Local Retreat in Sonoma County: Forestville, California

Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18, 2010

Spring Thing: A Writing Picnic, Italian Style
(Choose to come for one or both days!)

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 event, Saturday and Sunday, April 17th & 18th, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm: an all weekend writing retreat we're calling, "Spring Thing: A Writing Picnic, Italian Style." We'll use the season of spring (our favorite) and the Italian celebration of Pasquetta (literally "Little Easter") as inspiration for our writing, and also our lunchtime meal: an Italian picnic. We'll end each day with an evening gathering and a toast. Sharon and I will also serve a morning treat and supply the wine and snacks; we'll ask participants to bring soft drinks to share.

This is our first full weekend retreat. Our past retreats have been on Saturdays only, and many participants have said they'd like more: more time to write, and more time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Birdland. So here we go!

We'll spend the morning writing; take a few short breaks, and one forty-five minute break for the Italian picnic lunch. Each day we’ll supply different Italian offerings that reflect the season. (Those who want to keep on writing will be given a lunch prompt to enjoy with their meal.) We’ll have more writing in the afternoon.

On Saturday, we'll finish the writing session at 6:00 pm with an evening toast: a glass of wine with an antipasto.

On Sunday, we’ll offer a glass of wine with lunch. We'll finish again at 6:00 with another toast, gathering this time for coffee, tea, and cookies, so you can easily get on the road.

Each day is a bit different, so some people will want to write with us both days, but it's your choice. We're hoping many participants will make a long weekend out of this, stay in one of the local bed and breakfasts in the area, and come back on Sunday to write again. Forestville is located in the center of Sonoma county, near Sebastopol, so retreat participants can easily travel anywhere in the wine country from Birdland. (Please see accommodation links below.)

We’re ending early enough both days so you can go out to a nice dinner in the area. There are wonderful places nearby to dine. We’ll post some of them soon, but you can also call or email Sharon for ideas. It’s her expertise.

The Forestville Retreat is $150 for each day (or $300 for both), and includes the all-day workshop, as well as the morning treat, snacks, the picnic lunch, dessert, hot beverages and wine.

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.