France, 2005

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Jules Verne’s death, the Centre International Jules Verne in Amiens organizes the “Mondial Jules Verne”, a series of activities in the cities Amiens, Nantes and Paris. The main purpose of these eight days is to allow Verne fans from all countries to get to know each other, and to celebrate together this important year.
A major part of the activities is the international symposium that will take place on 22 and 23 March, and where presentations on a range of topics will be given. Besides more specific topics, the various Jules Verne Societies will present themselves. The Dutch Jules Verne Society will be present at this symposium.

Here is the programme as proposed by the Centre International Jules Verne. On their website you can find more information on the “Mondial Jules Verne”.

Saturday, 19 March

• Meeting of the Participants at the airports in Paris (option)
• Arrival in Amiens

Sunday, 20 March

Day in Amiens

• Visit of the cathedral or the St-Leu quarter
• City tour by barouche “on Jules Verne’s footsteps”
• Musicaa/Verne at the Cirque Jules Verne
• Visit of the exhibition in the “Imaginaire Jules Verne” and of the works in the “Maison Jules Verne”
• Lunch, dinner in Amiens

Monday, 21 March

Day in the Baie de Somme:

• Small train trip from St-Valéry to Le Crotoy + crossing of the Baie de Somme
• Lunch and dinner on the Picardy coast organized by the Somme departmental council

Tuesday, 22 March

Day in Amiens: “Symposium”

• Symposium on the theme: “Jules Verne, a worldwide writer” (Jules Verne’s reception in different countries). Each speaker will have 15 min.
• Lunch, dinner in Amiens

Wednesday, 23 March

Day in Amiens:

• Resumption of Symposium (until 1.00 pm)
• Lunch
• Free afternoon:
  • Option 1: General meetings of Jules Verne Associations
  • Option 2: Guided tour “An ideal city” organized by the Amiens tourist office
• Dinner organized by Amiens Métropole

Thursday, 24 March

Half-day in Amiens: Commemoration ceremony

• Procession to the Madeleine cemetery (Jules Verne’s grave) from either Jules Verne’s house or the St-Martin church with the presence of institutional representatives of France, the region and the department

Departure for the airport, or:

Half-day in Nantes:

• Lunch (lunch basket in the TGV Jules Verne)
• Free afternoon
• Cocktail organized by the city of Nantes and concert
• Accomodation in Nantes

Friday, 25 March

Half-day in Nantes:

• Visit in ‘”Jules Verne’s footsteps”

Departure for Paris by TGV

Half-day in Paris:

• Lunch (lunch basket in the train)
• Walk “in Jules Verne’s footsteps” on the grands boulevards
• Dinner and accommodation in Paris

Saturday, 26 March

Day in Paris:

• Guided tour of the exhibition “Jules Verne and the sea” at the National Naval Museum
• Lunch on a Parisian boat
• Visit of the “Bouffes Parisiens” theatre or the theatre of the Porte St-Martin
• Dinner at the Eiffel Tower
• Accommodation in Paris

Sunday, 27 March

Departure for the airports (option)

Overview of activities in 2005.