Will and Delancey are serenaded at the welcome dinner
We had a busy first week, and we have more in store for Week 2! During the first week, we focused a lot on the Great War and on getting settled in a new city. Paris is a huge cosmopolitan center and it’s an adjustment for many people: new place, different language, diverse culture, distinct foods.
The students have gotten used to taking the metro and navigating the city. They’ve also seen some of the iconic sights and some not-so-touristy places. They are discovering France’s history on a daily basis.
Claire & Courtney in S&T gear at the Louvre
This week promises to be just as exciting as we start to shift our focus to World War II:
Monday:
Walking tour of the Latin Quarter including stops at Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, and the Luxembourg Gardens. We will be discussing the role of the Catholic Church during the war, students in the Resistance, and Jean Moulin on our trek. We have also read excerpts from the Journal of Hélène Berr, a Jewish woman who attended the Sorbonne during the Occupation.
Tuesday:
Trip to Mont-Valérien. This fort on the outskirts of Paris served as the execution site for hostages taken by the Germans during the war. It is now a memorial site with competing historical narratives (Gaullist and Communist).
Wednesday:
Walking tour of the Marais and visit to the Shoah Museum. The Marais was one Parisian neighborhood with a large number of Jewish inhabitants during the war.
Visit to Vel d’Hiv memorials and the Eiffel Tower.
Thursday:
We will wrap up our time in Paris with a trip to the Montmartre neighborhood. An artistic hub, many wartime writers (such as Marcel Aymé) lived in this area and captured scenes of daily life under the Occupation in their works. The students will also be completing a photo scavenger hunt this week in search of memorials related to World War II.
Memorial plaque on the Seine