Open your creative eyes in the Umbrian countryside through travel writing and photography
May 18-24, 2010

Spend seven days and six nights at the Art Monastery Project’s Casale Santa Brigida in Southern Umbria. A maximum of 14 participants will spend the week engaged in discovery, play and creativity.  Our group will experience all five senses over the course of a week as we scoop out the insider’s view of Umbria. Lonely Planet Tuscany and Umbria author and trip co-leader Alex Leviton, also a professional writing coach, will work with each group member individually during the week. We’ll spend some time each day on writing or, one day, photography, for a well rounded travel documenting experience. Whether you’re looking to pitch an article to the New York Times, beef up your personal journaling or photography skills, or simply enhance your visit to Umbria through fully engaged eyes, learning travel writing tools will undoubtedly change your relationship to travel. For information or to sign up (space is limited!) Contact julia@artmonastery.org

Activities during the week
-Try your hand at throwing ceramics at a family-run Deruta pottery shop that uses the famous majolica technique from hundreds of years ago
-Raft the Nera river below Umbrian hill towns
-Visit the St. Francis Basilica in Assisi at sunrise
-Dine in several of Umbria’s best restaurants, from local trattorie to a truffle farmer’s paradise; meet the chefs
-Picnic in a field of wildflowers
-Laze about at the infinity pool or do yoga under olive trees
-Learn how to cook an Umbrian meal at an 11th century castle
-Visit the wine country for wine and olive oil tasting
-Spend one to two hours each day focused on writing and photography techniques you can use to pitch travel pieces,   or simply to get more out of your travel journal
-Try your hand at writing a Lonely Planet POI (point of interest) review
-Receive one-on-one writing instruction
-Guest blog on the Casale Santa Brigida Website
Details
Arrive Monday, May 17, 2010. We will pick up participants at the Orte or Civita Castellana train stations or, for an extra fee, at Fiumicino (FCO) airport in Rome. Departure is Monday, May 24, 2010, between 11am and 3pm.

Prices
Prices include transportation and most meals, as well as coaching and accommodation. Flights, incidentals and travel insurance are the responsibility of the participant.
Non refundable 30% deposit due by April 20th.
Double room with a friend: 950 euro
Double room with a same sex stranger, if available: 850 euro
Single supplement: 200 euro

Trip Leaders

ALEX LEVITON, AUTHOR OF LONELY PLANET TUSCANY & UMBRIA ( BIO )

JULIA POND, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING, ART MONASTERY PROJECT ( BIO )

Reservations and Inquiries: Julia@artmonastery.org