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. […]
On the Road with Ann
TRAVEL PURSUITS—Winning pix from Colombia, winter 2015
We are pleased to announce the winner of our trip, Colombia: A paradise where reality and magic blur. Our judge this time was Alex Fiscalini, painter, photographer, graphic artist, and art director. Alex was drawn right away to this photo by Christine Croucher of Forest, Ontario. Christine has been toting […]
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 — It’s Colombia, not Columbia
A funny thing happens when I travel with Classical Pursuits: I fall in love. OK, It may be more philia than eros, but a deep and enduring affection develops for the country I am visiting. It happened in Egypt, in India, in Vietnam and Cambodia. I leave home with great […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN—Wonder While You Wander with Ann
All of our TRAVEL PURSUITS are variations on the theme of discovery. We travel as seekers of experiences and insights we do not find at home. Taking Your Soul for a Stroll: 160 kilometers on the Camino de Santiago is a bit different from our other trips in two respects. First, […]
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 — Po’boys + Naughty Girls in N’Awlins
I have been back from New Orleans for two weeks now and have been musing, pretty much nonstop, about what to say about the place and our trip. Off the top, let me say the trip was great. Our readings gave a broad sweep of New Orleans society and the […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN — Arrival in the Big Easy
Our group is happily ensconced at Hotel Monteleone, whose literary pedigree makes for an atmospheric home base in New Orleans. My first impression of the city is that music and dancing really are everywhere. Sunday at the French Market was especially lively. I was surprised to find a […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Iceland, an unlikely nation
This is a personal reflection on our trip to Literary Iceland. Like all Classical Pursuits trips, I expected my prior reading and on site discussions, coupled with unrushed and thoughtful travel, to deepen my understanding of a people and a place. In this instance, before leaving home, I had formed […]
GUEST BLOG — Bobbi Speck on Incredible Iceland (Part 1)
In this three-part post, the intrepid Bobbi (aka Borghilde) Speck gives us all the news that’s fit to print on Literary Iceland: Isle of Awe, 2014. Led by Mark Cwik and Ann Kirkland, a group of travellers read, ate, and hiked their way through this astonishing country. Did they encounter any […]