by Classical Pursuits founder and longtime walker Ann Kirkland For some, walking is a time-wasting and arduous chore when there are so many faster ways to get from A to B. And days-long hiking is a pointless and punishing undertaking. For others, the idea of a pilgrimage smacks of self-denying […]
Ann’s Musings
Travel Pursuits Poland: The Best-Laid Plans
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. […]
Newfoundland History 101
[We invite you to join us for a Travel Pursuit very close to Ann’s heart: In Search of the Newfoundland Soul, in August 2017. What’s in store for you in Newfoundland? Read on to find out!] What do you think of when you think of Newfoundland? Because of the musical […]
A Grand Tour, Classical Pursuits Style
There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry – This Traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of Toll – How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human Soul – — Emily Dickinson […]
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 […]
TRAVEL PURSUITS—Dubai or Not Dubai? That Is the Question
Confession – I want to sell you a Travel Pursuit to Dubai from March 7 to 13, 2016. Selling does not come naturally to me, but I think this trip deserves an extra push since, if you are anything like I was, Dubai may not be on your radar. My vision of […]
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. […]