Wallisand Edward: Letters 1931-1937: The Intimate Correspondence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Edited by Michael Bloch M u c h has been written about the royal romance that scandalised B r i t a i n , but m u c h of it relies on gossip and speculation. Reading the couple's letters, written in the 1930s, gives a fascinating insight into the real nature of the relationship. Bloch's commentary is readable and helpful in understanding the context of the letters. EDWARD VIII A N D WALLIS SIMPSON A Flavour of Spain N o r t h Shore residents M i k e and H i l a r y P o w e l l are passionate about Spain...its culture, food and history, and n o w they are sharing it w i t h artists and foodies alike. After spending many years r u n n i n g their o w n successful L a Cascada Verde restaurant on the Costa del Sol, they came to C a n a d a for their daughter to complete her education. But their passion burned and in M a y 2 0 0 5 they created a way to incorporate their love for Spain into their lives. They launched A Flavour of Spain Culinary and Cultural Learning Vacations, a travel opportunity for artists and food lovers to go to Spain and experience, savour and explore A n d a l u c i a through painting and c o o k i n g w o r k s h o p s . In a beautifully restored o l d m i l l located in a tranquil Spanish country setting M i k e and H i l a r y love to enhance and nurture their guests' artistic and culinary talents. T h e i r Spanish country c o o k i n g and excellent art teachers, c o m b i n e d w i t h the exquisite location, stimulate artistic talents to flourish. In 2006 w e l l - k n o w n artists K i f f H o l l a n d , N i c k Bantock, Janice Robertson and A l a n W y l i e w i l l be leading the w o r k s h o p s in the spring and in the fall. K i f f , Janice and A l a n are all internationally recognized, a w a r d - w i n n i n g Senior Signature M e m b e r s of the Federation of C a n a d i a n Artists whose w o r k s are in c o l lections w o r l d w i d e . They w i l l be sharing their extensive teaching expertise and talent in their w o r k s h o p s . N i c k Bantock, the a w a r d - w i n n i n g author of the Griffin & Sabine Trilogy, w h i c h has sold over three m i l l i o n copies and spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, w i l l be presenting a w o r k s h o p for writers and artists and, each evening, he w i l l give a pre-publication reading from his latest b o o k , Windflower, set in 1920s Spain, (due for release A u t u m n 2006). This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. FICTION The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles A V i c t o r i a n gentleman is engaged to a wealthy a n d suitable w o m a n , but when he encounters a beautiful, mysterious w o m a n rumoured to be the forsaken lover of a French lieutenant, he becomes utterly smitten. A fine story w h i c h has become a contemporary classic. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Published a year before her death at the age of thirty, Emily Bronte's only novel is set in the w i l d , bleak moors of Yorkshire. The archetypal " g o t h i c " novel, Wuthering Heights relates the outcast Heathcliff's passionate love for his c h i l d h o o d soulmate Catherine, and hers for h i m - a love which endures beyond the grave. F r o m vivid nightmares to descriptions of the rugged landscape to the almost irrational desires and fears of its characters, the story is vivid, exhilarating and almost unbearably romantic. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje Haunting and beautiful, Ondaatje's a w a r d - w i n n i n g novel tells the story of four war-damaged souls living in an Italian monastery at the end of W W I I , and the love story between t w o of them, the exhausted nurse H a n a , and the severely burned unnamed English patient. Unforgettable and unique. Love in the time of cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez While delivering a message to her father, Florentino Ariza falls in love w i t h the far-too-young Fermina D a z a . What follows is the story of a passion that extends over 50 years, as Fermina decisively rejects her suitor when he first speaks. Instead she marries the powerful and urbane Dr. Juvenal U r b i n o , in a marriage w h i c h begins without love but ultimately w o r k s . Florentino remains faithful in his fashion while conducting dozens of sexual liaisons, all without the passion he again declares at Urbino's death. This is a sad, tragic, but often humorous tale and a must-read for all hopeless romantics. WHAT: Experience the arts and culture in Spain with well-known artist/r WHEN: Spring 2006 INFO: www.aflavourofspain.ca or call 1.888.986.2262 www.arts-alive.ca January | February