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Stanway House

We’ve just finished a delightful scramble, filming three half-hour episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe (West England, Cornwall, and Southeast England) — which, along with seven other new shows, will debut on public television this fall. Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some photos as I review some of my favorite memories from traveling through much of England.

The Cotswolds are dotted with elegant, Downton Abbey-type mansions. Today, with the high cost of maintenance and heavy taxes, some noble families have opened their homes to the public to help pay the bills. Stanway House, home of the Earl of Wemyss, is one such venerable manor house.

The earl, whose family goes back centuries, welcomes visitors two days a week. Walking through his house offers a unique and surprisingly intimate glimpse into the lifestyles of England’s nobility. I’ve been dropping in on the earl for about 20 years, and the gracious and likably eccentric host agreed to show us around for TV.

Simon Griffith and Peter Rummel and Stanway House

Stanway House

 

Stanway House living room

The living room at Stanway House

 

Fountain

The Earl of Wemyss has rebuilt the old fountain in his backyard. And today — as one of the highest gravity-fed fountains in the world rockets 300 feet into the sky — it’s a talk of the Cotswolds. For commoners, the lord’s sprawling parkland backyard makes for a jolly good day out.

 

This is Day 85 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 Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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Video: Punting in Canterbury

Canterbury is famous for its magnificent cathedral. But a pleasant surprise for me was this relaxing little riverboat ride. Our captain said lots of locals hire them as a kind of therapy…it’s so relaxing to glide along the shallow, pretty Stour River. The water’s so clear because it flows over chalk. You can see here our crew at work – Producer Simon trying not to get into shots, and cameraman Karel getting a close-up gliding over the water. I expect this will be one of the most beautiful little bits in our show. (It cost the equivalent of $22 per hour per person for this little boat tour. But you can see the show for free on public television this fall.)

This is Day 84 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 Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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Video: British Pub Tips

While traveling through England, every night I’m eating at pubs and restaurants I recommend in my England guidebook. And I have to say, the eating has been excellent. Here’s a peek at the Dolphin Pub in Canterbury. (Notice the energy — things feel pretty good in England wherever we’ve gone.)

We’re just finishing our third TV episode in England this month, and we’re coming home with three brilliant shows. As usual, elements I really like need to be deleted, as 30 minutes of TV is only 3,000 words. Here’s the text that was in our Southeast England script but had to be pulled:

“England’s pubs offer a warm, friendly welcome and, for many, an essential part of any visit to Britain. Pub is short for “public house” — it’s the neighborhood’s extended living room. It’s a multi-generational affair and, while children aren’t served beer, the entire family is welcome. Whether you’re drinking or eating, don’t wait to be served. Go to the bar to order.

England loves its brews. Each village seems to have its own microbrew. Beer aficionados go for the real English ales and bitters. They’re from the long-handled pumps literally hand-drawn from kegs in the cellar. For a lighter, colder, and carbonated brew — ask for a lager. They fizz out of the short tap handles.

The standard serving is a full pint. While women routinely order a half pint, when a man does, it can make you the butt of jokes. But, if you don’t know the various beers and want to double your experience (and can endure the ridicule), ordering by the half pint (which costs exactly half as much as a full pint) lets you double your beer-exploration experience.”

This is Day 83 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 Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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Historic, Strategic Dover — Facing the English Channel

Dover is a godforsaken little town with piles of transit energy and mountains of history. Sometimes I like to stay in places that aren’t cute (and affluent because of their cuteness). Dover certainly fits that bill. And after dinner, I enjoy walking the long way home — along the port’s beach.

Being mindful of what’s around you enriches any walk in Europe. Here, I’m thinking about the ancient Roman lighthouse that caps the white cliffs. From the top of their lighthouse, the Romans would burn wet wood by day (for more smoke) and dry wood by night (for a brighter fire) to send their signals.

Much more recently, in World War II, those same white cliffs also protected Churchill’s men as they furiously defended their skies against the Nazis in the Battle of Britain. Hermann Göring would eyeball these cliffs from France, 23 miles away, aching to cross the English Channel. And it was “all hands on deck” as every boat owner in town mobilized to rescue more than 200,000 troops stranded in Dunkerque (or, as the Brits call it, “Dunkirk”).

Later, back at my hotel’s bar, I chatted with a local about how Brexit will make the English Channel just a little wider. Talking with him (and many others throughout my trip), I get the impression that most Brits seem to be — if not in favor of the idea — at least getting used to it.

This is Day 82 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 Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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East Dean’s Serene Village Green

Last year I spent two weeks traveling across South England, researching my Rick Steves England guidebook. At the same time, I collected lots of great ideas for this month’s TV shoot. For example, I fell in love with a tiny hamlet called East Dean, with a classic medieval village green and a darling little pub that rents rooms. So this year I’m back with my TV crew.

In this clip, we’re just setting up to record a bunch of promos for public television stations. (With me are producer Simon Griffith and cameraman Karel Bauer. I’m thankful to have such a talented and hardworking crew. For a behind-the-scenes look at how we make our show, you can join the three of us in Milan for our “The Making of Rick Steves’ Europe” special.)

In our scripts, I always find an informative way to slip in what month we’re traveling in. For this show, I’ll walk across this fine green and say to the camera, “We’re here in August. In Britain, I prefer traveling in peak season — long days, the best possible weather, enough people out and about to keep things lively…and there are rarely any tourist crowds.”

We’re here in the most crowded months in one of England’s favorite tourist regions. And, while there are plenty of tourists, I’m impressed by how few American travelers we’ve seen. In fact, in the last ten days of travel across South England, I’ve probably seen only 20 or 30 Americans. (I think they’re all in London, Bath, York, and Edinburgh.)

This is Day 81 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 Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.