Travel Seminars with Faculty

"Magical Britain"

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  • May 13 - Jun 1, 2012
  • English 485 - 4 units
  • Dr. Marja Mogk

Description

Magical Britain explores the rich cultures of England, Scotland and Wales from the Neolithic age of Stonehenge to the Middle Ages of castles and chivalry. We will travel on this journey through time and across the island of Britain with the legends of King Arthur and the Round Table. The Arthurian stories are the oldest continuously developing literary and popular culture tradition in the English language. They encompass ancient Stone Age settings, Iron Age cultural practices, Celtic lore and design, the Roman occupation of Britain, political strife through centuries of invasion by successive peoples, including the Saxons and Vikings, and the realities of Medieval romance and battle. By reading versions of the Arthur tales and by traveling, we will come to understand the diversity of this tradition, its relationship to Britain, and the magic of Britain itself. This course fulfills the CORE-21 literature requirement. The course will be taught during the spring semester and the travel seminar will take place during the first weeks of summer.

The application for the Magical Britain Travel Seminar is now available in the Study Abroad Center.  It is due Monday, December 5, so stop by the office to pick it up.  

The scholarship deadline for this Travel Seminar has passed.

 

 

Itinerary

Day 1

Depart LAX

Day 2

Arrive Edinburgh, Scotland
Walking Tour of Edinburgh via Calton Hill; Group Dinner

Day 3

Edinburgh
9:30am: Audio Guided Tour of Edinburgh Castle
Free Afternoon in Edinburgh
Recommended: Elephant Café where JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter Novels and the National Museum of Scotland
6:30pm: Hiking to the Top of Arthur’s Seat for Sunset

Day 4

Edinburgh
9:30am: Rosslyn Chapel 
Free Afternoon and Evening in Edinburgh

Day 5

Stirling Castle
9:30am: Audio Guided Tour of Stirling Castle
& the William Wallace Monument

Day 6

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
Exploring the Island, Museum & Abbey Ruins

Day 7

Alnwick, England
10am: Exploring Alnwick Castle & Gardens

Day 8

Hadrian’s Wall
10am: The Roman Army Museum & Vindolanda 
Hiking the Wall

Day 9

Travel to Caernarfon, Wales via Angelsey
Afternoon visit to Beaumaris Castle

Day 10

Caernarfon
Free Day -- Recommended: Caernarfon Castle

Day 11

Snowdonia National Park, Wales
Hiking Merlin’s Mountain, Dinas Emrys, from Beddgelert

Day 12

Travel to Bath, England via Hay-on-Wye

Day 13

Bath
9:30am Tour of the Roman Baths
Free Afternoon -- Recommended: Jane Austen House & Tea Room

Day 14

Glastonbury & Avebury
9:30am Tour of Glastonbury Abbey and Hiking Glastonbury Tor
Afternoon: Avebury Stone Circle & Walking the Avenue
Evening: Group Dinner in Avebury at the Red Lion

Day 15

Winchester & Stonehenge
12pm Winchester Cathedral & Great Hall with the Arthurian Round Table
Evening: Private Sunset Tour of Stonehenge
Optional: Morning Visit to Salisbury Cathedral

Day 16

London via Windsor Castle
10am Audio Guided Tour of Windsor Castle & St. George’s Chapel

Day 17

London
9:30am Audio Tour of Westminster Abbey
Free afternoon – Recommended: Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace;
Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Picadilly and Trafalgar Squares, the National Portrait Gallery, St. Paul’s Cathedral
6pm Group Dinner

Day 18

London
9:00am Audio Tour of the Tower of London
Free afternoon and evening
Recommended: Pick up Discount Tickets to a Play or Musical in Leicester Square

Day 19

London
10am Visit to the British Museum
Free afternoon
Evening: Shakespeare Production at the Globe Theater

Day 20

Depart UK for LAX

Info Sessions

To learn more about the Magical Britain Travel Seminar, you can attend an information session and hear about the course from the faculty leader.  We will be discussing the course in more detail, in-country itinerary, as well as approximate cost.  Applications will also be available at this time.

Dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Oct 11
5:00-6:00pm
Humanities 119

Wednesday, Nov 9
5:00-6:00pm
Humanities 116

 

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