Adjacent to Kraków sits Nowa Huta, an in-your-face proletarian antithesis to the medieval and Renaissance architecture found in Poland’s hub of intellectual and artistic expression. Begun in 1947, and funded by the Soviet Union, Nowa Huta is considered one of the finest examples of deliberate social engineering in the world. […]
Ann’s Musings
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Welcome to the Rock!
“Knock, knock.” “Come on in. The door’s open.” That’s the kind of open-armed reception you receive in Newfoundland, where we will be returning this August on the Travel Pursuit In Search of the Newfoundland Soul. As before, we will split our time between St. John’s and the Eastport […]
ANN’S MUSINGS—My Penchant for Portugal
I confess that I have not yet been to Portugal but have been for some time under its sway. Classical Pursuits is going to Portugal this October because it has charmed and wooed me from afar. Why has this small corner of Europe come to sing so sweetly to me? […]
TRAVEL PURSUITS—Bridging the Gulf Between Us
البعد جفاء “Distance equals disaffection.” ― Arabic proverb “Life is meant to be shared. We need each other.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita, a Ghanaian writer Lamentably, cultural divisiveness is stubborn. Travel is often touted as one of the best ways to build bridges and break down barriers. But it is […]
TRAVEL PURSUITS—Cuba! The times they are a-changin
“And keep your eyes wide The chance won’t come again” – Bob Dylan Sometimes one has the chance to be an eyewitness to history at a remarkable moment. Ten years ago, visitors were told what we now know to be true: that along with the end of the Castro regime would come […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN—Reading the Road on the Camino
Our Camino trips create a rather different balance between reading and walking, with the latter taking up most of the day and leaving time for shorter discussions of briefer works in the early evening. But Dante, Wordsworth, Thoreau, Emerson and others have made the strong link between words and walking. […]
TODAY IN LITERATURE—Who Is a Twoo Pilgwim?
Ann will be off on the Camino in a couple of weeks. She is busy putting in long miles, checking her feet, gathering her gear, and rechecking her feet. Along with taking long daily walks through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable, the group will gather over wine […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Mystery & Manners in Savannah
I was mulling over my impressions from our fifth trip to Savannah and was struck that this Travel Pursuit differs from others in a strange way. Most of the time I find the literature and the place complement and enrich one another. Even if we are in Florence discussing Dante, who […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN — Come Take Your Soul for a Stroll with Me
I devote most Fridays to a day-long walk through Toronto’s extensive ravine system with about 25 fellow devotees. What are we devoted to? We are devoted to walking and to the Camino de Santiago. All of us have either walked (sometimes many times) or are preparing to walk the Camino. […]
On the Road with Ann — Northern Exposure, Southern Charm
Our Iceland trip is winding down, and it has been incredible. We’ll have a full account of all the experiences we had and the first-class people we met. Here are a few more photos to tide you over until then. It is hard to leave the fierce beauty of this […]