Tired of the snow? Do you want to get away from Saint John? Do you dream of travelling while earning University credits? Well, UNB is again offering its very popular Spring in France Program that gives you the opportunity to enjoy the culture and economy of France in the best possible social and intellectual environment and most important at the lowest cost.
A variety of Economics and French courses will be offered in France from May 3 to 22, one in Economics, taught by Dr. Constantine Passaris, and one in French, taught by Dr. Robert Viau. Classes will be held in French Universities, museums, churches, banks, restaurants, sidewalk cafés and in important sites related to French economics, literature, politics and history.
Everyone is invited to participate in this exciting travel study program. You may choose to audit the courses or take them for credit. Come practice your French and learn about the European economy. Don’t worry, after a few days, you will have adapted quite well and greatly improved your knowledge of the French language.
Poitiers has a vibrant culture that attracts many young artists and is the dynamic regional capital of the Poitou-Charentes. From our base in the medieval city of Poitiers, we have planned excursions by bus. You will discover rural France in all of its beauty and diversity: the castles of Touffou and of La Roche-Courbon, the seaport of Rochefort, the medieval village of Chauvigny, Saint-Savin abbey, Angles-sur-l’Anglin (voted the most beautiful village of France), the Renaissance castle of Chambord in the Loire valley
We will be invited to official receptions (by the University of Poitiers and the Vienne departmental government) and enjoy gastronomic meals in regional restaurants. After a full week exploring Poitiers and the French countryside, we will settle for the next two weeks in Paris.
In Paris, we will go to all the legendary landmarks, including a full day in Versailles, and have many exceptional visits (allowed only under special permission to UNB): the Sorbonne University, the Bank of France, Unesco, the Canadian Embassy, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the National Library of France. We will also have a nocturnal visit of the Louvre, a Parisian fashion show, a banquet in a renowned restaurant, a night cruise on the Seine River, a tour of the Fragonard perfume factory and of the boutiques that made Paris famous: Chanel, Vuitton, Dior, and many other activities.
Come and visit the Louvre, follow the steps of the characters in the Da Vinci Code, search for Quasimodo in the belfry of Notre-Dame Cathedral, see where the French Revolution started and where the guillotine ended the life of Marie-Antoinette, admire the monuments of Louis XIV and Napoleon, climb the Eiffel Tower, sit where Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises and drank with Scott Fitzgerald and Henry Miller, play chess in the café in Montparnasse where Lenin and Trotsky waited for the Russian Revolution to start, walk through Picasso’s studio, pay your respects to rock star Jim Morrison (of The Doors) at his final resting place and create your own enduring myths!
Program fees include almost everything and accommodations are of superior quality. We will go where tourists rarely go or are not allowed to go. With specialists who know Poitiers and Paris, you won’t lose your time and you will experience the trip of a lifetime (if you don’t believe us, talk to the students who went in the previous years).
Enrolment for the Spring in France Program is limited and is filling up fast. For more information about the course or how to register, please visit http://www.cel.unb.ca/travelstudy/france/english.php or write rviau@unb.ca and passaris@unb.ca
- Robert Viau