Virtual Events   

This package includes all four virtual programs:

• Friday, September 18, 2:00pm-4:00pm: Northern Spain and Southern France
• Friday, October 16, 2:00pm-3:30pm: 1906: The Earthquake That Changed Everything

• Friday, November 6, 2:00pm-3:30pm: Route 66 at 100 Years Old: An End-to-End Exploration

• Friday, December 4, 2:00pm-3:30pm:  Longwood Gardens: A Longwood Christmas

Our presenter George Jabol shares his experience on a 13-day tour through northern Spain and southern France.  Beginning in Barcelona, the tour focused on the architecture of Antoni Gaudi, including Park Guell and the masterpiece, the La Sagrada Familia church.  At Figueres, we visited the Salvador Dali Theatre-Museum, which showcases his Surrealist art.  Our tour group proceeded into southern France for a walking tour of one of the world’s wine capitals, the cosmopolitan city of Bordeaux.  A highlight of this trip was our visit to architect Frank O. Gehry’s gleaming Guggenheim Museum in the Basque city of Bilbao.  In Madrid, we toured the city and visited the Prado Museum.  We concluded our journey exploring the hilltop city of Toledo, culminating with a visit to its renowned El Greco painting at the St. Tome Church.

Some novels simply report history.  Some novels change history, as did James Dalessandro’s ‘1906: A Novel.’  Our OLLI presenter is San Franscisco’s bestselling author and film maker James Dalessandro.  His publication of the 1906 historical event changed the belief that the Army maintained order during the 3 days of fires that followed the San Francisco earthquake and that the destruction was unavoidable.  In 2005, city officials passed his resolution to dismiss the 100-year-old death count of 478 replacing the death count to more than 3,000 – forever changing history about this San Francisco tragic event.  Interested in California geography and history? Then this is a lecture not to be missed!

Commissioned on November 11, 1926, Route 66 originally stretched 2,448 miles, acting as a crucial link for transportation and economic growth.  Later becoming a cultural icon of American travel is often referenced as the ‘Mother Road’.  This premier diagonal highway celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.  John Deikis, a favorite OLLI presenter and motorcyclist returns to share another of his many travel adventures.  Traveling by motorcycle, John shares the many quirky roadside attractions and historic sites he explored on Route 66 between downtown Chicago to the Santa Monica pier in California. 

John caught the travel bug while working on an ocean-going ship in the 1960’s.  He spent much of his youth & early adulthood exploring the world to include Europe, South & North America, and Africa.  When he retired from a career as a clinical psychologist a decade or so ago, he returned to his love of travel.  His preferred mode of travel now is by motorcycle and John has ridden in very state and Canadian province, most European countries, Latin America and Egypt. 

Back by popular request, OLLI will again explore the Longwood Gardens holiday spectacular that transforms the gardens into a festive wonderland.  Our virtual stroll will be led by Jim Sutton, Associate Director of Display Design.  Jim will guide our group through many decorated spaces (inside and outside) in their holiday display of thousands of poinsettias, festive flora, twinkling lights and decorated trees.  Timothy Gould, Director of Continuing Education, Longwood Gardens, will facilitate our discussion and Q&A.

A living and expanding expression of the 1920’s founder, Pierre S. duPont, Longwood Gardens is a public garden that consists of more than 1,100 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in the Brandywine Creek Valley in Kennett Square about an hour west of Philadelphia. It is one of the premier horticultural display gardens and fountains in the United States welcoming visitors year-round to enjoy native and exotic plants and horticulture (both indoor and outdoor), events and performances, seasonal and themed attractions, as well as educational lectures, courses, and workshops.