Here you can browse through my blog posts prior to February 2022. Currently I'm sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions, and what's on my mind solely on my Facebook page. — Rick
We are producing a new one-hour special on great festivals in Europe. To represent Scotland in the line-up, we flew to Edinburgh to take in the nearby Highland Games at Airth. It was a delightful, charming, and homey carnival of delicate lassies dancing and giant blokes tossing heavy things. And foreign visitors were welcome to join in. I did not win the lifting of the 250-pound Smithy Stone. But my personal victory: not to get injured trying. What are your Highland Game memories?
This is Day 70 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.
Some of my best travel memories are of early-morning sightseeing. Throughout Europe, the local scene comes alive while tourists sleep, when the best sights are blissfully crowd-free.
In this clip from Rome: Baroque Brilliance, I spend a morning rambling through the heart of Rome.
Travelers often struggle to find someone interesting to interview to better understand local issues. I find cabbies are a great resource. I was wondering why Belgium finds it challenging to keep its Flemish- and French-speaking regions from splitting up the country. Here’s my cabbie’s three-minute take on things as he drove me to the Brussels airport. How do you find cabbie chat while on the road?
This is Day 69 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.
I’ve said goodbye to the My Way Alpine Europe tour I’ve been leading, and am now researching my guidebooks in Holland. While I miss my friends from the tour, I enjoy the contrast: Chamonix in the Alps one day, Amsterdam the next. In the nearby town of Leiden — the last home in the Old World of the pilgrims before they sailed the Mayflower to the New World — I stumbled upon a group of pipe organ aficionados experiencing the organ in Leiden’s big church. Check out this cool scene. (This is a fun reminder that you can weave your passion into your sightseeing in Europe. How have you made your personal interest part of your itinerary?)
This is Day 68 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.
There are few travelers whose opinions I respect more than the co-author of many of my books, Cameron Hewitt. And in my office, Cameron is Mr. Eastern Europe. When I hear Cameron explaining why Budapest is one of his favorite cities on earth, I listen. And when Cameron reports from Hungary, I know I’m in for some fascinating vicarious travel fun. Sure, Cameron’s soaking away all his troubles in a series of luxurious Hungarian spas on company time. But I’m so glad he is. Because he’s sharing that joy vividly in his reporting. Check out Cameron’s blog today.
