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Slovenia Writing House

with Judyth Hill
September 17-24, 2023

*Due to the intimacy of our group during the retreat, we ask that all participants be fully vaccinated.*

Eat-Write-Travel

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Step away from everyday demands in this destination writing retreat geared for reflection and adventure. Nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia is home to medieval villages, storybook castles, cosmopolitan cities, and lush green forests. Enjoy the tranquility of the Krka Valley and the hospitality of the Novak Lodge while savoring extraordinary farm-to-table cuisine and world-class wine.

Our Slovenia Writing House is designed for writers who are currently working on a literary project. Limited to six participants, this experience offers individual attention and support, as well as a stimulating, insightful environment.

Join Poet, Author, Teacher, Judyth Hill, for a delicious, enlivening week in a place that offers both the peace and tranquility to get serious work done, and the sensual and culinary beauty to feel utterly inspired every second!

Take the next step in your writing life. This is the Writing Retreat you’ve been dreaming about!

Do you yearn for easy, relaxed stretches of time to write? To light up your Creativity: be on fire for your work? To create a finished manuscript of your poems? Plan, start or finish a novel? A Memoir? A Travel book? A cookbook? A Performance piece? Write your book proposal and query letters?

This destination writing retreat at a mountain lodge in gorgeous Slovenia is the place to get your project energized, on track, or if you’re at your final stage: completed! And get feedback!

This is the get-down-to-it Getaway!!! The best of both: travel and discovery time, and real time to write!

We will set individual goals in our various genres, have luxurious time to work on our projects, alone and together. We'll share our work, listen to and mutually support each other.

We will drop down deeply into our writing life with passion and vigor.

The Slovenia Wrting House includes 12 hours of class, sharing our work in the evenings, and 3 hours of private mentoring with Judyth (2 hours in Slovenia and 1 hour online).

Each afternoon we'll break for an activity in the kitchen to learn about local food production and preparation by picking fruit from heirloom trees, canning preserves, making schnapps or foraging in the forest. The Novaks practice SlowFood by securing the majority of their ingredients from their fields, their neighbors, the nearby forest and famed local trout stream. It will be the freshest food you've ever tasted!


Itinerary

Day 1

WELCOME TO SLOVENIA! Arrive to Ljubljana and the Hotel Slon in Old Town. In the evening, we'll gather along the river for introductions and a glass of local wine before a dinner of Slovenian specialities.

DAY 2

Walking and tasting tour of the city, followed by free time to wander the cobbled streets or write in one of the town's many picturesque settings. Afternoon writing class to discuss your goals for the week and share your projects. Free evening.

DAY 3

We'll transfer to the Novak Lodge by way of the scenic Julian Alps and one of Slovenia's best-preserved medieval towns – Skopia Loka. After walking the narrow streets, we'll lunch on regional specialties in a centuries-old tavern. Then we'll continue on to Lake Bled with a tour of its castle and famous pastry shops. Dinner at the Lodge.

DAY 4

Visit Sticna Abbey, the oldest monastery in the country. Discover its herbal pharmacy and sip tea grown in its garden. Lunch at the award-winning Otecec Castle restaurant. Afternoon writing class. Dinner at the Lodge.


DAY 5

A day of writing! Schedule private mentoring sessions. If you need a break, join the Novaks for a walk through the forest, foraging our dinner along the way. Evening check-in with Judyth. Dinner at the Lodge.

DAY 6

Predjama castle, nestled into a hillside, is our first stop on the way to Slovenia’s most famous wine region—Nova Gorica. We’ll lunch with a local vinter and his family in the medieval village of Goce. Then proceed to a modern organic winery in the Vipava Valley. Dinner of fresh-from-the-river trout at the Lodge.



DAY 7

Writing class with a free afternoon to work on your project. For those who'd like a break, indulge in a luxurious visit to the neighboring spa town of Dolenjske Toplice. Readings in the garden. Orange wine tasting in Boris's private cellar before our farewell dinner.

DAY 8

After a final breakfast together, return to either Ljubljana airport or train station.

*most meals will be at the Novak Lodge, home to some of the country's best cuisine.

**itinerary subject to change depending on local festivals and markets.

Pricing

Basic

Slovenia Writing House:
$3200, double occupancy

Single supplement: $400

Additional night at Hotel Slon: $175

Included in the price are accommodations: 2 nights in Ljubljana at the Hotel Slon and 5 nights at the Novak Lodge, all ground transportation after arriving at the Ljubljana hotel, all group activities, tours, and meals, with the exception of dinner on Day 2, as well as 12 hours of group classes and 3 hours private mentoring with Judyth (2 hours in Slovenia and 1 hour online). If you choose to visit the Dolenjske Toplice spa for the day, the treatments are not included.


Extras

Not included: transportation to and from Slovenia, but we'll be happy to help you with the arrangements.

We can also accommodate a friend or spouse who wants to join the tour but not attend the classes.

We encourage you to arrive in Ljubljana, the nation's capitol, a day or two before the writing retreat begins in order to get over your jet lag and get the most from your experience. We'd be happy to book additional nights at Hotel Slon.

Please be aware that we can only accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated. This insures the safety of the group as well as the people whose homes we will be visiting.


Deposit

A $1000 per person deposit is required to reserve your place in the Slovenia Writing House. Since the number of participants is limited and accommodations vary, early reservations are recommended. Once your deposit is received, an email confirmation will be sent. We encourage you not to purchase airline tickets until you have received our letter of confirmation.

The balance is due no later than 90 days before the retreat begins. If not received by that time, EAT-WRITE-TRAVEL reserves the right to treat the reservation as cancelled.











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