July
From July 5-13 discover the stunning beauty, rich history and unrivalled artistic and cultural legacies of Tuscany while staying in the charming 130-year-old Hotel Athena, located within steps of the heart of the medieval town of Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We travel with Italian professor Sandra Carletti. This specially designed itinerary features a full program of excursions providing a perfect balance between the world-renowned treasures of Florence and some of Tuscany’s lesser-known gems like the enchanting medieval hamlets of San Gimignano and Montalcino where the rhythms of life have remained virtually unchanged for centuries.
Notes from Academic Director Russ Leng '60:
Village Life in Tuscany, Italy
The brochures of travel companies are filled with tours to Tuscany, but this is the only one that will be led by Sandra Carletti. During Middlebury’s summer language schools there is an ongoing debate about which of the language schools is the most difficult, but everyone agrees that the students who have the most fun are in the Italian school. Two years ago, Sandra Carletti taught a course on Italian culture and cusine at Bread Loaf, which demonstrated why that is true. By the end of the week, I think her students would have been willing to sign up for a tour to Gary, Indiana, if Sandra would lead it and guide them to the best restaurants. Even if you have been to Tuscany before, touring its villages with Sandra, who has an intimate familiarity with the region, will be a delightfully fresh experience. August
In early August we're off to the races! Visit Saratoga Springs, NY and play the ponies in the morning while enjoying performances from the Philadelphia Opera in the evening. Register here
Notes from Academic Director Russ Leng '60:
The Philadelphia Orchestra
For several summers now, thanks to the hospitality and friendship of June and Ralph Cobb, ’60. I have been able to spend what I call my “perfect day.” It begins with a round of golf with Ralph in the morning, followed by an afternoon at the Saratoga Race Track, and then an evening of beautiful music from the Philadelphia Orchestra. (My wife Cilla’s perfect day substitutes shopping for the morning golf.) It was Ralph who suggested that a less compressed version of this venue might be just right for a summer Alumni College. So here it is: four concerts by the Philly in four nights, in a marvelous open setting, and at affordable prices for excellent seats. Professor Greg Vitercik, who, with John Hunisak, adroitly, and with good humor, led us through the operas at Santa Fe last summer, will provide the background to enable us to appreciate the performances even more. You can join us for group activities in the afternoons, or make your own choices of how to spend “perfect days” in Saratoga.