Last year I had the opportunity to visit Ireland, Scotland and England through the English department’s Celtic Roots program, and if you will be a Shepherd student next year, you can have the same unforgettable experience.
English professor Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt is currently planning another grand Celtic Roots adventure, and on March 11, 2015, students will be departing from Washington, D.C. for 13 extraordinary days in France.
The total cost of this trip is set at a price of $3,189 to all students who pay the $495 deposit before March 15, 2014.
This may sound like a large number at first, but if you compare it to the normal cost of a trip like this, it’s not too bad. This price includes the participant’s airfare, transportation cost, meals and lodging at some very fine hotels.
During the trip, students will have the chance so spend two days in Bayeux, a day in St. Malo, a day in Rennes, two days in Vannes, one day in Chartres, and conclude with a three-day stop in Paris. Students will be exposed to many new ideas that will broaden their understanding of Celtic heritage and provide them with an opportunity to explore a new country.
I spoke with a fellow student and friend Kristin Stover, who is planning on attending the Celtic France trip, and asked her what most excited her about the journey.
She told me, “I am really excited to get the chance to see the Bayeux Tapestry and to spend a few days in Paris to visit the Louvre.”
Last year, Kimberly Ballard and I joined Shurbutt on her Celtic Roots excursion to the countries of Ireland, Scotland and England. I caught up with Ballard and asked if she would relay a couple things that she enjoyed about our trip.
“Going to Europe was a great way to connect the literature to the places that we had been learning about. By being able to visit these places and experience their cultures, food, and ways of life, it made what we were reading about seem more real,” said Ballard.
Personally, I found our trip to Europe the most memorable event of my life. I had the opportunity to visit the places where many of my favorite authors and their literature originated.
For example, Robert Burns was just another writer to me before I got the chance to visit Scotland. After visiting his home and having the opportunity to walk across Brigadoon, he was no longer just another author I read about in a book somewhere.
What I learned from the trip was great.
However, I am not going to say that this trip is solely based on education. This trip is designed to give you a chance to learn and to ensure you have the time of your life.
I highly advise everyone to take the opportunity to go on this trip! I can promise you won’t regret it.
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