Vino Di Visciola for those of you who do not know is a beautiful after dinner drink - a cherry wine that slips down with the minimum of effort.

This drink is not always easy to find in shops and when we were asked by one client if we could find them a dozen bottles before they went back to the UK the following week we knew we had our work cut out.

A bit of sleuthing later and an after hours pick up and we had managed it.

The best bit was being given a bottle by the client as he took possesion of the consignment. Cheers

We are delighted to announce that Villa Castelletta  (www.italian-holiday-villa.com ) in conjunction with John Smith, will be offering a number of painting holidays in 2006. Whilst the final details are still being thrasshed out, the principal for these week long events, along with fun, will be based on full board , with tuition in the mornings, the ability to participate in organised trips in the afternoons or simply collapse by the pool or continue with your own painting. John, in addition to offering fine art tuition in oils and watercolours will also teach mural painting and trompe l’oeil techniques. Excluding flights, but including all transportation (should you not wish to hire a car), meals, accommodation and tuition we are hoping to offer this for approximately £825 a head for a week. The numbers on the course will be based around a minimum of 6 being tutored and a maximum of 12. We are also hoping that friends/partners etc of those being tutored will want to come at the same time and just enjoy the Villa and the local area. Clearly a diferent price will be applicable for those not painting.

JOHN A SMITH FINE ARTIST/MURAL PAINTER

John Smith studied art at Stourbridge College of Art in the 1960’s and started a career in advertising. He moved to the Channel Islands In 1970 where he carried on his career, he returned to England and settled in picturesque Herefordshire in the late 1970’s, where he started to work as a freelance illustrator. Portraiture slowly took over from illustration work, but with a continuing interest in the countryside and landscape painting. John taught at Herefordshire College of Art for 15 years. John has exhibited in Monaco, London and throughout the UK and traditionally paints in oils but is completely at ease with mixed media; water colour, acrylics, pencil etc. and regularly undertakes large mural and trompe Leoil commissions

This year we were please to host,  organised through one of our repeat guests, a week long Spiritial Retreat. A group of 10 guests came for a week of physical and mental pampering on an all inclusive basis. From being picked up at the airport to having a daily maid service and all meals prepared (with the exception of a couple of meals out) every personal need was catered for. The three highlights of the week for the guests were the Massage and Yoga sessions – held by two specialists flown in from the USA – and the last night’s Pizza making extravaganza where all the guests were able to participate in making their own pizza and cooking it in the Villa’s traditional wood burning oven.

Through Alison, we are hoping to run one or two more such weeks next year. If this is something that may interest you please send me an email – info@italian-holiday-villa.com  and I will pass your details straight on to Alison who will be able to fill you in on the details.

By way of name dropping……. The yoga and spiriual guide for the week was Jules Paxton who has become the practitioner of choice to many well know people – Donna Karan, Sting, Denise Rich, Annie Lennox and Barbara Streisand to name a few. So you will be in good company!