“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast.”
~Ernest Hemingway
The Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning at Rhodes is excited to offer an international trip for Rhodes alumni, parents, and friends to travel to France as part of a class led by Rhodes faculty members Marshall Boswell and Rebecca Finlayson, both professors of English. “Hemingway in Paris” will involve nine days in Paris, immersing participants in the sensuous world of Ernest Hemingway during his time there in the 1920s. We will read and discuss A Moveable Feast and The Sun Also Rises, while experiencing the city as Hemingway did.
These books not only immerse us in Hemingway’s Paris but also reveal the post-WWI ethos of the Lost Generation, disillusioned by the war but burning with the urge to depict this new world in all its starkness and bewilderment. We will also explore the vibrant artistic community that sprang up around Hemingway, including such unforgettable figures as Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, John Dos Passos, and, most importantly, F. Scott Fitzgerald. With Paris at our fingertips, these books and the world that birthed them will come vividly alive in, yes, a moveable feast of aesthetic, intellectual, and sensuous pleasure.
Professors Boswell and Finlayson have lived in France and travel to Paris frequently. They are working in close collaboration with Paris-based travel advisors at Paris Toujours to create a seamless once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Rhodes community. Prior to arrival, participants should read the two books.
$4,250 per person, double occupancy. Single room supplement: $800.
NOT INCLUDED: Airfare; travel insurance; expenses of a personal nature; any items or meals not specified in the Itinerary or in the Program Inclusions.
Each day will begin with breakfast at the hotel, followed most mornings by a discussion of the book. Afternoons and evenings will take us through Hemingway’s neighborhoods of Saint Germain des Prés, Le Quartier Latin, and Montparnasse to enjoy food, drink, literature, art, and music. We will participate in a variety of Parisian activities like wine tastings, a cooking class, and neighborhood and river tours.
Saturday, July 12
Arrive in Paris and settle into the hotel, centrally located near Hemingway’s favorite haunts. Come together for a three-course welcome dinner with drinks and an overview of the week ahead.
Dinner included.
Sunday, July 13
Gather in the morning for a book discussion. Early afternoon, enjoy a two-course traditional lunch, followed by a guided walking tour of Hemingway’s neighborhoods, the Latin Quarter and St Germain des Prés. Experience the charm of Paris through his eyes, exploring the iconic haunts and hidden gems that inspired his literary masterpieces.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Monday, July 14
After morning class, partake independently in Bastille Day celebrations, including a parade on the Champs Elysees and free access to Paris museums. Meet tonight in the hotel lobby for a casual walk down the Seine to view the Eiffel Tower fireworks. Alternatively, attend one of the many public Bals des Pompiers (Firemen’s Balls) on your own for a small donation to the fire station.
Breakfast included.
Tuesday, July 15
Return in the morning for a book discussion. Late this afternoon, enjoy a cruise on the Seine River in a private boat, providing a relaxed moment and special vantage point to absorb the beauty of some of Paris’s most important monuments and the bridges Hemingway wrote about and loved. After the cruise, head to Ile St Louis for a cheese-making class with a fromager and a cheese and wine pairing with light dinner.
Breakfast and light dinner included.
Wednesday, July 16
Enjoy the morning book discussion. Meet for a two-course lunch, followed by a visit to the Musée National Picasso-Paris, which, in addition to famous works by Picasso, also houses works by Cezanne, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, Miro, Matisse, and others, many of whom knew Hemingway and helped shape his literary art.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Thursday, July 17
Begin the day in Hemingway’s neighborhood for a guided market tour. From there, join a cooking class in a professional kitchen to learn some techniques of French cuisine. Class will end with lunch together, in homage to the centrality of food in Hemingway’s work, where sensuous culinary pleasure takes center stage. As he once said, “There is romance in food when romance has disappeared from everywhere else.”
Breakfast and lunch included.
Friday, July 18
Return in the morning for a book discussion and spend the afternoon exploring Paris independently. Meet for a three-course dinner, followed by an evening jazz concert in honor of the vibrant Jazz scene of Hemingway’s Paris, where American legends like Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong found fame and acclaim–and respite from racially segregated America.
Breakfast and dinner included.
Saturday, July 19
Gather for morning book discussion. In the afternoon, embark on a guided walking tour of Montmartre, a neighborhood popular with Hemingway’s friends, the renowned artists Picasso, Matisse, and Dali. The tour continues at the Musée de Montmartre and gardens and ends at a private vineyard for an exclusive wine tasting to share in Hemingway’s opinion that “wine is the most civilized thing in the world.” Gather this evening for our farewell dinner, at one of Hemingway’s favorite restaurants.
Breakfast and dinner included.
Note: Most of our destinations and activities in Paris will be within a 20-minute walk of the hotel. We will use the Paris Metro system to reach further destinations.
If necessary due to unforeseen circumstances, there may be reasonable changes to the itinerary.
A deposit of $1000 per person is required to reserve your space on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional interim payment of $1500 will be due on January 10, 2024. Final payment of your remaining balance is due May 1, 2025. This installment schedule allows Rhodes to pay hotel and vendor deposits and thus ensure the best experience for all. Payment can be made by credit or debit card. Registration will open at approximately 2:00 pm on September 5, 2024. Please note that participation is limited to adults 18 years of age or older.
In the event that you need to cancel, 50% of your initial $1000 deposit will be refunded until October 1, 2024. After October 1, payments are non-refundable unless the trip is full and your place can be resold. No refunds can be made for any part of this program in which you choose not to participate.
We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement.
