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Newsletter July 2011
At Maravilhas
After a winter and a spring with sufficient rain, nature is looking lush and green at Monte Maravilhas at this moment.
This winter we renovated and enlarged the shed near Casa Azul. And in the end of January Prem visited Tiruvannamalai in India for meditation en inspiration. It’s a special place with a lot of ashrams. Here Prem met Ray from Sweden, who is now living and working at Monte Maravilhas.
Active holidays
In June several courses were held at Monte Maravilhas: a painting holiday, a yoga week and a massage & meditation course. We are already looking forward to the next active holidays in autumn: a Portuguese language and culture course and a group-hiking trip. Of course John, our permanent cook will be present during these weeks to prepare lovely vegetarian meals.
Group-hiking holiday 24th September – 1st October
During this group-hiking holiday Monika will replace our walking guide Devi. Monika is a true lover of walking and she has lived here since 1997. She therefore knows the surroundings of Monte Maravilhas very well.
If you want to book this group hiking or would like more information please feel free to contact us!
Portuguese language and culture course 1st – 8th October 2011
The Dutch Sabina, who has lived in Portugal for a very long time, is offering courses Portuguese at Monte Maravilhas. She has done so for the last 4 years. Sabina is very enthusiastic about Portugal and she will make sure the course-members will not only learn how to speak Portuguese but will also experience the Portuguese culture. Included in the programme is the annually fado night in São Martinho das Amoreiras.
This is what Sabina Guicherit-Sorber herself says about the course:
“And here you are, as a fresh course-member, in a small mini Mercado, asking the local shopkeeper for a piece of soap and a can of tuna. And I would like a packet of Caldo Verde soup as well please. What happens next? Most probably you will get a very friendly answer, rapidly spoken in dialect!
However this is the way things go around here. As a fresh student it’s fun to ask or order something in Portuguese. And most of the times it will just work out fine! The people of the small village of São Martinho das Amoreiras near Monte Maravilhas are friendly and know we are always coming to them to practise our Portuguese.
The next day we are going to Santa Clara to enjoy the lake, watch the villagers and order a drink at a lovely sunny terrace. Unpredictable situations may occur! Visiting a fado night at the village or listening to music in the living room of Maravilhas with a glass of Portuguese wine in our hands: everything is possible.
A lot of course-members often say the week flew by to quick! It’s the best compliment a teacher can get from her students!”
Would you like to learn the Portuguese language and culture in a relaxed way too? Please contact us for more information or a reservation. You can still book the Portuguese language and culture course of 1st – 8th October next!
Guests of…. a painting holiday at Maravilhas
In the end of May and the beginning of June several courses were held at Maravilhas. The atmosphere once again was splendid and all course-members as well as teachers were very enthusiastic. Below you can read an impression of the last painting holiday.
Painting holiday May-June 2011
Claudia, Anita and Heleen: “For the second year on row we participated in the painting holiday at Maravilhas. And again it was superb! Of course we paint a lot but we also do other things. We go to the sea for a swim, walk through lush green nature with beautiful flowers and enjoy the best vegetarian meals ever. And all that without household, work or stress! John, our cook, really is a magician in the kitchen!
Every day starts with a meditation, a pleasant thing to experience. Each meditation is in line with the task of that day and helps you to concentrate and prepare well. After a breakfast with fresh rolls we start painting. Rupa accompanies and inspires us. She is an artist herself and a very good teacher. She gives you a task, which you can fill in freely. Because she always sees what a person needs or wants you get individual advice, which is very pleasant.
At the end of the morning session we always discuss each other’s work. It’s funny how a similar task can lead to surprisingly different creatures! After a good lunch, mostly with a fresh soup, we start painting again. To ‘finish’ or ‘improve’ our paintings.
And at the end of the week we always hold an exhibition.
During the painting holiday Prem, the owner of Monte Maravilhas, gave a massage course to another group. There is a lovely mixture of cosiness and room for privacy at Maravilhas. We eat and talk together, watch the stars, enjoy a splash in the swimming pool or make a walk in the nearby surroundings. Everyone feels free to do something together or alone. We are certainly coming back next year and are already looking forward to a week all for ourselves!”
Teacher Rupa Bokhorst: “ Most course-members of the last painting holiday were here for the second time. Therefore we could work differently and broaden each individual technique. Every day the meditation and task had a theme, which the students could fill in freely.
The atmosphere was very good and the students worked really hard. Until the last minute before the exhibition some of them were still painting and sweating! The result was great. Because of the intense attention and openness to try something new, there were a lot of fantastic and surprising paintings. It really was a success and I’m very happy and proud of this group!”
Friends of Maravilhas
In September 2010 Monte Maravilhas has welcomed their new neighbours. Mooji, a spiritual teacher from England has come to work and live here. He and his friends bought 30 acres of land to start a retreat centre. We are very happy with these new friends!
Tip: Casa Amarela and summer events
If you too want to enjoy a lovely, relaxing holiday at Monte Maravilhas, we still have some options for this summer. Casa Amarela and Casa Mimosa are still available from 27th August. If your prefer camping, you are welcome to stay at our small campsite or to rent our equipped caravan which is still available.
Also nice to know: this summer there are several interesting festivals in the surroundings of Monte Maravilhas:
22 – 30 July ’11: Festival Musicas do Mundo in Sines
22 – 24 July ’11: Faceco (annual industries fair) in São Teotónio
04 – 08 August ’11: Festival Sudoeste in Zambujeira do Mar
07 – 15 August ’11: Medieval festival in Silves
02 – 04 September ’11: Festival in São Martinho das Amoreiras
Until the next newsletter!
Kind regards from the Maravilhas team
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