Smaller text Larger text

Destination: Venice

Posted on

The Joy of Guiding: Making Memories

Rick Steves with guides and drivers

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.)

Posted on

Video: Dining Fine in Venice

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.)

Posted on

Video: Creating Mealtime Magic in Venice

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.)

Posted on

Friends on the Road

I travel alone most of the time. But I’m lucky to have plenty of good friends in Europe. Many are guides, hoteliers, and restaurateurs who are my partners-in-arms in helping Americans travel smarter (and tastier). Consider how local friends, both new and old, have made your travels sparkle.

Rick Steves and Frederico

Federico is my man in Madrid. When I need a tapas crawl with expert help, he always finds me just the right pimientos de Padrón.

Rick Steves, Roberto Berchi and family

When I want to drop in on a farm and be part of a Tuscan family, all I need is Roberto Bechi. It seems Roberto can create the quintessential family farm fantasy at the snap of a finger. And those he guides get to come along for the ride (and the prosciutto, and the pecorino cheese, and the finest Tuscan wine). Bravo, Roberto!

Rick Steves and Loris

For 30 years of visits to Venice, Loris (at Trattoria da Bepi) has been steady in the kitchen, adept at satisfying the dreamy expectations of my hungry readers, and always there with a friendly welcome. He taught me to dunk biscotti into my Vin Santo.

Rick Steves and Nikos

Nikos at Albergo Doni in Venice is symbolic to me of the new generation taking over fine hotels run by their parents and doing a great job. While I’m always sad to see old friends retire, the next generation brings fresh energy and a creative boost.

Rick Steves and Gigi

Gigi at Osteria al Mascaron is still cranking out the cicchetti. I’ve grown up with my friends in Europe, like Gigi. I took my minibus groups to his bar in the late 1970s when we were both just kids. His bar’s a bit bigger now — and so are my buses — but we’re both still doing exactly the same work…together. How could it get old when you’re inspiring travelers to embrace life — specifically, eating ugly things on toothpicks and washing it all down with sprightly white Venetian wine?

Posted on

A Dark Venice Alley Hides a Dining Delight

Nearly every evening I’m out prowling the streets in search of the latest places to eat for my guidebooks. (I’m usually with local guides who help me find and understand what I’m seeing.) I don’t think there’s a restaurant anywhere in Venice that could survive without tourism. In other words, they’re all touristy. Still, while many restaurants are tourist traps, some offer far better values. Follow me down a dark alley to my favorite discovery of the evening. Here’s the write-up (one of five such new recommendations) that will appear in the 2017 edition of Rick Steves Venice:

[$$$] Taverna al Remer is a creative place with its own square overlooking the Grand Canal (across from the Rialto Market). Its restaurant seating is deep in an old candle-lit warehouse and its happy hour “yard” offers a chance to sit on their private pier and enjoy the Grand Canal action. They put out a good lunch buffet (€20 plus drink, Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00). They offer an “aperi-cena” (happy hour with a free buffet accompanying the drinks — sit in restaurant, on pier, or stand in square, daily 17:30-19:00). And then, at 19:00, they shift into restaurant mode for the evening with live jazz after 21:00 (closed Wed, meals €35-50, Cannaregio 5701, tel. 041-522-8789). From Campo San Bartolomeo, head north (behind the statue) over one bridge and past the pink church (San Giovanni Grisostomo), and then about 10 yards before the next bridge, venture down the tiny dark lane on your left.

This is Day 28 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.