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Courtesy
of ArtExchange Greece |
Top Picks
for Alternative Travel in Europe
By Nicole Rosenleaf Ritter, GoNOMAD ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL
GUIDE
Of all the
destinations to "go alternative," Europe is it. Without too
much effort, it’s easy to spend the entire summer making art, cooking,
drinking wine, learning languages, volunteering and more! Whatever your
passion, there’s an alternative for you in Europe!
ARTS AND
CRAFTS
- Greek
Arts
Offering small-group tours that focus on learning about and making art
in Greece, ArtExchange Greece has flexible itineraries allowing
for maximum interaction with local artisans and unique trips to smaller,
off-the-beaten-path galleries and sites. Tours are held in the off-season
to maximize the intimate experience. Vineyard and wine-making tours
are offered on some trips.
artexchange-greece.com
- Spanish
Arts
Horizons to Go offers a week of workshops and excursions throughout
southern Spain. Based in Seville and Andalusia, itineraries include
both visits to galleries and sites of architectural interest and practical
workshops in which participants can create their own artistic works–no
matter their level. Workshops include tile-making and ceramics, as well
as painting.
horizons-art.com
- Welsh
Weaving
Learn spinning, dyeing and weaving techniques in residential or non-residential
courses offered by Snail Trail Handweavers in Cardigan, Wales!
snail-trail.co.uk
Other arts
courses in Europe include:
- The Abruzzi
Mountain Art Workshop
Week-long workshops in various media 1 1/2 hours from Rome
artworkshopitaly.com
- ArtStudy
Giverny
Live and paint in Monet’s garden in Giverny, France! All instruction,
lodgings and meals included!
artstudy.com
- Il Chiostro,
Inc
Cooking, painting, photography and writing workshops in Italy.
ilchiostro.com
- Atelier
des Arts
Unique summer Visual Art/Dance Program in Switzerland. Painting, Sculpture,
Photography, Printmaking, Modern Dance.
atelierdesarts.org
- Art in
Provence
Plein-air painting workshops for painters of all levels. Luxurious accommodations
and great excursions.
art-in-provence.com
COOKING AND
WINE
- Pane,
Vino e Lingua-- Bread, Wine and Language in Italy
The Koinè Language School and the wine restaurant, Enoteca
de' Giraldi, work together to provide students with two weeks of
instruction in Italian cooking, language, wines, and culture -- all
in the heart of Florence or on day trips to Tuscan farms.
Both
companies are located in the Palazzo Borghese, one of the biggest
palazzos in Florence, only 100 yards from the Duomo and the Palazzo
Vecchio. The program is offered eight times a year, from March to
October.
vinaio.com/code/combined.html
- Friends
and Food Go Together
Friends and Food International, a member of the Slow Food Movement,
offers unique culinary tours and learning opportunities in Provence
and Tuscany. Connect the food to the culture and explore the real regional
specialties in markets and classes and meals with locals. For more information
on Slow Food International and the Slow Food Movement, see DON’T
EAT SO FAST!
MKHaskell@aol.com
And if
you count Julia Childs and Simone Beck as friends, then you won’t
want to miss the opportunity to indulge in a week-long cooking retreat
offered by Cooking With Friends at Julia’s former home
in Provence. Hands-on cooking classes led by Childs’ former student
Kathie Alex, visits to markets, cheese caves and butcher shops make
cooking in Julia’s kitchen all that much more appealing. Special
June programs take advantage of the long days in the south of France.
cookingwithfriends.com
- Paco’s
Tacos
Get out those flamenco shoes and get ready to stay up late with Pata
Negra’s week-long Spanish and Moorish culinary tours in Andalucia.
Guided tours to vineyards, organic olive farms, markets and other excursions
are combined with 5 days of hands-on instruction in Southern Spanish
and North African cooking. Great meals, great culture and non-cooking
partners are encouraged to attend!
patanegra.net
- World
of Food
Cuisine International offers week-long cooking holidays throughout Europe.
Learn with the top chefs, stay in wonderful inns and villas and explore
the culture of Italy, France, England or Portugal with excursions and
tours.
cuisineinternational.com
Other culinary
learning opportunities in Europe:
- One-Day
Cooking Classes
Don’t want to spend an entire vacation learning to cook? Investigate
the day-classes offered by such notable culinary institutions as Le
Cordon Bleu and local hotels and cooking school. Inquire with the
local tourist board regarding hotel and school classes.
US-based
culinary tour/school, The International Kitchen, also offers
day-long and weekend classes at with local chefs in locations throughout
France and Italy.
Le Cordon
Bleu
In the US Tel; 800-457-CHEF
The International
Kitchen
LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE
Czech
It Out
Summer Prague University offers an intensive Czech language and culture
course in the center of Prague. The program features morning and afternoon
Czech lessons at all levels -- both conversation and grammar -- and
frequent cultural activities, film screenings, pub evenings, and a weekend
excursion to the Bohemian countryside.
A real
bargain, this summer’s month-long courses are set at $570 for
all instruction and trips -- accommodations will set you back another
$200. Due to the program’s multinational participants and energetic
staff, your learning is almost guaranteed to be fun.
sfservis.com
- Learn
Any Language Anywhere
Language Studies Abroad offers courses in language, arts, culture, cooking,
sports and more in 20 countries, including Russia. Classes start weekly
on Mondays and can last from one week to one year. Tuition includes
accommodations in local homes.
- Long
Term Language
CSA, Center For Study Abroad offers 4 or 8 week, summer-long language
courses based at universities in Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Germany
and Russia. College credit is given and tuition includes housing both
in dorms and with families.
studyabroad.com/csa
- Spanish
Steps
Elemadrid, a Spanish language school in Madrid, offers Spanish language
courses along with cultural excursions and opportunities to study Spanish
art, dance and history in Madrid.
elemadrid.com
- Swedish
Summer
Learn Swedish language, arts, drama, pop music, film, history and more
at the Uppsala International Summer Session. 2,4,6 and 8 week
courses include morning and afternoon sessions, fieldtrips and evening
activities. Lodgings in single dorm rooms are included in tuition, as
are most meals. Optional courses include cooking and trips to Finland
and other regions.
uiss.org
- EduVacate!
Custom combine unique language, arts, cooking and sports EduVacations for the whole family in Europe. Go with a friend and you can each do
something different: learn salsa or flamenco, cooking or golf. Being
involved in an activity like cooking or sports is the best way to learn,
and accommodations range from homestays to private apartments. Courses
range from one week to however long you want, and begin at $900.
eduvacations.com
Other language
and culture learning opportunities in Europe:
- Spanish
Abroad
Language, culture, activities and excursions offered several times each
month in Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Barcelona, Tenerife and other Spanish
cities.
spanishabroad.com
- IS
Aix-en-Provence
French Language studies in the heart of Provence
is-aix.com
- Centro
Internazionale Dante Alighieri
Language, culture and cooking in Tuscany
dantealighieri.com
VOLUNTEERING
- Make
a Difference in Europe
Join Global Volunteers in Romania, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Poland
and Spain on a short-term project. In Ireland, volunteers at the Centre
for Reconciliation work on maintenance and other physical projects for
two weeks, and learn valuable peace-building skills. In Romania, volunteers
care for babies in over-worked hospitals or teach English. And on the
island of Crete, volunteers are needed to teach English to students
and adults.
globalvolunteers.org
- Volunteer
for Peace
Vermont-based Volunteers for Peace runs workcamps in 47 countries
-- many in Eastern Europe -- that allow volunteers to get involved in
helping in a community overseas. Some projects are physically demanding,
like a bird habitat reconstruction project in Bosnia, while others are
more interpersonal, like assisting patients with special needs in a
residential center in the Czech Republic or working with kids at a summer
camp in Estonia. Most camps cost only $200 for two-three weeks, and
the fee includes housing. Some meals are included, and in some cases,
there may be a small additional fee to the host NGO in the country to
cover expenses. Volunteers will work with other volunteers from at least
four different countries, so the cross-cultural exchange is doubled!
Special camps for teens, too!
vfp.org
- Watch
the Earth
Join Earthwatch on scientific expeditions throughout Europe this
summer. Study Icelandic glaciers or Spanish dolphins, songbirds, seabirds,
mammals and dinosaurs. Archaeological sites in Italy, Ireland, Spain
and the UK are also in need of volunteers. Discovery Weekends are two-day
programs designed to introduce volunteers to a region’s scientific
and natural beauty, and collect data for specific projects. All volunteer
program costs include food and housing.
earthwatch.org
- La
Sabranenque Restoration Projects
Don’t let history fall apart! Volunteer with La Sabranenque to help restore medieval structures and monuments throughout France
and Italy. Volunteers live in a medieval village near Avignon in Provence
and learn traditional building techniques while exploring the area.
Volunteer sessions run May through October. For more information see, TOP PROGRAMS
FOR RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL IN EUROPE.
sabranenque.com
Other volunteer
opportunities in Europe:
- Union
REMPART
Join others interested in architecture and history in these 15-day historic
monument restoration workcamps in France. The work is physically demanding,
but the results are historic! The web site is in French, but English
volunteers are encouraged to participate.
rempart.com
- The
National Trust
Volunteers join "Working Vacations" -- week-long, weekend
or longer conservation and preservation projects at 140 sites the UK
for only £51 per week!
nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteers
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
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