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Well here’s to our third Literary Tour
issue. It’s not surprising that we return again and again to literary
travel. Literature tours encompass and invoke the sites, sounds and
smells of a favorite book, poem or author. Making them utilize all their
senses, literary tours transport travelers’ minds and bodies, opening
their eyes to different realities. What better way to learn about other
worlds and cultures?
Literature is the only way we have so far
to travel across time and space to learn about what particular societies
held as their priorities. The written word, unlike video, utilizes
descriptive development of plot and theme, allowing readers to each
visualize the narrative in their own way. Words, suggestive and
evocative, ignite the imagination, illuminating more between the lines
than can ever be explicitly stated.
Whether you want to follow along the
setting of a particular work, visit the haunts of authors or desire an
in-depth scholarly course, Cultural Travels has a tour company to fit
your needs.
This
month's tour hosts review:
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Classical Pursuits Inc.
Pick of
the Month |
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Location: Toronto, Canada, and Europe |
| Specialty:
An intensive one-week summer sessions in Toronto and various
foreign programs. |
| Why
We Like Them: In connection with Great Books, Classical Pursuits
offers a diverse selection of courses during one dedicated
week in Toronto each July. Participants get to discuss a
book or body of work with a group of other literary
enthusiasts. Programs change each year and many participants
return year after year. Classical Pursuits Inc. also offers
longer programs upcoming trips; Dante’s Italy, Federico
Garcia Lorca’s Andalucia and, New York’s Algonquin Round
Table. |
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Lynchpin Tours |
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Location: Northern and Southern Ireland |
| Specialty:
Custom-designed itineraries; Weddings, Shopping, Literature
and more |
| Why
We Like Them: Outspoken and comedic Lowell Courtney is sure to
create an Irish experience beyond any you imagined, even if
you only speak to him on the phone! As one of the only
companies to handle both northern and southern Ireland,
Lowell and partner David Hudson are uniquely positioned to
offer personalized service, combined with firsthand
knowledge and up-to-the-minute information that will allow
you to experience the whole of Irish history and culture —
from the romantic past to the complex present. Pubs and
castles, shopping or golf, and of course literature and
(occasionally) politics, are just a few of their
specialties.
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Article:
Ireland – by book or by crook |
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Discover Paris |
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Location: Paris |
| Specialty:
Self-guided walking tours, local guides and custom-designed
itineraries |
| Why
We Like Them: Discover Paris offers services such as “Paris a la
carte” where you choose just the elements you need –
restaurant ideas and reservations, accommodations, and local
guided excursions, or day-by-day itineraries or self-guided
walking tours. A complete travel questionnaire is required
from which your customized trip is constructed. The
company’s monthly newsletter has a great selection of
articles all about Paris. History, art, literature cooking
and immigrant African culture are just a few of the topics.
With all this fantastic research and dedication, Discover
Paris’s planning services are sure to match your specific
needs. |
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Article:
The Literary Woman of Montparnasse |
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Novel Explorations |
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Location: Great Britain |
| Specialty: Guided and custom-designed tours
where fiction and travel merge |
| Why
We Like Them: Patty Suchy creates
three to four group departures each year around a unique
theme. Each day’s itinerary is filled with great
attractions, accommodations and meals. You’ll explore the
history and literature of the theme and discover the places
that make the literature come alive. Private talks by
curators and specialists in each location add to the
enjoyment. The company also arranges custom tours for
per-organized groups. |
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Article:
Introducing Your
Family to British Literature |
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Most cities offer short day
tours to the literary spots of interest. You can’t get much
closer that walking the streets in the footsteps of a city’s
great authors. Here are just a few:
San Francisco Literary Tours,
London Walks,
The Scottish Literary Tour
Company. |
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