This is the 320th post of 2008 at Following the Equator, and we decided to commemorate our blog's first full calendar year with a top-10 list of favorite posts.
We had a lot of stories, videos, photos, interviews, tips and perspectives about educational travel. We launched some regular weekly features, including our Tip of the Week and Photo of the Week. We debuted Life on Tour, introduced EF on YouTube and EF on Facebook and promoted the EF Tours group on Flickr (above). And, along the way, we encountered a lot of inspiring travelers.
Following the Equator also was nominated for a Blogger's Choice Award and finished fifth out of 1,177 blogs for Best Travel Blog. Thank you to everyone who supported our blog in 2008 by voting, reading, sharing, commenting and subscribing. We're looking forward to an even more successful 2009.
Six strangers brought together on one educational tour through Switzerland, France and Italy. That's Life on Tour. EF's reality web series produced countless memorable moments, as the student travelers made it up Mount Pilatus, up the Eiffel Tower and up to their elbows making pizza in Rome.
Now that the first season is complete, I watched all 10 episodes again and compiled my list of the most memorable moments of Life on Tour.
Let us know what you think of the list and post your own comments (or even your own list) below. And be sure to cast your vote for your favorite moment in our Life on Tour Poll.
Schmap publishes digital travel guides for more than 200 destinations around the world and integrates maps, photos and place reviews for easy viewing online or on an iPhone. The site has generated a lot of positive press since launching nearly three years ago.
We're excited to be included in the revised Schmap Paris Guide. You can see more of Following the Equator's Paris photos on Flickr.
The North Pole—which often draws a lot of attention at this time of year—is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, covered by shifting layers of ice. The nearest land is believed to be Kaffeklubben Island (above), which lies off the northern coast of Greenland about 440 miles from the North Pole.
There is some dispute over whether Kaffeklubben truly is the northernmost point on earth because at times there are gravel banks closer to the North Pole—but they are not permanent.
Kaffeklubben Island was first visited in 1921 by Danish explorer Lauge Koch and was named after the coffee club in Copenhagen's museum of mineralogy.
Cities all around the world celebrate the holidays with different traditions, but there's one illuminating similarity: impressive light displays.
Travel + Leisure magazine recently highlighted 10 of the World's Best Holiday Light Displays with a collection of videos. One of our favorites is the Christmas Eve lights-and-fireworks show over the Palacio de Comunicaciones in Madrid. Check it out:
Which is your favorite? Have you seen other grand displays around the world? Let us know in the comments below.
To enter the photo contest, add your destination and friends photos to the EF Tours group on Flickr and tag them "EF destination photo, Fall 2008" or "EF friends photo, Fall 2008." Remember, if you add your photos to the Flickr group, you're also eligible to be chosen as our Photo of the Week at Following the Equator. Photo of the Week will resume Thursday, January 8.
To enter the video contest, join the EF Tours group on YouTube and add your video with the tag "EF contest, Fall 2008."
The grand-prize winner in each of the two photo contests and the one
video contest will receive an iPod Touch. To learn more about the photo and video contests, check out our original post or visit the official contest sites.
The first season of Life on Tour visited four amazing cities in three historic countries. The student travelers ascended Mount Pilatus in Lucerne, celebrated Bastille Day in Paris, danced in Florence and made pizza in Rome.
Now that the first season is complete, EF will begin casting soon for the second season next year. If you were cast on Life on Tour, where would you most want to visit?
What do you think of the travelers' tearful goodbyes? Which cast members will you miss the most? And what do think of the first season of Life on Tour?
If you missed any episodes, click the links below. Then chat with other Life on Tour fans and cast members on EF Tours' Facebook fan page. Plus, stay tuned for casting information for Season 2 of EF's Life on Tour.
A few weeks back, I wrote triumphantly about my 9-foot Christmas tree. I didn't get into the guilt I felt over the fact that the tree was artificial—i.e., not authentic ("That's another post," I thought at the time—voilà). The Europeans I lived among in my time abroad would have taken one look at that plastic monstrosity and been mortified. In fact, a visiting European friend had just that reaction.
Europe specializes in authentic, as I discovered during my eight years there. Household coffee is made in old-fashioned stove-top Bialetti contraptions; no plugs to plug in or clocks to set. A Coca-Cola ordered at a table comes in a glass bottle, not in a plastic bottle, or from a syrup/water mix sprayed into a paper cup. Shoppers crowd outdoor streets lined with centuries-old storefronts, rather than admittedly spectacular but inescapably faux enclosed shopping malls. Building materials used on homes are still primarily stone, brick and mortar, wood and slate; vinyl siding has thankfully yet to become popular.
Michelangelo sometimes gets credit for the beautifully distinctive uniforms of the Papal Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Instead, it's Raphael who helped influence the guardsmen's attire.
The vibrant blue, yellow and red—the colors of the Medici—have been used since the 1600s, and the uniforms have had minor changes through the centuries. Commandant Jules Repond designed the modern uniforms in 1914, drawing inspiration from Raphael's frescoes, including The Mass at Bolsena.
Founded in 1506, the Papal Swiss Guard is the Vatican's military unit and is charged with protecting the pope and guarding the Apostolic Palace and the gates of Vatican City.
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