Portugal's Sintra with Pascal Ansell
Regular price $36.50 Save $-36.50
Join art writer Pascal Ansell for an exploration of Sintra as we weave our way down the spiraling cobbled streets that paved their way into Portugal's collective imagination. Sintra's dreamworld of palaces and its Moorish Castle is one many are familiar with, and down below the town is curiously lacking any straight or linear streets. Compared to Versailles, its palaces are a celebration of glorious disorder. A key philosophy defines the town: nineteenth-century Romanticism. Getting underneath this movement will be key to making sense of a site that displays willful confusion, an attack on reason and rationality that could be seen as Portugal's most exaggerated, yet most Portuguese town.
Key highlights to our seminar are the holy triad of the Pena, Regaleira, and National palaces. But we will dive into some little-known corners that speak to the late 19th century attitudes on nature, and how these quieter areas let flourish, after the human effort carved out the possibility.
Lord Byron sighed, "Sintra, Glorious Eden", and together we will deepen our appreciation of a town that is Portugal in its idiosyncratic extreme.
Led by local Lisbon expert Pascal Ansell, this interactive discussion will discuss Sintra's history, architecture, and influences from abroad. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with a better understanding of the significance of this beautiful Moorish castle.
Born in Oxford, UK, to an Anglo-Belgian family, Pascal graduated with a first-class B.A. honors in English & Music after studying in Leeds and Berlin. Based in Lisbon, he is interested in the history of the commonplace elements within everyday life. He has published about and taught a wide range of cultural histories, from coffee to wine consumption in Europe, to medieval and early modern Portuguese history, as well as the 'permanent street art' of Portugal's tiles and cobblestones. Pascal also lectures on art theory and philosophy, developing concepts surrounding 'sub-realism' and aesthetically-engaged mysticisms. He has performed across Europe and released music under various labels in the UK, Poland, and Portugal.
This conversation is suitable for all ages
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Pascal's enthusiasm was obvious and combined with his pictures and videos I felt like I was there.
Pascal presentation was engaging , energetic & knowledgeable presentation.?Portugal has been on my list fir a long while. Pascal’s description of places to study & visit- and what walks& hikes of interest was what I need to begin planning when we can travel again. Thank you.
Quality and enjoyment of lectures depend so very much on the quality of the lecturer. In this particular case, I find the lecturer, while very enthusiastic, is not up to the task. The photos he presented at class was of such poor quality and so few in number that I feel it was bothering on being unprofessional. Since I am paying $37.64 per class, I expect some decent lecture materials and quite in depth discourse. What I got, I felt, was a tour guide, picked out 5 photos from his iphone and tried to make a presentation out of those 5 photos with comments that were decidely touristy and not scholarly. Very very disappointed. I sincerely hope Context Travel will do quality contriol on their Conversations offerings. I have done 7-8 Conversations in the last week, most I enjoy, some has issues, none as unprofessional as this one. I felt cheated...and that's not a reaction I assocaite with Context Travels.
I appreciate getting an insider's view of the places I can't visit right now -- but that I hope to visit in the future.