Travel-Learn Program

When: September 07, 2009 - September 13, 2009 (iCal)

Description

Join us for another custom-designed tour of England, this time to historic Cambridge and its environs. With the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University and Tufts Travel-Learn Program as partners, the literary theme focuses on the time period from Beowulf to Virginia Woolf. The itinerary offers a unique opportunity to sample the rich literary heritage of Cambridge University - where Virginia Woolf delivered her famous essay, A Room of One's Own - and to explore East Anglia, a source of inspiration for everything from Constable's landscapes to the mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers and P.D. James. Our popular study group host Dot Dudley will be with us as we make Cambridge our base for 6 nights while visiting the colleges with renowned writers and thinkers in the British pantheon. Beyond Cambridge, visit Sutton Hoo, the site of the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds so often associated with the Beowulf legend, and to Sandringham, the East Anglian home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Much more awaits us in this storied corner of England as we discover the charm and beauty of the English countryside.

RSVP

Please complete and return your registrationform by the above dates. (The form is in PDF format and will open in a new window using Adobe Acrobat. Download Acrobat Reader for free if you don’t already have it.)

 

Cost

From $2,790* per person (based on double occupancy, includes land and air)

Contact

Contact: For more information, contact Usha Sellers, Program Director, in the Office of Alumni Relations at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 1-800-THE-ALUM (1-800-843-2586) or 617-627-5323.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Depart U.S. for England

This morning, depart for London where we will meet our local guide and transfer to Cambridge. A late buffet supper will be served upon arrival. (D)

Day 2 - Cambridge, England

After breakfast, explore the historic center and colleges of Cambridge with a local guide. We’ll see Trinity College, boasting alumni from Byron, Tennyson and Thackeray to A.A. Mile and A.E. Housman, and include a visit to King’s College Chapel. Salman Rushdie, E.M. Forster and Rupert Brooke are all King’s alumnae. The afternoon and evening are free in Cambridge to stroll along the Backs or to explore the quiet streets and alleyways. One may also choose to visit a student pub for dinner. (B)

Day 3 - Ely & Cambridge

After breakfast, we will drive north to nearby Ely, and visit to its remarkable cathedral. Its octagonal tower, built in 1322 to replace the collapsed central tower, is unique in England. There will be free time to explore the town, where little has changed since medieval times. Oliver Cromwell’s House is open to the public in Ely; he lived here for ten years as a tithe collector. We return to Cambridge for a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum.This world-famous collection includes drawings and paintings from the early Italian school to the present day. The rest of the afternoon is free to hire a punt on the River Cam and enjoy a quintessential Cambridge tradition. Gather at the hotel and visit a local pub for dinner this evening. (B, D)

Day 4 - Norwich

After breakfast, we will head into the heart of East Anglia to the city of Norwich. En route, stop for a private visit to the Wicklewood Windmill, typical of the area and a reminder of the windmill used by P.D. James in Unnatural Causes. A walking tour of the medieval city of Norwich includes visits to Tombland, the marketplace, Guild hall, and follows quaint, cobbled streets winding from the River Yare to the Castle Meadow. Lunch is on our own at a pub of our choice, and the afternoon is free to visit the Castle and Forum museums on our own, browse the stalls of England’s largest open air market, or wander the maze of medieval streets. Alternatively, a leisurely boat trip on the wetlands of the Norfolk Broads can be arranged. Return to Cambridge for dinner at the hotel. (B, D)

Day 5 - Dedham Vale & Sutton Hoo

After breakfast, our first destination today is Dedham Vale, the home of John Constable, one of England’s best-loved landscape painters. We will tour the sites of many of his famous paintings, including Flatford Mill – remarkably unchanged since the early 19th century. From here we continue to the coast just north of Ipswich to visit Sutton Hoo, the fabulous burial ground of the Anglo-Saxon kings of East Anglia. The evening is free in Cambridge for individual adventures. (B)

Day 6- King's Lynn & Sandringham

After breakfast, we’ll begin the day with a visit to King’s Lynn, an old and attractive port on the River Great Ouse. Our next stop is Sandringham, built in 1870 for the then Prince and Princess of Wales. It has been described as “the most comfortable of houses,” and is where the Royal Family traditionally spends Christmas. Our visit will coincide with the Sandringham Game & Country Show, featuring displays of falconry, archery, wildfowling and other traditional country pursuits. We will visit the museum, tour the state apartments and have time to wander in the gardens before we return to our hotel. Tonight, gather for a farewell dinner at the hotel. (B, D)

Day 7- Depart for U.S.

After breakfast, we will drive back to Heathrow Airport for our return to Boston. (B)

This itinerary is preliminary and subject to change. An updated itinerary will be sent with final documents.