The AIZEN

Entrance to the University of Maia, Portugal

Campus entrance

Hydrangeas beautify the campus

Campus in bloom with hydrangeas and poplar trees

Main building where the conference will take place

Main building entrance

Flowers known as “bear's breeches“ at the main building

Polytechnical Institute of the University of Maia

Campus tennis courts

Campus track and field complex

The train will bring the conference-goers to campus

View of the back of the main building and cafeteria

Back of the main building and cafeteria

Return to the main building for the first day of the conference

Conference folder, program, lanyards and badges

From left: Conference participants Aditi Khasa and Céleste Villermaux

Jean-Philippe Vauchel, creator of the conference poster, displays his work

From left: Organizers-in-Chief, Célia Vieira and Juliana Starr

From left: Professor José Ferreira Gomes, Rector of the University of Maia, and Célia Vieira prepare to enter the auditorium for the opening speeches

Attendees gather for the opening speeches

Opening speech: Professor José Ferreira Gomes, Rector of the University of Maia

Opening speech: AIZEN President Juliana Starr

Opening speech: Organizer-in-Chief Célia Vieira

From left: Célia Vieira and Juliana Starr listen to opening speeches

Opening speech: AIZEN Honorary President Anna Gural-Migdal

AIZEN team. From left: Ana Oancea, Elisabeth-Christine Muelsch, Juliana Starr, Jeremy Worth, and Jean-Philippe Vauchel

AIZEN Vice-President Elisabeth-Christine Muelsch (right) introduces keynote speaker Dan Rebellato (left)

Keynote speaker Dan Rebellato

Break time. From left: Pedro Paulo Catharina and Jean-Sébastien Macke

From left: Michael Rosenfeld and Aurélie Barjonet

Delicious treats

Participants gather at break time

Students enjoy lunch with a view of the campus

Session audience

From left: Conference participants Geneviève de Viveiros and Orna Levin

From left: Conference participants Véronique Cnockaert and Daniel Long

Conference participant Lisa Algazi Marcus

Session audience

Conference participant Florence Fix

Session audience

Conference participant Jeremy Worth

Conference participant Corina Sandu

Oporto wine reception. From left: Natasha Wiseman and Chantal Morel

Jean-Philippe Vauchel

From left: Jeremy Worth and Dan Rebellato

Delicious treats at Oporto wine reception

From left: Élise Cantiran and Maria Sayegh

From left: Grace Yan and Wenxin Qi

Émilie Bauduin

Dan Rebellato

Timo Kehren

Happy Birthday, Timo!

From left: Marie-Astrid Charlier, Chantal Morel (in background), and Aurélie Barjonet

Conference participants at Oporto wine reception and surprise birthday party

AIZEN family portrait

Célia Vieira introduces keynote speaker Ana Clara Santos

Keynote speaker Ana Clara Santos

From left: Célia Vieira and Ana Clara Santos

Session audience

From left: Chantal Morel and Daniel Long with their session audience

Session audience

From left: Kyoko Watanabe, Gabriela Kasprzyk, Elizabeth Emery, Jana Truhlářová

Session attendees are treated to a sample of Maupassant in Japanese

Session audience

From left: Jelena Jovicic, Ayoub Bouhouhou, Midori Nakamura

Break time. Jean-Philippe Vauchel displays the digital version of his conference poster

Elisabeth-Christine Muelsch

Riikka Rossi

Romain Cuttat

Valeria Tettamanti

Halia Koo

Jean-Philippe Vauchel introduces the live Fado performance

Cláudia Madur

Destino Fado : Cláudia Madur and her musicians

Timo Kehren and Aurélie Barjonet

Wenxin Qi

Session audience

From left: Wenxin Qi and Timo Kehren

From left: Isabelle Schaffner and Aurélie Barjonet

Session audience

From left: Pedro Paulo Catharina, Orna Levin

From left: Marie-Astrid Charlier, Maria Luı́sa Malato, Maria Sayegh

Session audience

Session presentation

Oporto tour. Dom Luis 1 Bridge over the Douro river

Dom Luis 1 Bridge

Juliana Starr at Dom Luis 1 Bridge

View of Dom Luis 1 Bridge and Douro river

Aerial view of the Douro river

Aerial view of the Douro river, Infante Dom Henrique Bridge

View of the Douro river, Infante Dom Henrique Bridge

View of other bridges over the Douro

View of the Douro river, rooftops

Aerial view of boats on the Douro river

View of the Douro

View of the Douro, rooftops

View of the Douro, facades

View of the Douro, tourist boat

View of dock on the Douro

Porto Town Hall at Liberty Square

City scene on the Douro

City scene

Vestiges of city ramparts

Tramway

Metro station

Outdoor market

Covered market

Streetcar, cathedral in background

Porto Cathedral, 12th century

Rooftops near the cathedral

Clerigos Tower (18th century), modern shopping mall

Bookstore, inspiration for Harry Potter's library

Art deco Armazéns Cunhas department store

Peacock of Armazéns Cunhas department store

Colorful city scene

Colorful facades

Facades on the Douro

Sometimes Porto looks like Paris

Blue facades

Facades

Looks like Paris with more color

Facades close-up

Alcove facade

Facades near the outdoor market

Chapel of Souls white and blue tile exterior

Church of Saint Idlefonso

Carmo Church interior, downtown Porto

Cafe facade

Majestic cafe Art Nouveau sign

Majestic cafe Art Nouveau facade

Majestic cafe Art Nouveau interior

Art nouveau electronics store

Art nouveau storefront

Art nouveau boutique

Art nouveau bookstore

Art nouveau hotel facade

Art Nouveau hotel

Art Deco facade

Art Deco facade of the Batalha Centro de Cinema

Facade and freize of the Batalha Centro de Cinema

AIZEN group touring the Batalha Centro de Cinema

AIZEN group leaves the Batalha Centro de Cinema and continues on the tour

Next stop, the National Theatre

AIZEN group in the foyer of the National Theatre

Orna and Pedro in the open air market, the Mercado do Bolhão

AIZEN family portrait at the Mercado do Bolhão

AIZEN group on Porto tour

Juliana Starr on Porto tour

Kyoko Watanabe on Porto tour

Porto stock market main hall

Porto stock market ceiling of main hall

Porto stock market staicase

Porto stock market chamber

Porto stock market ballroom

Arab room of stock market

Historic Porto São Bento train station

Porto São Bento train station interior

Porto São Bento train station

Guide Célia Vieira (center) ends the tour at the Porto São Bento train station

Cafe Ceuta in Porto, restaurant of the AIZEN banquet

Joël Rochard, France Rochard, Jean-Philippe Vauchel, Sonia Lelouch

Clockwise from left: Natasha Wiseman, Lisa Algazi Marcus, Isabelle Schaffner, Jean-Sébatien Macke, Michael Rosenfeld, Jeremy Worth, Chantal Morel

From left: Juliana Starr and Célia Vieira, organizers-in-chief of the conference

Banquet-goers enjoy the first course

From left: Michael Rosenfeld and Jeremy Worth

Ana Oancea

Banquet-goers

Hortense Delair (center)

Aurélie Barjonet

From left: Juliana Starr and Émilie Bauduin

From left: Hortense Delair and Valeria Tettamanti

Elizabeth Emery

From left: Aurélie Barjonet and Timo Kehren

After dinner the group views a video history of the AIZEN

From left: Romain Cuttat, Valeria Tettamanti, Grace Yan, Aditi Khasa, Céleste Villermaux, Émilie Bauduin, Hortense Delair

From left: Lisa Algazi Marcus and Michael Rosenfeld

From left: Florence Fix and Elizabeth Emery

From left: France Rochard, Joël Rochard

From left: Adão Barros, Jean-Philippe Vauchel, Jeremy Worth

From left: Juliana Starr, Jeremy Worth

Joël Rochard, Président de la Société littéraire des Amis d’Émile Zola, addresses the banquet-goers

Juliana Starr serenades the group with La Habanera from Carmen

From left: Juliana Starr and Célia Vieira, organizers-in-chief of the conference, address the group and read their thank you cards

From left: Juliana Starr and Célia Vieira

Célia Vieira

Juliana Starr and Célia Vieira

Arrival at Guimarães, the cradle city. “Portugal was born here” the sign reads

Guimarães castle, mid-tenth century

AIZEN group visit chapel at Guimarães

From left: Isabelle Schaffner and Jean-Sebastien Macke at Guimarães castle complex

Statue of D. Afonso Henriques (also known as Afonso I), founder and first King of Portugal, ruling from 1139 to 1185

Group break at Guimarães castle complex. From left: Kristin Cook Gailloud, Jean-Sébastien Macke, Michael Rosenfeld, Célia Vieira

The group continues its tour of Guimarães

Facade in Guimarães

Adão Barros leads the walking tour of Guimarães

Adão leads the tour

Facade in Guimarães. Typical wooden balconies

Facade in Guimarães

Facades in Guimarães

Facade on Oliveira Square

Facades on Toural Square

Church on Toural Square

Excursion participants continue the tour

Church of Our Lady of Consolation and Holy Steps at Guimarães

The group waits for the bus to Braga

Casa das Estampas (House of Stamps/Souvenirs), part of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro complex in Braga

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro, Braga

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro, interior

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro

Lunch at the Lady of Sameiro complex, Braga

Lunch

View of the spectacular baroque staircase leading to the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, Braga

View of the valley containing the city of Braga from the foot of the monumental staircase

Guide Adão Barros snaps a selfie of the group on the staircase

AIZEN family portrait

The group boards the water-powered funicular to the top of the staircase

In the funicular: From left: Kristin Cook Gailloud, Valérie Stiénon, Michael Rosenfeld, Sébastien Roldan

From left: Jean-Philippe Vauchel, Sonia Lelouch

Sébastien Roldan

From left: Pedro Paulo Catharina, Timo Kehren, Clément Dessy and partner

The funicular arrives at its destination

View from monumental staircase

From left: Jean-Sébastien Macke, Ayoub Bouhouhou

Fountain of Sanctury complex

Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary

Sébastien Roldan at the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary

View of the the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary from its gardens

Ceiling and chandelier of the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary

Interior of the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary

Grotto of the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary

View from inside the grotto

View of the grotto and Sanctuary

The group gathers to return to Porto

Maia, Portugal 2025