Course Description: Armchair traveler, well-heeled tourist, avid Francophiles alike are invited to join us in a visit to the City of Lights and wander through Paris. Whether you're "visiting" for the very first time, preparing for an actual trip, or reminiscing about a city you fell in love with years ago, join us as we revisit old haunts and discover new ones, renew our knowledge of French history, discover people who have changed the course of French history and delve into some of their dark secrets. We’ll wander neighborhoods, gardens, and museums along the way, inviting you to discover the ins and outs of what the Parisians know about their quartiers. You might even hear some accordion music in the background to accompany the slides and photos of Paris. While being there in person would be ideal, this is the next best thing. Bon voyage!
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Weeks
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Topics
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Week 1
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From Lutece to Hidalgo: We’ll revisit the history of Paris, from the early Roman era (Lutèce) to today’s city run by the controversial Socialist mayor of Paris (Hidalgo).
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Week 2
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La Belle Epoque: Delve into the most beautiful, intriguing, exciting, yet dark periods of French history, replete with gorgeous paintings, new inventions, architectural gems, and fascinating personalities.
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Week 3
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The Dreyfus Affair, a dark period of anti-Semitism at the end of the 19th century which threw France into a roiling turmoil that sowed the seeds of the Vichy regime.
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Week 4
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The Latin Quarter and the Marais: We’ll frolic through the Marais and the Latin Quarter, two unique neighborhoods of Paris with roots in the Roman empire and cornerstones of today’s modern Paris.
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Week 5
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Nature in Paris: far more intriguing than you imagine! From the dramatic flooding of the Seine in 1910 to the annual Agricultural Fair, we’ll cover beautiful parks, surprising gardens, beehives, artists, horses and statues of Buddha!
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Week 6
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Day trips from Paris: five wonderful areas you can get to by train for a quick getaway, which demonstrate the incredible diversity of the French country, each region with its different traditions, economy, cuisine, landscape, history, and architecture.
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Instructor: Ms Valerie Sutter
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OLLI 2023-2024 Membership is required to take this course and will be added to your cart upon enrollment. If you already have purchased a membership, you will not be charged for this membership.
OLLI 2023-2024 Membership Added to cart upon enrollment.
Starts: 8/1/2023
Ends: 7/31/2024
$55