The south of France is a dream destination, with its pastel sunlight, romantic landscapes and rich heritage that has inspired artists throughout the centuries. Imagine yourself in a little-known gem of a village situated beneath the sacred Canigou mountains, where you can indulge your creative spirit. Here in a place known as “Paradise in the Pyrenees” you can write, paint, take photos or cook authentic french cuisine and Catalan dishes under the guidance of an international artistic team!
Live, learn create!
In the village of Vernet-les-Bains, sought out by Victorian royalty for its healing thermal waters, creativity flourishes. At this little-known destination in the “other” south of France, Creative France Workshops is debuting small-group workshops in a setting that is truly magical. Choose your art and your lodging – from a splendid Belle Epoque villa or stone eco-gite with a stunning pool, to a hand-hewn tiny village home, and everything else – gourmet meals and picnics, tastings, and excursions – is arranged!
Cook French and Catalan
A marriage of ancient cuisines dating back to the 12th century, with recipes touted in Renaissance literature, Catalan cooking is a Mediterranean fare that will delight the senses and is easy to replicate when you get home. This farm-to-table cuisine features ultra-fresh locally grown vegetables, humanely raised local beef, and seafood from the nearby Mediterranean. Choose vegetarian, meat or fish and learn how to create mouth-watering tapas, soups and rich, warming stews eaten with crusty breads from the village boulangeries. Desserts are prepared with milk from the local creameries and fruit from village orchards.
Renowned Chef Dimitri Vasnier travelled the globe with his culinary expertise, founding his own restaurant in New York City before setting up La Table des Amis in Vernet-les-Bains. Here in the restaurant’s modern, spacious kitchen you’ll chop, sautée, and bake in the tradition of mountain cuisine. You will also learn how to make classic French pastries since Dimitri is also a pastry chef! When the meal is ready, you’ll sit on the terrace together, sip local wine and enjoy the mouthwatering fruits of your labor.
Writing, Painting, Photography
If cooking doesn’t call to you, how about “finding your voice” under the guidance of award-winning American author and journalist Judith Reitman-Texier who now lives in Vernet-les-Bains? Gain clarity about your life, discover your next path, or leave your family a beautiful written legacy. You have a story only you can tell, and Judith will coach you through the process of this self-discovery which is what memoir writing is all about!
Even if you’ve never picked up a paint brush, consider a watercolor or oil painting workshop in a village that is your perfect canvas. Polish painter Weronika Kacperski takes a Zen-like approach to watercolor that echoes Japanese minimalism. Oil painting instructor Sophie Rajau, who won the 2023 French Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters Silver Medal, will hold a once-a-year workshop in composition, perspective, and pigments for an intimate group for a maximum of four participants.
Finally, there’s an opportunity for photographers in a Photo Essay workshop, where you will learn the narrative structure which will enable you to tell a powerful visual story.
Channel your inner artist
Each workshop typically runs for six days, and the cost includes your tuition, fabulous meals, excursions, wine and pastry tastings and charming accommodation. Choose from a stately manor house, a converted stable or a hand-hewn stone house, or a luxury gite surrounded by spectacular gardens. Whatever your lodging you will be warmly welcomed and serenely comfortable.
Imagine waking in your cozy room in the Belle Epoque Villa Delphina, lingering over fresh pastries, fruits and fragrant coffee, to the sound of birds and cowbells. In the various workshop spaces – Delphina’s garden, along the Cady River, or in the cobblestone village square – you’ll learn and laugh. In the afternoon, enjoy a wine or pastry tasting, take an excursion to a Benedictine abbey within 15 minutes of Vernet, or unwind on a leisurely riverside walk. You might head further afield to a breath-taking coastal village along the Mediterranean with the hills of Spain just beyond. In the evening, gather for an aperitif and a group dinner at a gourmet restaurant in the village.
Whichever workshop you chose you will find the authentic south of France, discover or perfect a talent, make lifelong friends and cherished memories.
Find out more and book your space at Creative France Workshops: creativefranceworkshops.com
