Naples — Crazy for Pizza

It seems the people of Naples are endlessly enthusiastic about pizza and the fine differences between different pizzerias. My friend Vincenzo was emoting about his version of the best pizza: “Melts into your mouth, goes straight through the throat and into the stomach. It does not need to be chewed.” I turned my camera on him, and he clammed up a bit…but even so, he gave a sense of the Neapolitan love affair with pizza. The people of Naples claim pizza was born here, and it is clearly the best in Italy. What do you think? Where’s your favorite Italian pizza?

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Trajan’s Column Unrolled

At Rome’s E.U.R., the Museum of Roman Civilization has no actual artifacts, but it does have dozens of rooms full of plaster casts and models which illustrate the greatness of classical Rome. The highlight is a plaster model of Trajan’s Column sliced up and laid out so you can actually see the scenes. The original is one of the first great examples of “continuous narration” — when a relief is carved into a column as if winding a scroll around and around a huge pillar.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Rome — Eternally Entertaining

When they call Rome the “Eternal City,” I always think “eternal” means I’ll find visiting it fascinating and rewarding forever. At the risk of offending a billion people, I have to say the city’s cuisine is head and shoulders above any cuisine I’ve experienced so far on this trip.

In a city as densely populated as Rome, only the wealthy have a garden. And even then, it’s likely on the rooftop. Strolling, it’s important to look up as well as out. And when you do, you’ll see intriguing rooftop gardens like this.

In Milan and the north of Italy, it’s long been a tradition for bars to put out little buffets of appetizers which are offered free with a drink during happy hour. The tradition has now traveled south to Rome. Perhaps it’s a sign of the economic challenges faced by local watering holes — and the stiff competition — but now, throughout Rome, you’ll find bars competing by offering enticing buffet spreads free with an €8 drink. That can make for a cheap and tasty light dinner in an otherwise expensive city.

Lately I’ve been thinking that the caliber of politicians has a determinative effect on the well-being of a society. And poor Italy is really struggling. I have a friend who just told me, “We’ll take your losers. After the election, just send them over to us.” Here, comedians are viable candidates. And, I noticed, the local elections in Rome are featuring people who are nothing more than pretty faces. People seem to just vote for the sexiest poster.

Speaking of weak politicians, Benito Mussolini portrayed himself as just the opposite. Given the wacky nature of Italian politics, it’s no wonder that out of desperation, many will vote for a bombastic strong man with big promises. Consider Silvio Berlusconi in our times and Mussolini back in the 1920s. When you’re in Rome, Mussolini’s planned and futuristic city, E.U.R., is a fascinating place to explore. This “people’s palace” (the Palace of the Civilization of Labor), which comes with statues to fit, says it all: Fascism — monolithic, melodramatic, no questions asked — either you’re with us or you’re against us, superpatriotism. It’s potent…and scary. If Hitler and Mussolini had won the war, our world might look like E.U.R.

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Testaccio Food Tour

Food tours are trendy and new for me. So, in the spirit of experiential sightseeing, I booked a four-hour food tour of Testaccio. Since ancient Roman times, the Testaccio neighborhood has fed the city of Rome. And it just seemed right to follow a foodie around on a ten-stops-in-four-hours, movable lunch feast. The tour was put on by Eating Italy Tours (see www.eatingitalyfoodtours.com), and I figured it was time and money (€65) well-spent. Our guide was excellent — and knows how to talk fast. Here she is explaining everything that we ate and experienced in less than a minute.

Please share your favorite food tours in Europe.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Romecoming: Welcome to Stupid Stuff Sold on the Streets

Arriving in Rome after six weeks in the Middle East was like coming home. It felt great. It occurred to me that I hadn’t had a glass of wine in a month. I fixed that in a hurry. It also occurred to me that, grand as Rome is, it’s also the capital of stupid stuff sold by vendors on the streets. Each year there’s something new. I’m glad the clattering crickets are gone. I miss the flaming Manneken-Pis statues. I can’t imagine anyone buying one of these chemical blobs — but they’re everywhere, so they must sell.

What are your “stupid things sold on the streets” memories, experiences, and (if you dare to admit it) favorites?

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Our Turkish Finale: Quality Time with Ataturk

After the rough and rustic small towns and countryside, we finished our Turkey shoot in the country’s modern capital, Ankara. It feels like a boom town and the traffic was horrific. No trip to Turkey is complete without spending a day in one of its thriving and cosmopolitan big cities.

After six weeks of travel in the Middle East, I’m acutely aware of how important a forceful politician is for emerging democracies. When a country is blessed with a strong and charismatic leader — who is above corruption and pettiness, who can speak to the people as a nation, not as rival segments — the sheer political force of that single person can raise the fortunes of the entire society. And, conversely, a single person not deserving of power can abuse the trust of his or her people and run a country into the ground. The father of modern Turkey is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Even though he died nearly a century ago, I believe he is the reason for Turkey’s success relative to its neighbors today. And, understandably, you see him everywhere you go in this country. He moved the capital city from Istanbul to the center of the country, to Ankara. I can’t think of a person in the 20th century who had a greater positive impact on his homeland than this man. Can you?

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A Gift of Circumcision Creates a Lasting Impression

If ever you’re making a TV show about village and traditional culture in Turkey, be sure to arrange to film a circumcision. For a few hundred dollars you can hire the band, the doctor, and the horse, and pay for all the pizzas and soft drinks. We even paid for the boy’s prince outfit. From a TV production point of view, it was a marvelous value. And the most beautiful moment for me was the heartfelt thanks the dad gave me as we left. I promised we’d send him a copy of the show as soon as it was finished.

[Clarification: Since I first posted this, several commenters have expressed concern not only that we filmed this event, but that we paid for it. While this probably goes without saying, I want to clarify the circumstances: This rite of passage is an important part of life in this part of the world. In the sense that it comes with a big, expensive party for the entire community, it's not unlike a bar or bat mitzvah, or a quinceañera. This family would have thrown their party, at substantial expense, whether or not our cameras had been there. But they were generous enough to let us come and share their personal celebration with viewers half a world away, so we wanted to thank them by helping to defray their costs. Of course, we did not film the circumcision itself, but were able to capture the spirit of a cultural celebration that we believe our armchair-traveling audience might find interesting and insightful of a culture that they may never be able to visit in person. ]

Before meeting the doctor, the young man of the hour was having a wonderful time. Here, proud in his fancy outfit, he loads into a decorated car to parade through the village.	A good circumcision comes with a decorated horse and a three-piece band. The extended family, and anyone who hears the commotion and wants to drop by, is welcome. It’s a grand festival.
In an hour, the last thing this boy will want to do is straddle a horse.	A touching moment when the boy, about to be circumcised, is comforted by his mother and the Muslim equivalent of his godfather.
5 We left the family and doctor alone in the home, put the camera down, and joined the party outside. The doctor said things went just fine…but we never saw the boy again.

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Pomp and Circumcision

Fifteen years ago I paid for a poor family’s circumcision in order to include it in a TV show and I was eager to do it again. A circumcision is a big deal in Turkey. It’s a wonderful, full-blown family festival — a cherished celebration that they say is like “a wedding without the in-laws.” But putting on such a party can bring economic hardship on a poor family. I told Lale, who helps run our Turkey tour program, that we’d happily pay for one if it would help out a struggling family — and if we could film it. Talk about win-win (unless you’re the little boy, I suppose). This clip shows our crew scrambling to capture the scene as the boy, dressed like a little prince, approaches on his horse.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Turkey Travel by Bus and by Boat

I try to show the more mundane realities of travel along with all the glorious sights in my shows. For instance, when exploring Turkey, the bus system is excellent: I wouldn’t drive or take the train. The best approach for travelers is to take cheap flights for long hops and intercity buses for shorter trips. Another fun dimension of traveling here is taking a little cruise along the Turkish Riviera.

My early memories of travel in Turkey, back when I was a student, included long bus rides. On board was an attendant who handed out water and sprinkled cologne on all the stinking passengers. The tradition survives — and we filmed it.

Lale and her husband, Tan, spearheaded the research and writing of the Rick Steves’ Istanbul guidebook. They coordinate our booming Turkey tour program and, with the help of our tour department, have trained a number of excellent guides who take good care of our groups. Now Lale is taking two weeks away from her family to help us weave the things we see and experience in our tours into two new TV shows.

The Turkish coast just west of Antalya has peaceful beaches and great swimming. This bay also comes with an amazing ancient ruined city— Phaselis. Photo credit: Dean Cannon.

We hired a gulet (a traditional Turkish boat) for a delightful day at sea —peaceful bays, a big lunch, backgammon with raki, and a refreshing dip — all with the camera rolling. Photo credit: Dean Cannon.

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Ballooning over Cappadocia

I’ve never been big on ballooning. It’s expensive, you need to get up really early, and I’m a little bit afraid of the whole thing. Ballooning is popular in France’s Loire Valley and in Egypt’s Luxor on the Nile, but it’s even more popular in Cappadocia in central Turkey. I ballooned for my first time here a year or so ago as I was scouting for our TV shoot. The experience was so majestic, I knew I’d be back with the crew.

Ballooning has had a tough 2013. First there was the tragedy in Luxor, Egypt, in February killing 19, and then on May 20 a balloon right here in Cappadocia collided into another one — killing two tourists. But hundreds go up every day throughout the season — as they have now for several decades. It’s a calculated risk people have to decide for themselves. Floating silently over the pinnacles of Cappadocia is truly a travel experience of a lifetime, and I wanted to share it on TV.

What’s your take on ballooning in your travels? Where is it best? Do you feel it’s safe?

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