THE JOHN BELK INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM AT QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE
Art and History of the Western Mediterranean -- May 2007
Tentative Activities Calendar
[The events, dates, & times in this activities calendar are subject to alteration in case of unforeseen conditions such as museum closings, inclement weather, or changes in the travel schedule.]

Day 1   Be at the Delta check-in at the Charlotte Airport no later than 11:30! [Allow plenty of time for security.]  Depart Charlotte 2:04 pm, DL #1299, for Atlanta (arrives 3:25 pm).   Depart Atlanta 7:20 pm, DL #70, for Rome.

Day 2   Arrive Rome 11:10 am.  After check-in, walkabout and orientation: Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, San Luigi dei Francesi, Piazza dei Rotunda.  Group dinner.
  
Day 3   Rome: 8:30 am, leave hotel for Capitoline Museums, Mamertine Prison, Fora.  Afternoon:  Coliseum, Palatine Hill. Optional: San Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Luigi dei Francesi. (Remember that most of these churches have a very strict dress code.)

Day 4   Rome: 8:40 am, leave hotel for Pantheon, Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Capuchin Crypt, Santa Maria della Vittoria.   Afternoon: Borghese Gallery (Reservation at 1:00 pm).

Day 5   Rome: 8:00 am, leave hotel for St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums, & Sistine Chapel. (Reminder: St. Peter's has a strict dress code--no shorts, skirts above the knee, or bare-shoulders.)

Day 6   Rome: Catacombs of San Callisto.  Afternoon: San Giovani in Laterano & Scala Santa (where pilgrims climb the steps on their knees), Church of San Clemente.

Day 7   Rome: 9:00 am, leave hotel with luggage for transfer to Florence via coach (Alternibus).  After hotel check-in, Florence walkabout & orientation via Mercato Centrale, San Lorenzo, Piazza San Giovanni, Orsanmichele, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, & Mercato Nuovo.  Afternoon: Santa Croce, Bargello Museum and Santa Maria del Carmine (Brancacci Chapel—reservation at 4:00 pm).

Day 8   Florence: 8:00 am, leave hotel for Duomo, Baptistry and Accademia (Reservation at 10:30 am).  Afternoon: Uffizi Gallery (Reservation at 2:00 pm).

Day 9   Florence: 8:50 am, leave hotel for Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and Medici Chapels.  Afternoon: EXPLORE FLORENCE –Giotto's Campanile (414 steps to the top), Palazzo Medici Ricardi (Gozzoli's magnificent Three Magi fresco), Museo Firenze Com'era (large models, aerial views, scenes of the city through the ages), Museo di Storia della Scienza (awesome science stuff, Galileo's tools, etc.), Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Badia (art treasures by Lippi, etc.), Museo della Chiesa di San Marco (convent cells, famous paintings, courtyard), Archeological Museum, Michelangelo’s Studio, Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Strozzi (courtyard), Dante’s House (most in Italian).

Day 10   Florence: 7:45 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach transfer to Nice (Alternibus).    After hotel check-in, Nice walkabout and orientation. 

Day 11   Nice: 8:28 am, leave hotel for Promenade des Anglais, Place Masséna, Cours Saleya (morning market), Vieux Nice, Colline du château.  Afternoon: visit to Chagall Museum. 

Day 12   Nice: 8:30 am, leave hotel for day trip by coach (Santa Azur Autocars) to Cagnes-sur-mer and Saint-Paul de Vence (Fondation Maeght). 

Day 13   Nice: 7:00 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip (Santa Azur Autocars) to Arles via Avignon (Palais des Papes, Dom du Rocher, Pont St. Bénézet).  Late afternoon: continue on to Arles; after hotel check-in, walkabout and orientation. 

Day 14   Arles: 8:45 am, leave hotel for Musée de l’Arles antique, Forum Square.  Afternoon:  St. Trophime, Théâtre antique, Amphithéâtre, Musée Arlatan.
               
Day 15   Arles: 8:00 am, leave hotel for day-trip by coach (Santa Azur Autocars) to Orange (Roman theater) and Pont du Gard.  Afternoon: continue on to Nimes for visits to the Maison carrée, Arena and Temple of Diana.
 
Day 16   Arles:  8:15 am, leave hotel for day-trip to villages of Saint-Remy and Les Baux.

Day 17   Arles: 8:00 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip (Santa Azur Autocars) to Barcelona.  After hotel check-in, Barcelona walkabout and orientation: Las Ramblas, La Boquería (huge food market), Columbus Monument, etc.

Day 18   Barcelona: 8:30 am, leave hotel for visit to Barrio Gótico, Cathedral, Picasso Museum.  Afternoon: Casa Mila, Isla de la Discordia, La Sagrada Familia.

Day 19   Barcelona:  9:00 am, leave hotel for Fundación Miró.  Afternoon: EXPLORE BARCELONA – Parque Guell, Barceloneta, Maritime Museum, City History Museum, Montjuic, Catalan Concert Hall, Catalan Art Museum, Fundación Tapiès and, of course, tapas!

Day  20    Barcelona: 9:30 am, leave hotel for Barcelona Airport on Aerobus.  Depart Barcelona 1:05 pm, DL #115, for Atlanta, arriving 5:15 pm.  Depart Atlanta 8:00 pm, DL #1640, for Charlotte (arrives 9:23 pm).