Writing & Photography Holidays from the Experts - NEW at Tourdust.com

Read on if you've always fancied swapping your home office or the local wi-fi enabled coffeeshop for some on-location writing and photography training.

Authentic tour and accommodation website, Tourdust have added two very tempting creative holidays to their site. Both of these professionally-run vocational holidays are set in locations inspirational enough to unblock even the most frustrated writers and photographers.

More to come on Tourdust.com, but for now...

1. Creative Writing with freelance journalist and writer Gillian Bouras - Ancient Olympia, Greece
Having lived in a Peloponnesian village for twenty-five years, this published journalist and author of six books is more than qualified to help you deliver your words to the world.

- Classes are very much participant-directed with numbers capped at 8 members
- The only prerequisite is a burning desire to write
- A mixture of discussion, formal exercises and group and teacher-assessment
- Stimuli for lessons could be archaeological sites, museums and various spots around inspiring Ancient Olympia. Where better to find your writing Muse?

Available March - October
Prices from 670 EUR
Including four nights' accommodation in rooms with private facilities based on double share; buffet breakfast; three morning sessions of 3 to 4 hours; three group luncheons
Visit tourdust.com to book

2. Photography Workshops with professional photographers Patrick Nicholas and Lodovico Pignatti - Umbria, Italy
British photographer and founder of Camera Etrusca Patrick Nicholas has lived and worked in Italy since 1983, prior to which he worked as a professional photographer for 25 years. His work has been published in magazines worldwide and since 2007 he has run his own photography gallery in Orvieto specialising mainly in landscapes. He is assisted by Lodovico Pignatti, professional photographer also with 25 years of experience.

- Groups are small, never more than six
- One-to-one tuition catering for all levels, from beginner to professional
- Workshops are by now almost wholly digital
- One afternoon, mid-workshops, is set aside for image manipulation in Photoshop
- Locations are reached by Land Rover and include the Tyrrhenian coastline for seascape work; Lake Bolsena's fishing villages - ideal for experimenting with depth of field, vivid colour composition, movement and portraiture; Etruscan tombs overlooking the lake for practicing high definition photography -balancing the gloom within, to the bright mediterranean light outside.

Available April - December
Prices from 699 EUR
Accommodation is in a 16th century palazzo in the historic centre of Orvieto. Price includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch, 2 restaurant dinners, collection from Orvieto train station, transport by Land Rover Discovery and tuition.
Visit tourdust.com to book .

Image courtesy of Tourdust.com