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Destination: Italy

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Video: Greek Temples of Italy

I’m three days into the Rick Steves’ Europe Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour, and each day has been filled with learning. I love being steep on the travelers’ learning curve. And for me, Sicily is a land of eurekas. Our tour just enjoyed our guide’s explanation of a majestic Greek-style temple. Here’s a quick summary of what I learned.

This is Day 5 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Using Your Phrase Book, You’ll Get a Tastier Experience

The best travelers are the ones who connect with the people and their culture wherever they travel. And that’s what the Rick Steves series of phrase books is all about. I think I’m the only person who’s designed a series of phrase books even though I speak only English. But I believe that’s one reason why they are the bestselling phrase books in the USA: For decades, I’ve struggled with the language barrier, and I’ve gradually learned exactly which words and phrases are most helpful in the real world. The Rick Steves phrase books — Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese — are designed with the traveler in mind.

This is Day 6 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: The Piazza Is Where It’s At

Since ancient Roman times, the piazza has been integral to the fabric of Italian life. Here, in the land of a thousand bell towers, it seems every person is in love with the sound of their own town’s church bells…and feels at home with their neighbors on the piazza. The tour guide for my Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour, Alfio di Mauro, explains why.

This is Day 5 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Get Out of Your Hotel Room…and Walk Around

Here’s a travel tip: Revisit Europe’s great markets after dark. I love the markets of Palermo, where merchants sing their sales pitches and the octopus are squirting-fresh. But at night, it’s an entirely different scene. Join Alfio di Mauro and me on a walk through the Vucciria Market after hours — a kaleidoscope of edgy graffiti, kids with big eyes and gelato, cheap plastic chairs, soccer on the big screen, and people embracing life with Sicilian gusto.

This is Day 4 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Strolling After Dark in Palermo

Something I love about my work is getting my outdated impressions up-to-date. Europe is always changing — and even on the very first night of our Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour, it’s clear that Palermo is a whole new city since my last visit.

Today’s Palermo has demolished my old, fearful, lingering Mafia images. The city is still colorful…yet it feels safe, youthful, trendy. A theme in my travels all across Europe is traffic-free and people-friendly — and Palermo is a great example. In this video, I’m with my guide, Alfio di Mauro, enjoying Palermo’s venerable Four Corners (Quattro Canti).

This is Day 3 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Sicily, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Portugal, Paris, Ireland, the heart of England, Scotland, Germany’s Black Forest, Alsace, the great cities of Switzerland, and more. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.