Jason Simpson, World Languages Department chair, will lead a Webb travel-study program in France during spring break. Students who have completed or are currently enrolled in French 2 or higher were eligible for the trip. The group will depart on March 25 and begin with four days of homestays with French host families in the historic city of Tours.
“Students will boost their language skills while immersed in everyday French life. They’ll spend part of the time attending school with their host teenagers and will also be treated to local attractions by their host families,” said Simpson.
Family stay activities will include an excursion to the medieval town of Amboise, once home to the French royal court, and a visit to the Clos Lucé, a former royal manor given to Leonardo da Vinci by King Francis I. Back in Tours, students will take a walking tour of the city ending at the Tower of Charlemagne, which tradition holds to be the final resting place of the emperor’s wife. On their final day of family stays, students will visit the Musée du Compagnonnage for a first-hand look at artisanal works by the Compagnons, an ancient French society of journeymen and craftsmen.
Next, the group will tour the château of Chenonceau in the Loire Valley. Nicknamed the Château des Dames, the Renaissance masterpiece was designed by and home to such powerful women as Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici.
The journey concludes with a weekend hotel stay in Paris. Simpson will serve as guide for a tour of the City of Lights, and visits to such renowned sites as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Montmartre art district and more.
“Our small group size gives us the flexibility to set our own itinerary for Paris based on students' interests and explore the French capital on our own terms.” Simpson will be accompanied by his wife, Reagan, and children, Kelso and Freya.
The group returns to Nashville on April 2.