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Call 1-800-387-1483 or email us
Call 1-800-387-1483 or email us
SIGNATURE MOMENT
Walk in the footsteps of Miles Davis, James Baldwin, and Simone de Beauvoir
SIGNATURE MOMENT
Enjoy a hands-on cooking class preparing classic dishes
SIGNATURE MOMENT
Get inspired by works at the Pompidou Center
SIGNATURE MOMENT
Venture into hidden corners of the history of Paris with accomplished guides
SIGNATURE MOMENT
Savour café life in some of Paris’s most iconic establishments

Paris in the 1950s

Apr 21-27, 2024

7 days | France | Literary Adventures

 Readings
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Selected fiction and essays TBA
 
“To be twenty or twenty-five in September 1944, seemed a great stroke of luck: all roads opened up. Journalists, writers, budding film-makers discussed, planned, made decisions with passion, as if their future depended only on themselves […]”

For Simone de Beauvoir and many others, the liberation of Paris in August gave rise to a sense of possibility and optimism. On this tour we will study Paris in the two decades after WWII, a time when the city was a fascinating mixture of “exhilaration and disillusionment.”
 
On the Left Bank, we’ll learn about the cultural scene around St-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter. Here writers like James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and de Beauvoir worked in cafés alongside editors and publishers such as George Plimpton of the newly founded Paris Review. At night, the scene shifted from cafés to jazz clubs, where people danced to the music of Boris Vian, Juliette Greco and Miles Davis. Through literature, film and music, we’ll discuss new ideas about what art could and should be. We’ll also trace the development of existentialism, that slippery concept that was dismissed by some as a passing youth fad but which had a major influence on 20th-century thought.

And on the Right Bank, we will explore new ideas in urbanism as the city came under pressure to make improvements related to housing and other social issues. We’ll focus especially on Le Marais, a neighbourhood that was home to many Jewish Parisians before WWII. We’ll discuss how the Marais was transformed by deportation and Nazi occupation, and postwar efforts to preserve its history.

Put on your black turtleneck, slip on your dancing shoes, and join us for this exploration of a pivotal time in France’s social, cultural and political history.

A good level of fitness is important for this tour. This is an active tour that includes several two-hour guided walks. As we will be using public transit to get around Paris, you must be comfortable walking up and down stairs in the Métro system. 
Literary Adventures Worldwide Explorers Club
Tour Cost (per person):
US$4495 including taxes and gratuities
Group Size:
12 - 16 participants

What’s included: Accommodation based on double occupancy in hotel listed or similar; breakfast daily; meals as indicated in the itinerary; cooking class with dinner; Paris Métro tickets; all activities; all entrance fees to sites visited with the group; guided walks with Lisa Pasold; literary discussions with Melanie Blake; readings (sent to you prior to travel); all gratuities for local guides, hotel, and group meals; all taxes; hosted by Melanie Blake

"Melanie did a ton of valuable research ahead of the trip (mapping out bus routes, etc.), juggled so many tasks cheerfully, always very attentive to people's disparate needs, and always patient and kind." - Past Paris Traveller
"Lisa is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic and a pleasure to be around. She was always well prepared and happy to answer questions." - Past Paris Traveller

Itinerary at a Glance

DayActivity
1Meet in Paris, welcome dinner
2Guided walk exploring the St. Germain area, cooking class and jazz
3Guided walk to Montparnasse, existentialism and the history of Black Paris
4Excursion to Drancy and the Cité de la Muette
5Walk into centuries of history through the Marais, Pompidou Centre
6Hidden vineyards of Paris
7Depart Paris
Download Itinerary

Your Tour Leaders

Melanie Blake is the executive director of Classical Pursuits and organizer of the annual Toronto Pursuits cultural salon. She studied English and French at Fordham University and the Université de Montpellier, and has an MA in literature and linguistics from the University of Nottingham. She loves languages, cocktails, and the unexpected.

Lisa Pasold is a Canadian writer who divides her time between Paris and New Orleans. She is currently the host of Discovery’s travel show, “Paris Next Stop.” She has published a novel and three books of poetry.

Email Us

Or call 1-800-387-1483 with any questions or to reserve your spot!

Literary Adventures Worldwide Explorers Club
Tour Cost (per person):
US$4495 including taxes and gratuities
Group Size:
12 - 16 participants

What’s included: Accommodation based on double occupancy in hotel listed or similar; breakfast daily; meals as indicated in the itinerary; cooking class with dinner; Paris Métro tickets; all activities; all entrance fees to sites visited with the group; guided walks with Lisa Pasold; literary discussions with Melanie Blake; readings (sent to you prior to travel); all gratuities for local guides, hotel, and group meals; all taxes; hosted by Melanie Blake

What You'll See:
Where You'll Stay:
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Paris in the 1950s

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Privacy Policy:

We abide by the new Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and take your privacy very seriously. We will not share, sell or otherwise make your mailing list subscription information available to any third parties. By submitting your email address, your grant us explicit consent to send you e-newsletters as detailed above. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link found at the foot of every email that we send to you. You may also withdraw consent by sending an email request to: travel@worldwidequest.com.

We use your address information and details that you provide about your personal preferences or past trips to mail you selected brochures. If at any point you wish to have your name removed from our mailing list, please email or call us toll free at 1-800-387-1483.

We invite you to read our full Privacy Policy.