Grand Seine River and Normandy Passage
Join an unforgettable seven-night Seine River cruise that showcases poignant wartime history, colorful Norman cities and majestic Paris, the City of Light.
Trip Information
Unpack once aboard your exclusively chartered, first-class ship and sail round-trip from Paris, gliding past lush countryside and historic ports. Stroll through centuries-old towns such as Rouen–home to a well-preserved medieval quarter, and the maritime city of Honfleur with its enchanting Vieux Bassin. Delve into the dramatic history of the D-Day invasion at Normandy’s beaches and the Caen Memorial Museum, where expert guides add context to your visit. Walk through the bountiful gardens at Claude Monet’s home, gaze in awe at majestic Versailles and explore timeless abbeys. Experience the City of Light’s charismatic districts and landmarks, from the Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Latin Quarter. This extraordinary journey features an extensive meal plan, including wine and beer with lunch and dinner. There is no single supplement for solo travelers.
About the trip host
Hollis (Holly) Clayson is Professor Emerita of Art History and Bergen Evans Professor Emerita in the Humanities at Northwestern University, where she taught for 35 years. She has received many awards including fellowships from the ACLS, CASVA, the INHA, the Getty and the Clark. She is a Chevalier in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, and she was the 2024 College Art Association Distinguished Scholar. Her scholarship centers on diverse Paris-based 19th-century art practices. Her books include Painted Love: Prostitution in the Art of the Impressionist Era (1991), Paris in Despair: Art and Everyday Life under Siege, 1870-1871 (2002), Is Paris Still the Capital of the Nineteenth Century? Essays on Art and Modernity, 1850-1900 (2016, co-edited with André Dombrowski), and Paris Illuminated: Essays on Art and Lighting in the Belle Époque (2019). She has also published essays on the interior and the threshold, intaglio printmaking as an integral component of modernism, and art produced within networks of transatlantic exchange. Her book in press is entitled Eiffel Tower Confidential: What it Meant and What it Stands for. She has traveled often to France, and the Grand Seine trip will mark her 6th with Northwestern Alumni Travel.