~ Silvan + Spring Retreat ~

Thank you for your interest in the 2018 Silvan + Spring Retreat in England. We have a wonderful week planned and will continue to post updates on the anticipated schedule and activities through Instagram (see @lauriematthews or @sensesofplace for images and more info).

A deposit of 1/2 of the registration fee will be due at sign up to reserve your space, and the balance will be due by April 1st.  We have updated cost information on the website, and provided estimates for the anticipated costs for lodging, food and incidentals to help you budget for the trip. The retreat will be limited to 6 people and you can secure your space by paying the deposit through the link on the registration page.

Below is a glimpse of the types of activities we expect to do each day. We will decide on the exact itinerary based on weather and the desires of the group.

Imagining Silvan + Spring...

• Day 1: Wake up in London feeling refreshed (after following our tips for combating jet lag), and enjoying breakfast before meeting up for our train ride to the Cotswolds. We will get settled into our accommodations in the late afternoon and you will have the afternoon/evening free to explore and rest.   
• Day 2: Wake up in the Cotswolds, perhaps to the sound of a rooster, before exploring this magical countryside with a meandering walk to a nearby market town while learning about the landscape, stopping to paint or sketch and journal, and gathering supplies for craft projects. In the evening Laurie and Gretchen will share their experience working with tarot and oracle cards and guide the group in doing readings. 
• Day 3: Our second day in the Cotswolds -- filled with craft and journaling projects, more sketching and painting, perhaps a plant walk, a cozy cream tea afternoon, and a DIY facial workshop led by Gretchen in the evening.
• Day 4: After a leisurely morning, a bit of journaling and a final stroll through our Cotswolds village, we’ll head to the train for our journey to Bath. We’ll be staying in a charming inn shaded by a grand old London plane tree a stones throw from the ancient Roman baths, Bath Abbey, and the Georgian architecture that inspired Jane Austen.
• Day 5: We may start the day exploring the countryside and nearby garden estates (think Elizabeth Bennett touring ​Pemberley like she did in Pride and Prejudice) before spending the afternoon pampering ourselves with a traditional afternoon tea and a soak in the healing waters for which Bath is famous. A perfect way to start celebrating the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane.
• Day 6: We hope to make a side trip to visit the Chalice Well and other sites in the sacred town of Glastonbury to mark Beltane--following in the footsteps of pilgrims since the Neolithic age who journeyed to this sacred town to experience the myths and legends it beholds. We will see some more of the countryside around Bath on our journey and stop at a pub on our way back into Bath to experience authentic and warming British cuisine and ale.  
• Day 7: After a traditional British breakfast at our inn​, we will pack up and make our way back to London via train. We will wish each other a safe journey before departing from Paddington Station to go our separate ways. It's going to be hard to say goodbye after spending this magical time together!

England is usually an expensive country to visit, but the exchange rate is excellent right now and will continue to be so through next year. In other words, this is the time to go!  

If you are on the fence about joining us, registration will remain open through April 1st (or until the retreat is full). Please reach out with any questions, concerns or feedback at info@silvanandspring.com or see www.silvanandspring.com for further details.

We hope you will join us this spring!
Laurie and Gretchen
Silvan + Spring