Following the Equator

Our 10 Best of 2008

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.

Group Leader Spotlight: Mike O'Neal

Mike O’Neal, a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher from Kirkland, Washington, never wanted to be the type of person who one day would reflect upon his life and say, “Coulda, shoulda.”

When it comes to traveling, he certainly has accomplished that goal. Mike has taken more than a dozen EF tours and traveled on five Teacher Convention Tours. From Kenya to Russia to the Galápagos Islands, Mike has explored six continents with EF!

Mike (pictured above at a Turkish market) took a few minutes to talk about how travel impacts his students, planning and recruiting his tours and watching the pelicans and sharks in the Galápagos:

Group Leader Spotlight: Greg Holmes

"How big is your fishbowl?"

Greg Holmes poses that question to his students with a poster that hangs in his classroom at Granite Bay High School in Granite Bay, California. His classroom also contains a Postcard Wall with postcards from every continent, including Antarctica.

A calculus teacher, Greg not only makes his students ponder their place in the world, but he's also been expanding their fishbowls for years as an EF Group Leader. Greg takes huge groups of seniors to Europe every year with EF.

But Greg hasn't stopped with his students. He's been expanding his own fishbowl, as well, on EF's Teacher Convention Tours. This past summer, he attended the African Safari in Botswana, and he's going to Ancient Jordan and Egypt next year.

We had a chance to catch up with Greg before he left for Botswana. Here's our full interview:

Preschooler in Paris

I've finally pored through hundreds of photos from my week in Paris with my wife and daughter following EF's Paris Orientation. It was great reliving all of the amazing moments from an amazing week.

The first thing that everyone asks me: How did your daughter like Paris? Well, she she absolutely loved it—and not just because of Disneyland Paris!

She turns 5 in a couple of months, and we had always hoped to take her abroad before kindergarten. Looking back at the week and hearing people's reactions, I actually think that taking a preschooler to Paris was one of the greatest things we've ever done.

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.

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.