About me

In the course of the years that I, Inge Pijnaken, with my partner, from the Netherlands, have lived in the South of Ardèche, the idea to begin an international Study Center has matured. A meeting place in this beautiful mediterranean area, where people can come to themselves, can work at themselves. The Center itself should be a quiet and peaceful spot in a magnificent nature. The building should radiate harmony. And so we arrived at "Les Blancards". A real marvel which unites all elements wished by us. Les Blancards is a fortified farm stead, in which some "meurtrières" (embrasures) still bear witness to a turbulent past. The building with its thick walls however, did protect its inhabitants against intruders. It has been built upon a rock, in which a large water reservoir is accommodated, that is still intact. In the seven centuries of its existence Les Blancards had several destinations. In the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th the farmhouse has been used as a "magnanerie" for the breeding of silkworms. Until 15 years ago it served as a monastery for monks. Next to the building is a splendid sculptured stone cross, given to Les Blancards by grateful villagers.

The study center

In this wonderful atmosphere we have accommodated our Study Center, which welcomes people form all parts of Europe. We wanted to fully respect the building, preserve the atmosphere, and not to disrupt the particular architecture. With that we opted for an accommodation as individual as possible: that's to say we constructed for the participants 6 single rooms and 4 double rooms. So no dormitories. We consciously chose a small scale: we can house 14 persons maximum. The respect for the ancient building results in the fact we could not install all modern comforts in the rooms themselves: surely you will find wash basins, but the toilets and showers are in the immediate proximity on the floor. However, the rooms are typical and charming. For the course activities we dispose of two nice workshops, while outside there are terraces and quiet places where you can deepen the subjects from your course, meditate or dream. Or you can go for a walk in the beautiful neighborhood. Very close to Les Blancards flows the little river "Le Blajoux", which indeed in the summer heat shows the secrets of its bottom, for then the water has disappeared. At a ten minutes' walking distance of the house is our biological garden, devotedly looked after by Maud and Vianney.
This garden provides our kitchen with fresh vegetables.

Our reception

We only accept visitors on full board. The reasons for it are as follows. We did not accommodate our grounds to pitch tents, and we do not want to do so either. We find that people who follow at our place a course or workshop, should be able to liberate themselves of their day-to-day worries. By doing so, they can concentrate fully on the course of their choice. Another motive is to let you get acquainted to a bit of French culture, since the dishes are often typical "Ardèchois". Our meals are prepared with mainly biological ingredients. Inge, who manages the kitchen, also serves some vegetarian dishes, because she finds that these take part of a well-balanced nourishment. In short, full board and course make up a whole for the purpose of your well-being.

International

Operating internationally has been a conscious choice of us. It is interesting for people from different cultures to meet each other. The Center is situated favorably as far as Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the South of Germany are concerned, and a little bit further Belgium, Holland and England. Because of our background we offer quite a lot of courses in the Dutch language. We like to continue with Dutch-speaking courses, to give our former fellow-countrymen and our Belgian friends the opportunity to enjoy our wonderful place in a fine nature without language barrier. But we offer also courses in French, German and English. We feel it as a challenge to organize multi lingual courses. So we offer in 2005 bilingual courses Yoga (German/English), Pottery (Dutch/French), Modeling (Dutch/French), Aquarelle Painting (German/English).
We investigate the possibility to extend the number of multi lingual courses in the future, for - as we think - people become more and more world citizens. And we discovered how interesting it is to take part in a multi lingual course. Even if the participants cannot understand each other literally, it is a special experience to work with people from different cultures. Then it suddenly appears that communication follows more ways and means than speech only.

Teachers/course instructors

By its age-old history Les Blancards is not a blank page. You feel the living past in the building. The courses we arrange with the teachers don't appear out of the blue just like that either. We want to offer quality. Issues and themes that inspire you to work, to exercise your brain. For us it matters to create a dimension that goes further than a leisure activity. We think you come to us to go one step further in your inner development, to discover something new in yourself, to clarify some question you live with, to practise a new creative and artistic skill, that appeals to your capacities. That's why we cooperate with teachers who have original ideas, who realize in their domain something new, who are willing to make discoveries together with you, who dare to walk down new paths. And because everybody leads their own life, follows another path, we try to offer you a broad palette of subjects. From symbolic reading of fairy tales to sculpture, from astronomy to painting, from theater to biography, from pottery to the spiritual road of the Cathares. With the hope that one theme will precisely lighten up that part of the road where you are just now.

Les amis des Blancards, the circle of friends

Everyone who comes to Les Blancards, be it a teacher or a participant, is invited to become member of the association "Les Amis des Blancards". Someone who is admitted to membership feels concerned, at least so we think, about the initiatives of the Study Center. Shaping the content of the courses is a continuous process. We find it important if people, who know our Center, want to think along with us, and if required, want to help, fashioning the coming yearly programs. So a real interaction can originate between participants, teachers and initiators, an evolutionary force. It would be for us a dream came true if there arose around Les Blancards a growing circle of people, who experience the Center as their place, where they feel themselves at home, where they can develop themselves and relax. We hope this special kind of cooperation appeals to your imagination. Also in this respect Les Blancards wants to innovate

We give you a hearty welcome!