Picture perfect

ISTRIA

Istria is the ideal
destination for painting
holidays, with stunning
landscapes, strong colours and perfect light. At least that's the case for the Irish artist and BBC TV presenter Dermot Cavanagh.

We caught up with Dermot on his recent return from Istria. He said he couldn't wait for the next one. The UK 's No.1 TV art tutor who has taught the stars to paint and inspired millions with 74 half hour episodes of his hit TV series "Awash With Colour" here explains his connection with Croatian Istria.

Istria is a painter's paradise and I hope to have the pleasure of bringing five painting groups there again this year. As both guide and tutor I help my guests paint the days away at locations that simply ooze inspiration. During my first visit to Istria, on a holiday in 1987 I got a strange feeling that I'd come home. Eighteen years on and even though I am still nothing more than a frequent visitor, I feel more of a native in Istria than I do here in Ireland . For many years now I've brought painting groups to Istria and I have never failed to be inspired by its landscape and people. Istria is the largest peninsula on the Adriatic coast and the westernmost county of Croatia . It lies at the geographic crossroads of central Europe, the Alps and the dinaric Mediterranean region and is a very worthy neighbour to the magnificent city of Venice on the opposite coast. Istria is simply my favourite place in Europe. For me its picturesque landscape can rival any in Tuscany or…