Course Description: Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourists of all backgrounds because of the natural beauty of the land and because its historical and artistic past resonates within the present.  Spain is a land of many cultures with Gothic, Arabic and Modernist visible influences in the architecture of its cities; a land of many languages, with Catalan, Galician and Basque spoken alongside Spanish; and a land of much regional diversity with each region proudly boasting its own customs, traditions and cooking practices. This travel course, offered in March 2008 (from 3/12/09 through 3/22/09, including travel) will familiarize students with the past as well as the present aspects of Spanish culture - history, art, socioeconomics and politics. Guided tours to famous art museums and venues as well as to historical sites will inform the larger part of the travel course; in addition to that, insights into Spanish culture will be provided by visiting relevant sites such as Sitges, Tarragona and Figueras.  The tour will take students to one main Spanish city, amongst the richest in history and art: Barcelona. 

This course is intended for those who have a particular interest in Spanish civilization, yet it is not designed with a specific major in mind.  This course does not call for prerequisites, so students from all college departments are welcome to join.

Course Objectives:

1.  To deepen the understanding of the culture of Spain in terms of its arts, beliefs and institutions.

2.   To critically and comparatively examine the historical, social, economic, and  political issues of Spain, particularly the post-Franco reorganization of the country based on the different language spoken regionally and on the different civilizations that populate Spain (Galician, Catalan, Basque).

3.   To combine travel and study in a formal academic setting, where students can apply the concepts they have studied in class to the sights they will be visiting on site.

4.    To produce a variety of assignments before departing and after returning from the study tour using texts provided during the on-campus meetings, individual research and first-hand observations.

Course Requirements: Before departing and after returning, students will have weekly meetings lasting 60 minutes with the leading faculty in this project, to discuss the assigned readings and audiovisual materials, which offer an overview of Spanish culture, history and society.  Students will take turns in leading the discussions by preparing presentations and producing one book report.  In addition to that, while traveling, students will keep a journal, in which they will note the highlights of the tour as well as their own personal impressions.  Upon returning from the study tour, students will complete a final public presentation based on the readings, personal experience and impressions. 

Tentative Itinerary:  The travel portion of this course will be managed by EF Tours, a leading company in study tours.  The student group will be accompanied throughout the trip by a certified, English- and Spanish-speaking EF tour guide.  The itinerary below is still in the planning stages, and, depending on flexibility and accommodation availability, there could be changes. 

Day 2: Arrive in Barcelona. Walking tour of the Ramblas.

Day 4: Excursion to Tarragona and Sitges.  Visit Tarragona’s Roman ruins and take a guided tour of Sitges in the afternoon.

Day 6: Excursion to Figueras to visit Museu Dali’. 

Day 8: Guided tour of Barcelona (sites to be arranged)

Day 9: Depart for North Adams.

Cost: $2320 for MCLA students, $2620 for community members, inclusive of items below.  These prices are valid until 10/31/08.  As of 11/1/8, prices are likely to increase slightly.

-- round trip airfare from Boston to Barcelona;

-- all ground transportation within Spain;

-- full-time bilingual tour director from arrival to departure;

-- all hotel accommodation (triple occupancy with private bath);

-- all venue admissions;

-- breakfast and dinner daily.

 Faculty Leader:  Graziana Ramsden, PhD, Department of Modern Languages (Graziana.Ramsden@mcla.edu)  413-662 5399