Great Music Masters: Verdi and Italian Opera

with Robert Greenberg

ITALY

ENGLAND & FRANCE

D-Day: Courage, Conflict, and History in England and France  with Ed Lengel

Great Music Masters of Vienna: The Romantics

with Robert Greenberg

Enchanted England

with Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman

Hallowed Ground: Revisiting WWI France

with David Stone

The Spirit of Cuba: From Colonial Trinidad to Havana's Future

with Joyce Salisbury

Great British Mysteries

ENGLAND

ENGLAND

FRANCE

CUBA

AUSTRIA

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The Itinerary

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Day 1 – Beginning with the End

Day 2 – Battle of Ypres

Advanced Dressing Station

Ypres, meaning Leper in Dutch (and known as Wipers to the British), was the linchpin that halted the German advance to the English Channel. Once a great medieval city famous for its Cloth Hall, the entire town was reduced to rubble by 1918. Visit the “In Flanders Fields” museum in the restored Cloth Hall and its cathedral. Afterwards, walk the city ramparts to the Menin Gate, erected after World War I to commemorate the missing who fought at Ypres. You will have some time to stop for lunch on your own before continuing on to the Ypres Salient. Held by the British Army throughout the war, you will see the preserved Advanced Dressing Station where army surgeon John McCrae served and put his experience into the immortal poem “In Flanders Field”. Pay your respects at the impressive Tyne Cot British Commonwealth Cemetery and the moving Langemark German Cemetery. End at the village of Passchendaele, where perhaps the bitterest battle of the war took place in 1917. After dinner on your own, return to Menin Gate with Dr. Stone, where every night buglers play the Last Post in a moving ceremony.

      Included Meal: Breakfast

      Accommodations: Hotel Ariane

Day 3 – The Somme, 1916

Vimy Ridge Monument

The initial attack along the Somme River was launched on July 1, 1916, by British Field Marshal Douglas Haig. Visit Vimy Ridge, Thiepval and Beaumont-Hamel and other key sites where the fighting raged for over four months in the unexpectedly prolonged conflict on this front. Many of the troops who fought on the Somme were from the British Commonwealth, with several local memorials that honor the troops of South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ulster, and Wales. After lunch on your own, you will continue to the American Military Cemetery at Bony, where many of those who fought in this area are buried. Drive by the Riqueval Tunnel, constructed under Napoleon, and discuss the American-British attack on the Hindenburg Line on September 29, 1918. End the day in Reims in the heart of the Champagne region and enjoy dinner in a local bistro.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

      Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Reims

Day 4 – First Battle of the Marne, 1914

Fort De La Pompelle

Start your day with a lecture from Dr. Stone that will lay the foundation for the sites along the Marne today. Afterwards, head out to the 800-year-old Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Reims. The cathedral was severely damaged by German shellfire during the early days of the Great War, and restoration work is continuing to this day to preserve its famous sculptures and tapestries. Continue to Fort de la Pompelle, also known as Fort Herbillon, which served as part of the fortification belt in the Séré de Rivières system during the war. After a picnic lunch, visit the Centre d’interprétation Marne 14-18 museum for an in-depth look at the war and the impact it had on civilians and soldiers alike along the Marne River. Conclude the day with a tour of the cellars of one of the major Champagne houses, complete with a tasting of the region’s signature drink. Spend an evening and dinner at leisure in Reims.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

      Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Reims

Day 5 – Second Battle of the Marne, 1918

Chateau-Thierry Town

In 1918, the Valley of the Marne once again became a key battleground site. Begin the day with a visit to the Belleau Wood and Memorial Chapel, the site of the first major engagement of the US Army in World War I and an inscribed monument to the valor of the US Marines who captured the area. The second battle signifies the shift in favor of the Allies in The Great War, at a staggering cost of life. Walk through the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and learn the history of this evocative resting place. You’ll break for lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the magnificent Château-Thierry American monument overlooking the Marne Valley. American military operations in the region are engraved on the side of the monument, alongside a map of the significant battle sites. Return to Reims for dinner in a local restaurant together and debrief with Dr. Stone about the day’s visits.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      Accommodations: Hyatt Centric Reims

Day 6 – The Meuse-Argonne

Sedan Castle

This morning you will depart Reims and head to Sedan, a town along the Meuse River that was occupied by the German armed forces for four years during World War I. Here, you will visit the Sedan Castle and its museum, specially selected by Dr. Stone for its importance in the Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II. You will have some time for independent exploration and lunch before continuing on toward Verdun. Drive through the Meuse-Argonne region to the US Meuse-Argonne Military Cemetery—the largest American military cemetery in Europe—with a brief stop to pay your respects at the Monument to the Lost Battalion in the Argonne Forest. Visit the nearby Argonne Museum for a curator-led tour of its American weapons, uniforms, and private collections. End the day in Verdun for dinner in a local restaurant.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

      Accommodations: Hôtel Jardins du Mess

Day 7 – Verdun and Saint-Mihiel

Fort Douaumont

Start the day in Verdun, where France held steadfast against the German army from 1914-1918. Explore the battered and scarred French battlefields and forts of the area, beginning with a visit to the Douaumont Ossuary, which contains the remains of French and German soldiers. From there, take a guided tour of the fortified bastion and the underground casements at Fort Douaumont, followed by a visit to the Verdun Memorial and Museum, along with the adjacent vanished village of Fleury-devant-Douaumont. After lunch, you’ll head to Saint-Mihiel, a former German-controlled area behind French lines. The solo offensive by the United States at Saint-Mihiel Salient was one of the most important and successful American campaigns in World War I. Gain an understanding of what it was like to live through these great battles at the Apremont la Forêt war trenches and stop at the majestic Montsec American Monument, complete with a bronze relief map of the area operations. Return to Verdun for an evening lecture with Dr. Stone before dinner at leisure.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

      Accommodations: Hôtel Jardins du Mess

Day 8 – On to Paris 

Les Invalides

Today, you’ll return west along the Marne to visit the Musée de la Grande Guerre in Meaux. Intended to put the Great War into historical and cultural contexts, the museum includes exhibits on the technological developments in such areas as artillery, camouflage, communications, and equipment, including the use of chemical weapons, previously deemed too horrible to bring to action. Continue to Paris and visit Les Invalides, a complex of museums and monuments dedicated to the French military. Dr. Stone will showcase how the complex was initially designed as a place for the care and housing of disabled veterans as well as place of worship, and now houses the Tomb of Napoleon and the Army Museum. Gather this evening for a farewell reception and dinner to commemorate your exploration of such hallowed ground.

      Included Meals: Breakfast, Reception, Dinner

      Accommodations: Chateau Frontenac

Day 9 – Au Revoir 

After sneaking in a final café, join the group transfer to the airport for individual flights home.

      Included Meals: Breakfast

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June 2-10, 2025

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