A fun stop in Orvieto, just two blocks from the cathedral, is Giuseppe Rosella’s Il Mago di Oz (Wizard of Oz) shop. Like eccentric artisans all over Europe, he has a one-track mind and enjoys the challenge of getting visitors into it. With a little touch and a wave of the hand, anyone can turn on and off his trippy little wonderland. Readers of my guidebooks are sure to connect with such characters wherever they travel. Why? Because I like them.
This is Day 19 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.
This morning, before Assisi’s Basilica of St. Francis was open to the public, we met Friar Daniel, who took us inside to be all alone with some of the greatest art of the late 13th century. It’s tough to distill the history and theology of St. Francis into a TV show — so while we filmed the walls, Friar Daniel thoughtfully reviewed my narration in the script. We clarified some points that confuse many American travelers: Franciscans are friars. To call St. Francis a monk is technically wrong. Monks are committed to a life of solitude (it’s just them and God) in a monastery. The word “friar” comes from the Latin word for “brother” — their calling is to be with the people as brothers. And they stay in a convent. Convents are not just for women, and monasteries are not just for men. Like the words “convene” and “monologue,” whose roots they share, they are all about if you are social or solitary. I got my script fine-tuned with our wonderful Franciscan friar’s help. And as I do every time I enjoy the guidance of Franciscan friars, I left inspired by their gentle and loving approach to life. In a hyphenated word…they are Christ-like.
This is Day 18 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.
I love to get someone else’s take — a fresh take — on one of my favorite places — especially when it’s by Cameron Hewitt (my wonderful co-author and fellow guidebook researcher). Cameron’s just settling into his spring research trip and starting with the Cinque Terre. You’ll find his first dispatch on his blog now.
By the way, if you enjoy Cameron’s take on Europe, be sure to “like” his Facebook page — he’ll be blown from Italy’s Cinque Terre and Dolomites, to Salzburg and the Austrian Alps before meeting up with me and our TV crew in Bulgaria and Romania. Don’t miss out on Cameron’s keen insights.
Especially in a stony and historic town like Assisi (and especially in a light rain), I enjoy taking a solitary after-dinner stroll before heading back to the hotel. Here in this famous town, there’s history everywhere. Join me for a quick little walk and to celebrate the majestic fluting on an ancient Roman Temple.
This is Day 17 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.
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.
