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Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

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

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Tuscany Memories

Travel in Tuscany these last couple weeks has given me a chance to really improve my Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany guidebook. And that time has been filled with great travel memories.

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It seems that if I ever want to have a great visual experience, all I need to do is leave my hotel room without my camera. I almost never do. But the other night in Lucca, I wanted to take a little stroll and keep it really simple. I turned the corner into the Piazza of the Roman Amphitheater and the light took my breath away. After a storm, when the sun comes out, you get some really dramatic light. Thankfully, iPhones take amazing photos. So I whipped it out and snared a memory.

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One of the time-consuming chores when researching my Florence & Tuscany guidebook is driving to the various farmhouse B&Bs. And at each one, I’m greeted enthusiastically (as so many or our travelers chose to enjoy these great countryside values). At Il Canto del Sole (just south of Siena), everyone around the pool was there following my guidebook — and the joyful camaraderie made me want to be on vacation there, too.

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My favorite guide in Tuscany (Roberto Bechi) has a son who is crazy about baseball. Of all the memorable moments I’ve had in Italy this month, playing catch with Miki was one of the most fun. Miki plays in his local baseball league, and just yesterday, I learned he hit his first home run. Yeah Miki! (Roberto: A home run is when the man with the bat hits the little ball so far that he can run around all four bases, making it to what’s called the “home plate” before they can retrieve the ball. In doing so, he scores one “run” for his team. The team with the most “runs” at the end of the game wins.)

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Centuries-Old Technology Still Keeps the Thieves Out

Updating the town walk for the Lucca chapter in my Italy guidebook, I was impressed at how many shops on the main drag had been in the same family at the same location for over a century. And this jewelry shop (with a storefront that completely folds up — leaving just a green, wooden wall at night) has been in the Carli family for several centuries. In this video clip, as Signora Carli seems to guard the front door, Signore Carli shows off his very old-school safe.

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Volterra: My Top Italian Hill Town

I often say the Volterra is my favorite Italian hill town. Returning this year for my research chores, I was wondering if that was overstating things. But as soon as I settled into the town, my opinion was affirmed. It’s got everything just right: beautifully preserved; far enough away to not have the crippling crowds; just enough tourism to be entertaining and welcoming; enough local economy so that tourists don’t feel like they have a price on their scalp; big enough to have plenty of good restaurants, cafés, and bars; small enough to be mostly traffic-free.

Volterra.jpgVolterra is beautiful. The strange thing: it’s hard to photograph the town in a wide shot. I climbed the tower, and this was the best I could do.

Volterra guides.jpgI love to connect my readers with great local guides in wonderful historic cities. And lately, my personal challenge has been to help organize things through my guidebooks. With these listings, a tour that otherwise wouldn’t be viable becomes viable; guides can make enough money for their service, and my travelers can split the cost. A few years ago, I arranged with Annie Adair to promote a €10 walking tour of Volterra that runs every night in the high season at 6–rain or shine, with three people or 10. Annie splits the work with her wonderful partner, Claudia, and each night they show up at the meeting point with their cute little tour sign, wondering if anyone will show up.

Volterra walk tour.jpgHanging out with Annie and Claudia, it looked like no one would come this evening. Then, just as the bells were ringing six times, two couples appeared. They got what I call “the best hour in Volterra” (for €10 each), Claudia made about $50, and everyone went home happy.

Noble woman Sra Viti.jpgWhen we travel in Europe, we marvel at the palaces and mansions of venerable noble families from a bygone age when class distinctions were quite explicit and pronounced. It was a time when a few people owned nearly all the land–the other 99 percent were happy for the privilege of working it in hope of having enough food. Today, of course, kings and nobles no longer enjoy such a lofty position. In fact, lots of noble families still have their palaces but need to open them to the public simply to pay their taxes and keep them maintained. In Volterra, one of the best sights is the Palazzo Viti. And to get in you’ll actually give charming Senora Viti herself the €5 admission. The palace gives an intimate look at aristocratic lifestyles and is particularly enjoyable to tour, knowing you’re helping keep a noble family in leotards.

tobac.jpgA key to sightseeing is finding glimpses of simple, everyday life among all the stained glass, crenellations, and gargoyles. For instance, cut into an old stone wall in Volterra is a 24-hour cigarette vending machine that says “Vietato ai Minori” (not for minors) and requires anyone buying anything to insert their national health card to prove that they’re over 18.