OCTOBER 2001
Vacation can be a lot more fun if some professors go with you
Every year, on the edge of London, aficionados gather to ooh and ahh over one of the most famous of all floral displays, the Chelsea Flower Show.
In 1997, Richard Henry (B.S. '72, M.A. '75) and his wife, Kathleen Williams Henry (B.S. '75), wanted to be among them.
But, how to get there?
The answer came through FSU's International Programs.
For three years, the office has organized cultural trips abroad,
tailored for adults who want to see far-off places and broaden
their horizons.
The Henrys chose the Lon-don theatre tour, which not only
regaled them with live productions from Shakespeare and other
playwrights, but gave them the chance to visit the "crown
jewel" of flower shows, as Richard Henry calls it.
They have been back on the same program twice.
"It's a good, cheap way to see London," he said.
Charlotte Huber, the coordinator of adult cultural programs
for International Programs, says the Henrys are but two of many
post-college adults joining the five tour packages.
Every summer, the tours go to London, Oxford, Valencia and Vietnam.
Next year's are already planned:
n Oxford, England. The three-week package, led by English instructors,
will feature castles and fortresses, the Crusades, English women
writers and field trips to see the subjects of lectures. Participants
lodge at Christ Church College.
n London. A clinical practice tour for social workers, psychologists
and medical doctors.
n London. The theatre tour, where participants lodge at the FSU/London Study Center, which has three-bedroom, two-bathroom flats. The center is a quick walk from theatres and the center of the city. Tour participants learn various aspects of the nine productions they will attend throughout their stay.
n London and Valencia. Two separate two-week tours featuring
the best of the areas' museums, including Museo de Prehistoria
and Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia.
n Vietnam. "Two weeks of pure cultural enrichment,"
according to Huber. Tour participants stay in Ho Chi Minh City
and take excursions to the southeastern part of the country.
Costs for the tours generally range from $1,000 to $3,900 per person, and lodging is included, Huber said. Airfare is not included.
Program lengths-two to three weeks-and amenities such as meals account for the differences, Huber said. At Oxford, for example, all meals are included.
Although current students can participate in the summer programs, most of the travelers are middle-aged, Huber said, "people with the time" and the financial ability.
One exception to the age norm was Helen Eisenhauer of Ballston Spa, N.Y., who celebrated her 92nd birthday on the Oxford tour this summer.
For many alums and non-alums, the tours represent "a family feel," Huber said.
Each tour is led by FSU staff who serve as program leaders.
"People with a wealth of information and wonderful backgrounds,"
Huber called them.
For details on the tours, call Huber at 850-644-7540 / 800-374-8581 or e-mail her at chuber@ admin.fsu.edu. -Michelle Hayes
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