Local Retreats in Sonoma County: Forestville, California

Italia Ancora: Prose, Poetry and Pasta

Saturday August 14, 2010

THIS RETREAT IS FULL: THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE SPACES

The next retreat is November 13th: PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

Since 2009, Sharon Smith and I have collaborated on local writing retreats at her home in Forestville, California. Sharon and her husband David call this place Birdland, because of the wonderful variety of birds on their property. This beautiful spot is serene, spacious and comfortable: perfect for a writing retreat.

The property has two structures: a comfortable log cabin with a gourmet kitchen, and a modern studio with plenty of chairs and pillows, a wood burning stove, and lots of natural light. We write in the studio.

Please join us for our next daylong retreat in Forestville on Saturday August 14th, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, celebrating the warm days of summer and the pleasure of Italian food. In anticipation of our upcoming international retreat in Umbria, and because our Italian picnic in April was so well received, we have once again chosen an Italian theme for our meal. (If you haven’t signed up, but want to join us in Umbria, there are a few spaces left. Click here for more information).

The August retreat will have the same format as our April retreat: we'll write all morning, take several short breaks, and one longer break at lunchtime. For lunch, we’ll enjoy pasta dishes made with fresh, seasonal, local produce, a crisp cool salad, warm Nightingale Breads focaccia, and of course, delicious homemade Italian desserts. After lunch, we’ll write again all afternoon, and end the day with an evening toast of prosecco and antipasti. 

During lunch, Chris and Sharon will talk a bit about the Umbria retreat for those who are interested and answer any questions you may have about that trip. For those planning to go to Umbria in September with us, we are offering a $25 discount for this one-day retreat.

The Forestville Retreat is $150 and includes the all-day workshop, as well as the morning treat, snacks, lunch, dessert, hot beverages and wine.

These retreats tend to fill fast, and many participants return to write with us again, so if you are interested, please make a non-refundable $60 deposit will hold your place. You may do this by arranging to send me a check; you can also sign up on the "Fees and Deposits" page, using the Paypal drop-down menu.

For more information, please click on the "Contact" tab on your left to contact me, Chris DeLorenzo. Also, feel free to call me at 415-206-9771.

To contact Sharon about accomodations or restaurants, or see more photos of Birdland, check out Sharon's web site at http://www.savorsmith.com or contact her directly at SavoringSF@aol.com or 415-378-8005

Accomodations in the area:

The Sonoma Orchid Inn

The Radford Inn

The Sebastopol Inn

And for a cool day spa, see Osmosis

To learn more about my international retreats, click on the International Writing Retreats link in the column on your left.