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Destination: France

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Reflections on Notre-Dame

The beloved Notre-Dame is like the needle upon which Paris spins — historically, culturally, geographically, and religiously — and it has been, for eight centuries. It was built by generations of Parisians who dedicated their lives to the project, knowing they would never live to see it finished. Sitting on the sacred ground of the earliest Parisians, upon the ruins of a pagan temple — and having survived wars, revolutions, and other fires through the ages — there’s no doubt it will be repaired and carry on.

This spot, the place of so many burials, coronations, and historic gatherings through the ages, is a part of what it means to be Parisian — and to be French. My hunch is that when travelers visit this church a century from now, its story will be the same, with one little addition: the fire of 2019.

Today, I am celebrating Europe’s commitment to culture — and Europe’s resiliency.

 

https://www.facebook.com/willripleynews/videos/691662604582080/?v=691662604582080

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Video: Christmas in France

To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas.

Today we travel to France, where Christmas is the stuff of dreams. Rich sounds of medieval carols abound, simple rituals are shared by families and friends, and when days are short and nights are long, it’s customary to leave a single candle flickering in the window.

We found that Paris celebrates Christmas with its typical urban flair: extravagant lighting, yummy window displays, and ice skating up on the Eiffel Tower. And the Burgundian countryside surprised us with its rustic, small-town enthusiasm for the spirit of Christmas. Highlights included following the mayor (with her flaming-red hair and sack of gifts) as she visited her town’s senior citizens, enjoying a humble picnic in the woods with the guys out to chop some firewood, and filming a private concert of intimate medieval carols in an ancient abbey.

Joyeux Noël!

 

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Oradour-sur-Glane, France: Remember.

For decades, I’ve gathered impressions about Europe’s experience with fascism in my travels. Like many of you, I have stood amid the physical remains of that dark period — the Anne Frank House, the WWII Normandy American Cemetery, the Valley of the Fallen — and I’ve been deeply moved.

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

The powerful narratives behind these sights were the inspiration for my new one-hour special, “The Story of Fascism in Europe,” airing now on public television (check your local listings) and streaming for free online. In the special, I travel back a century to learn how fascism rose and then fell in Europe, taking millions of people with it.

I was struck today by an article on Daily Kos. In the article, Ernest Bass shares his thoughts on my special and describes some of the lessons he’s learned in his own travels — including a stunning and sobering visit to one of the most moving Nazi sights in all of Europe: Oradour-sur-Glane.

In 1944, Nazi SS troops entered the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane and, with cool attention to detail, methodically rounded up all 642 townspeople. The women and children were herded into the town church, where they were tear-gassed and machine-gunned. Plaques mark the place where the town’s men were gathered and executed. Ultimately, the whole town was set on fire, leaving 642 victims under a silent blanket of ashes.

The ghost town of Oradour-sur-Glane has been left untouched for more than 70 years, its scorched sewing machines, pots, pans, bikes, and cars preserved as an eternal reminder of the reality of war. Visitors are greeted by a simple sign with just one word: Remember.

As history continues to unfold around us today, it’s important to acknowledge that freedom and democracy are not guaranteed. We are all participants, and we are all responsible — and the first step of that responsibility is, simply…to remember.

 

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The Story of Fascism: “Never Again”

Memorials across Europe remind us of the unthinkable horrors of 20th-century fascism — and compel us to never let it happen again.

https://www.facebook.com/ricksteves/videos/474532753061336/

 

This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” Check your local listings for air times — and if you don’t see it, please ask your public television station to add it to their schedule.

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The Story of Fascism: The Allies Defeat Fascist Germany

Defeating Hitler and Mussolini took total war — a massive and heroic effort led by Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union.

https://www.facebook.com/ricksteves/videos/671799606527554/

 

This clip is excerpted from my new one-hour special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe.” Check your local listings for air times — and if you don’t see it, please ask your public television station to add it to their schedule.