A fun dimension of my work is being somewhere and realizing, “I stood right here as a student so long ago.” Just the other day, I was rambling the ramparts of the Moorish Castle above Sintra (as I’m inclined to do when on the ramparts of ruined Moorish castles with grand views of the sea and Reconquista images combusting in my head). I rambled these same ramparts in the 1970s, and have an old photograph of me with the light of the setting sun creating a fun effect (backlighting me and my happy bellbottoms). It has made this spot a special one for me ever since.
And so, I returned to those same ramparts with my TV crew. I didn’t know exactly where that old photo was taken, but — as if I had a Geiger counter for travel magic — I found where the feeling was right and had a second photo taken. It was the same spot. It’s fun to see the effect of the years going by — 40 of them — both on the ramparts and on me.
This is Day 40 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Italy, Portugal, France, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.
