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The Alelexandria Quartet

An exploration of modern love

DESTINATION
The island of Corfu, Greece

DATES
October 10 – 17, 2009 (7 nights) (NOTE CHANGE OF DATES)

READINGS
Lawrence Durrell, The Alexandria Quartet

Description/Itinerary
Anglo-Irish novelist, poet, translator, travel writer, and dramatist Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990) was born in India but lived in and celebrated the Mediterranean world. In 1935, Durrell moved his family to Corfu to live more economically and escape the English winter. Life in Greece was a revelation; while in Corfu, he wrote a plan for The Book of the Dead, a forerunner to what may be his greatest literary accomplishment, The Alexandria Quartet. The experimental tetralogy of mystery, love, and espionage explores memory and knowledge, contrasting in its story the love affair of a young writer with the recollections of other people.

Lawrence Durrell is the brother of the equally celebrated naturalist, conservationist, and author Gerald Durrell (1925-1995). The Durrell School was established in 2002 on the brothers’ beloved Corfu to celebrate their work and provide a learning experience steeped in the culture and history of the Mediterranean.

Classical Pursuits is delighted to hold The Alexandria Quartet: An exploration in modern love in the crucible of the Durrells’ Corfu – where the arts and literature mix with zoology and ecology and conservation biology.

Corfu, controlled by the Venetians for centuries, charms the visitor with historic forts, narrow streets, arcades, a Venetian-built Town Hall, flower-filled gardens, wrought-iron balconies and the Church of Saint Spyridon, the island’s patron saint.

We will make our home in centrally located Kerkyra, staying in a mid-19th century hotel overlooking the harbour in the heart of the ‘Old Town.’ We will visit many natural and architectural wonders on the island and make a day trip to the UNESCO Heritage archaeological site of Butrint in Albania.

Click here to view itinerary

Leader
Richard Pine, founder of the Durrell school, is a leading expert on modern Irish culture and literature and Ireland’s connections to the eastern worlds. He is the author of the definitive critical work on Lawrence Durrell, Lawrence Durrell: The Mindscape (revised second edition 2005). Richard now lives full-time on Corfu.

Accommodatiation
Hotel Konstantinopoulis, 7 nights

Fees
Price: $2900 Cdn
Single Supplement: $400 Cdn

Fee includes books, accommodation, two meals a day, discussions, walking tours, talks, excursions, admissions and day trip to Albania.

Non Refundable Deposit:
$500 CDN due at registration

GETTING TO AND FROM CORFU
The island of Corfu is an idyllic, unspoiled destination and, as such, it is not altogether simple to get to. Our travel partner Drum Travel Co-op has been researching all the options and would be glad to help you find flights that suit your travel style.

There are basically three groups of options:

1. Fly to Athens and then take a connecting flight to Corfu
2. Fly to a hub airport in Germany or Switzerland and then take a connecting flight to Corfu
3. Fly to London and then take a connecting flight from Gatwick Airport to Corfu

Not all flights fly every day and some connections may require an overnight in London, Germany or Switzerland, or in Athens. Some of you may wish to arrive a day early in Corfu or stay an extra day at the end. The hotel costs on Corfu will be considerably lower than at the other locations.