My son Andy has a favorite student-friendly restaurant in Rome (Miscellanea), where he takes his travelers for a good, affordable meal. With a wine-lubricated gang of seventy 18- to 20-year-old students, Andy needs to stand on a chair to make announcements. Here he explains how to get a good seat at the Easter morning Mass and be properly positioned to see the Popemobile. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening with these fun-loving students so eager to experience Easter Mass with Papa Francesco.
Andy Steves’ Weekend Student Adventure in Rome
Yesterday I bragged about my son Andy’s talents as a tour organizer and guide. Today I wanted to show him in action. In this clip, Andy is leading his Weekend Student Adventures gang from the Spanish Steps to their dinner stop. For many of these students, this is their first time outside the USA…and it’s clear that they’re having a fantastic time. Because it’s a special “Easter in Rome” tour, this is an unusually large group. But that can be a plus for college students, as the social fun grows with the size.
Having a Weekend Student Adventure in Rome
My son, Andy, runs a successful tour company that offers American students doing a semester abroad educational, economical, and efficient three-day tours for around €200. Andy and his guides lead his “Weekend Student Adventures” in cities all over Europe. While working in Rome this Easter, I got to join his group for an evening.
Here I am with one of Andy’s typical tour groups: lots of energy…and lots of girls!
Andy’s Easter tour is his biggest of the year: Three groups (two different weeklong tours, plus a three-day weekend tour) overlap so that everyone can be in Rome for the excitement of Easter.
Andy has a favorite student-friendly restaurant in Rome (Miscellanea, just behind the Pantheon) where his tour members can enjoy an affordable yet quality Italian meal. With a happy gang this size, Andy needs to stand on a chair to make announcements.
We took our kids to Europe every year for about 20 years. I didn’t realize Andy was paying much attention. And now, as a 28-year-old entrepreneur, Andy is employing guides all over Europe, developing an amazing website (WSAEurope.com), and giving literally thousands of American students great travel experiences. I am very proud of my son. And when I happen to cross paths with him in Europe and see the hard work and passion he puts into his Weekend Student Adventures, that pride swells.
Andy’s students (which, on this “Easter in Rome” tour, are mostly from Catholic universities) got up at 6:00 a.m. to line up for the best seats at St. Peter’s Square and see Papa Francesco. This photo was from Palm Sunday (shot from our press vantage point atop the colonnade). Sadly, Easter Sunday in Rome was a morning of pouring rain. And, while our TV crew was completely rained out, being there was a lifelong memory for Andy’s tour members.
Peace and Quiet at My Tuscan B&B
While filming in Tuscany, our TV crew enjoyed the company of a great guide, Roberto Bechi. And we also enjoyed staying at Roberto’s farmhouse B&B, Podere Casalciccia, perched on a bluff in the middle of pristine Tuscany (20 minutes south of Siena).
Roberto’s place has basically the same old fireplace that I have at my cabin back in the Cascades. This brought me unexpected joy as I spent each evening fireside, catching up on my writing late into the night. Something I never dreamed I’d take home from Tuscany: an appreciation for how beautifully oak burns. And each morning as the fire crackled, I’d watch the lifting fog slowly reveal the surrounding valleys.
Do you have a favorite B&B memory?
Discovering a Marche Church Choir
On Good Friday at the village church in Cantiano, we were so impressed with the choir’s performance. But I realized I had made a big mistake: We should have been recording their service to get tracks for the Easter CD I hope to produce along with our TV special.
I asked the choir director if, for a donation to their church, they’d sing for us in a private concert. They were thrilled to gather on Saturday morning and perform seven pieces for the CD.
As we film events like this for our Easter special, I’m so happy we’re complementing the big-city culture with rustic, small-town passion. Working with the people of Cantiano this Easter was a delightful experience in every way. What are some musical serendipities in your bank of travel memories?