Comments - Yavanna Workshops, Retreats and Activity Holidays in Northern Portugal

"Amazing location, incredible hospitality. Thank you both so much……..we’re coming again!!" Chris Livesey

"A wonderful stay: from home to home + cycles + sun + landscape = perfection!! Thanks a million." Patrick Shaw

"Second stay - it gets better and better. Fantastic cycling and great company. Keep it up Eunice and Mark." Peter Cross

"You have everything just right re. running retreats. First and foremost you are both lovely people without big egos to get in the way of your warmth and genuine hospitality. I used the image of a swan to describe the retreat...seemingly effortless beauty, but beneath the surface of the water there are strenuous paddlings i.e. all the hard work that goes into creating and maintaining such an environment. Or like a perfect ballerina, dancing with grace and ease, never once alluding to the challenges, agonies and difficulties which are part of the creative process I imagine could be part of creating Yavanna. For me, coming to Yavanna on retreat this year and last year has been a godsend and has helped me through a particularly challenging time. To be surrounded by lovely people and to see such aesthetic visual details from green napkins in the glasses to the variety of plants bordering pathways was so healing to me." Clio Pinkney

"The overriding and lasting thought since my return from the retreat has been - I definitely want to return! Primarily because of you two - the hospitality, the company, the beauty and tranquillity of Yavanna. With regard to the retreat part, 2 hours per day, I found it was a great balance – a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with oneself, meditate, discuss and explore tools to keep emotionally balanced to help in our ever increasing busy lives. I valued Laugharnananda’s sessions - she is wonderful and insightful. I would love to do this again and look forward to hearing when this may be. Oh and the food was as delicious as always. When can I return?" Anon.

"Eunice has a very special way, without criticism or judgement, of encouraging and inspiring the connection to my creativity. She has infinite patience and equal time for all and our precious pots! I love my Wednesday mornings at Grapevine Studio." Naomi Kemeny

"To be in beautiful surroundings, enjoying the act of creativity, has to be good. Being able to do so in a genuinely light hearted atmosphere, in the company of gentle people, is even better. All this - and Eunice on hand offering whatever you need in the way of guidance and support? GREAT! Love it" Keith Hagenbach

"A warm, friendly, relaxed and stimulating environment where Eunice finds the appropriate balance of time, space and support to ease out the creativity in each individual. The range and quality of projects and ideas expressed in her studio is astonishing." Jim Patterson

"When I started my pottery classes I knew nothing about ceramics. Eunice is a wonderful teacher. My pottery classes are now one of the highlights of my week." Sarah Jane McKechnie

"Eunice provides a stimulating, creative, and caring environment for children to experience different aspects of pottery. She encourages children to develop their own styles and gives them freedom in creating form and patterns. My daughter loves going to Eunice and knows she will be respected as a creative individual in her own right. My daughter's confidence in her creative abilities has significantly increased as a direct result of these pottery lessons - we now have a beautiful house sign, made by her, nailed up on our front gate for all to see!" Elizabeth Dury

"Eunice is able to create a magical environment with the children where they are inspired to create beyond any limited self-concepts about their ability. The smile on my son's face said it all..." Jaki Harris

"With Eunice's gifts of intuition and sensitivity the atmosphere she creates in the studio has a pink tangerine and mellow yellow flavour.

Anything is possible from pure whimsy to earthy practicality.

The pieces the children produce are a tribute to this fecund vibe.

Eunice is not just an artist, she's that rare thing - an artist who can teach." Annie Morrison, Mother of Happy Potter

"A couple of hours at the Grapevine Studio turns my day into something quite special. The tactile, mesmerising, infuriating business of working with clay, the great atmosphere of the studio and all the while Eunice nurtures our fragile creations and more fragile ego's with tremendous care, humour and coffee. Its just great fun." Anna Lydford

"Eunice has been an inspirational teacher holding the classes in a beautiful well equipped studio. Her relaxed style means that the class is great fun with gales of laughter and the depth of her experience comes into it's own when the clay decides to go its own way. Thanks again for all your help. My daughter and wife also regularly attend the classes with Eunice and have also thoroughly enjoyed them" Keith Tomlinson

If you would like to comment on any course that Eunice has given we would be very grateful. Just click here.

Many thanks to all our friends who contributed valuable feedback during the development of the web site, and especially Keith Hagenbach, who turned our words into proper English!