Flying Colors Art Workshops Worldwide Travel Painting Workshops since 1986.........    LAUTERBRUNNEN, SWITZERLAND with MEL STABIN, AWS, NWS JULY 18-29, 2010 $3,395ptr. and $3,195 non-ptr. Fill Up Your Eyes With the Beauty of Switzerland! Marvel at the towering trio of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks. Rick Steves has called it the “Mona Lisa” of views in all of Switzerland. And unpack ONCE! Our first night, July 18, we meet in a centrally located Zurich hotel. Zurich is lovely; you may want to come earlier. The bus picks us up the next day to take us to Lauterbrunnen. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is the most impressive glaciated valley in the Alps and comprises one of the largest nature-protected areas in Switzerland. With its 72 waterfalls, picturesque pastures and pure mountain air, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is a unique near-to-nature experience. This is where customs come alive, where you can savor culinary creations at their most traditional, and the chef at our hotel is excellent. The hotel is in a very quiet area, away from the main road, yet only 2 short minutes from the railway station, where we’ll go to some other one-day painting sites, such as Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald (Heidi’s village). Our hotel has a beautiful garden, sauna, and a non-smoking dining room. IMPORTANT for anyone concerned about altitudes: Lauterbrunnen is only 2,612 ft. high, a little lower than North Platte, Nebraska! When we go up to Murren, we will be only as high as Denver, Colorado. You need not get any higher than that. An aerial tram transports us quickly into the popular, unspoiled, vehicle-free alpine village of Murren that offers imposing panoramic views of the gorgeous Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountain trio. Hikers can walk down a half hour to Gimmelwald, Heidi’s village, for another rural experience. Sit on the edge of a terrace in a Murren café and watch the hang gliders above and below you. Quite a sight! Another trip will be to the Living History Village of Ballenberg, slightly northeast of Interlaken. A visit there will NOT be boring. There are several rural houses and utility buildings from practically all regions of Switzerland. They serve as architectural and social-historical witnesses of the everyday life and rural culture of past times. It’s an excellent opportunity for many sketches to be painted from back at the hotel. Many different kinds of farm animals lend life to the Ballenberg complex as well. You can purchase cheeses produced on the premises and fresh bread from a wood-fired oven for your next picnic. PRICE INCLUDES: tuition, transportation within Switzerland, room (dbl. occ.), 7 dinners, all breakfasts. NOT INCLUDED: transportation to/from Switzerland, some meals and beverages other than water, trip insurance on person or baggage