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More Padova Photo Fun

Our filming of the Italian university town of Padova continues. One of our challenges here was to capture a slice of student life. As you’ll see from these photos, I think we succeeded.

While filming Padova’s Goliardia, we partied with this guy, Samuele Mattia Zanetti. And he came prepared for the opportunity to capitalize on my visit to find an American girlfriend. He seemed nice enough — with great hair — so I thought I’d help him out. If you’d like to meet a wild and crazy student from the north of Italy...there’s a good chance he’d like to meet you, too. Contact Samuele via his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/samuelemattia.zanetti).
While filming Padova’s Goliardia, we partied with this guy, Samuele Mattia Zanetti. And he came prepared for the opportunity to capitalize on my visit to find an American girlfriend. He seemed nice enough — with great hair — so I thought I’d help him out. If you’d like to meet a wild and crazy student from the north of Italy…there’s a good chance he’d like to meet you, too. Contact Samuele via his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/samuelemattia.zanetti).
Filming in Padova, I wanted to catch the fun as a new graduate is roasted by his or her friends. While there were no graduations during our visit, my local guide friend managed to get the local goofball fraternity, the Goliardia, to play the role...and it worked great. Here we’re warming up with a drink in the student bar before they step out into the street and sing the university’s graduation anthem (which says, basically, “You’re a doctor, yes, you’re a doctor... but you’re still just an a-hole”).
Filming in Padova, I wanted to catch the fun as a new graduate is roasted by his or her friends. While there were no graduations during our visit, my local guide friend managed to get the local goofball fraternity, the Goliardia, to play the role…and it worked great. Here we’re warming up with a drink in the student bar before they step out into the street and sing the university’s graduation anthem (which says, basically, “You’re a doctor, yes, you’re a doctor… but you’re still just an a-hole”).
When filming in the big and famous cities, we go unnoticed by the local press. But in smaller towns, we sense the pride locals feel as we work to share their home with an American television audience. As we worked one day, the local reporter connected with us. The next morning we were in the paper. The headline: "Saints, Spritz, and Goliardia: Padova goes to the USA."
When filming in the big and famous cities, we go unnoticed by the local press. But in smaller towns, we sense the pride locals feel as we work to share their home with an American television audience. As we worked one day, the local reporter connected with us. The next morning we were in the paper. The headline: “Saints, Spritz, and Goliardia: Padova goes to the USA.”
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Filming in Padova

It’s great to be joined by my film crew as we begin shooting the last episodes of our new television season (which airs this fall). We’re spending six days filming in Verona, Ravenna, and Padova (a.k.a. Padua). Here are a few shots that illustrate the fun we’re having as we kick things off in Padova. Just half an hour from Venice, Padova is a university town with 60,000 students and a wonderfully youthful vibe.

All over town, young people — apparently without a lot of private space in their apartments — hang out and kiss and cuddle in public spaces. These students seemed very comfortable literally under the medieval tomb of one of their city’s historic fathers.
All over town, young people — apparently without a lot of private space in their apartments — hang out and kiss and cuddle in public spaces. These students seemed very comfortable literally under the medieval tomb of one of their city’s historic fathers.
All over Italy, people enjoy the early evening on the piazza with a spritz and friends. The local Campari drink is just an excuse for people to get together and enjoy some quality time as the sun sets, the floodlights come on, and —regardless, it seems, of the economy, the politicians, or your family troubles — life is good. We had an easy time making friends with the camera rolling and enjoying this slice of the Italian dolce vita.
All over Italy, people enjoy the early evening on the piazza with a spritz and friends. The local Campari drink is just an excuse for people to get together and enjoy some quality time as the sun sets, the floodlights come on, and —regardless, it seems, of the economy, the politicians, or your family troubles — life is good. We had an easy time making friends with the camera rolling and enjoying this slice of the Italian dolce vita.
Each episode of my series starts with a goofy “tease” where I welcome our viewers with some intimate activity — shearing a lamb, sizing up an octopus, or sweating in a sauna. For this show, I relieved a man of his artichoke-trimming work. Not quite trusting the rawhide glove and the razor-sharp knife, I gingerly topped the artichoke and said, “We’re back with more of the best of Europe...” Here you can see me behind the artichoke stand, reviewing the footage cameraman Karel Bauer shot.
Each episode of my series starts with a goofy “tease” where I welcome our viewers with some intimate activity — shearing a lamb, sizing up an octopus, or sweating in a sauna. For this show, I relieved a man of his artichoke-trimming work. Not quite trusting the rawhide glove and the razor-sharp knife, I gingerly topped the artichoke and said, “We’re back with more of the best of Europe…” Here you can see me behind the artichoke stand, reviewing the footage cameraman Karel Bauer shot.
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Festive Barcelona Is Packed

My visit to Barcelona coincided with a particularly crowded and lively time: Holy Week and Easter. I enjoyed getting a Catalan take on this holiday.

Barcelona — Where People Stroll Like Sardines
Barcelona — Where People Stroll Like Sardines

Barcelona is one of the darlings of European tourism lately. It’s the biggest cruise port in Europe and one of the biggest in the world (as a starting or ending point for a huge portion of all Mediterranean cruises). It’s trendy for its Gaudí “Modernisme”— Catalunya’s answer to Art Nouveau. Catalunya is feeling its nationalist spirit. It’s well served by discount airlines. And vacationers — both Spanish and foreign — fill its streets, especially during its many festivals. I happened to be here over Easter weekend, and the boulevards were often human traffic jams.

Barcelona Bunnies
Barcelona Bunnies

Easter is a huge deal in Spain, especially in the south. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the busiest and most festive times in Andalucía. But here in Catalunya, I found that Easter isn’t quite such a big deal. Catalans seem less religious, and the main duty of godfathers is to buy their godchildren overpriced decorative chocolate creations that fill shop windows. There was a Semana Santa-style parade, with teams of people trudging slowing down the street in tight formation, hidden under the huge religious floats they carried. But locals told me Catalans would never do this; these celebrants were from Andalucía, and travel each year to Barcelona to share their Easter traditions. While the churches may not have been overwhelmed with crowds, the Easter parade certainly jammed the streets.

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Back in Barcelona, Where There’s Always Something New

I’ve left Portugal and have landed in Barcelona, where I’m sprucing up my new guidebook on this fun and fascinating city. A trip to Barcelona always comes with lots of learning for me — whether it’s the hottest dining and drinking trends (food tours and vermouth bars), the latest restored building in this city of bold and creative architects, or getting up to speed on the movement for the surrounding region of Catalunya to declare independence from Spain.

The theme in Europe over the last generation has been the rise of ethnic regions. As power gravitates to Brussels, the national capitals seem less concerned about their restless, would-be breakaway mini-states. For example, this year we’re hearing a lot about Scotland and Catalunya both seriously pursuing the possibility of declaring their independence from Britain and Spain, respectively. It’s always impressive for me to note that more people are speaking Europe’s small languages (Irish, Basque, Catalan, and so on) today than a generation ago. Talking to my friends in Barcelona about the practicality of having their children learn Catalan first at home and in school — leaving them with a native tongue that less than 10 million people speak in an aggressive and global world — none of them questioned the notion. Of course they’d speak Catalan…they are Catalans.

Here are pictures of three very different experiences I enjoyed on my latest Barcelona visit.

Last week I posted about a food tour I enjoyed in Porto, Portugal. Food tours— offering a mobile feast with several stops to sample a variety of local flavors for about the cost of a splurge dinner, all thoughtfully explained by a local guide — are a big trend across Europe. In Barcelona, as in many places, vermouth bars are all the rage these days. And as this photo shows, a refreshing glass of vermouth is complemented by a plate of local taste treats. Especially in Spain, this “tapas” style of eating and drinking makes for fun meals.
Last week I posted about a food tour I enjoyed in Porto, Portugal. Food tours— offering a mobile feast with several stops to sample a variety of local flavors for about the cost of a splurge dinner, all thoughtfully explained by a local guide — are a big trend across Europe. In Barcelona, as in many places, vermouth bars are all the rage these days. And as this photo shows, a refreshing glass of vermouth is complemented by a plate of local taste treats. Especially in Spain, this “tapas” style of eating and drinking makes for fun meals.
In Barcelona, the Ramblas pedestrian drag and the Gothic Quarter are understandably popular, but overrun with tourists. The new, happening quarter is El Born, just beyond the Gothic Quarter. A square called El Born (named for the tournaments once held there) faced a big 19th-century iron-and-steel market. In the 1970s, the vendors moved out, and the market was slated for demolition and redevelopment. But then they discovered the remains of a centuries-old neighborhood with a rich history: In 1714, the residents here lost an uprising against the Spanish, and were forced to demolish their homes and carry the very stones that gave them shelter to the neighboring hill to build a citadel — from where the Spanish crown would assert their control over the people of Catalunya. The leveled neighborhood then provided a cleared-out no-man’s-land outside the fort, which later became a place of execution. Later, in more peaceful times, the space was made into a market. And in the last few years, they unearthed the remains of those original Catalans. Today, the El Born Market is an inviting and inspirational cultural center that tells its story well.
In Barcelona, the Ramblas pedestrian drag and the Gothic Quarter are understandably popular, but overrun with tourists. The new, happening quarter is El Born, just beyond the Gothic Quarter. A square called El Born (named for the tournaments once held there) faced a big 19th-century iron-and-steel market. In the 1970s, the vendors moved out, and the market was slated for demolition and redevelopment. But then they discovered the remains of a centuries-old neighborhood with a rich history: In 1714, the residents here lost an uprising against the Spanish, and were forced to demolish their homes and carry the very stones that gave them shelter to the neighboring hill to build a citadel — from where the Spanish crown would assert their control over the people of Catalunya. The leveled neighborhood then provided a cleared-out no-man’s-land outside the fort, which later became a place of execution. Later, in more peaceful times, the space was made into a market. And in the last few years, they unearthed the remains of those original Catalans. Today, the El Born Market is an inviting and inspirational cultural center that tells its story well.
In Francisco Franco’s time (until the mid-1970s), the people of Catalunya were not allowed to speak their language or fly their flag. So instead, they’d fly their soccer team’s flag. Then, once allowed, they flew their yellow-and-red-striped flag of Catalunya. And now you see many flags with a feisty addition: a blue triangle and a white star. This is inspired by the flag and spirit of the former Spanish colony of Cuba, which won its freedom from Spain in 1902. This Cuban/Catalan hybrid flag indicates that the people in this household support Catalunya's independence from Spain.
In Francisco Franco’s time (until the mid-1970s), the people of Catalunya were not allowed to speak their language or fly their flag. So instead, they’d fly their soccer team’s flag. Then, once allowed, they flew their yellow-and-red-striped flag of Catalunya. And now you see many flags with a feisty addition: a blue triangle and a white star. This is inspired by the flag and spirit of the former Spanish colony of Cuba, which won its freedom from Spain in 1902. This Cuban/Catalan hybrid flag indicates that the people in this household support Catalunya’s independence from Spain.