Holiday courses

Painting in Provence

OK, so your name may not be Cézanne or Picasso, but maybe if you follow in the footsteps of the masters to the sunny south of France, you will catch their talent like a cold.

At the Maison des Arts, talented English artist and patient tutor Mitch Waite offers an intensive and passionate painting course, in the peaceful village of La Colle sur Loup, near Nice.

The one-week course comprises charcoal, gouache, acrylic, oils and watercolours as well as tackling perspective, colour mixing, still life, landscapes, street scenes and portraiture.

It's serious stuff! Classes begin at 9am and, except for a lunch break, last until 5.30pm. But on the plus side, you get excellent teaching, attractive accommodation in a restored 18th century house with garden (each bedroom is named after an artist), and an all-inclusive package. If your partner doesn't paint, they can skip the classes (and their cost) but enjoy Provence and the fine food of Mitch's Swedish wife, Hanna, to the full.

The Maison des Arts also offers courses in Creative Thinking and Stress Management.

Courses: One week courses run every alternate week. The course includes six days of tuition, full board accommodation, transfer to and from Nice International Airport, all drinks, Provencal Cookery Class, excursions, professional art materials, use of sculpture studios, complimentary souvenir CD recording your course and three months free exhibition of your paintings in the Maison des Arts Internet gallery.

Cost: Courses start at £900 per person for one day, to £2,441 for a four-day course.

Contact:
Maison des Arts
10 Rue Marechal Foch
06480 La Colle sur Loup
Tel +33 (0) 4 93 32 32 50
Fax +33 (0) 4 93 32 32 59
info@maisondesarts.com
www.maisondesarts.com

Stained-glass Window-Making

First, measure up the windows in your home. Then head for the little village of Martel (near Brive) in the Lot, two hours drive north from Toulouse. You will be staying chez stained-glass window maestro, Leo Amery (from London) and his French wife, Claudine and dedicating six hours per day to learning the craft.

In your free time, you will be dining on Claudine's south-western cuisine. Courses are in English and French - so you can improve your language along with your art.

Courses: One week per month

Cost: 5-day beginners' course costs £445 (supplementary £45-75 for materials). This includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner on the night of arrival. Check costs.

Contact: The Amery Family, Bagadou Bas, 466000 Martel
Tel +33 (0) 5 65 37 40 07.
Fax +33 (0) 5 65 37 44 56

Paris Promenades Gourmandes with Paule Caillat

Gourmet on Tour offer around 25 programmes in France, blending good food with a healthy dose of French culture. Options are available in Bordeaux, Normandy, Provence, Burgundy, the Dordogne and Paris.

For those short on time and big on food, Promenades Gourmandes with Paule Caillet is a good option. This non-residential day course can be fitted into a weekend break or even work wonders for Eurostar day-trippers. Meet with Cordon Bleu chef and guide Paule Caillet and let her guide you around the food heart of Paris, from the best markets to choice butchers, and the cavernous kitchens of the Hotel de Crillon. You can then return to Caillat's kitchen in the Marais district and cook your shopping. Then eat it over a leisurely and well earned lunch. In the afternoon you will be seeking out specialist delicatessens and cheese makers, as well as the famous Poilâne bakery and Dehillerin, Paris' landmark kitchen equipment emporium.

Course: Day courses run every day of the week except Sunday and Monday when markets are closed and August when Paris is closed (except for the tourists!).

Cost: Approx £125 for a half day's promenade.

Contact: Tel: 020 7396 5550
www.gourmetontour.com.