From time to time, we share a random video to fuel your travel dreams. In this clip from my TV episode about Copenhagen, I visit Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, one of Scandinavia’s top art galleries. Join me as I explore the museum’s Wintergarden, ancient collection, and 19th and 20th century French and Danish art.
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
Tour Member DJ Party Party
On the My Way Alpine Europe Tour I’m currently leading, my assistant, Trish Feaster, is sharing a few of her guiding tricks — like her (now famous among our guides) “Tour Member DJ Party Party.” During a particularly flat stretch of autobahn, volunteers from the group share their smartphones with their favorite tunes. Here, Dave — who’s the dad in a three-generation family of eight on our tour — plays the family favorite from Aladdin. (Daughter Anna clearly loves this tune.) Notice how comfy our tour buses are — 26 people sharing 54 seats; a high, smooth ride; a wonderful driver (Hilde); and great sound.
Trish also filmed and edited these clips. She’s blogging about our tour at her website, The Travelphile.
This is Day 62 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, 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.
Biking to Fairy-Tale Castles and Thermal Spas in Bavaria
The sun is setting on the foothills of the Alps. Overseeing vast meadows with tiny lanes and lazy cows is the fairy-tale castle of “Mad” King Ludwig of Bavaria (Neuschwanstein). Having borrowed a bike from my hotel, I just soaked my imagination in that Romantic king’s fantasy-come-true…and then soaked my body in a classic German spa (the Königliche Kristall-Therme) that enjoys a poolside view as grand as Ludwig’s — or even better, considering it includes his inspiring castle. Biking through the fields, relaxed as Gumby and reviewing the memories of the day, I savor that moment when the setting sun warms up all the colors and the newly cut hay fills the air with a sweet and fertile humidity. Coasting home into my village, it occurs to me that the Alps — which arc from Vienna to Marseilles — are a symphony of experiences that can endlessly delight lovers of culture, history, and nature. They certainly have for me.
This is Day 61 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, 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.
Castles and Bouncy Bridges in the Austrian Alps
The My Way Alpine Europe Tour I’m leading is well underway, as we hopscotch across borders through the Alps. After a memory-packed day traveling from the Dolomites to Bavaria, we popped back into Austria for an early-evening hike to a ruined castle (Ehrenberg, above Reutte) and a wobbly ramble over a very long and very high suspension bridge. My friend Armin dreamed up, spearheaded, and now manages this exciting new activity that’s bringing lots of visitors to his little town. We’re 400 feet above our teeny tour bus, at the point where three valleys converge — a strategic location since this was the Roman Via Claudia. The joy on our group’s faces shows the fun in mixing exhilarating experiences with historical sights.
(My tour assistant, Trish Feaster, also blogged about our adventure in Reutte at her website, The Travelphile.)
This is Day 60 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, 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.
Clip: Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial
From time to time, we share a random travel video here on my blog. In this clip from my TV episode about Israel, I pay my respects at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center. The solemn and impressive memorial is dedicated to chronicling, remembering, and learning from the slaughter of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany.