April 18-25, 2024
$3100
This retreat is full!
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Price increases after September 1 to $3400
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Get ready to reset, get inspired and create a mindful and meaningful experience with Thrive Creative Community. Our retreats include creativity and wellness activities. Awaken your senses with a group of like minded creatives as you "open yourself up to new perceptions, engage with your surroundings and feel more present in Paris, the city of lights."
What It’s About
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Being consciously in the moment
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Slowing down
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Revealing how you see things
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Capturing the moment
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Appreciating your surroundings
What It’s Not About
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Concentrating on technical issues
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Setting unrealistic expectations
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Perfectionism
What You Will Need
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Cell phone or digital camera
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Portable cell phone charger if using a cell phone
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Extra camera battery if using a digital camera
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We look forward to practicing mindful photography daily and will provide you with prompts so that you find yourself immersed in the moment, capturing imagery that expresses who you are, and having plenty of fun.
This trip created just for artists will delight the senses as we discover art, visit amazing sites and create with locals during macaroon cooking class and perfume making.
Get inspired as we wander the footsteps of Monet in his home and garden in Giverny. Explore Versailles and the Louvre for an unforgettable Paris experience.
Enjoy the delights of a Parisian experience where people from all walks of life come to experience its inspiration, culture and reset from their daily lives.
Let us tell you more…
…so imagine wandering streets where Degas, Matisse and Renoir walked, cruising down the Seine, viewing famous artwork you may have only seen in books and visiting Monet's home where he created his world famous lily pad paintings.
Tap into your senses with unforgettable flavors of the French Cuisine.
Are you ready?
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Seven nights in Paris
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Walk in the footsteps of artists as we tour the famous Montmartre district
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Learn the secret art of perfecting macaroons in a cooking class
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Feel the call to be creatively inspired as you create your own perfume
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Stroll around Monet's garden with Giverny tour
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Wander the old streets of Paris and visit bookshops and art stores
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Experience Versailles
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See the art in the Louvre and Musee d' Orsay
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Cruise down the Siene River and see Paris from the river
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Learn about mindful and meaningful travel photography with this experiential trip created for artists
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Add on to this trip and experience the castles and wine tasting of the Loire Valley
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This carefully curated experience was designed for YOU, combining the ultimate adventure with a creativity experience that you’ll remember for a life-time.
There’s something magical about being someplace new to inspire and renew the spirit!
What you will walk away with…
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Inspiring travel
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A delectable adventure in wine and food
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Creative ways to see and record with your phone/camera
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A renewed spirit from walks and tours
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Hands on creative classes including perfume and macaroon making
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An appreciation of the amazing ART and CULTURE of Paris
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Thursday April 18
Arrive in Paris. Transfer to hotel. Check in at Hotel du Cadron*.
You will discover an architecture with a unique and modern design that revolves around the wine theme and will have the pleasure of finding a large and pleasant terrace, reserved for hotel guests only. Here you can relax with a glass of wine served by our self-service machine. Gather together and get to know one another with a welcome dinner.
hotel:
*This hotel has not been reserved. In the event this hotel is unavailable, we will reserve another similar hotel.
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Friday, April 19
Painting, Bookstores and Photograpy
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Paris is a beautiful and vibrant city, rich in history, culture, and art. There are many things to see and do in Paris, and exploring the city can be an unforgettable experience. We will explore the lovely shops, bookstores and architecture that make this city known as the "City of Love". We will also visit the Musee Carnavalet.
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In the afternoon, design your own personal perfume, or ‘parfum’ as the French call it, during this workshop in Paris. Learn about the different families of perfumes and tenacities of scents from a perfumer teacher, and then play with a range of scents to create three different perfumes.
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Saturday, April 20
Musee d' Orsay and Eiffel Tower Experience
Internationally renowned for its rich collection of Impressionist art, the Musée d'Orsay also displays all Western artistic creation from 1848 to 1914. Its collections represent all expressive forms, from painting to architecture, as well as sculpture, the decorative arts and photography. You're sure to be dazzled by the beauty of the place: a train station that looks like a palace, inaugurated for the 1900 Universal Exposition.
At the end of 2011, the museum reopened all of its entirely renovated spaces as well as some new rooms: an additional 400 m² for the Pavillon Amont, Post-Impressionist artists at the heart of the museum, the redesign of the Impressionists gallery, a new temporary exhibition space, plus a new 'aquatic' decor for the Café des Hauteurs, designed by Brazilian designers, the Campana Brothers.
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Eiffel Tower:
Come and discover the Eiffel Tower: the only trip to the top of its kind in Europe, one where emotions carry you away. From the esplanade to the summit you will experience a whole series of emotions. Soak in the breathtakingly unique views of Paris from every floor, feel the goose bumps as you walk the glass floor on the 1st floor, experience the incredible ascent by stairway or lift, the indescribable awe at the tonnes of iron above you as you stand on the esplanade. Vertigo grips you as you leave the lift at the top of the tower and see the people down on the Champs-de-Mars and the cars driving along Trocadéro! And the Eiffel Tower always has something to offer, day or night, summer or winter!
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Sunday, April 21
Macaroon Making, Montmarte District and River Cruise
Macarons are one of the most highly sought after pastries in Paris and greater France. Macarons should not be confused with macaroons – a different type of pastry. Macarons are a French bakery confection made with meringue, egg white, sugar and almond powder. We will create macaroons from a local baker right in the heart of Paris.
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Montmarte:
Discover the charms of one of Paris' most popular neighborhoods Montmartre, a district known for its artists and historically bohemian vibe. Start at the Moulin Rouge and see where artists like Van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pissarro lived and worked. See sights like the Basilica du Sacré-Coeur, and get insights about the art, music, food, and history of Montmartre.
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Seine River Cruise
Soak up Paris from the river on a Seine cruise, one of the city's top sightseeing riverboats. Enjoy views of Paris' famous attractions as you glide along the water, passing by the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
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Monday, April 22
Explore the vintage markets and quaint streets on your own or come with us to the Loire Valley for Chateau tours and Wine Tasting*
*The Loire Valley is an optional event for $199
If you are making your way around Paris on your own, you will be given a list of vintage markets for a perfect self-guided adventure.
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Loire Valley Option:
If you decide to join us for the day trip to the Loire Valley, you will visit the Loire Valley's opulent chateaus including Chateau de Chambord and Chenonceau. You will enjoy wine tasting of the region at Chateau de Chenonceau. Tour includes transportation from Paris, entrance tickets and wine tasting. This is a twelve hour day.
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Tuesday, April 23
Versailles Palace and Giverny
See two of France's top attractions in just one day with this private sightseeing tour from Paris, with visits to the Palace of Versailles and Claude Monet's home at Giverny. At Versailles, you can explore the interior of the chateau and enjoy free time to wander the gardens. Then, head to Giverny to admire the setting that inspired one of France's most famous painters. Along the way you can indulge with an included multi-course lunch—with wine—and enjoy hassle-free travel between the sights.
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Wednesday, April 24
Louvre and Marais District
Experience culture and art through the ages within Paris’ epic Louvre Museum. Jump the queue and learn about some of the museum’s 35,000 artworks across eight themed galleries and enjoy time on your own to view paintings, sculpture, and architecture from 450 BC to the 19th century. Louvre is home to an amazing collection of famous works like the Mona Lisa by da Vinci.
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The fashionable Marais district in the 4th arrondissement, also known as SoMa (South Marais), is filled with hip boutiques, galleries, and gay bars. Once the city's Jewish quarter, the area still hosts numerous kosher restaurants. The grassy Place des Vosges is home to elegant arcades and the Musée Victor Hugo, where the writer lived.
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Thursday, April 25
Depart Paris
It is time to say goodbye as we head to the airport for flight back to the US.
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There is something special about being in a new place.
Come along, get inspired, learn something new and connect with others!
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You will walk the same paths artists have for centuries and will be inspired by architecture and intimate streets around every turn. Learn to see with a creative eye with this experiential retreat. Daily prompts will allow your to become present during your trip as you actively seek out the environment to capture with your camera.
Art Inclusions
· We love surprises. More to come on this!
Items not included in the price of the retreat
· Some meals
· Air fair
· Any attractions or activities not specifically listed
· Personal, medical or trip cancellation insurance
· Medical expenses, travel insurance
· Souvenir shopping, extras and spa services
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Payment and Cancellation Policy
PAYMENTS
Payment in full is due before December 1, 2023.
Payments will be divided into three segments out so full payment is not due at time of booking.
July 1 $900, September 1 $900, and November 1 $900 due. $199 will be added if you choose the Loire Valley option.
CANCELLATION POLICY
For The Trip: Any cancellation will result in a total loss of the $300 USD deposit. Any cancellation made between: July 1, 2023 and October 1, 2023 will result in a loss of 50% of the trip price. Any cancellation made between: October 2, 2023 and the trip departure will result in a total loss of funds. We reserve the right to cancel the trip, (if we do so your deposit is refunded in full). Trip cancellation insurance is HIGHLY recommended.
You should be aware that COVID-19 and the health and security measures around COVID-19 may impact elements of this trip and influence the operation of some travel services. Africa, and the airline(s) you are traveling on may all have strict requirements on travel to limit the spread of COVID-19.
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Kathy Beekman
Kathy is a professional artist, art career coach, greeting card designer and author. She favors color, texture, and a sense of humor in her creative endeavors. Kathy is a resident of Bailey, Colorado, the wife of an archaeologist, and a mother of two fur-babies. Her inspiration comes from many places but is rooted in a sense of community, family, relationships, and overall positive energy found from living a creative life. Kathy’s artwork can be found in collections throughout the world and her most recent line of greeting cards, The Right Words, finds its roots in art journaling and can be found on Etsy and in retail stores.