These days, anyone can learn glass blowing given a patient teacher and the right opportunity. If you've wanted to learn glass blowing but have shied away from the usual commitment of time involved, this opportunity to learn while on vacation in the charming French town of Beaucaire may be just the thing. Courses, with local artisans in the town's glassblowing atelier, Le Verre s'en mele -- the name means the tangled glass -- range from an hour long introduction, through a weekend taster to a week long intensive course. Classes to learn glass blowing can be booked through the Beaucaire Office of Tourism , Tel: 011 33 4 66 59 26 57 which can also provide English-language information and can make suggestions and reservations for hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation.
Learn to blow glass beside a French artist and craftsperson
- Discovery class one hour, throughout the year.
- Class covers gathering the glass, working with and trying the tools, glass blowing and the creation of a small piece.
- Price 40 Euros per person.
- Discovery Weekend Two days, throughout the year.
- Class covers introduction to glass materials and different techniques, training in gathering the glass and the creation of several pieces of blown glass and glass sculpture.
- Price 400 Euros per person.
- Discovery Week A full, seven day week, throughout the year.
- Class covers Everything covered in the weekend course, plus sculpting and casting and various cold techniques such as cutting, sanding and polishing glass. At the end of the course, the glass blower will create a piece designed by the student.
- Price 1000 Euros for one person or 1,500 Euros for two.
Ferne Arfin is London-based, American travel writer and About.com's guide to United Kingdom for Visitors. She writes for the Sunday Telegraph and other national papers about France and the USA, and is the author of Adventure Guide to Provence and the Cote d'Azur.