the artists’ semi-tutored/untutored retreat in October (‘Far Horizons’), which runs alongside an intensive beginners’ course (‘Lines in the Sand’). This trip will run with a minimum of three participants and a maximum of eight, regardless of whether you are joining the retreat or taking the course. We all stay in the same place and meet up each evening to share our struggles, achievements and stories. It will be relaxing and fun, with a bit of sight-seeing along the way so if you’re tempted, now’s the time to give it some proper thought!
I can scarcely wait to feel the sun on my back again, and luckily for me I don’t have to wait until March. I have an old friend conveniently located on a mountainside in Tenerife, and that’s where I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks. I’m not a big fan of Christmas (I celebrate solstices) and I’m not too keen on Scottish winters either, so I am making a timely getaway.
It’s mildly disappointing that I won’t be sailing across to gorgeous Gomera this time; Tenerife has some beautiful, tranquil places tucked away from the tourist areas and stupendously majestic mountain scenery that I shall enjoy sketching when I get the chance but – shhh, don’t tell anyone – it doesn’t really come close to La Gomera, which has an atmosphere all of its own. It is an absolutely perfect and unique place to spend a week on a sketching holiday and I thoroughly recommend the ‘Mists of Time’ itinerary to anyone who has yet to experience its delights. The next departure is October 2023, so start planning your autumn escape now!
Meanwhile, stay warm, stay safe and keep on dreaming!
