Travel Abroad 2008-2009

Travel the world with your fellow alumnae. These tour packages combine the best of first class travel with first class scholarship. Tour exotic locations with an expert guide who will provide insight on the people, culture, history and places. If you are interested in traveling with Sweet Briar, please consider joining us for one of the following tours:

A President's Trip
A Voyage Through America's French Heritage: From Normandy to Paris Aboard the Cezanne
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Sweet Briar's Junior Year in France Program
June 3 - 14, 2008

Whether you were a Junior Year in France participant or wish you had been, we invite you to commemorate the 60th anniversary of this remarkable program with a delightful French voyage. Explore France's historic and cultural ties to America with Dr. Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld, President of Sweet Briar College, and her husband Larry Wollan.

From the splendid Hotel Normandy in Deauville, visit key sites associated with D-Day, including the moving American Military Cemetery. At the Peace Museum in Caen, pay homage to the countries involved in the Battle of Normandy. On our drive to Rouen we will stop to visit the picturesque village of Honfleur, with its famous cathedral. Then embark the 5-star M.V. Cezanne for a scenic weeklong cruise along the Seine.

Call at the seaport city of Le Havre for a visit to a private family garden; Les Andelys, with the majestic ruins of Chateaux Gaillard; and Giverny, where we will walk in Monet's glorious gardens and view the collections at the Musée Americain, which explores the ties between French and American art.

Our cruise ends in Paris, favorite city of America's Founding Fathers, where we will be docked for two nights. On an excursion to Versailles see the legendary Hall of Mirrors, site of WWI Peace Treaty.

There will also be time in Paris to revisit your favorite haunts and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Junior Year in France in a city where generations of Sweet Briar students have studied.

We do hope you will join this President's trip to France, co-sponsored by the Harvard Alumni Association and the Association of Yale Alumni.

Click here to download the brochure.

Ukraine on the Dnieper River
July 2-15, 2008

Grounded in tradition but driven by a vibrant modern spirit, Ukraine is rapidly forging a new identity within today's Europe. Explore the stunning architecture and romantic squares of Bucharest, Romania. Then, in Tulcea, enjoy the beautiful Danube Delta before cruising the fabled Dnieper River through the heart of Ukraine. Sail to elegant Odessa, Ukraine, the Pearl of the Black Sea. Travel to Kherson at the Dnieper's delta. In the charming Crimea, visit Sevastopol and Bakhchisarai , a city that inspired author Aleksandr Pushkin. Experience Yalta and Livadia Palace, former summer residence of the Romanovs and site of the famous WWII conference. After stopping in Zaporizhia, the cultural home of the Cossacks, admire the historic Caves Monastery. Finally, stop in Kiev, where glittering domes await.

Waterways of the Tsars
St. Petersburg to Moscow Aboard the M.S. Volga Dream
July 28 – August 11, 2008

Please join us for a very special voyage aboard the M.S. Volga Dream. As we navigate the rivers, canals and lakes linking St. Petersburg and Moscow, the countryside will unfold, revealing a fascinating land of peaceful villages and domed monasteries. St. Petersburg and Moscow will also delight us with their splendid palaces, extraordinary museum collections and architectural treasures.

We are delighted to be joined by Lamar J. R. Cecil, a former Professor of History at Washington and Lee University who specializes in European and Russian history. Also traveling with us will be noted horticulturalist and architectural historian Patrick Bowe.

Our program begins with three nights in St. Petersburg, the most beautiful of Russian cities, where we are privileged to enter the Hermitage Museum before hours and attend a private evening concert in its opulent Italian Hall. We will also tour the restored Amber Room at Catherine's Palace and admire the whimsical fountains, cascades and terraced gardens in elegant Peterhof Park.

Then we embark the M.S. Volga Dream. A week's cruise along the Volga, mother of Russian rivers, will be enriched by a series of lectures on Russian life and culture. The landscape through which we sail will provide a glimpse into Russian history. Stop at the largest of the islands of Valaam, an archipelago in Lake Lagoda, to visit the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Cruise the Svir River to the tiny, picturesque island of Kizhy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Lake Onega. Cross Lake Beloye, or the White Lake, formerly known as the “tsar's fishing grounds.” Arrive in the peaceful village of Goritsy to tour the Kirilov Belozersky Monastery with its frescoed 13th-century Cathedral of the Assumption. See Yaroslavl, the oldest city on the Volga, and 10th-century Uglich before disembarking in Moscow.

Three nights in the Russian capital afford us time to visit the Kremlin, Red Square and the see landmark St. Basil's Cathedral. View the prized collection of icons and Russian art at the Old Tretyakov Gallery, and at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, see one of the world's outstanding collections of French Impressionist paintings.

Click here to download the complete brochure and reservation page.

Village Life in Ireland: Dublin and Killarney
July 29 - August 6, 2008

On this delightful nine-day itinerary, immerse yourself in Ireland's timeless charm and beauty and its vibrant Celtic heritage. Begin your sojourn amid the lakes of County Kerry, where you will experience the legendary warmth of Irish hospitality in the Plaza Hotel in the tranquil lakefront town of Killarney. From here, explore southwest Ireland's enchanting countryside on a lake cruise and a ride in a traditional jaunting car. Spend a day on the ruggedly scenic Dingle Peninsula, a stronghold of Celtic culture and the ancient Gaelic language. Continue by train across the heart of Ireland to cosmopolitan Dublin, a vibrant blend of old and new. Enjoy three nights in Ireland's capital in the elegant Brooks Hotel, located within walking distance of fashionable Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green and Trinity College. In Dublin, follow in the footsteps of such literary giants as Jonathan Swift, James Joyce and Sean O'Casey; view the magnificent Book of Kells, a masterpiece of medieval manuscript illumination; and visit the 18th-century Palladian mansion of Powerscourt, renowned for its beautifully landscaped formal gardens, considered to be some of the finest in Europe. Your appreciation of this nation's unique history and culture will be enhanced through a custom-designed program of exclusive lectures and enrichments, including a presentation on architectural preservation by a resident expert and a specially arranged Village Forum with local residents that will shed insight into life in rural Ireland. Click here to download the brochure.

The Medieval Art and Architecture of Southwest France
September 29-October 4, 2008

The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Sweet Briar Friends of Art invites alumnae to join them in the province of Languedoc, France for “A Cultural Tour Through the Eyes of an Artist and a Medievalist.” The tour will be accompanied by sculptor Craig Pleasants and Sweet Briar Professor of Medieval Art History Tracy Hamilton. Enrollment is limited to 18 passengers. For more information, please click here to visit the VCCA website.

Alumni Campus Abroad in Tuscany ~ Cortona
October 22-30, 2008

From the innovations of the Etruscans to the enlightenment of the Renaissance, Tuscany is a region steeped in history and human achievement. Let the charming village of Cortona be your base as you travel through the surrounding Tuscan hill country, admiring the beauty of the land. In Siena, navigate narrow cobblestone streets lined with Gothic buildings, visit the city's magnificent Duomo, and stroll the Piazza del Campo, one of the loveliest squares in Italy. Then, journey to tiny Montepulciano, set in the heart of Chianti Country. In Umbria, explore two walled cities—medieval Assisi, home to the exquisite Basilica of St. Francis, and Perugia, an ancient Etruscan city-state. Finally, experience the brilliant artistic and architectural heritage of Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance.

South Africa: The Three Kingdoms
May 29 - June 11, 2009

TRAVEL INSURANCE

For more information about how to protect your travel investment and avoid costly travel medical expenses with Travel Insurance Select, click on the logo below. Travel Insurance Select is recommended for our Sweet Briar Travel Program and may also be purchased from this site for your personal trips. Enroll early (within 15 days of paying your trip deposit) for maximum benefits.

All dates and itineraries are subject to change.
For further information, contact Melissa Coffey , our travel coordinator in the Alumnae Office. 
Tel: (434) 381-6243 or (800) 381-6131; fax: (434) 381- 6132; e-mail: mcoffey@sbc.edu