Lauren in Paris - A History and Anthropology Field Trip

The University of Winchester offered the second and third year students across History, Classical Studies, History and Politics, and Anthropology a trip to Paris in April to learn about the history of Paris, explore the city, and wander a range of museums.  

After going on the trip, I can say with full certainty that it was an amazing opportunity that I’m glad I didn’t pass up.  

Tuesday

We travelled to Paris Tuesday morning, arrived mid-afternoon and made our way to Hôtel Kabanel, which was a very nice hotel. We stayed in rooms of three which was great as it meant we got to know our roommates better and make friends on this trip.  

We used the metro for most of our travel around the city. Once we got to the hotel we were given metro cards to use for exploring the city.  Luckily the metro system was very easy to navigate. 

After dropping our things off at the hotel, we made our way to Place de la Concorde where we then learned about the history of this area, such as where Marie Antoinette was executed, the obelisk that was taken from Egypt, and the palace and church. We then walked along the Seine to make our way to the Latin Quarter. On the way we saw, from a distance, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre, which we would visit later in the trip. We also stopped to observe what remains of the Notre Dame.  

Once we got to the Latin Quarter, we once again stopped to understand the history of the area. 

After, we had time to ourselves separate from our lecturers so that we could get dinner. A group of us went to a café called Café Union which was enjoyable and affordable. This was amazing as it gave the students a chance to all get to know each other better, learn about our studies and interests, and all enjoy a meal together away from our lecturers. 

 

Wednesday

Wednesday was our first full day in Paris, and it was filled with history. We woke up early so that our morning could be filled with going to the Louvre. However, even though we went early, the line was quite long to get in. Once we did get in we had a few hours to go off with each other and explore. While this was a fun trip, it was also educational as we had to pick one piece from the Louvre and write a commentary on it, giving us more insight into the piece, the museum, and its history. Everyone could choose their own piece, according to their own interests and passion. Personally, I went to the Egyptian Antiquities which was extremely interesting.  

Those of us studying History went to the Pantheon for the afternoon which was extremely fascinating and was a great addition to the day, especially after already exploring the Louvre. An example of one of the fascinating things in the Pantheon was that of the pendulum, as it was in the centre of the building where it represented the idea of science and modernity. Alongside this, there were many amazing paintings lining the walls such as that of Joan of Arc, Charlemagne, and Saint Louis (Louis IX). The interest continued as we made our way down to the crypts where we saw tombs of important people in French history including many generals from the Napoleonic wars and the French Revolution. Alongside, probably the most fascinating thing of all was Marie Curie’s tomb. 

After this, we made our way back to the hotel where we met up with the Anthropology students, who accompanied their lecturer to visit different sites. Once we had met back up, we once again went out to dinner, but before this we went to Place des Vosges/Square Louis XIII to learn a bit about the history of the area before we went to get dinner together at a falafel place that was recommended by one of our lecturers and the food was amazing. It was a great end to probably the best day of the trip. 

 

Thursday

On our third day spent it Paris, we went to Quai Branly which, compared to the Louvre and the Pantheon, was a much newer museum. It had a different layout with a non-western focus allowing us to learn more on the history of colonialism in France.  

While this was great, the best part of the trip for me came in the afternoon. We were able to split off and go to a museum of our choice. Me and a friend I made on the trip went to Musée d’Orsay which used to be a train station and had fantastic art and sculptures that were extremely beautiful. 

Thursday was the day when all of us as a group went to get dinner together, including our lecturers. We went to a Moroccan restaurant called L’Homme Bleu and this was a highlight of the trip because not only did it allow us to all spend time together before we went home the next day, but it also allowed us to get to know our lecturers better, especially because we did different courses and may not have had the chance to be taught by them. 

 

Friday

Friday was our last day in Paris before we left to come home that afternoon. We went to Montmartre, a marketplace that is largely for tourists. Montmartre was originally a poorer area of the city, but in the 18th century artists started coming over and it became more bohemian. Today, Montmartre does not have many people living there anymore and as already mentioned, it is now largely a tourist area where people can get souvenirs and go to eat.  

Before we were allowed to go off on our own to explore the shops, we were told the history of Montmartre and how it came to be, which was very fascinating. It was also interesting to see the changes that were made to Montmartre to make it what it is today.  

After exploring Montmartre on our own, we met back up so that we could make our way to the hotel and pick up our bags so that we could go home. However, another highlight for me was that we had enough time for a detour to walk through the red light district and see Moulin Rouge before we headed back, which was amazing to see. 

Overall, this trip was wonderful in a lot of ways. We were given a lot of freedom to explore the sights as we wanted to, while we were also educated on the history of Paris, making it all the more fascinating. This trip has allowed me to have a more hands on experience of learning history, something which I may not have had the opportunity to otherwise. This trip has also given me more confidence as it made me get out of my comfort zone to get to know other students I hadn’t met before during my degree. Finally, alongside all of this, the trip brought learning to life for me, because for most hours of the day we were outside exploring and learning, which is a change from being in a classroom. 

***

To discover more about our History and Anthropology subjects, click here.

 

Back to blog