Museum of Fine arts

Touring the Museum of Fine Arts - and some of the outdoor art.  This is an installation in the street that you can wan on

Waiting for the Metro

First Day in Montreal and we're catching the train to our first destination

Morning in Montreal

Down the street from our hotel

Waiting at KCI

For the first leg of our flight

Today is the Day - Leaving for Montreal

Looks like cool weather - the high sixties in Montreal.  That will be fine, especially if there is no rain.  A long plane trip awaits, leaving this afternoon with 16 students.

Off to Montreal

The Urban Culture Course goes international this year - with a trip to Montreal, Canada.  We'll still focus on  art, architecture, music, film, and theatre of the urban environment.  Added to that, an experience in a French speaking city, should provide a unique learning opportunity for our students.  We'll be staying at the Hotel Le Saint-Andre.

Chicago Trip Slide Show

A few photographs from our Chicago trip set to some music that we heard in Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre.  Hope there is more travel in your future.

Union Station - Waiting to Leave Chicago

We packed a lot into four nights in Chicago and hope the students got a taste of this particular urban environment.  Perhaps you guys will return to explore some more.  Brief visits to two art museums, an exposure to the interior architecture of the Chicago Cultural Center and the exteriors on the boat tour, a bit of Chicago blues at Buddy Guy's Legends, a sampling of Chicago theater with Jersey Boys, a taste of the independent film culture at Gene Siskel Film Center, a piece of Chicago history at Second City, a view from the Skydeck of the Willis Tower, and many walking tours of the great parks and outdoor sculptures at Millenium and Grant Parks.  Not to mention the experience of riding the "L" and buses and tasting everything from Chicago pizza to Billy Goat Tavern's famous cheeseburgers.  Thanks for the great trip.

Dim Sum and Chinatown Tour

Our last morning in Chicago we visited the Three Happiness Restaurant to experience traditional dim sum - students were very good about trying the different varieties of food served in small portions for sharing.  From shrimp toast and BBQ pork to pot stickers and curried squid.

Outside the Three Happiness Restuarant

Then for a tour of historic Chinatown where we learned not only of its history, but  also about Chinese culture from our tour guide ZT.

At the Nine Dragon Gate learning the history and symbolism of dragons 

The view looking into the old section of Chinatown

 Many movies contain scenes shot in Chinatown, including Backdraft and Ferris Buehler's Day off - here we are in front of an alley used a movie set.

Our guide also gave students some background in the Buddhist traditions and philosophy.

Inside a Buddhist Temple

Jersey Boys

Wow!  What a great performance - the musical Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre on our last night in Chicago.