EF Tours and Oakbridge Academy of Arts • May 29, 2008

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Day 1 - Flight

Overnight flight to Great Britain

Spend the night flying across the Atlantic.

Day 2 - London

Arrival in London • Touch down in London, Europe’s largest city. After clearing customs, you are greeted by your bilingual EF Tour Director, who will remain with you throughout your stay.

Walking tour of London • Stroll through the heart of London on our EF walking tour, which begins along the banks of the River Thames. These shadowy waters gave the city its name, which derives from Llyn-Dyn, Celtic for “city of the lake.” Walk along the Strand and see the spot considered to be London’s geographic center; all measurements of distances to London end here. Enter Trafalgar Square and pause at Nelson’s Column, built to commemorate his 1805 victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. Continue on to Leicester Square, where duelists once fought to the death. Then saunter through London’s tiny Chinatown. Your walk ends at chic Covent Garden, where you’ll enjoy watching street performers (or “buskers”) amuse the lively crowds.

Day 3 - London

Guided sightseeing of London • A local guide leads you on a panoramic tour of London. Begin in Grosvenor Square, which is sometimes called “Little America” because it’s the site of the U.S. embassy and the house where Eisenhower once lived. Continue to Hyde Park Corner, located at the southeast corner of Hyde Park, one of London’s largest parks. At bustling Piccadilly Circus, the intersection of five busy streets, check out the bright lights and big-city displays, before heading to Trafalgar Square. Pass Speaker’s Corner, where anyone with something to say is invited to speak his or her mind. Snap a photo of the Houses of Parliament and continue along London’s South Bank for views of the famous Tower of London and London Bridge. Stroll across the Millennium Bridge for an orientation of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the magnificent 17th-century Baroque church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Finally, witness a London tradition—the Changing of the Guard.

Visit to the Tower of London • The history of London comes to life at this complex of 20 towers surrounding Tower Green. The oldest tower, known as the White Tower, was completed in 1097, when it was the tallest building in London. The Tower buildings have had many uses over the years; perhaps the most infamous was as a jail for political prisoners, not to mention two of Henry VIII’s wives. The most famous exhibits at the Tower are the British Crown Jewels. Aside from a short interruption during WWII, these splendid baubles have been locked behind the Tower’s walls for centuries.

Day 4 - London to Paris

Transfer via the Eurostar • In London, board the high-speed Eurostar, an 18-car train that runs through the tunnel connecting Britain with continental Europe. Completed in May 1994, the Channel Tunnel provides travelers with easy access to and from the continent. Enjoy state-of-the-art technology as you glide under the English Channel to France.

Arrival in Paris • Disembark in Paris, cosmopolitan City of Light.

Day 5 - Paris & Versailles

Guided sightseeing of Paris • Discover the city on the Seine, beginning with the imposing Arc de Triomphe, commemorating Napoleon’s Grande Armée. Take a drive down the elegant Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde. Pass the Conciergerie, where prisoners of the Revolution spent their final days, and see Les Invalides, Louis XIV’s grand retirement home for wounded soldiers. You’ll also see the École Militaire, where Napoleon graduated to lieutenant and was told he’d go far if circumstances allowed. Next, make a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower to marvel at the 6,000- ton centerpiece for the 1889 World’s Fair. You’ll hear the story of how this impressive— but once highly controversial—symbol of Paris was spared the wrecking ball in 1909. Pass the Opéra Garnier, where the famous Phantom of the Opera haunted his dear Christine, and marvel at Église de la Madeleine, designed as a temple of glory for Napoleon’s army. Continue past the geometric gardens of the Tuileries as you make your way to the Place Vendôme, a vast square surrounded by elegant 17th-century façades.

Guided visit to Versailles • Visit Versailles, the elaborate palace of Louis XIV. Here the Sun King held court in the most lavish style imaginable. At one point, 1,000 nobles were attended by 4,000 servants inside the palace, while 15,000 soldiers and servants inhabited the annexes. Stroll through the elegantly landscaped gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, tour the State Apartments of the King himself, walk through the historic Hall of Mirrors and admire the ornate decor of the State Apartments of the Queen.

Day 6 - Paris

Visit to the Louvre • Built to defend the city in the 13th century, the Louvre today safeguards one of the world’s greatest art collections. Enter the museum through worldrenowned architect I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid, constructed in 1989. Inside, discover priceless antiquities from Asia, Greece and Rome. You’ll also see precious objects from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as iconic European

paintings such as the Mona Lisa.

Walking tour of Paris • Meander through the Latin Quarter, an area dominated by the Sorbonne, Paris’ most famous university, founded in 1253. As you stroll, look for the Panthéon, created by Louis XV because of a promise he made to build a church dedicated to Sainte-Geneviève if he survived a severe illness. You’ll also explore Boulevard St. Michel and spend some time browsing the stacks at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, which published James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1922. As you make your way along the Seine, you’ll also have the chance to browse the literary materials sold at les bouquinistes, the bookstalls that sell old books, maps, art prints and postcards. It’s the perfect place to pick up some authentic souvenirs!

Visit to Notre Dame Cathedral • Built between 1163 and 1361 over the remains of an ancient Roman temple, it was here that Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804. Victor Hugo once described the sculptured façade of Notre Dame as “a vast symphony in stone.” However, had it not been for the creation of his famous hunchback, Quasimodo, the cathedral might never have returned to its former glory. Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame helped inspire a 23-year restoration of the cathedral that began in 1841. Step inside to admire the stained-glass rose windows and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings.

Day 7 - Rouen & Normandy

Guided sightseeing of Rouen • On the way to Rouen, learn about the making of traditional French cheese and taste samples of this local delicacy during your stop at a cheese factory. Continue on to Rouen, known as the City of a Hundred Spires because of its many churches. It was here that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake during the Hundred Years’ War. Rouen’s enormous Notre Dame Cathedral was a favorite subject of Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Nearby, see the Tour de Beurre (Butter Tower), financed by donations made by Catholics who wished to avoid fasting during Lent.

Arrival in the Normandy region • Arrive in the historic Normandy region, where you will spend the night.

Day 8 - Normandy

Visit to the beaches of Normandy • Stand on the beaches that witnessed the horrors of D-Day. The WWII battles that took place here were part of the largest seaborne invasion in history.

Visit to Caen Memorial: Museum of Peace • Pay tribute to WWII troops who fought on the beaches of Normandy as you visit the Caen Memorial. You’ll see a short film about the D-Day invasion, followed by a slide show on WWII. A third audio-visual presentation recounts the wars in Korea, Afghanistan and Vietnam, as well as the continuing quest for world peace. Afterwards, tour the museum and see displays that depict pre-WWII Europe and trace the events that eventually led to the outbreak of war. Take time to walk through the Nobel Peace Prizewinners’ Gallery, a gallery that highlights the accomplishments of the men and women who struggled for peace.

Day 9 - Honfleur & Paris

Excursion to Honfleur • Continue along the coast to the 14th-century fishing port of Honfleur, once a meeting place for the pioneers of Impressionism. Here, your tour director leads you down cobblestone streets that pass the Old Clock and St. Catherine Church, the largest wooden church in France, dating back to the 15th century.

Arrival in Paris • Continue on to Paris, where you’ll spend the night.

Day 10 - Return to Pittsburgh

Daytime flight to

Interested in Traveling to Ireland with Oakbridge in 2009? email: mlowe@oaa.edu