Just for fun, I thought I’d gather my favorite little travel moments of the last year (in no particular order):
Eating cod cakes at the bar with locals in Lisbon.
Being set up in Amsterdam for five days with a classy canalside hotel and my own bike.
Falling in love with Bruges again (and gaining an appreciation for Belgian beer).
Being stuck in a Tehran traffic jam and hearing my driver suddenly shout, “Death to traffic!”
Hopping on a water taxi to slam like a hydroplane around the Greek island of Hydra before getting off in the middle of nowhere to hike through fields of flowers for a grand Greek isle view.
In the Cinque Terre, meeting with “the Pharaoh” (megalomaniacal director of that national park) and debating and brainstorming ways to make that stretch of Italian Riviera better for American travelers.
Touring the Greek ruins of Paestum (south of Naples) with a guide who made it come to life for me after many visits when it left me cold (and distilling that wonderful tour into my new Italy guidebook for my readers).
Being with mourners at a martyrs’ cemetery in Esfahan, Iran (as they remembered their lost loved ones among the 250,000 Iranians who died fighting a US-supported Saddam Hussein and Iraq), and realizing it would be dangerously naive for America to think we could “shock & awe” those people.
Splashing with happy children in the warm water out at the spit on Denmark’s Ærø Island as the late summer sun set before sitting cross legged in the sand to enjoy a picnic dinner with the Ærøskobing mayor. Then he brought out his guitar and we sang Danish shanties.
Near ecstasy in my car, surrounded by cork trees and the vast beauty of Portugal’s Alentejo, as I headed for Évora and a fado concert.
Watching an imam call much of the old center of Istanbul to prayer at the base of a Blue Mosque minaret. In a dirty T-shirt, he held two circa 1970 mics to his face, closed his eyes, and warbled like an angel.
Having an excellent private guide for the day to better understand the prehistoric sights in and around Avebury, England.
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Researching restaurants with my Italian-speaking son Andy (who was studying in Rome) in a Roman neighborhood he knew better than me…and having him help me interview the chefs in Italian.
Ordering 12 different pizzas, each cut into 12 slices, for my family and Andy’s schoolmates as we enjoyed a 12-course pizza meal and lots of great red wine one night in Rome.
Being lectured by Eddie the Verger for telling tourists how to sneak into Westminster Abbey without paying (and then befriending him and enjoying a private tour of the generally-closed-to-the-public room where the scholars translated the Bible into the King James edition).
My son Andy trying to teach me to appreciate a fine cigar (on our deck, looking out at the Olympic Mountains).
Being shown special rooms (not open to the public) by the curator at Anne Franks House in Amsterdam that were still furnished as they were during WWII.
Interviewing a coffeeshop owner about intricacies of making your living selling marijuana in Amsterdam.
Discovering London’s new “Manhattan” at Canary Wharf, and having a drink surrounded by what seemed like a million English yuppies.
In Reutte, getting a private tour of the Ehrenburg castle complex by the archeologist in charge before being knighted by the town’s humble glitterati for sending Americans to their otherwise unknown corner of Tirol.
Wandering home late at night in Monterosso (in the Cinque Terre) after the restaurants were closed. I was exhausted after a great day of research and noticed all the best chefs in town, each in a solitary space, looking out as the Mediterranean, just as exhausted as I was. Each was enjoying a drink and a cigarette after wowing their customers with an evening of great dinners and I realized that we were all in the same game…working hard and happily for the travelers — thankful for gratifying work that we enjoyed.
Rick……………Europe is like a smorgasboard…….so much to see and do and what I really like is the atmosphere ……things are often SO different to home…….I remember you in a picture in Amsterdam holding your bicycle wheel up ….they stole part of your bike overnight…..I want to rent a bike in AMS but have concerns leaving it on the street overnight or even in the daytime…..cheerio….keep blogging Rick
Rick this is why I have read your blog since it started, you put a breath of fresh air in troubled times. I too keep thinking of such great travel times in the past and in the future!
Nice summary! Especially the last paragraph.
(1/3 posts) Rick – It was a pleasure to see you and hear you speak during the Cincinnati leg of your “eight-cities-in- eight-days†marketing and PBS fundraising tour on Friday evening, December 5, 2008. And, thanks for sharing your Top Travel Memories of 2008. They were fun to read. Over the past year I have come to appreciate your PBS shows on WCET (I donated money just to get your 170 show collection). You truly are a video travelogue artist with a keen and observant eye and wonderful way with words. While I watch your shows I can’t help but think that your descriptions of the beauties of Europe are enriched by the artistry of your own unique strengths to tell a story. Your work stands in stark contrast to the depravity, negativity, immoral, and hopeless messages transmitted on most commercial and cable stations. You seem to shine a spotlight on the many gifts of Europe in a way that seems hopeful, encouraging, and positive. As an American who has lived in Europe for some significant time periods, I am appreciative of this work and its messages…(continued on next post – 2/3)
…(continued from post 1/3)…I share these thoughts with you because I think you do a wonderful service for many and in many ways. As a business owner, I am not naïve to the point that you are first and foremost a business man who employs 80 people (according to your website). And, it also seems you have made a conscious decision to use your platform that PBS TV and American Public Radio has helped you build to share your political viewpoints, in spite of any impact it may have on your revenues. I applaud your active, thinking mind and your desire to generate the same in others. So, I do hope you will find the following feedback food for thought in the spirit in which it is intended. At the WCET VIP reception, a young man asked you “as a world traveler, what were your observations about Cincinnati?†I was a bit disappointed by your response. Your answer seemed to show that you were not familiar with the very city that you were currently visiting. While that in itself was disappointing since it seemed to belie the message you send your TV viewers (about getting to know the locals), I also saw it as a missed opportunity. Cincinnati is rich in past and present connections to the many cultures of Europe. In fact, our roots are in Europe. Had you spent some time here, you might have recognized that in a deeper way and would have better connected with your audience at Cincinnati’s Music Hall (itself a testament to its European design influence – some Cincinnatians affectionately describe it as “Sauerbraten Byzantine.”) and possibly reinforced your travel message and maybe even fortified your tour group revenues for 2009. Additionally, you made a poorly crafted comment wondering out loud “why would Europeans visit Cincinnati?†You might be surprised to know that we have a very vibrant European contingent that visits our fair city through many different programs and relationships. ..(continued on the next post – 3/3)
…(continued from post 2/3)…I guess my point is, when you visited Cincinnati, intent on raising money, selling your books, tours, and videos, and climbing atop your PBS built soapbox to share your unique viewpoints on US foreign policy, US drug policy, US prostitution policy, and US environmental policy (you may want to recheck your most current facts about promoting man-made global warming) you may have missed an opportunity to connect with a wonderful and prideful people in a region that is in your backyard. Perhaps you may want to take one summer off from traveling Europe next year and discover the great people and great treasures of Cincinnati USA. You might find that it further shapes and broadens your perspective in a more meaningful way. We would be happy to be your guide as you travel “Cincinnati through the Backdoor.†All the best to you and your family in 2009. (end of post – 3/3)
Your 2008 summary list reads like my “Things to Do & See Before I Die” list. Nice year Rickster. Surrpised to receive our first and last hotel info for our 2009 Ireland tour before the end of the year!The anticipation is growing. Thanks and happy holidays.
Man, you live a charmed life. I’d be envious, but at least you provide us the means to live vicariously through you. You have a wordsmith’s knack for distilling imagery into potent sentences, and your shows are simply wonderful. I just saw several of the new shows during a pledge drive, and they made me that much more eager for my next trip. Thanks for all that you (and your staff) do. And early wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
(and gaining an appreciation of Belgian beer). It took this long? Welcome to the small, but growing, club.
Love the posts, Rick, especially the “death to traffic” and “gained an appreciation for Belgian beer”. Keep up the great work!
Another great blog! My top travel experiences in 2008: (1) Easter at an agrotourismo on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily. Especially a dinner given by the host family in front of a roaring fire in their 19th century villa. (2) A summer afternoon at a far corner of Königsee in the Bavarian Alps. Pristine nature! The lake water is as clean as tap water and only electric boats are allowed on it. A little fest was going on at the church on the far side of the lake and my friend and I ate fresh lake trout as we listened to an oompah band on the edge of a sunny field ringed by high Alpine peaks. We agreed it was heaven on earth. (3) An early morning walk around Brugge, before the day-trippers arrived. Listening to the bell tower concert at the end of the longest day of the year. My kids also loved getting a cone of hot frits every day in Belgium. (4) Krakow for a long Thanksgiving weekend. We were there to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Highlight was visiting a 17th century chapel carved deep in a Salt Mine and having to remind myself that it wasn’t carved by team Disney especially for the tourists. Another great year. And, having paid my dues to get over here, believe me I try not to EVER take for granted all the blessings I have received. For the record: We have Rick’s complete set of DVDs and before we visit a new city, we always watch the show to give our kids an overview of where we are going. Good work Rick! Vienna rocks! May 2009 bring peace on earth and plenty of travel memories for all of you!
Great blog Rick! Having just finished writing a travel memoir of my families trip to Germany/Austria this summer, your detail of events makes me want to dive a bit deeper into my own. BTW…. I know you’re a BIG advocate of legalization of marijuana, and often speak on the subject, but have you noiticed the problems in Amsterdam? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/06/amsterdam-to-close-many-o_n_148933.html?show_comment_id=18589220. it looks like you may be wrong afterall!
I like the last paragraph. So true about work we love. It brings joy to us as well as others. Happy holidays!
Tom in Cincy…great post. Rick, are you listening?
Tom (and Crusty)–I grew up in Ohio, too. And I’m proud of my hometown. But come on…Cincy isn’t THAT great. I think you’ve crossed the fine line between local pride and delusions of grandeur. Rick spends four months a year being fascinated by Europe. When he’s home, he wants to go on autopilot. Who can blame him? You’re holding him to unfairly high standards if you expect him to wax poetically about Cincinnati or Boston or Duluth, as he does about the Cinque Terre or Gimmelwald or Dubrovnik. Give the guy a break and just enjoy his take on Europe.
Gee “Another Proud Ohioan,”…I wonder…how much time have you spent in Cincinnati…I noticed you wrote you grew up in Ohio…but did not say you grew up in Cincinnati. As another Cincinnatian, ” would be happy to give both you and Rick a tour of Cincinnati. Perhaps you would not confuse “pride” with “delusions of grandeur” if you too spent some time here. Perspective is an interesting thing, don’t you think?
One more thing “Another Proud Ohioan”…where you at the WCET event? If not, how do you know Tom was holding Rick to an unfair standard? And, it does seem Tom wrote positively, eloquently, and with fairness and balance toward Rick’s work and focus. Why don’t YOU give Tom a break?
Hmmmm…. Are the folks from Sinsinatti known for their spiked eggnog? Rick’s mission is not to bring Sinsinatti to the world, but to bring Europe to the USA. At the same time, would love to be in the bleachers with you Sinsin fans.
I am not an Ohio native, Wisconsin actually, and I was not singing the praises of Cincy, rather, I was responding to Tom’s point about Rick using this platform to voice his views on a variety of subjects. At times, I feel Rick condescends to inform us about our wayward opinions here in the colonies. I won’t bore you with details of many trips to Europe over four decades, but it is a different place with different cultures, not always user friendly to Americans. An open mind is a must… Anyway, I very much enjoy Andy’s journals and I was very impressed with Jackie’s writing.
Ah the reminising…reading brought back memories of things I probaly won’t be able to experience again for along time. This should be the happiest time of the year but I am so depressed,the auto industry implosion, the Chicago govenor scandel that reaches into the new White House, the overwhelming layoffs….I wish that this uplifted my spirits but only makes me wish for a year ago. The traveling and money was good while it lasted.
Rick..I took this class on Venetian art…it was wonderful, reading this blog made me think of what I saw and learned…highly recommended: http://www.unive.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=19918
Rick would love to get an update of how Jackie liked her first semester at Georgetown.
Rick would love to get an update of how Jackie liked her first semester at Georgetown.
Lovely reminiscence, Mr. Steves. It brought back the wonderful memory of Avebury, particularly…the blue sky, the hills, the fragrance…but most of all the stones and the ghosts, and the evocative music drifting over the scene from the Historic Trust shop nearby. Thanks for all you do…we love your TV programs! We’re off to Scotland this next summer, for the third time. All new spots and foods and smells to appreciate this time. We’re mostly eager to be back with those marvelous Scots…so eager to help, so much fun to sip a drink with, so…ummm…strong? Hardy stock!