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Month: April 2016

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Encountering a Consummate Coppersmith

Montepulciano is my favorite town of the top wine-making region of Tuscany. And there we filmed the venerable coppersmith, Cesare, hard at work. He showed us the pan he first made as a 12-year-old boy in 1948. He stoked his fire and pounded away, before finishing his top-end copper pans with a lining of tin. With the help of my guide Roberto Bechi, Cesare explained how copper transmits heat but, to be safe for cooking, you need to line it with tin. He then demonstrated how you can determine if the tin is pure by how it crinkles and when it crinkles properly…you can suck on it (or cook with it) safely.

This is Day 16 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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Turning into a Tuscan Pasta-Making Machine

One of my favorite agriturismi (farmhouse B&Bs) in Tuscany is Cretaiole, where Isabella and Carlo host about 15 visitors at a time for week-long stays (doubles for around $1,200 per week). They put together a fun-loving cultural boot camp where guests choose from classic Tuscan activities lined up for them every day. We stayed here as a base while we did our filming. And we joined them one night for the pici pasta-making party. With Isabella’s guidance, we kneaded it, rolled it, and then ate it. Young and old alike, for a few memorable minutes, we were all pasta-making machines. Cooking classes are so popular in Europe these days. What is your favorite such experience?

This is Day 15 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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The Story Behind Siena’s 750-Year-Old War Relic

I was just filming in the cathedral of Siena, my head spinning with its amazing art. Suddenly my Siena guide, Roberto, points out a tall, 750-year-old wooden post near and dear to the hearts of the Sienese people. As if it happened yesterday, he explained, “It was booty from a battle won at 8 a.m. on September 4th, 1260 — the last time we beat our arch rivals — the Florentines.”

This is Day 13 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

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Barcelona’s Ramblas RIP?

For more than a century, strolling down Barcelona’s main boulevard, the Ramblas, has been the thing to do when visiting. Sadly, the charm of the Ramblas has not survived the rise of mass tourism in Barcelona. Back when locals enjoyed strolling here, there was plenty of business to keep characteristic flower stalls, bird markets, and newspaper stands healthy. It’s what gave the Ramblas its unique cultural charm. But today, the local clientele that kept these characteristic stalls in business is gone, replaced by tides of tourists. Consequently, the street is lined with what many tourists buy — tacky trinkets and lousy street food. Still, if you come to Barcelona…you’ve got to ramble the Ramblas.

This is Day 12 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.