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Sophfronia and Grand Tourist create magic!

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Janet Simmonds

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Writer’s Retreat – Venice, Italy Sept 18-24, 2022

ABOUT

Janet Simmonds (nee Panagakis) is a British-born tour guide, writer and company director. Born in Liverpool with a slightly Greek grand-father and a very Greek great grand-father she has a special affinity with the Mediterranean, especially Italy and Greece. Trained as a Geographer and Art Historian at the Universities of Oxford and Manchester, Janet has spent most of her adult life running specialist travel companies and travelling extensively. Several times a year she leads small groups to different parts of the Mediterranean. She writes about her travels and observations.

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Venice and the islands - especially Torcello and Burano are never far from my mind. Heading back in April with a small group of clients. To discover more about the Legends of Torcello https://wp.me/p5eFNn-3Bh #Venice #Torcello #Italy #journeys

Flavours of life. #France #Italy #Netherlands #England #grandtourist #educatedtraveller friends and family

The charioteer of Delphi, an ancient bronze statue, was discovered at Delphi in Greece in the 1890s. The statue is made of bronze and dates from c. 475 BC. The statue is a little like Michelangelo’s David, in that it combines movement and lifelike characteristics in the body, head and feet. The statue is 1.8 m high. The body is dressed in flowing, pleated robes that influenced designer Fortuny (see below). The use of bronze, a material that was very expensive indicates a wealthy person paid for the sculpture to be made. Possibly a Greek family from Sicily, where several wealthy Greek cities existed - including Gela, Siracusa and Agrigento. The driver of the Chariot is thought to be Polyzalos of Gela, a Sicilian carriage driver and winner at the Pythian Games. He probably paid for the creation of the sculpture and then offered it as a devotion to Apollo. #Delphi #Greece #PythianGames #bronze #AncientGreece #classicalart ………….. When Mariano Fortuny and Henriette Negrin heard about the Greek charioteer statue and the robes wrapped over the statue’s body they were inspired to create the Delphos gown. An elegant, stylish and easy-to-wear gown that took Paris and New York by storm in the 1920s…………………The gown was a huge success and was worn by Isadora Duncan, Eleonora Duse, Peggy Guggenheim, Mrs Conde Nast, Lauren Bacall and many others.

Captivated by @emilyallchurch and her original interpretations of our classical past #RoyalAcademy #BurlingtonHouse #Palladio #Palladianism #London @royalacademyarts with titles like Grand Tour and Capital Folly with nods to #Soane #Piranesi and (IMHO) #Canaletto - richly textured, detailed and exhilarating. A delicious homage to old and new wrapped up in a contemporary framework of images and LED lightbox modernity. Absolutely entranced. #grandtour #grandtourist #educatedtraveller

Strolling through the Palazzo Orfei, just before Christmas, I was struck by a painting next to a door, linking the winter garden with the main salone of the house. A magnificent, full-sized portrait of a female warrior, sword in hand, triumphant in her flowing gown. Her hair tumbling over her left shoulder, gorgeous golden tresses, known in Venice as 'rosso tiziano', Titian red. The muscular, dynamic pose of the body reminded me of several goddess portraits by Lord Leighton. I thought it would be interesting to consider the portraits side by side. #Venezia #Venice #Leighton #Grandtourist #London #Greece #Delphos #art #history - full story: https://wp.me/p5eFNn-7T9

Visited spectacular #Baroque #library of St Gallen, Switzerland ‘Sanatorium for the Mind’ A treasure trove of #manuscripts #incubulae covering 1200 years of the written word - the importance of #libraries as a repository of knowledge for over 1200 years. Originally a Benedictine monastery founded by St Gall as a simple place of worship in the 6th century. The monastery, scriptorium and library grew from about the 8th century. #libraries #books #grandtourist #educatedtraveller #benedictines #bibliophiles - brief history wp.me/p5eFNn-9l

In the mountains of Tyrol. Staying with lovely Rosie in the delightful village of Alpbach. Snow, walking, skiing tomorrow. Plein air x

18-24 Sept: Hot off the press - brochure for the 3rd edition of the #Writers #Retreat #Veneto #italy just 20 mins from #Venice quality workshops and conversations about writing. Amazing and inspirational sightseeing: Venice Lagoon and Palladian Villas #creativity #inspiration former alumni recommend! https://wp.me/p5eFNn-6YC - one week, loads of teaching, lots of meals, boat tours, villa visits, expert guidance from @sophfronia.scott writer, essayist and MFA program director and @educatedtraveller Janet Simmonds, Art Historian and Geographer #Harvard and #Oxford respectively - why not join us, it’s fun and truly inspirational #grandtourist #writing #fun #italy

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