With the winter holidays, many look ahead to vacation travels in the next year. I look ahead wondering where I’ll take my TV production crew. Each winter now for twenty years, I’ve enjoyed sorting through my filming options and dealing with the nagging responsibility to commit to and write scripts so we can book our crew and set about getting permissions for our shoot. (The permission process is much tougher now than in past years, when we could “guerilla” just about anything.)
To choose new destinations for upcoming TV shows, I need to consider gaps in our library of episodes and places where I have new experience. Each year I shoot (on average) three shows in the spring (in Mediterranean Europe) and three shows in the summer (north of the Alps).
I have three major regrets in my last decade of TV production: Not making the jump to widescreen and high-definition until just after September, 2001, when I had a glorious 30 days of producing five of my favorite shows ever on Italy — which are now forever standard definition and clunky 4-by-3 format; not retiring my goofy-looking big “aviator” glasses sooner in favor of the smaller, more up-to-date ones I wear now (for many viewers, my shows come in two eras — with goofy glasses and after goofy glasses); and shooting a show combing the highlights of Croatia and Slovenia before I knew enough about either country to really do them justice.
This spring I’m thinking of replacing that old combo Croatia/Slovenia episode with three new ones covering Croatia and Slovenia, but also neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Considering the big changes in the former Yugoslav states, and how much I’ve learned there (traveling with Cameron Hewitt, the co-author for our Slovenia & Croatia guidebook), I’m bursting with ideas for this new trio.
I hope to spend three weeks this May shooting three new programs: One on Dubrovnik with side-trips into Montenegro and Bosnia (Mostar, Sarajevo, and exploring the rougher “Serbian Republic” that makes up the non-Muslim part of Bosnia). One on Croatia (with a focus on the Istrian peninsula, including my new favorite Rovinj, and the underrated capital of Zagreb, along with the dramatic Plitvice Lakes National Park). And a third show entirely on Slovenia (with its cute little Adriatic coastline, bloody, high-altitude WWI battlefront, mountain resorts, charming capital of Ljubljana, and dramatic caves).
I just got a report from a friend after his third visit to Albania, and I’m tempted to travel there to scout for script purposes. Albania requires no visas of Americans and is wide open to travelers. Remember, it’s the place that gave President Bush such an enthusiastic welcome a couple years ago. Albanians absolutely love Americans for how we supported their ethnic brothers and sisters in Kosovo with their recent fight to separate from Serbia.
In order not to make the same mistake I made earlier about Slovenia and Croatia, I’ll be patient with Albania, travel plenty there first, and then — with a top-notch script — return with our public television crew and make that show.
The potential show in Albania sounds fascinating. Would you potentially consider traveling to Moscow or St. Petersburg and doing a show from there?
This is my first ever post but I wanted to express my pleasure in learning that you will be exploring these areas and (hopefully) Albania. I’m wondering if you have any plans to eventually visit Kosovo?
oh, definitely do a new Croatia/Slovenia show. I remember seeing your old one and you at Plitvice saying that for years you thought you had seen Europe, then you went to Plitvice and realized how much you still had to see (or something like that). That comment caused me to add Plitvice to my Croatia itinerary against the objections of my friends who didn’t want to bother with a car rental; and it resulted in the best day of our trip. I can only imagine how many new places you could show now!
Yes, to both Slovenia and Albania! My Great Grandfather who emigrated to the USA from Austria in 1904 listed his nationality/ethnic origin as Slovenian. Always been interested in that little sliver of coast they have, but never travelled there.
Rick………….I traveled to Ljubljana because of your video……so it must have been OK because it stoked my interest to go all the way there………..had a fabulous day at Bled and rode a bicycle around the lake, out of town and high in the mountains…it was fabulous….liked the area of LJA I stayed in …top floor of hotel you stay in with skylight….say the red roofs and ballooners in the sky….cheap beer and good food around the corner…………..I use you books to plan my destinations (and your dvds) that are new and different….looks like Istanbul may be in my future ….
Hey Rick… if you go to Kosovo, find yourself a guide to show you the ruins of the fortress at Novo Brdo.
Rick, I have a suggestion for one of your summer shoots. I think it is time, that you give Finland its due respect. You made a show with Finland and Sweden together, a way back, but things have changed a lot since then and Finland is more than just Helsinki. If you need some help to get into that country, I offer you my network of friends and family for help. I will be in Finland June and July. I have a friend that has a beautiful cabin on an island on the sea and an other friend that has a cabin on a lake. Samantha Brown did a show on Helsinki, but there is much more to see and I know that you could do a wonderful job. You just need to get to know Finland and Finns. Finland is not just a gateway to Russia. It has a lot to offer. Take me up on this offer!
Rick, you mentioned your glasses, have you considered Lasik? I got my superhuman eyes (20/13 vision!) in 1999 and have thoroughly enjoyed the last 10 years free from primitive prosthetics. I never realized what a pain it was to travel with glasses and contacts until I didn’t have to do it anymore.
Rick, I would really be excited about a show on Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia et al. Croatia and Slovenia are two of my favorite countries and I would love to learn more about Bosnia. The downside of those shows would be making them more popular so everyone rushes to see them! Honestly, your shows are one thing I look forward to every year. I love watching the re-runs and the new episodes on PBS. So whatever you do, keep them coming! I have enjoyed the new shows this year! And thanks for letting me be a part of the Estonia podcast as a caller. Being the first country I went to and having some unique experiences there, it will always be a country near and dear to my heart. Thanks for letting me share and talk about my experiences on your show!
One more thing. If any of you are interested in a really good book that is based in Ljubljana, check out Paulo Coelho’s book Veronika Decides to Die. It’s a great read and a fun one to read if you have ever been to Slovenia.
Shoot, and one more thing. We need a new Slovenia and Croatia show just so we can get some updated footage of Marijan! He is nowhere near as young as he looks in that older episode you did. :) Ok really, I am done now.
Rick, Lets have more pot talk.
Oh no! Rovinj was our secret, and now everyone will know about it. We were there for three days in October, just by chance; it wasn’t on our original itinerary. It’s small enough to really get to know and enjoy. Slovenia was fabulous too – Lake Bled, and staying in a farm on the outskirts of town. Tourism is serious with folks in Croatia and Slovenia, and all of the young people speak English.
I would consider a show on Lyon, France. You cover it in your France book but it really is a very charming and attractive city that deserves a show. Besides, you’ll eat well while there. Also, covering Lucca, Italy would be great as well. Happy Holidays, everybody!
In the next shows on Germany, how about including the lakes of southern Bavaria, e.g., the Chiemsee with another of Mad Ludwig’s castles on one of the islands?
I would like to see an updated show on the Alsace.
btw, there is nothing wrong with aviator glasses. They are a classic and do a lot better job brightness and UV protecting your eyes than those new Ben Franklins that are in vogue. I have a pair of the little ones and they don’t do the job, especially in winter or in the desert. I know you are talking about actual “seeing” glasses, but it is hard to clip functional sun glass clip ons to Ben Franklins.
Visions of flying size 10’s are dancing in my head. I think I’ll mail my most trashed pair to the White House. I support drive by shoeings.
Slovenia is an amazing country with wonderful people. Spent a December in both Lake Bled and Ljubljana. Can’t wait to see what your adventures turn out like.
When we last in Europe in 2006, we took the train from Vienna to Venice and went through a beautiful area of Austria that I think is called the “Woestersee”. It was gorgeous with a chain of beautiful lakes, in the shadow of the Dolomites. It might be worth a look and a show.
I look forward to seeing the shows about the former Yugoslavia, as that is a part of the world I’d like to visit again. I’ll also be particularly interested to hear what you think of Albania. We ended up being there the weekend of Bush’s visit and it was surreal to see all the American flags and giant Bush posters all over Tirana (they even created a Bush museum, which we visited.) Unfortunately, we made the decision to leave a day early because all the taxi drivers said the airport would be closed the day of his visit – I wish we’d stayed longer, both to see the crowds that turned out and to see more of what is an interesting and dynamic country.
I’d love to see something on Morocco, Russia and Northern Scandanavia
Yay for Sarajevo! It was one of our favorite parts of a great trip through Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia last summer – hopefully you can make Bosnia a full section in the guidebook.
How about shows from Russia (Moscow, st petersburg) Islands (Corsica, sardinia, ischia, procida, elba, ibizia, mallorca) Ski resorts (Cortina, kitzbuhel, courmayer, davos, other small less known?)
By the way if you do the european ski resorts do it in full ski season in winter, thanks
Rick, How about extending your guidebook to include Medjugorie? I will bet a lot of people would like to do a pilgrimage there. Fatima
My husband and I spent an afternoon touring Butrint (UNESCO world heritage site) near Sarande, Albania in September with a wonderful young local guide while many others would not even get off the ship. They missed so much! Yes, please add Albania to your list of to-do shows.
I receive Europe 101 yesterday for my birthday and was a little disappointed to find only two small references to Croatia. I am planning to spend about half of next year in Switzerland with my daughter and her family and there is a road trip being planned for Croatia in April. Sorry to hear you will be there later. I look forward to a show about it to see if we enjoyed some of the same sights.
Interesting post Rick I produce my own travel videos (see overlander.tv) and I also find the permissions needed to film now restrictive. Maybe with media going online (smaller budgets) and user generated content things will get easier. Can only hope :)
Thanks for the kind mention Adeel Khan Sherwani from Houston