May 2018

Monday 28th May to Friday 1st June 2018 : Spring Colours Knitting Tour


Enjoy the vibrant colours of the Costa Brava in all its spring finery: the vivid tones of wild lavender, the delicate blue of rosemary, blood red poppies, sky blue cornflowers, the jewelled blooms of the wild cacti and the delicate hues of the rock roses. We'll explore the celebrated gardens of Blanes, we'll walk the ancient streets of Girona, and we'll check out the brilliant palette on display at the Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres.


Nutshell of what's included:

Price:
  • £800/person (double room, single occupancy).
  • £700/person for additional person in same room.

Price Includes:
  • Sea view double room with en-suite bathroom.
  • 4 Nights at 4* Hotel Eden Roc, half board, wifi and taxes.
  • 3 Knitting Workshops and knit-along in the hotel each night after dinner.
  • Complimentary yarn kit.
  • Use of spa and pool facilities.
  • 3 group tours.

Please note that the following are not included in the price:
  • Bar bill
  • Lunches 
  • Travel to and from Spain.
  • Airport transfers are not included, but please ask for a quotation if you'd like us to arrange them for you. 
  • Hotel parking
  • Treatments booked in the hotel spa.

Monday 28th May 2018

Guests will arrive today and check into the Eden Roc, our 4 star hotel, that clings to a clifftop just outside of town. Surrounded by terraced gardens, and with a sparkling sea beyond, it will be our base for the next 5 days.

Optional early-bird walking tour of Sant Feliu de Guixols

For anyone arriving early Bonny will be happy to show you around the village. Sant Feliu nestles in a perfect horseshoe bay, protected from the winter storms by its long harbour wall. Just around the headland from the sandy beach there's a bustling harbour where pleasure craft and fishing boats are moored. In the centre of town there's a great selection of shops, bars and restaurants. On every day of the week except Monday there's a market in the market square.



Sant Feliu is an ancient place - it pre-dates the Romans. And on the edge of town we'll visit the monastery that's stood here - in one form or another - since the very beginning. It started out as a Roman necropolis. A wealthy Roman's tomb formed the foundation for one of its early towers. Then it became the palace of a Visigothic prince. In the first half of the 10th century a party of Benedictine monks decided to found a community here, incorporating the pre-existing buildings into their monastery.

Knitting Workshop

Before dinner each guest will receive a complimentary yarn kit containing all the materials required to complete our group knitting project. Guests are also welcome to bring along any projects that they are working on.

Bonny will lead a workshop in the hotel bar, which will focus on key technical skills required for the group project. All levels of knitter are welcome. The projects are designed so that they can be simplified, or embellished to cater for the experience of all of our guests.

After dinner guests are welcome to join Bonny in the bar for a knit-along.

Tuesday 29th May, 2018

After breakfast we will travel to the Marimurtra Botanical Gardens that spread across the clifftops just outside the ancient town of Blanes. This is easily one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire Mediterranean with over 4,000 species of plants set against the dramatic backdrop of the cliffs and the sparkling sea below.



There are actually 3 zones within the garden: subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean. It was the brainchild of a German industrialist, Carl Faust, who was a patron of botanical studies and research. In keeping with its founder's ethos the garden is also a research centre focussed on the conservation of endemic Mediterranean species.



We will have lunch in Blanes (which is not included in the cost of the holiday).

Bonny will lead a second workshop in the hotel bar in the afternoon, and after dinner we will have a nightly knit-along in the bar.

Wednesday 30th May, 2018

After breakfast we travel to the regional capital, the beautiful walled city of Girona, where we will spend the day walking in the footsteps of the Romans and the Moors, exploring the old Jewish district, the ancient city walls and taking a tour through the great Cathedral of Santa Maria and its famous treasury of priceless artefacts, which include the exquisite Creation Tapestry, sewn in the second half of 11th century. We will also visit the Art History Museum, housed in the Bishop's Palace and the ancient Basilica of Sant Feliu. 

If you'd like to take a virtual tour of the city walls, Bonny has written a photo post about them here: High on the ancient City Walls of Girona; and you can also read her re-telling of the legend of Girona's stone witch here: The Stone Witch of Girona.

Along the way we will visit some of the many artisan shops that carry on business in Girona. There will be free time for shopping, and visiting some of the other museums and galleries not included in the group itinerary. We will have lunch (which is not included in the cost of the holiday) in the city.


After a full day exploring this lovely city we will return to the hotel for dinner and a post-prandial knit-along - for those who still have the energy.


Thursday 31st May, 2018

This morning after breakfast we will travel to the Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres, the great man's home town. Conceived and designed by Dalí during his lifetime, the museum is like no other. Its colour, exuberance and whimsy make it the perfect setting in which to display his work. We will explore the museum and the jewel collection before having lunch in one of Dalí's favourite watering holes.



Bonny will lead a second workshop in the hotel bar in the afternoon, and after dinner will host the nightly knit-along.




Friday 1st June, 2018

After breakfast in the hotel we say our good-byes and take our hotel transfers to the airport for the journey home.