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Cities of the World: A Grand Tour, 4 City Bundle
September 12, 2023 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
$45.00
This special series of 9 classes will take place on the second Tuesday of every month from 4:00-6:00p.m. at the Frank B. Koller Library in Manitowish Waters, with a rotating array of teachers.
Special discount bundle–NOW EXTENDED to January 9, 2024! Register for the FOUR classes of YOUR CHOICE and save.
Classes can also be purchased individually for $15 each.
Embark on an odyssey of some of the world’s greatest cities in Cities of the World: A Grand Tour! Be immersed in the culture and history of spectacular cities around the globe with our dynamic teachers. Whether you’re planning a trip or armchair exploration is more your style, you’ll come away with new knowledge and insights about each of these destinations. Plus, you’ll enjoy the opportunity to ask questions of the instructors and make connections with other globetrotting students.
The only downside? Your bucket list is about to get longer….
Our four-class bundle offers you access to your choice of any four classes in the series. REQUIRED: Please list your class choices when you sign up. (If you change your mind, you can always let us know.)
Here is the complete class list to choose from:
September 12: A historical, cultural and modern look at Barcelona, Spain, with Natalie Patritto
We will look at Antoni Gaudí’s Barcelona and discover the architectural beauty of La Sagrada Familia and his other well-known works of wonder. Also we will discuss how Barcelona got to be one of the most sought-after vacation spots in the world after we take a “highlights journey” from 711AD and bring you to the present. If there’s time we will hear the story of the Black Madonna at Montserrat!
October 10: Paris, with Brian Tarro
Discover the City of Light from the perspective of a teacher who has traveled there over 40 times! Wander off the Champs-Élysées to explore the lesser-known streets of this beautiful, beloved city. Explore Parisian culture, and get a taste of its unique je ne sais quois.
November 14: Rome, Italia: a look at the prominent historical sites along with fascinating hidden treasures! with Natalie Pattrito
We will explore the well-known ancient wonders of Rome along with several places off the beaten tourist path- and many of these are free! If time permits we will discuss Pompeii. Also, feel free to ask history and/or travel related questions about Italy!
December 12: Cities of the North Atlantic: Greenland and Newfoundland with Gary Theisen
The class will expose students to the role three of the most northern cities /countries in the world played in the exploration of the west side of the Atlantic. The industries that enabled them, the international politics that shaped them and the beauty that defines their topography will be examined complemented by the instructor’s personal photos and experiences.
January 9: Edinburgh: Story of a City with Mary Magray
Author Alexander McCall Smith has called Edinburgh a “heartbreakingly engaging city,” a city remarkably easy to fall in love with. Why? Because of how and when and where the city took shape. Because of the fact that from its start it has been the “capital” city—the “first” city—of Scotland. And because of its rich, proud, and enduring culture—never sacrificed in the cause of cooperation with its powerful neighbor to the south—that has, over the centuries, suffused this entrancing city.
The march of history is how Edinburgh came to be what it is today. From the heights of Castle Rock (where Edinburgh began) and the palace of Mary Queen of Scots to the Union with Great Britain in 1707, from the earliest Catholic friaries to the Protestant reformer John Knox’s St. Giles Kirk, from the Scottish Enlightenment to the restoration of the Scottish Parliament in 1998—history is everywhere to be seen, touched, and felt in what many have called “the loveliest city in the world.”
February 13: Indonesian Cities as Reflections of History and Culture with Gary Theisen
Students will gain an understanding of the economic and historical importance of the Indonesian archipelago. Composed of some 13,00 islands and over one hundred languages Indonesia is the largest Islamic nation in the world yet consists of many different religions and influences resulting in a culturally rich and complex cultural entity. The class will explore the context of those differences aided by the instructor’s personal photographs.
March 12: 37 Million People Can’t Be Wrong: Magnetic Tokyo, with Ardith Carlton
The world’s largest metropolitan area, Tokyo attracts not only young Japanese from throughout the country in search of their best life, but also international visitors galore. Learn about Tokyo’s history, its culture, and its range of unforgettable features, from the colorful cacophony of electronic districts to ancient, peaceful places.
April 9: St. Petersburg (AKA: Sankt-Peterburg, Peterburg, Petrograd, Leningrad, Piter….) with Michael Hittle
Peter the Great (1682-1725) founded St. Petersburg as one part of his life-long quest to transform tradition-bound Muscovy into a powerful empire capable of dealing on equal terms with the major powers of western Europe. St. Petersburg’s governmental organization, economic life, social relations, and cultural aspirations—all shaped by the tsar’s modernizing ambitions—stood in stark contrast to the institutional structures and ethos of the Muscovite state at the time of Peter’s accession to power. As the new capital of Russia, St. Petersburg not only gave impetus to a dramatic redirection of the country, but it also became a major issue in a prolonged struggle to define the identity of the Russian nation. Whether one looks at the city as the locus of significant historical events or as a symbol of cultural change, St. Petersburg has played an outsized role in the history of Russia for the last 320 years.
May 14: Dublin: Story of a City, with Mary Magray
Viewed from the mountains south of the city, Dublin today appears as a sprawling metropolis of more than a million people—a far cry from its beginnings some time before the 9th century. Then it was just a small settlement of several thousand men, women and children hugging the Liffey River. Since then, its story has been a roller coaster ride, the city rising and falling in significance, in wealth, and in centrality to the greater story of Ireland itself.
Not surprisingly, the traces of structures no longer visible on its landscape as well as those remaining today tell a vibrant story of all that has taken place in the city over time. From the now long-gone Viking cabins and Norman half-timbered houses to the great cathedrals, Georgian row houses, historic pubs and coffee houses, and immense (and immensely impressive) civic buildings, these structures tell of the throbbing life of a great city on the move for more than one thousand years: Dublin.
Instructors:
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.