Destination: Italy

For me —  and my amazing team of guides at Rick Steves Europe Tours — the great joy of guiding is to take tour members’ lifelong imaginings, transform them into actual experiences, and then into lifelong memories.

On a recent evening in Venice, my merry gang of Best of Europe tour members and I did just that. We shared a family-style feast at Trattoria da Bepi as Loris served us the seafood bounty of the lagoon with deliciously grilled local vegetables and polenta. Then, twinkling from our sprightly Venetian white wine, we wandered through back lanes musty with history, paused on lonely bridges to watch gondolas glide silently by, and then, just a few blocks farther on…

This all brought back vivid memories from when, as a very young tour guide, I would bring my groups out of the tangle of back lanes and suddenly onto Piazza San Marco, perhaps the most beloved square in all of Europe, where the age-old glories of Venice still swirl. I watched the wonder sweep over my travelers’ faces…years ago…and again tonight. The sun was down and the lights were on. The crowds were gone and, at the last corner before St. Mark’s, I blitzed ahead so I could turn around and watch every one of my travelers’ expressions as they arrived on the piazza. A “wow” moment, amplified two dozen times.

As my re-energized group dispersed to enjoy the dueling orchestras on the piazza and to make their own after-dark discoveries in this magical city, I popped into Gran Caffè Lavena, which our guides use as a rendezvous point on the square. Tonight there happened to be six Rick Steves tours staying in Venice, and I joined a group of our guides and bus drivers as we compared notes and stoked our collective guiding skills over drinks together.

Other companies have tour managers. We have guides who both manage our tours and teach our travelers. They create lifelong memories with talent and passion unmatched by other tour companies. Our team of guides makes me proud and thankful. (And I believe that Judy, one of our current tour members — who’s been on 17 of our tours and enjoyed 17 of our guides — would agree.)

(Thanks for following along here on my blog and on Facebook as I guide our Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour.)

We include half the dinners on Rick Steves Europe Tours, and for the other dinners, we set people free to enjoy meals on their own. That means we can dine in smaller places where larger groups can’t fit. One of my Venice favorites is Luca’s Osteria alle Testiere. Luca is a classic quality restaurateur — look at the joy on his face as he describes the vintners who produce his carefully chosen wines as friends, and then how he cuddles up with his beloved wine drawers. The challenge of dining in Venice is finding a quality, personality-driven restaurant. It can be done, but you need a good tour guide or a good guidebook. Buon appetito!

(Thanks for following along here on my blog and on Facebook as I guide our Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour.)

Video: thetravelphile.com / facebook.com/thetravelphile

One of the joys of travel is eating well. And one of the challenges of leading a good tour is to connect our travelers with great local cuisine served with passion and pride by local chefs in small, characteristic, family-run restaurants. We did just that with our group on our first evening in Venice. I’ve long enjoyed Trattoria da Bepi and its chef/owner, Loris (who plays a sizable role in my autobiographical “Postcards from Europe” book). I phoned Loris, asked him if he could seat a group, and welcomed him to assemble a “maximum-experience Venetian gastronomic extravaganza.” I explained we wanted to eat seasonal, local, and family-style, and that I’d trust him with the “tasting festival.” As you can see in this clip (edited by Trish Feaster), we had an unforgettable dinner. And, as our guides share our collective triumphs, I’m sure Loris will be seeing more of our groups.

(Thanks for following along here on my blog and on Facebook as I guide our Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour.)