Convivium

I was at a memorial service the other day for a very great and kind man who died unexpectedly while fully and deeply engaged in life. I was reminded of this 5th century fresco I have seen several times at the Benedictine monastery of Sacro Speco (Sacred Cave) in Subiaco, Italy. This ancient painting shows [...]

Some of you will have travelled with Sean Forester on a Travel Pursuit in one or another region of Italy. Others of you will have participated in one of his seminars at Toronto Pursuits. All who have encountered Sean will know that he is a passionate about classical painting and has an extraordinary gift in [...]

I hope you can join me for Toronto Pursuits 2012 in July for The Concerto: Studies in Contrast. We’ll be delving into the Brandenburg Concertos by Bach, the Clarinet Concerto by Mozart, and many others as we follow the development of the concerto through the centuries. Why did it change and how did it reflect [...]

Not one of Flora’s brilliant race A form more perfect can display; Art could not feign more simple grace Nor Nature take a line away. – James Montgomery, On Planting a Tulip-Root Everybody thinks that tulips come from Holland. Actually, Tulips are native to Central Asia and Turkey. In the 16th Century they were brought [...]

Los amigos buenos días, I was sorry to learn that one of our twelve travellers to walk the last hundred miles of the Camino de Santiago this October has had to cancel. TAKING YOUR SOUL FOR A STROLL: A hundred miles on the Camino de Santiago. I would now like to open that vacancy to one [...]