Writing Workshop in Belgium with Kathleen Archambeau
If you are interested in teaching on our tours,
please contact us.
For the Writer in You! 7 people only! All levels welcome.
Everyone is a writer. Most of us want to write but
everything else gets in the way of it. Come to Belgium and take time out for yourself
to discover and re-discover the joy of writing and the power of the
written word.
Kathleen Archambeau is
a San Francisco Bay Area author. Her first book, Climbing the
Corporate Ladder in High Heels, has been translated into four
languages -- Korean, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Chinese -- and
is available on iTunes.
Her second publication, an essay
entitled, "Seized," was published in an anthology of
21 authors, including Pulitzer Prize winner, Jane Smiley, called,
The Other Woman edited by Victoria Zackheim and featured
on The Today Show, in O magazine and on Canada's bestseller list.
Archambeau has studied with Nobel Prize for Literature winner
Derek Walcott, National Book Award winner Adrienne Rich and
American Book Award winner Elizabeth Woody.
She's taught writing for more than 20 years at four private
SF Bay Area universities. In addition, Archambeau taught at
the Weller International School of Business, headquarted in
Paris, France. Archambeau holds a Master's Degree in Education
from the University of Iowa
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Tours and Writing Excursions
Day 1: Arrival
We will pick you up at the Brussels airport, early in the afternoon
or at the train station in Bruges. You will have time to relax
by the pool at our charming hotel before enjoying a welcome reception
and gourmet dinner.
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Day 2: Memorial Museum of WWI
The Ypres region (Western Belgium) became an international symbol
of senseless military violence in its most cruel form. In the
Memorial Museum the memory of the battle is kept alive through
images and movies, a large collection of historical artefacts
and several life-like-diorama's.
Eye-cathcher is an underground
dugout tunnel with communication- and dressing post, headquarters,
workplaces and dormitories. A breathtaking experience of how
the British had to live underground like moles... just because
there was nothing left above.
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Day 3: Windmills and Chocolate Tasting
Morning: Canals in Damme
Damme is one of the most charming villages in Belgium. Located
in the Flanders, between the beaches and Bruges this village
will
enchante you with its mills, canals, barges, gothic church and
plaza.
We will also vist a windmill in activity since 1878. The miller
will show you how they still make flouer with a the 19th century
machinery.
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Afternoon: Chocolate Tasting
Chocolate is of course number 1 specialty in Belgium.
It was in Belgium that the first praline was made by filling an
empty chocolate shell with a rich, intense center.
Olfactory and
tasty delights are on the program. The chocolate master will make
pralines in front of us and we will then sample various chocolate
delights. |
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Days 4 and 5: Bruges, the Venice of the North
© Toerisme Brugge
This splendid medieval city is one of Belgium's crown jewels and
is largely considered one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. In
no other European city are the look and feel of medieval times so
present as here in this city close to the North Sea.
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The historic downtown of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage
Site since 2000. In 2002, Bruges was designated the 'cultural
capital of Europe'.
We will have a guided walk from the quaint Beguinage quarters
to the impressive Grand Place.
Lace is one of the specialties in Bruges. We will attend a lace
workshop demonstration by Anya who learnt how to make lace since
she was 6.
We will take a boat ride through the 15 km of canals that are
going through town. You will have spectacular views of the city.
Visit "Our Lady" Church that contains a marble statue
of Michelo di Angelo, one of the unique pieces outside Italy.
Beer is also the specialty of Bruges. You will be able to take
a guided tour of the last brewery in Bruges with, of course,
a tasting of their beer.
If you ar not tired, there are many museums to visit: from
the chocolate museum to the Groeninge Museum with the art of
the Primitive Painters.
Your two days in Bruges will be unforgettable and big source
of inspiration for your writting.
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Day 6: Sand Beaches by the North Sea
We will go to Ostend, the queen resort of the North Sea, only
located ten miles from our guesthouse.
All along the sandy beaches of Belgium, a boardwalk is alive
with outdoor cafes, shops, bikers, rollerbladers and strange
vehicles known as cuistax (ask the locals what it means!).
That will be the perfect time for ice cream, a Belgian waffle,
a beer at the beach café, ride the cuistax or a bike
on the boardwalk or just relax on the beach and get your inspiration
flowing.
We will have dinner by the beach to see the sunset.
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Day 7: The Royal City of Brussels
Morning: Guided
Walk in the Heart of Brussels
The bilingual capital of Belgium, is renowned for its architecture
(medieval, Gothic, Art Nouveau and Art Déco), the Grand Place,
the royal palace, its pubs and its expensive boutiques.
The Grand
Place, (an old market square surrounded by buildings from 16th
- 18th centuries) with its Golden Gothic facades is widely considered
to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe. |
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Afternoon: Free Time for
writing, shopping or museums
Since this is your last day, you will probably have some shopping
to do. You can find everything in Brussels, from cheap shops
to luxurious boutiques. If you are not a shopper, there are
plenty of museums to choose from. You can also buy some chocolates
at the famous Newhaus chocolate maker regarded as number one
in Belgium.
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Day 8: Departure
After our last breakfast together, we'll drive you to the Brussels
airport or the Bruges train station. |
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Writing Excursions
Kathleen's philosophy of writing is: "Everyone is a writer".
However, to call yourself a writer, you have to write. Kathleen
is a big fan of writing without editing the rough draft and
using right-brain writing techniques to get to the "juice" of
the story. In her workshops, there are no mistakes, just roads
not taken.
Archambeau believes that writers are made not born. With the
right environment, everyone can write powerful prose and carefully
distilled poetry. Specific positive feedback encourages writing
that flows. By the end of the workshop, everyone will have a
short body of work upon which to build. No editing. No critique.
Just pure joy in the written word.
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This workshop will help you get started on creative writing projects
of all genres -- short stories, articles, creative nonfiction, essays,
novels, poems, memoirs and personal essays.
Kathleen looks forward to sharing the writer's journey with you --
in Belgium!
For more pictures, visit
our photogallery and for travel stories from our guests with pictures
and info about Belgium, visit
our blog.
Accommodation
Our charming hotel near Bruges
Our accommodation is very charming, quaint and luxurious at the same
time: beautiful and sunny sunroom where we will take our breakfasts and a big
living room with a grand piano. It has 12 rooms, each with radio and
TV, and full bathroom. You will be able to relax either in the open
air swimming pool or in the hot tub.
Dates
August 15-22, 2010
Rate
$2,990 per person (land cost)
Includes
- Brussel airport pick up at 1PM (or Bruges trian station) and
drop off at 11AM
- A welcome reception
- All nights
- All breakfasts
- Four dinners
- Transportation
in a comfortable van
- A personal bilingual chauffeur/guide throughout the
week
- All writing sessions with the teacher
- Entrance fees to all sites on the tour
Excludes
- Flights to and from Belgium
- Lunches and three dinners
- Personal expenses and tipping
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