“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” begins Charles Dickens’ in his famous novel, The Tale of Two Cities. Through centuries, London and Paris have undergone dramatic political, social, and economic changes that shape modern life. Monuments, memorials, churches, museums, government ministries, transportation centers, and architecture stand as testaments of the transformative nature of these global cities. To better understand this evolution, we must approach this through an inquisitive lens, and what better way to do this, than to be in the middle of the cities themselves!

This Interterm 2015, Professor Lee Estes and Professor John Boitano, of Wilkinson College’s Department of World Languages and Culture, will be taking students on a Travel Course that explores London and Paris. The Travel Course “A Tale of Two Cities” will engage students in the themes of continuity and change, and how these shape structures and institutions in other societies.

One of the highlights of the trip is The Museum of the City of Paris (Le Musee Carnevalet), the oldest of the municipal museums that tells the story of Paris from 4600 BC to present day, holding one hundred rooms of art, interior design, letters and furniture.  Paris’ spiritual and artistic influence will come to life as students tour Notre Dame Cathedral, La Sainte Chapelle, and the Ile de la Cite. The tour will also encompass Musée de l’Armée (Army Museum) that contains collections from antiquity to the 20th century. In London, students will be visiting the Buckingham Palace, and receive a tour of the London, Barbican, British, and Smithfield museums. Students will enjoy walks around Knightsbridge and South Kensington and have an opportunity to appreciate the neighborhoods, garden squares, and streets that define London.

This travel course is now closed. For more information on how you can participate in the future please contact Professor Estes, estes@chapman.edu or Professor Boitano, jboitano@chapman.edu.