History
Theft of The Mona Lisa
I was watching Sherlock Holmes ‘The Final Problem’ the other day, a classic tale which ends with the famed struggle at the Reichenbach falls. Anyway, the episode begins with Holmes securing the return of the Mona Lisa from the grasping Fagin-like hands of Moriarty. Although the story originally appeared in the Strand magazine in 1893 Read more…
Religious Experience on Greek Island Cruise
This past summer, I went on a Greek Island Cruise with EF tours, which also included about 5 hours in Turkey. After some hot, windy days in Athens, the cruise was a welcome change of pace. The first island we visited was Mykonos, with its area called “Little Venice.” Here, white buildings with colorful doorways Read more…
Edinburgh, Scotland – The Best City in Britain
The Guardian newspaper in England recently published its annual travel awards for the UK, voted by readers. Most voters are British, so it is always interesting to see which place gets the “Favorite UK City” award. This year, for the 13th year in a row, the winner is…. (mental drum roll)….Edinburgh! I didn’t vote this Read more…
History Behind the Pantheon in Rome, Italy
Today, October 23rd, is the birthday of the Roman statesman and military general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. You might be thinking, yes, of course, who didn’t know that. You might also be thinking, has it come to this and are we to celebrate the birthdays of all minor Roman public servants. There is, however, good reason Read more…
72nd Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto
Today, October 16th, marks the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Warsaw ghetto. Many EF tours which visit Warsaw include a visit to the Jewish Historical Institute (JHI) before seeing the ghetto itself. If the Institute is not a part of your particular itinerary then I urge you to visit, your Tour Director can Read more…
Celebrating Birthday Traditions Around the World
Every day on tour is memorable. But if a traveler’s birthday happens to fall during their time abroad, that’s especially true. Being able to celebrate your birthday in a city like Paris, Rome, Barcelona or Beijing—with many of your friends right there by your side—is an experience not to be forgotten. On my first EF Read more…
5 Places to Visit on a Paris/Amsterdam Tour
In May I got to go to Paris and Amsterdam with a small group from my college. It was my first EF tour and undoubtedly the trip of a lifetime. While we saw many wonderful things during our trip, here’s a few that I think should not be missed: 1. The Eiffel Tower You can’t Read more…
346th Anniversary of the Great Fire of London
September 5th 1666 is the date on which the Great Fire of London ended. This was a significant event for the city both as it was and for how it was to become. The fire began on the night of September 2, as a small fire on Pudding Lane, in the bakeshop of Thomas Farriner, Read more…
Highland Games – Inside What Inspired the Modern Olympics
Recently London hosted something of an extended Sports Day, which you might have seen mentioned on TV. Anyway, in 1889 Baron Pierre de Coubertin was visiting the World’s Fair in Paris (which the Eiffel Tower was built as an entrance way to) and his attention was drawn to one of the areas which featured Read more…
The Historic Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen
August 15th is the 169th anniversary of the opening of the Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen. I think it is fair to say that Tivoli is a Danish institution and still one of the top entertainment parks in Europe, welcoming over 4 million visitors a year. I remember that my first trip to Copenhagen to visit Read more…
