Following the Equator | EF's Educational Travel Blog

Why students should tour Central Europe

By Paul Mattesini | EF Tour Director

I work with a lot of EF Group Leaders who ask my advice on which tour they should do next. I often suggest From Rome to Athens or Central European Quartet. "Why would I want to go to Central/Eastern Europe" is a common sort of reply. "There is no Colosseum or Eiffel Tower in Budapest, and what does Vienna do" is another sort of reply that I just made up.

So, here are some thoughts on why Central European Quartet is a great tour to take and also a chance for me to stop having to run through it each time I am asked in future — I can just direct the questioner to this blog.

Currency — Oh, the euro is fun, easy and all that. However, touring in Hungary and the Czech Republic gives you a chance to mix with old-school currency changes and exchange rates. Unfamiliar banknotes with pictures of unknown national heroes. Banks even want to tell you about the designers (I hope that moustache appears on a future banknote).

Statues — The Cold War, it all happened before Twitter, so it can sometimes be deemed as irrelevant to our lives as the Crimean War. However, one thing teachers and others of a certain age will always remember are those monumental statues to Soviet leaders. Just outside of Budapest is the fabulous Memento Park, featuring huge sculptures of the era. Your EF Tour Director can arrange a quick visit; trust me, it’s worth it.

Food — Stop for lunch at one of the service stations on the Austrian or German motorway, and you will be astonished at the range of things on offer. From sandwiches stuffed with smoked meats, cheeses and the like, meat dishes cooked to order as you watch and arrays of pastries, strudels and the famous Sacher Torte.

Prague — What a city. Seriously, what a city. Your EF guided sightseeing tour will take you through the castle grounds and down the hill across the Charles Bridge to the Old Town. From here, you have an afternoon to explore. Just wandering around this amazing place is a joy in itself. Stunning architecture, all sorts of shopping, boat rides on the river, etc. It is just one of those places that you might approach wondering, "What is there to see," and you leave thinking, "I need to come back and see more."

Berlin — A superbly modern European city that blends itself so well into its longer history (try the Reichstag Dome, Glockenturm or Potsdamer Platz). You will also get to visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum as well as having time to see the Brandenburg Gate and the thoughtfully perceived Holocaust Memorial.

The other bits — While travelling between the cities, enjoy a chance to briefly visit Brno and Dresden (to go inside the Zwinger Museum), not forgetting the Hundertwasse House in Vienna and a walk along Budapest’s Andrássy útca.

Photo: pavelm via Flickr (CC license)

How to navigate three exceptional art galleries

By Paul Mattesini | EF Tour Director

A tour director friend of mine just finished a London, Paris and Madrid tour. Quite a super trip to go on, and one that offers a chance to visit three exceptional galleries. EF tours are busy places; sometimes a visit to a sight can be limited in scope due to the huge range of other great places to get to in a city. It seems a shame to lose some time coming to terms with what a museum has to offer and what you might want to see while standing, clutching your ticket, in the doorway.

Fortunately, the British Museum, Louvre and Prado all offer some great online help for you to do a little pre-tour planning.

Although not included in the actual tour, London’s British Museum is free of charge to enter (great price) and open until 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, making it an outstanding choice for free time. In 2010, BBC Radio 4 has been running a superb "History of the World in 100 Objects" series in conjunction with the museum, and this offers a chance to get a great overview of the range and depth of exhibits on offer. Maximize your time and make use of the museum’s sheets offering the best way to spend one or three hours at the museum. Make sure to have a look inside the reading room, restored in the late 20th century and now available for all to visit. Around the museum, the neighborhood of Bloomsbury is a relaxing place to get lunch or just enjoy the atmosphere.

Meanwhile in Paris, one of the great ways to enter the Louvre is via the Carrousel. Your EF Tour Director can lead you to this point, having first given you some time to see the large glass pyramid (above) and courtyard as well as views of Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe through the small arch. Heading down some stairs, you immediately see some of the original fortification walls and the inverted pyramid. Your tour director can point you toward the information desk (free floor plans available) and entrance to the three main galleries. I would suggest heading up the stairs toward Sully and all the way to the end of the corridor. Going down some steps, you will walk through parts of the old fortifications. Where do you go from here? Well, the Louvre website offers some great self-guided routes that you can follow, each of them 90 minutes.

The Prado in Madrid, located close to the Ritz hotel, was originally designed to be a natural history museum, so you will find plenty of animal sculptures around the exterior. The museum website has a choice of three self-guided routes to follow around the gallery. Featuring some of the great European art and sculpture, this easily accessible art gallery can be a relaxing treat after the overwhelming size of the Louvre. Also, if you are in the mood, it is only half a mile or so to walk from the Prado to the excellent Reina Sofia gallery (featuring Picasso’s Guernica and so much more).

Photo: Al Ianni via Flickr (CC license)

European Museums: The Hidden Gems

What are the great art galleries of Europe? I am sure some obvious names spring to mind. I like these big galleries, but I always feel overwhelmed by the “biggest gallery in the world” or “largest collection of Renaissance art.” I sometimes feel as if someone is going to lead me out the door saying, “Sorry, but you’re just not skilled enough to understand how good this stuff really is.” Don’t get me wrong, what’s not to love about a well-drawn, chubby angel; it’s just that, sometimes, I want something different, less imposing and, arguably, a little closer to the world I recognise around me.

So, I would like to take the chance to promote five of the lesser visited (on tour), but supremely accessible European galleries that feature contemporary art, many of them in cities to be visited by you soon.

Tate Modern (London) What a place, and free to enter! Next door to the Globe Theatre on the bank of the River Thames and converted from an old power station, the huge turbine hall has featured some superb temporary installations.  Check out a piece like Equivalent VIII and wonder, “Could I have done this? Does it matter if I could or couldn’t?” Be glad someone did!

Reina Sofia (Madrid) Really do all you can to find the time to visit this super little gallery. One reason alone—Guernica—should be enough. This work alone can keep you fascinated for years to come as you read more and unravel more. Elsewhere in the gallery the idea of time and how we look at history in art is challenged. Great stuff.

Espace Dali (Paris) You are probably going to want to go to Montmartre while in Paris, right? Well, if you go in the day then make some time to visit the Dali exhibition located near the Place du Tetre. Dali looked at the Renaissance masterpieces and re-interpreted in his own fascinating style.  No shrinking violet, he once said, "Every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure, that of being Salvador Dali."

Galerie Jakubska (Prague) This beautiful gallery exhibits works by contemporary Russian artists and offers a fascinating insight into the art of Russia and the other countries of the former Soviet Union. The gallery is owned by the highly successful Ukrainian artist Alexander Onishenko who came to Prague with few possessions and began selling his work on the Charles Bridge.

Rosengart Collection (Lucerne) This comprehensive collection of more than 200 pieces of classic modernist art by a select group of predominantly European artists includes work by Klee, Picasso, Miro, Cezanne and Renoir. Housed in an elegant, neo-classical building that was formerly the Swiss National Bank, this collection was originally the private collection of father and daughter, Siegfried and Angela Rosengart.

Taking the perfect photo: Matty Aye's photography tips

 Hey guys, it's Matty from Life On Tour Season 2. Getting that free trip to Spain and Morocco was beyond legit, and as an aspiring photographer (who recently got accepted into two art schools, give me some love), I would like to give you my top 5 tips for taking pics on tour. Thank me later:



5) Ok seriously, please make sure your batteries are charged. I stole my mom’s batteries when I went to Disney World back in 1990-something. Didn't turn out so great for me. Don't let that happen to you.



4) Memory is important. Yes, the crack in the sidewalk may look really "artistic," but when you get to the Great Wall of China and have no space left on your card, you're going to be asking yourself: Was it really worth taking a picture of that sidewalk? Probably not.



3) Learn how to use your camera. Not even professionally, just basic stuff, people. When you think you have an awesome shot of that tribal dance in Kenya and then you get home and realize the only thing in focus is that tree to the left, you will be pretty blown.



2) Mother Nature does NOT care about your camera. At all. Snow, rain: not so bad when you're just chillin' at your house. Snow, rain: VERY bad when you're trying to get some dynamic, crouching snapshots of the Eiffel Tower. These weather torments may look amazing if taken properly, but if you damage your camera in the process, what's the point? Exactly.



1) Rule #1, probably the most important one of all. Sigh, ok. Listen up. When you are in Morocco, whatever you do, do NOT let Haseena take your picture with snakes because she will only get 25 percent of your face in the picture. You've been warned friends.


 There you go!

Remember these things whenever your life goes on tour, with EF or otherwise. Good luck to the Season 3 hopefuls. Some of you guys seem really interesting, but good luck beating Season 2. Haha. Love, peace and hair grease.

Signing off, Matty Aye :)

Group Leader Spotlight: Jen Petrin

After changing careers from the corporate world, Jen Petrin has been teaching art and art history for eight years at Old Mill High School in Millersville, Maryland. She teaches Foundations of Art, IB Art 11 and AP Art History to students in grades nine to 12. Jen has traveled on five EF tours and will travel on Bell' Italia next month and the Kenya Safari convention this summer. Here, she shares her EF experiences.



What inspired you to take an EF tour?

I was inspired to take an EF tour because I wanted to show my art history students Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Baroque landmarks in person. I wanted them to feel how beautiful and awe inspiring art is in person; I hoped they’d catch the bug.



You recently presented at Paris O. What advice do you have for new group leaders?
I encourage new group leaders to plan ahead and think of every detail before you go. Start recruiting for a tour 18 months out. Attend an orientation or talk to an experienced group leader via email. Pack half or what you think you’ll need!
 


How do you encourage students to sign up for your tour?
Dealing with recruitment is a challenge in my district, but good news has a way of traveling. I plant a seed with the right students and then they come to me.



Do you use any types of social media (ex. Facebook, Twitter) to promote your tour?

I promote on Facebook, and I have the kids that are signed up promote to their friends to widen the communication beyond my own students. Good kids tend to be friends with students who value the same experiences.



Do you do any fundraising for your tour? If so, what kind of fundraisers have you held?

I have done every type of fundraiser in the past but this has become more complicated in recent years. Chipin.com is a great way for relatives and family friends to help the kids save money. I usually plan a trip more than 18 months out, so I encourage all of my students to utilize EF’s monthly payment plan. Since I teach high school most students get a summer job to help pay for the trip as well.



Focus on: Amsterdam

Amsterdam all too often is known for its red-light district and its liberal drug laws; this is a complete misrepresentation. In fact, Amsterdam is practically unsurpassable as a one-stop-shopping of elegance, culture and history.

Here are the top four reasons to visit Amsterdam:

Mapping the Prado's masterpieces

Google Earth is at it again.

Now, it's not only mapping ancient civilizations (such as its Ancient Rome in 3D layer), but Google Earth also has started mapping masterpieces.

The famed Prado art museum in Madrid and Google yesterday unveiled 14 paintings that have been mapped in ultra-high resolution for an even-more-than-up-close view in Google Earth.

Leave it to the Louvre

The Louvre is nothing if not all-encompassing. The newest addition at world's largest art museum is from a seemingly unlikely source: actor Tony Dow, who played Wally Cleaver in the legendary 1950s TV show Leave It to Beaver.

Dow's abstract bronze sculpture of a woman holding a shield, titled Unarmed Warrior, will be on display at the Louvre’s Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition for just a few days next month—from Dec. 11 to 14.

"Having something shown at the Louvre is about as good as you can get," Dow told The Associated Press. "Of course, I'm really proud of Leave It to Beaver and my directing career in television. Those are great accomplishments. I'm really proud of them, but this is interesting because I don't think they know anything about that at the Louvre."

Dow is one of several sculptors from the Karen Lynne Gallery in Los Angeles who will be featured in the exhibition in Paris. Apparently, Eddie Haskell and "Lumpy" Rutherford will not be joining them.

Photo: Diana-B. via Flickr

Legendary Louvre

There's a great photo gallery on Time magazine's website called "The Louvre: France's Iconic Museum."

The world's most famous art museum—home to the world's most famous painting, Mona Lisa—has done a remarkable job of staying modern and relevant. Check out the slideshow to see how the Louvre is becoming "richer, bolder and edgier than ever before."

UPDATE: This week's Time also has a big piece—called "Le Louvre Inc."—about the museum's new business direction.

Photo: Following the Equator via Flickr

Travel Tidbits: Navigating the Louvre

The Louvre in Paris claims to be the world's largest museum. With more than 35,000 works of art and more than 652,000 square feet of exhibition space, it's easy to get lost among the masterpieces.

Globespotters recommends a handy solution to navigating the paintings, the sculptures, the treasures: a new multimedia gadget called the XP-vision.

The device, which was introduced last November and can be rented for six euros, includes a small video screen and headphones. You can choose various tours, or even customize one, through the vast collection. One of the best features is a virtual map, which helps you find your way through the maze of rooms.

Read on for more Travel Tidbits ...

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."

'David' might move

Has David outgrown Florence? The city of Florence thinks so.

Authorities in the Renaissance City are considering a plan to move Michelangelo's marble masterpiece from the city center to the outskirts of Florence, according to the Associated Press.

About 11 million tourists flock to Florence each year, and 1.3 million people visit the Accademia Gallery, where the 500-year-old David has resided since 1873. But overcrowding around the museum—including tourists sticking chewing gum on the building (if you can believe it)—has caused enough problems to prompt proposals from city officials.

One proposal, from a top regional cultural official, suggests moving the statue to a yet-unfinished music complex in the western part of the city. The complex is under construction and not expected to be finished until 2010 or 2011, and Mayor Leonardo Domenici said that the move would not happen "in the near future." There are also plans in Florence for three tram lines to help ease congestion into the city center.

The Independent has more details about the uproar in the art world over the proposal to move David.