Painting Holiday in Corfu 2024

Just scroll down to find out all about the price, itinerary, accommodations, and more!

Elena and I hope to see you in Corfu in October!

A Painting Holiday with Vancouver artist, Maryan Cerina and our Greek host, Elena Karoumpi, events manager, restaurateur, and overall fantastic host!

When: October 7-14, 2024

Where: Corfu Island, Greece

Join us on this painting adventure of a lifetime. Wander through historic sites. Paint images of old ruins, village scenes and ocean views. Tour a monastery built on a high hill, hear the ocean waves crashing along the cliffs below. Wander through an old ghost town and relax in a quiet fishing village. Enjoy the sights, smells and tastes while visiting an olive oil estate and a winery. Savour fresh and delicious Greek cuisine!

All levels of painting experience are welcome!

Our wonderful painting holiday is an all inclusive, eight day adventure on the beautiful island of Corfu, Greece, from October 7-14, 2024. Enjoy staying in a modern villa while visiting and painting many of the historic sites of northern and southern Corfu.

Come along with our Greek host, Elena Karoumpi, and Vancouver artist, Maryan Cerina, for a spectacular week of painting, site seeing and some of the best the island has to offer in local culture, cuisine and shopping.

Book now. You won’t be sorry you did!

Email Maryan Cerina at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com to book today!

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Accommodations

Accommodations for the week will be in the modern and luxurious Olive Retreat Acharavi villas. Three stunning villas. Each villa comes with two to four bedrooms, a stocked kitchen and spacious living area. Each bedroom has its own private en suite bathroom with shower. Enjoy the private swimming pool, gardens and spectacular views of the ocean.

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What is included?

Overview: Eight days, seven nights accommodation at the Olive Retreat Acharavi villas in northern Corfu, just over an hour’s drive from Corfu Town. All breakfasts and dinners, transportation and fees for places listed on the itinerary.

The Details:

Accommodation

Seven nights at the beautiful Olive Retreat Acharavi villas for the week of October 7-14, 2024
Breakfast: All breakfasts are a healthy continental style, with yoghurt, cereals, honey, nuts, fruit, bread, fresh pastries, local jams, and coffee, tea, bottled water and juice.
Dinners: All dinners will be at quality, local restaurants or catered by professional chefs. Water, coffee, tea included with all dinners.
Wine is included with the Monday night Welcome Dinner and the Sunday Farewell Dinner

Transportation

Pickup from Corfu Town on Monday, Day 1. Please read the note on the detailed itinerary under Sunday, October 6, regarding the optional pre-trip dinner and suggested arrival times on Corfu Island
Departure on Day 8 to either the airport or to Corfu Town, depending on your travel arrangements
To and from all sites listed on the itinerary

Entrance fees

For all sites/activities included in the itinerary, unless stated as optional

Painting Supplies

Painting easels, boards, chairs
Gamsol odourless mineral spirits
Paper towel

What is not included?

Airfare and travel insurance, medical or other emergencies, any personal fees related to travel
Lunches, snacks, beverages while out during the day
Alcoholic beverages, aside from wine at the two dinners mentioned above
Personal painting supplies. Please do not travel with mineral spirits on airlines, as they may end up confiscating all of your painting supplies due to airline fire hazard concerns. We will provide Gamsol odourless mineral spirits to clean your brushes and mix with oil paint, please do not bring anything else. A list of suggested painting supplies will be emailed to you, along with a letter that you can print and add to your luggage regarding your paints, in case the airline is unsure of the flammability of your paints.

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Cost

2,900 euro per person, based on shared accommodation (twin room or queen bed)
Single room supplement is an extra 200 euro per person
1900 euro deposit to Maryan Cerina by the end of June. Remainder in cash on arrival. Deposit details will be sent by email. Please contact Maryan at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com with any further questions.
A refund is only available when a replacement participant is found. We will keep a waiting list.

Cash during the week

We suggest that you have 300-400 euros in small bills to pay for lunches and drinks each day. When we are all eating together, it is easier for wait staff if we collect your payment and pay the bill once.
Tips: tipping suggestions will be emailed to you

Email Maryan Cerina at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com to book today!

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Introduction

We have combined Elena’s in-depth knowledge of the local area and cuisine with Maryan’s experience as an artist, teacher and traveller to create this unique painting holiday. The itinerary balances just the right amount of sightseeing to stimulate your creativity, with inspired time to get to your painting practice, as well as quiet time to rest. All levels of painting experience are welcome.

Itinerary- Quick Version

Sunday, October 6: Optional Dinner, the evening before the start of the retreat.

Day 1 Monday, October 7: Walking tour of Corfu Town, arrive at Villas, catered dinner at the villas
Day 2 Tuesday, October 8: Paint at the villas in the morning, paint by Lake Antinioti in the afternoon
Day 3 Wednesday, October 9: Visit Old Perithia, paint in the morning, walk through the trails above the village in the afternoon
Day 4 Thursday, October 10: Full day in Southern Corfu, sand dunes, olive oil factory, tour of nearby winery, lake visit. Note: No Painting today.
Day 5 Friday, October 11: Villa Day, painting at the villas, lunch and dinner out
Day 6 Saturday, October 12: Paint at the Paleokastritsa Monastery, optional boat ride in pm
Day 7 Sunday, October 13: Visit the fishing village of Kassiopi for painting in the morning, lunch out, group meeting and farewell dinner at the villas
Day 8 Monday, Oct 14: Departure Day

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Itinerary with Notes

Please note that we will follow this itinerary to the best of our abilities, though there may be slight changes due to weather, traffic, or other unforeseen circumstances.

If any questions or problems arise during the trip, please inform either Maryan or Elena as soon as possible. We will always endeavour to make your stay as comfortable, enjoyable and interesting as possible.

Pre-trip Dinner Sunday, October 6

Optional Dinner the evening before the start of the retreat

We recommend that you arrive a day or two before the retreat starts, partly due to the fact that most international flights don’t arrive in Corfu early enough on the first day of the retreat and also to help you get over the worst of your jet lag before our painting adventure on Corfu begins. Book a hotel or an AirBnB in the historical center of Corfu Town for the night, or a few nights, before Monday. AirBnB can go for around $80-$100 CAD. You can stroll through picturesque Corfu Town, with its many shops, cafes and restaurants, begin to get over jet lag, and ensure that you arrive in time to participate at 9:30 am on Day 1.

The pre-retreat dinner is a great opportunity to meet everyone and begin to get to know each other. The dinner will be located at a local restaurant in historic Corfu Town, with the location to be determined and sent to you in an email. At the dinner, Elena and I look forward to welcoming you to this special painting holiday, we will provide you with some details about the days to come and answer any questions you may have.

Book this exceptional painting holiday by emailing Maryan at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com. Maryan can also provide you with a list of inexpensive accommodations in the historic centre of Corfu Town, or answer any other questions or concerns you may have.

This photo illustrates an evening dinner location in Corfu Town. The actual dinner location will be chosen nearer to the time.

Photo by Corfu Travel Guide

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Day 1 Monday, October 7

A morning walking tour of Corfu Town, arrival at Olive Retreat Acharavi, time to settle in, catered Welcome Dinner at the villas

Check out of your Corfu Town accommodations and walk with your luggage to our meeting point, (see below) where we will secure your bags for the duration of the walking tour.

9:30 Meet in the wide area for tour bus parking, opposite The Palace, which is now the Corfu Museum of Asian Art. Our van will be waiting for us here. (A map of the historic Centre of Corfu town, showing our meeting point, will be emailed to you.)

10:00 Walking tour, approximately 2 hours: Elena, who was born and raised in Corfu Town, will provide a historical and cultural perspective as we walk through the historic centre, past important sites such as the Old Fort, the New Fort and the Palace, with short stops along the way to sample a variety of food items. We will finish our tour where we started, across from the palace.

1:00 Lunch in one of the nearby cafes. Depending on time, you may wish to visit the art gallery or museum, or wander through the nearby shops.

3:00 Meet our van at the meeting point, drive to Olive Retreat Acharavi, our home for the remainder of the trip.

4:00 You will be shown to your allocated room, then you can settle in, rest or relax by the pool.

8:00 Welcome Dinner with wine at Olivia Villa, catered by a wonderful local chef.

Historic centre of Corfu Town, photos by Maryan Cerina

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Day 2 Tuesday, October 8

Paint at the villas in the morning, paint by Lake Antinioti in the afternoon

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 Group meeting in the living room of the Olivia Villa, the central and largest villa. Join a colour mixing demo outside, where we can practice matching paint colours to our environment.

1:00 Lunch is in a local restaurant in Acharavi

2:30 Drive to the beautiful Lake Antinioti. Painting will focus on ways to compose a plein air painting. You can practice more paint mixing and colour matching to what you have chosen to paint an image of.

5:00 Drive back to Villas to relax

8:00 Leave for dinner in a nearby local restaurant with spectacular views of the ocean.

Lake Antinioti, photo by Maryan Cerina

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Day 3 Wednesday, October 9

Visit Old Perithia, one of the oldest villages on the island, deserted more than 50 years ago. Paint in the morning, walk through the trails above the village in the afternoon.

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 Meet at the van for a day out to the abandoned village of Perithia.

We will park the van near the old Jakobus church. With our painting gear in tow, we’ll walk through the village, setting up our easels near an old church on the other side of the village as there are many good views of the village from this point. You may also wish to set up your easel in the village, or to walk back to the Jacobus church to paint. We will meet back at the van at 12:45. Bring your easels and painting supplies with you to store in the van for the afternoon.

1:00 Lunch will be at a local village restaurant.

2:30 Discover more of the surrounding area by walking along the pathways that lead up and into the nearby hills. You may enjoy sketching or taking photos along the way.

5:30 Drive back to villas to relax after an inspiring day out!

8:00 Dinner in a nearby restaurant

Old Perithia, photos by Maryan Cerina

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Day 4 Thursday, October 10

Full day in Southern Corfu, sand dunes, olive oil estate and local winery tours, lake visit

Tour details may change slightly, depending on timing, traffic, etc, but it will be an equally wonderful day, even if the itinerary is tweaked a bit. Note: No painting today. You are welcome to take photos for reference or perhaps do a few sketches.

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 Meet at our van for a full day’s excursion. On our drive to the south, we will take a quick stop to walk along Issos Beach and the sand dunes. We then continue our drive to arrive at an olive oil estate, owned and run by multi generations of the Dafnis family, The Governor Olive Mill Estate. Here, we’ll have a tour of the factory followed by a tasting of the various types of olive oil, paired with a variety of foods, and ending with an opportunity to buy gifts in the gift shop (approximately two hours).

1:30 As we’ll be snacking throughout the day, we’ll stop for a light lunch, either before or after a quick visit to Halikounas Beach and Lake Korission, depending on time.

3:30 Leave for a local winery tour and wine tasting, a tour filled with charm and local history, presenting another highlight on our trip to the south.

7:00 Leave for Olive Retreat Villas, light meal on the way or when we return to the villas. To be decided on the day.

Ancient olive trees, Corfu island, Greece

Olive trees on Corfu Island, photo by istock photo

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Day 5 Friday, October 11

Villa Day, paint at the villas, with lunch and dinner out

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 It’s good to have a day ‘at home’ to relax and paint, as Saturday and Sunday will be another two full days out. Meet at Olivia Villa for a group discussion about your art making and the days ahead. Paint on site. Work on a previous painting or make a new one. (Book optional boat tour for Day 6)

1:00 Lunch in nearby Acharavi.

2:30 Return to Villas to paint or rest. For those who wish to wander through the shops in town or relax at a nearby beach, taxis can be ordered for your return after lunch.

8:00 Dinner at a local seafood restaurant.

Scenic grounds at the villas, photos by Maryan and Elena

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Day 6 Saturday, October 12

Morning tour of the Paleokastritsa Monastery, followed by painting on site, optional boat ride in the afternoon

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 Drive to the old Paleokastritsa Monastery. “Paleo” means “old” and “kastritsa” means castle. The monastery dates back to the 1228, however the current buildings were constructed in the 18th century.

10:30 Tour of the Paleokastritsa Monastery

Note: Dress code for the monastery: cover your shoulders and your knees. Wearing slacks/long skirt and a short sleeved shirt/blouse will ensure that you are appropriately dressed. Please be respectful of the monks’ vow of silence by speaking softly while on the premises.

11:30 Paint views of the monastery or paint along the bluffs with breathtaking views of the ocean below.

1:30 Lunch in a nearby cafe

3:00 Visit the beach town below the monastery, with an optional 45 min boat tour of the area. (Book on Day 5)

4:00 Drive back to villas, relax or paint

8:00 Dinner out in a local restaurant

Paleokastritsa Monastery, photos by Maryan Cerina

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Day 7 Sunday, October 13

Visit the fishing village of Kassiopi, paint in the morning, have lunch, back to villas to pack, group meeting and Farewell Dinner at the Villas

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa

9:30 Drive to Kassiopi, paint in this picturesque fishing village

1:00 Lunch in Kassiopi Village

2:30 Drive back to villas to pack before this evening and tomorrow’s morning departure. Rest or swim in the pool for a final dip! If you could fill in our short feedback form and hand it to Maryan prior to the Farewell Dinner, that would be most appreciated by both Elena and I.

7:00 Meet at Olivia Villa for a final group meeting where we will share our highlights, a few stories and express thanks to our host.

8:30 A very special Farewell Dinner with wine will be served at the villa.

Kassiopi Village, photos by Maryan Cerina

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Day 8 Monday, Oct 14

Departure Day

8:30 Continental breakfast in your villa. Please be ready to go by the 10 am check out time.

10:00 Everyone must leave by 10 am. Transport to either Corfu Town or the airport will be provided. Most people will leave with the van to arrive at the airport between 11:00 and 11:30. If you have an early flight, taxis can be arranged from the villas to the airport. If you wish to stay in Corfu longer or if you have a later flight, we will either drop you off in town on the way to the airport, or we will arrange a taxi for you from the villas. Once we know everyone’s flight details, all transport arrangements will be made.

Breakfast at Olive Retreat, coffee in Corfu Town, flight from Athens…

Bon Voyage, everyone! Thank you for coming! It was a real pleasure!

photos by Maryan Cerina

To register or if you have any questions prior to the trip, please email Maryan at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com.

Thank you for choosing us! We look forward to meeting you soon.

Photos by Maryan Cerina

To register, please email Maryan at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com.

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About Us

How Elena and I became friends and remained friends over the years…

I was teaching elementary school at an international school in Bangkok from 1999 until 2012. Elena was running a Greek restaurant in Bangkok called “The Olive Garden”. In fact, she owned two restaurants and also sold her own food products in markets and stores in Bangkok. I think Elena and I met through mutual friends. In any case, I loved hanging out with Elena and her family and friends at her restaurant, not just for the delicious food but also for the warm, welcoming reception I received each and every visit. When living as an expat, away from your own family, it’s important to have friends who welcome you into their lives and Elena was one of the several who helped me feel at home in Bangkok.

I had been studying drawing and painting in Bangkok with a friend and wonderful artist, Russel Fadavi, in his art studio for about ten years. Russel and his wife created an artist community in Bangkok, hosting several art events. One such event was an art exhibition featuring Russel’s and his students’ work, including mine. That was the first time a painting of mine was part of an exhibition. I felt honoured to be part of it.

By 2011, I had created a number of paintings that I was proud of. One day, while in conversation with Elena, she suggested, why not have a painting exhibition of my own, in her restaurant? What an exciting proposal that was! Her restaurant on Sukhumvit Road was cozy, with big windows and high ceilings, and was spacious enough to display several paintings. A perfect place to showcase my paintings, as I had several works on larger canvases. We called the exhibition, “Nature’s Hue”, as much of my work was of local trees and lotus flowers. The opening night was wonderful and a great success, with food catered by Elena. I sold several of my paintings that night to good friends. It gives me a warm feeling to envision my paintings in their homes! That was November of 2011.

By the summer of 2012, I returned to Vancouver, BC where I continued painting and developing my art, taking art courses and teaching painting to adults and children. I was able to fulfill a long held dream of mine by studying at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design at it’s former location on Granville Island, receiving a Certificate of Fine Arts in 2017. I also went back into teaching elementary school for a few years.

Elena and I kept in touch over the years. In 2015, I returned to Bangkok for the month of January to visit all my friends, revisit some of my favourite haunts and visit the amazing school where I taught for thirteen years. By this time, I was offering painting sessions in what can be called intuitive painting or process painting, where the emphasis is on listening to the more intuitive side of your brain, choosing colours and brushes or other painting tools to express whatever feelings or imagery that may appear to you, rather than trying to paint a picture per se. Elena again offered the use of her restaurant to hold one of my workshops, this time the restaurant with a mezzanine floor, a perfect space for such an event. Many of our friends attended and reported feeling a freedom and joy in expressing their creativity or emotion. For me, this was a great way to travel and have fun doing the things I love to do, namely, paint, see friends, travel, have adventures and enjoy great food! I ended up holding a second intuitive painting workshop in another friend’s yoga studio and painting at a friend’s art studio on the beautiful island of Samui. I’m a fortunate person, indeed!

To bring this story full circle, I retired from teaching elementary school in June of 2023, and soon left on a two month European holiday to paint in Italy and visit family and friends across Europe. In the meantime, Elena and family had moved back to Corfu, her home town. Elena invited me for a visit and once there, she again had a marvelous proposal for me, offering me the opportunity to hold a painting retreat at her villas, the Olive Retreat Acharavi. Wow! What a great offer! I jumped at the chance, and we soon began to plan. Elena drove me all over Corfu Island to the locations where we will be painting during our “Painting Holiday In Corfu, October 2024”. I had the great good fortune to stay with her at the Olive Retreat Acharavi villas for a few days, and I also stayed in the historic centre of Corfu Town, where I wandered the streets, stopping in cafes, shopping and visiting some of the sites.

So that’s the story of how two friends stayed involved in each other’s lives through Greek food, painting, travel and much laughter! And now you have the opportunity to join us in the fun, food, travel, painting and laughter! Please email Maryan at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com to register or for further information.

Elena and I, then and now!

Elena’s Bio

Elena Karoumpi has been professionally active in the fields of hospitality, food service,
conference & event planning, overseas and in her county of origin Greece for a period of
30 years.
She is currently Co-owner and Managing Partner of Olive Retreat Acharavi Villas, based
in her country of origin, Corfu, Greece.
She is elected Council Member of Corfu Chamber of Commerce, Vice-President of the
Department of Small and Medium Sized Companies, Corfu Chamber of Commerce,
Member of the Women Entrepreneurship Committee, Corfu Chamber of Commerce,
Member of Gender Equality Committee, Region of Ionian Islands and Member of
Consultation Committee, Region of Ionian Islands.
In her capacity of council member with Corfu Chamber of Commerce, she has
participated in various seminars on gastronomy, entrepreneurship, tourism and circular
economy or sustainable materials management.
Elena is also active with the Soroptimist Club Corfu, a member of Soroptimist
International Greece, an NGO promoting women empowerment and supporting women
and children rights.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Planning and Development from Surrey
University, UK and a Bachelor Degree in English & American Literature from Aristotle
University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Elena speaks Greek (native language), English (fluent), Italian (conversational) and Thai
(conversational). She enjoys cooking, reading, travelling and social networking. She is
married with two children.

Maryan’s Art Bio

“I enjoy capturing the essence of whatever subject I am painting, whether painting the colours, light and beauty of nature, expressing emotion through intuitive painting, or capturing the unique qualities of a client’s home and garden in commissioned work.”

For Canadian born visual artist Maryan Cerina, an appreciation and love of the natural world began as a child while growing up in the temperate rainforests of coastal British Columbia. Images of sunlight streaming through the branches of rain-soaked trees, or sun brightening up whispers of moss hanging from branches or lighting blades of tall grass are among Maryan’s earliest childhood memories. Her fascination with capturing moments of beauty in both paint and photography developed further during her extensive travels throughout Canada, Europe and Asia. Maryan’s paintings have come to reflect not only her love of the natural world, but also her spiritual journey.

Painting in oil, acrylic, watercolour and batik, Maryan Cerina’s artworks range from realistic representations of nature to whimsical, expressive paintings that capture the spirit of the moment. Personalised house portraits are painted on commission.

Primarily a self-taught artist, Maryan studied under the tutelage of Iranian artist Russel Fadavi for ten years while living in Bangkok, Thailand in the 2000’s. She earned a Certificate of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2017, and has taken numerous courses in drawing and painting, both locally and abroad. Maryan Cerina now practices her art from her home in Vancouver, inspiring others through her paintings, teaching painting to adults and children, leading workshops in Intuitive Painting, and most recently, holding events through her Vancouver En Plein Air Painting Meetup. She is currently an art instructor for the North Vancouver Arts Council.

Contact Maryan for more information about the Painting Holiday In Corfu or her original artwork and commissions, art prints for sale, and painting lessons at:

Email: maryancerina.artist@gmail.com

Instagram: @cerinamaryan

www.facebook.com/MaryanCerinaArtist

YouTube: Living A Creative Life, with Maryan Cerina