Current Affairs
The First Year of College – On Us!
College is expensive, as everyone knows. But EF is going to make it much more affordable for one lucky traveler by paying for the first year—full tuition, room and board—at any school they choose. There’s still time for students to enter EF’s college scholarship giveaway, but they have to act fast. To enter, students age Read more…
Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire, Would You Chase It?
As you may have noticed, people in Britain have recently celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. There was a two day public holiday added on to the weekend as well as various events up and down the country. Also, as you might expect, various products attempted to get in on the event and used traditional labelling Read more…
Eurovision in 2012 and Engelbert Humperdinck?
Just last week, May 15th, was the anniversary of the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) which brought to an end the Thirty Years War (which, up to that point was probably known as the Twenty-Nine Years and Counting War). Anyway, the treaty did away with much of the power of the Holy Roman Empire and returned Read more…
Understanding the British Honours System & Knighthood
The British honours system (which requires the traditional vowel enhanced spelling) is widely known of but, possibly, not always best understood. How do you become a Knight? What does OBE mean and who gets to wear a medal and who a ribbon? These are questions which require answering. So, here is a short guide to Read more…
Appreciation of Fine Tea in England
After I returned home from a 10-day tour of England in 1989, my very first student tour that I organized on my own called “England Trek,” one of my students commented that my husband went into every pub and I went into every tea shop. In defense of my husband, I think this student was Read more…
The Musical History of Leipzig, Germany
Tomorrow (April 11) is the anniversary of the day in 1727 when the Premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion BWV 244b was performed at the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. This fascinating Saxon town is rarely visited on tour, but if you find yourself there then here are a few sites you might want Read more…
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin
For my spring break tour to Ireland in 2008, my group arrived in Dublin early in the morning on St. Patrick’s Day. March 17 fell on a Monday and it was an official day off of work in the Republic of Ireland. We were lucky that day in more ways than one. As my students Read more…
The History Surrounding St. Patrick’s Day
In a few days, March 17th, it will be St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone knows that, correct? It’s as much a feature on the calendar as Easter, Christmas and our own birthday. When touring in Britain and Ireland I like to ask groups who the patron saint of Ireland is. This is too easy they say; Read more…
Burns Night in Edinburgh
Edinburgh got a mention a couple of weeks back as Gail spent her New Year there. It also won the ‘Favourite City’ vote in Britain’s Guardian newspaper for the 12th year running. It is a fabulous city with so much to do; great walks, interesting and unimposing galleries, a good range of shopping, superlative headgear Read more…
EF Tours and Worldwide Travel Alert
Frequently Asked Questions About the Worldwide Travel Alert What does this Travel Alert mean? The U.S. State Department issued a Travel Alert on Sunday, May 1 for U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad through August. The alert encourages U.S. travelers to avoid areas where mass gatherings and demonstrations may take place while traveling abroad. However,the Read more…
