THE GRADUATE
YOU’VE JUST LEFT YOUR LOVER/UNI/JOB, SO WHAT NOW?
WHY NOT GET AWAY FROM IT ALL TO LEARN SOME VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS?
TEXT URSULA HIRSCHKORN
PHOTO GETTY
Bone up on French beauty secrets to make him see just what he’s missing, make her lust after your hot new body with a week of surf and yoga training, get a new career teaching English abroad, or dance away your broken heart with some flamenco lessons. Whatever you want to do, there’s someone out there to help you, so whether it’s perfume-making or parkour, here are 20 short courses guaranteed to have you reaping the benefits long after you’ve flown home. And, if you want your trip to have the convenience of a package holiday, then look out for the signs for Jet2Holidays.com deals.
Paint your face in Paris
Let a little French style rub off on you as you learn how to blend, brush and shade away your imperfections with a make-up class in the captivating French capital. You’ll discover the beauty secrets of the ever-chic Parisians as you are shown how to choose colours and textures, and use the latest application techniques.
Hang 10 then take five
Don’t know your Downward-Facing Dog from your Lotus Position? Why not find out while you catch some waves on a surf and yoga course at the Algarve Surf and Yoga retreat. After a hard day in the surf you can jump off your board and get blissed out on the beach with a sunset yoga class. Guests at the retreat get to sleep under the stars in teepee tents pitched in 16 acres of cork forest.
Get the drinks in
Shaken or stirred, there’s a real art to mixing a killer cocktail. Now you and your mates can learn how to concoct classy cocktails and to-die-for drinks with an expert mixology course at Edinburgh’s super-chic Voodoo Rooms bar.
Get saucy
Learn how to woo your lover with some seductive French dressing on a sauce-making course. After a couple of hours of instruction you’ll be able to spice up any dish, from salad to steak, spaghetti to snails, with a slick of silky-smooth sauce.
Cook Catalan style
There’s more to Spanish food than tapas and paella, as you’ll discover on this week-long introduction to Catalan cuisine. Learn how to cook up a feast, scour local markets for fresh ingredients and sample local olive oil and wine at tutored tastings. Delicious.
Learn the lingo
Whether it’s for chatting up the locals or scoring that promotion to the European office, picking up a new language can really improve your chances of getting ahead. CESA Languages Abroad runs courses in France, Spain, Italy and Greece, where you can learn to speak like a native from local teachers.
Spread the word
If you fancy a change of career – and country – this four-week intensive TEfl (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course in Barcelona qualifies you to teach English anywhere in the world. The course combines classroom-based learning with teaching practice, and at the end you’ll receive a qualification that’s accepted all around the globe.
Savour the sweet smell of success in southern France
Wanna be like Sarah Jessica Parker and Kylie and create your very own signature scent? Take a two-day course with an expert “nose” to learn how to combine and blend essential essences to develop a delicious fragrance of your own.
Get snapping in Mallorca
Get to know your f-stops from your shutter speeds, your ISO settings from your white balance with a crash course in digital photography in the pretty town of Pollença. The four-day course is run by professional photographers and teaches you everything from how to frame a portrait shot to how to download, store and edit your photos.
www.eyephotographicworkshops.com
Bling it on in France
Banker boyfriend hit the skids? Don’t worry, you won’t have to do without the thrill of a string of sparklers thanks to this DIY jewellery course in Toulouse. Learn how to spin crystals, semi-precious stones and pearls into beautiful bling with this eight-day course – perfect for material girls.
Perfect your painting
Unlock your inner Picasso on a Menorca Painting Holiday. Learn how to draw and paint to perfection with lessons from a professional artist. Who knows, if you turn out to be the next Damien Hirst you might be able to flog a few of your creations and forget the credit crunch completely.
www.menorcapaintingholidays.com
Parkour in the park
Turn the world into your very own gym as you jump and roll from wall to rail to roof and back. Parkour, or free running, spices up the art of getting from A to B with a touch of style and a pinch of danger. Master this slick mix of stunts and sleek martial arts moves at one of the regular meetings in London.
Become a real-life guitar hero in Grenada
Spain is famous for its flamenco music, so where better to learn this ancient art? Take an introductory course or some advanced lessons to fine-tune your flamenco fingering.
Test your mettle
If you’re more of an ironing man than an Ironman, here’s a chance to develop those latent superhero strengths. Peter Dalkin has completed the Lanzarote Ironman competition an impressive three times, and can train anyone who’s keen to follow. For example, if you’re a bit wobbly in the water, he can organise some supervised swims with a support boat.
Come Spanish dancing
Can’t get enough of the sequins and salsa on Strictly Come Dancing? Pull on those dancing shoes and get your hips moving to the flamenco, one of Spain’s sexiest dances. A fortnight of two-hour classes in Málaga should have you clicking your heels and clacking your castanets in no time.
Clown around in the Capital
This is your chance to run away with the circus – at least for a day. Get flying on the trapeze, walking on stilts and tiptoeing across the high wire at a Circus Space session in London.
Get swinging in Spain
Endless sun, manicured greens and expert tuition – where better to improve your handicap and up your game? Golf Malaga’s Golf School offers beginner and expert courses taught by a PGA professional that are guaranteed to sharpen your swing.
Dive in at Sharm El Sheikh
Swim with the fishes in the warm blue waters of the Red Sea with a five-day PADI Open Water course. You’ll get to rub noses with Nemo and friends, and afterwards add a shot or two of tequila to all that salt at divers’ favourite, the Camel Bar.
Brush up your backhand
Want to practise your strokes away from the rain? Book some tennis tuition in Spain on the same courts where the Davis Cup team train. Five-day courses at the award-winning La Manga Club in Murcia, southern Spain, offer a minimum of two hours’ court time a day.
Catch some serious waves in the Algarve
Hot boys, cool breezes, blue waves and white sands – this is all you need to master kitesurfing. Learn how to fly using the wind and the waves with a four-day beginners’ course in the Algarve.
Saddle up in Portugal
Even if you don’t know one end of a horse from another, the experts at The Riding Company will introduce you to the elegant art of dressage. A bit like ballet on horseback, this graceful discipline will improve your equestrian skills whatever level you’re at.
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