Celtic Lands

From Rouen to Edinburgh

May 3-14, 2009

For thousands of years before the arrival of Christianity, the Celts inhabited the rugged margins of northwestern Europe. From their remote homelands in Brittany, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, they exerted a powerful influence on the history of pre-Roman Europe and left behind extraordinary cultural, artistic, and architectural legacies. Today, the Celts are generally regarded as the indigenous people of the British Isles, the original ironworkers and stonecutters, and their works are esteemed as the earliest evidence of a civilized society in these lands. It is not uncommon among residents in the remotest regions of the British Isles and northern France to claim a Celtic ancestry—as if the distant past were very much a living heritage.

Much of Celtic lore relates to the sea and the islands they were able to settle and protect. On a remarkable voyage of discovery, we'll travel for 10 nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Diamant from Rouen on the Seine River, out along the shorelines of northern France, across the English Channel to the coast of southern England, through the waters of the Celtic and Irish Seas, up among the many legendary islands of the Hebrides, and finally to the Firth of Forth and Scotland's venerable capital Edinburgh. Over the course of our voyage, we’ll admire the soaring grace of Mont Saint-Michel, stroll along the hallowed D-Day beaches of Normandy, discover the cultural treasures of Dublin and Cork, behold the enduring Celtic ramparts and stunning gardens of North Wales, and experience the beauty and solitude of Scotland’s Hebrides and Orkney Islands.

Our itinerary provides a unique opportunity to experience the history and culture of the Celtic people through a program of guided excursions, educational lectures and cultural enhancements while cruising aboard W&L’s most familiar small ship Le Diamant, formerly The Song of Flower. This exclusively chartered vessel combines the deluxe amenities and superior standards of service offered aboard a large vessel with the charm and enhanced navigability provided by a yacht, enabling us to explore the scenic coasts of France and the British Isles while calling at ports accessible only to small ships. Our itinerary assures a carefully designed and leisurely paced cruise program, with optional two-night pre- and post-cruise extensions in Paris and in Edinburgh.

Download the complete itinerary and registration form (.pdf)

Traveling With You

Marc C. Conner
Marc is a Professor of English at Washington and Lee. He took degrees in English and Philosophy at the University of Washington, followed by the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Princeton University. He has taught in the departments of English and Religion at Princeton, and in the Great Books Program at the University of Notre Dame. He has published books on Toni Morrison and Charles Johnson and essays on Thomas Pynchon, Salman Rushdie, Sherwood Anderson, Ralph Ellison, and on Irish Modernism. Marc directs a spring term study abroad program to Ireland, which he led in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007. Marc is a veteran of several Alumni College programs, including most of the Law and Literature symposia. In 2003 he led the program to western Scotland. His teaching interests include American and Irish literature, Shakespeare, literature and philosophy, African-American Studies, and the Bible as English Literature. In 2004 Marc received the Ring-Tum Phi Award for teaching excellence. More...