Following the Equator

Monopoly update

Voting officially ended last night for Monopoly's upcoming Here & Now: The World Edition. But we'll have to wait awhile to find out which 20 world cities make the new edition. The official site says that results will be revealed later this year.

As we wrote previously, it appears that Canada may dominate the new board and that Montreal may earn the coveted Boardwalk space over Paris.

There is still time to weigh in, though, on the two-card cities that will earn the final two spots on the board. Voting began today among the top 20 write-in candidates, and the top two vote-getters will replace the traditional Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue. And Canada could earn yet another spot. According to the leaderboard this afternoon, Quebec is the leading city in early voting, followed by Taipei. Voting on the wild-card cities concludes Sunday, March 9.

Seeing is believing

There's no substitute for seeing something firsthand, especially after you've studied it in class.

That was the big reaction of a group of 30 students, staff and friends from Elms College in Chicopee, Mass., who just returned from a trip to London and Paris with EF College Study Tours.

The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Mass., wrote yesterday about the group's amazing adventure in Europe. Check out what one student told the newspaper:

"This was the most awesome experience," said Jessica Breton, of Westfield, a legal studies student who will be graduating from Elms College in May. "One of the best parts of the trip was how well prepared we were in our fall International Studies class. Professor [Katherine A.] Currier had us learn about English and French history, law and culture. Each of us also had to learn about one painter—mine was Monet. We presented one painting to the class but then had to learn about five other paintings by that artist. When we got to the National Gallery in London, I was able to spot all five paintings. It was unbelievable seeing them in person. In fact, I liked 'my' painting so much that I bought a copy of it in the museum store to bring home with me."

Inspiring, indeed! You can read more about the group's tour here.

Back from Paris

Following the Equator is back in the States after an extended stay in Paris.

We had a hugely successful Paris Orientation, showing a bunch more first-time EF Group Leaders what an EF tour is like and showing them the wondrous City of Light. It's always so great to see teachers eyes light up. Personally, it's also great to renew acquaintances (and make new ones) with some of our experienced group leaders in Paris.

Following Paris Orientation, I was able to spend time in Paris with my wife and young daughter, which was an amazingly rewarding experience. I'll be writing more about Paris in the coming days.

EF's new video contest

Want to star in your own reality travel series? Are you traveling with EF this summer? Well, this could be your big break.

EF Educational Tours just announced the details of its new video contest to cast a new Web reality series called Life on Tour™.

One EF group will be chosen to star in our new online series. We will send a professional video crew to your hometown to film your final preparations, and the crew will accompany your group on tour. In addition to starring in your own series, your group will also receive a professionally produced DVD documenting your tour experience. We're looking for groups that are departing from the end of May through August.

All you have to do is send in a 60-second video introducing your tour group and telling us why you're excited for your upcoming tour. Entries don't need to be slick, Hollywood production; they just need to show your group's personality and enthusiasm for travel.

You can mail us a DVD or email a link to your entry on a video-sharing website, such as YouTube. The deadline for entries is April 15, 2008. For more information, check out the official Life on Tour™ site.

Paris O Postcard: Lunch at Versailles

Lunch at Versailles, originally uploaded by following.equator.

Full roasted chicken, a buffet of cheeses, a fresh baguette, strawberries, string beans ... all served on a city bench in the center of the town of Versailles.

What started as an impromptu lunch idea last year during an excursion to the palace of Versailles may now be a full-fledged tradition after some EF staff members repeated the feat this afternoon during Paris Orientation.

Last February, EF Group Leader Greg Holmes and I roamed the open-air Sunday market in Versailles searching for lunch. We were forced to get creative, buying a full chicken, cheese, bread and fruit. We even bought real, metal forks. Then we found a bench on a quiet side street and spread out our feast. This clearly was not a common sight, as the Versailles passers-by either smiled, nodded or grimaced. Several even offered us a "bon appetit!" It was a great moment that Greg and I recall often. We both even saved our forks as souvenirs.

So, today, when our group of first-time group leaders made the way to the open-air market, I told the story to my colleagues -- Erin Bennion, Joe Burkett and Diana Tavares. We decided to give it a try. We bought our supplies (including forks and knives) and settled in on the bench. Not only was it a delicious feast, but it also was another memorable experience. We also toasted Greg for the inaugural Versailles lunch.

Greg even emailed me Saturday night, asking when we were headed back to Versailles. Greg, you'll be happy to know, I'm adding my new fork to the Versailles collection.

The EF Paris Orientation concluded today after a busy day of sightseeing and a wonderal Moroccan Farewell Dinner. Special thanks to all of the first-time participants for another successful Paris Orientation.

Paris O Postcard: City of Light

Eiffel Tower, originally uploaded by following.equator.

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower on a windy night in February is breathtaking -- figuratively and literally.

Breathtaking, that is, at least to one big group of EF Group Leaders who braved the chilly temps and blustery winds tonight for the spectacular sights from the highest point in Paris. It was definitely a memorable moment on the second day of our Paris Orientation for first-time EF Group Leaders.

Following a jam-packed, productive morning and early afternoon of meetings designed to give group leaders a ton of information, helpful hints and especially secrets from a pair of experienced pros, the group hit the town. Many people followed our tour director, Nathalie, for an impromptu walking tour of Les Halles, a particularly Parisian neighborhood packed with people -- but few tourists. It was a wonderful opportunity to glimpse real Parisians bustling by on a beautifully sunny Saturday.

Everybody got the chance to go their own way for dinner before most of the group met up near the Eiffel Tower. First, there was the windy visit to the top of the iconic monument. (For the record, I skipped the trip to the top for the second year in a row. My 4-year-old daughter arrives in Paris on Monday with my wife, and I promised I'd make my first trip to the top with her.)

Then, after the group caught its breath back on ground level, everyone enjoyed a leisurely (and fortunately heated) boat tour of the Seine.

Once the sun goes goes down and the lights come up, it's not hard to see where Paris gets its descriptive moniker: the City of Light. But, by far, the most impressive display is the hourly light show on the Eiffel Tower, illuminating not only the picturesque structure but also the buildings and sites around it.

Tomorrow ought to be equally illuminating for the first-time group leaders with a guided sightseeing tour around Paris and an excursion to Louis XIV's palace at Versailles.

Paris O Postcard: Guarding Mona Lisa

Standing next to the most famous painting in the world may seem like a glorious assignment, but it's not if you're the one faced with an onslaught of flashbulbs all day long.

Mona Lisa, which used to be off-limits to amateur photographers, is now also the most photographed painting in the world. Many of the EF Group Leaders made a beeline for the painting after arriving at the Louvre to kick off our Paris Orientation weekend.

After taking a few photos of my own, I spoke to one of Mona Lisa's watchguards, Franck Paradis, who said the Louvre stopped forbidding photography back in summer. He said they could barely stop people from snapping away at that famous portrait.

"It's impossible," said Paradis (standing to the left of the painting in the photo above).

He reassured, though, that special glass protects the masterpiece from the flashes.

But when asked if it was an honor to stand beside Mona Lisa, the guard quickly shook his head and said, "It's very hard."

Then he rubbed his eyes and said, "Too many flashes."

Paris O Postcard: Frog legs

Paris O Postcard: Frog legs, originally uploaded by following.equator.

Following the Equator—and all of the other EF staff members and experienced group leaders—arrived safely in Paris today for this weekend's EF Paris Orientation.

It was a pretty low-key day full of arrivals and naps, but we all gathered together for a long and wonderful dinner tonight in the 11th arrondissement.

Besides meeting and sharing time with amazing teachers, one of my favorite things at Paris Orientation is trying unique cuisine. Last year, I tried escargots for the first time.

The highlight for me tonight was trying Cuisse de Grenouille—better known as frog legs—as an appetizer.

My order was delayed, so experienced EF Group Leader Gail Ingram of Cheraw, South Carolina, graciously shared her Cuisse de Grenouille (pictured above) until another hot plate of frog legs arrived at the table.

They were pretty tasty, and most everyone who had them liked them. It was particularly funny, though, when one person picked up a pair of frog legs and hopped them across her plate. That prompted more than one kidding response of "Don't play with your food."

It'll be an early morning as we greet all of the arriving new group leaders at the airport.

The big destination tomorrow: the Louvre.

Prepping for Paris

Following the Equator is going on the road. I will be staffing EF's Paris Orientation for new EF group leaders this weekend, and I'll be posting about the experience live from Paris. So make sure to follow Following the Equator all weekend.

We'll be seeing all of the City of Light's best sights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and even Versailles. And new group leaders will get to experience what an educational tour is really like—and even learn some secrets from experienced group leaders.

It'll be a remarkable experience, and I can't wait to share it here. To make sure you don't miss anything, you can subscribe to Following the Equator in a news reader or by email. And, as always, please feel free to post your comments or email us your suggestions.

In the meantime, you can see what's happening in Paris right now with real-time web cams.

Recollections from Guatemala

The boys from the orphanage are running ahead of us, zig-zagging their way up the steep incline. All of us—19 EF staffers on a service tour in Guatemala over Thanksgiving—are huffing and puffing, sweating profusely. A couple of people who wore sandals are struggling. We stare incredulously at the barbed wire fence before us. We will either have to wiggle under it or jump over it; neither is particularly appealing, but the boys’ enthusiasm keeps us going.

Lori, who works in EF Foundation for Foreign Study, asks one of the boys how much farther we are planning to go. He points to a tower on the top of the mountain. She laughs, certain that he must be joking. There is no way our nature walk is going to turn into mountain climbing. At the next clearing, the path starts to slant so that it looks almost vertical. A couple of the volunteers can’t hike any farther and decide to wait for the group at the clearing. The rest of us trek onwards, trying to appear moderately graceful, as the crumbly dirt shifts under our feet.

Go, Canada!

Canadians must take their Monopoly pretty seriously. So serious, in fact, that Montreal might become the new Boardwalk.

In the worldwide online voting for Monopoly's upcoming Here & Now: The World Edition, Montreal has surged ahead of Paris for the top spot on the new Monopoly board.

Montreal (4.8 percent) is easily outpacing Paris (3.5 percent), which may have to settle for the Park Place spot. According to today's leaderboard, the rest of the top five includes Cape Town, London and Sydney. New York City currently ranks sixth (aka Marvin Gardens).

But it's Canada that is monopolizing the Monopoly voting, thanks to coordinated online efforts like this.

All three of Canada's nominated cities look like sure bets to be included on the new board, when voting ends at the end of the month. In addition to Montreal (which would earn the Boardwalk space), Vancouver ranks ninth (Illinois Avenue) and Toronto ranks 16th (States Avenue). No other country has even more than one city slated for the board.

What constitutes "visiting" a country?

How many countries have you been to? How do you keep score? What actually counts as a "visit"?

Interesting questions that travelers love to debate. If you have a layover in an airport, does that count? If your bus stops to refuel as you're traveling across Europe, does that count? Do you have to have a passport stamp? 

There was a fascinating article recently by Salon's Patrick Smith that ponders those exact questions. It's definitely worth a read. Gadling also wrote about it and then posed the follow-up question: Does any of this country-counting stuff even matter?

Apparently it does matter to a lot of travelers. There's even a website called MostTraveledPeople.com that's devoted to counting countries. The members are pretty hard-core. MTP says "the world is made up of 673 countries, territories, autonomous regions, enclaves, geographically separated island groups, and major states and provinces." The site also maintains some pretty strict standards for counting visits and even requires proof.