Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

I just interviewed Fred Plotkin for my radio show. While I write a guidebook that uses physical sights as racks upon which to hang an understanding and appreciation of history and culture, Fred writes a guide to Italy that uses food for that rack. He (and his book, Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, www.fredplotkin.com) is an inspiration to me. Fundamental to Fred’s thinking is his philosophy of the “pleasure activist.” I had to share it with you:

Whenever I am asked what is a pleasure activist, I respond, “A pleasure activist is what you think it is.” This is not meant to be coy or evasive. Each one of us has a strong impression of what pleasure is, though it seems not to be something we discuss or share. I know what mine is, and I will describe it presently.

 Pleasure activism is not about hedonism. There is something mindless and selfish about hedonism that is not in keeping with the spirit of pleasure activism. Similarly, shopping, consuming, and acquisition are not what this is about. In fact, anyone who derives a sense of self from money and possessions will never be truly happy.

Each one of us humans has been given the gift of five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. For those who might have one sense that is impaired, they develop their other senses more powerfully. I believe that most people scarcely use their senses and, as such, miss out on a great deal of pleasure. They see but do not observe. They hear but do not listen. They smell and taste but do not savor. They touch but do not feel.

I believe that the best way to use the senses is to not analyze what is being perceived while we are doing the perceiving. What we take in becomes part of our bank of information, knowledge and experience. When presented, say, with a piece of chocolate, a glass of wine, a new landscape, or music we have not yet heard, we can open our senses more fully and actively to discover the pleasures and complexities that await us. This means putting other thoughts out of our head and focusing our senses on what we are perceiving.

Pleasure activism is also the recognition of the value of things and experiences. One bite of chocolate or one sip of wine is immensely rewarding. The second bite or sip can tell us more if we let it. Otherwise, it is a repetition of the first experience. A box of chocolates or a bottle of wine might prove less meaningful. Fresh air, clean water, and silence only seem meaningful when they are absent — yet few people savor them when they are within reach.

If we meet a new, interesting person and open all of our senses to him or her, we have a much stronger experience of why that person is so compelling. In the media and in our social training, our minds are filled with so many strategies for happiness and success, but they all involve calculated behavior that may be counter to our nature and instinct, which form the sixth sense. When we are alive to all that we see, hear, smell, savor and feel, we refine what we call taste and, moreover, add to that mysterious but essential human characteristic we call instinct.

I would never say that the fullest use of our senses is the secret to happiness and fulfillment. Such an assertion is too pat and general. But any behavior that can contribute to our becoming more fully human and insightful is one that should be prized. And that, to me, is pleasure activism.

What does it mean to you?

As we near the fifth anniversary of our public radio program, we now have 150 cities airing us for an hour each week. And we have nearly 200 hours of shows in our radio archive.

Thinking back on the roots of this little enterprise, I remember enjoying fascinating conversations with guide friends and guidebook researchers. We’d debate the fine points of European travel and tour routes, and I’d think, “I find this so interesting…I wish more people could enjoy this conversation. If we simply had recorded this, it would have been great talk radio.” At the same time, I was spending more and more time helping stations with radio pledge work and realizing that this “travel talk” was really good at raising money for public radio — even better than the TV pledge work we do. And on Seattle’s KUOW, it seemed Steve Scher (on whose show I was a regular guest) and I were having more fun than ever talking travel on the air.

I asked my friends at KUOW if they’d run a show if I produced it. They agreed to run it for an hour on Saturday afternoon. So I gathered my staff and I announced that we’d begin producing a public radio program. I found a great producer (Tim Tattan), we designed Travel with Rick Steves, KUOW ran it and, little by little, we built our carriage.

I’m thankful to KUOW and lots of people for helping get our program off the ground and firmly on the air…and that includes the countless people who call in and take part in our interviews.

Every couple of months, I do a flurry in interviews to generate material for an hour-long show every week. Starting on Wednesday, December 9th, and finishing up on Tuesday, December 15th, I’ll be taping several new and exciting radio shows. And I’d love to include your comments and questions!

This upcoming recording session will include a wide variety of interesting guests. I get to talk with Greg Mortenson, author of the bestseller Three Cups of Tea, about his work in the villages of Afghanistan. Richard Ellis talks about his book On Thin Ice, detailing the changing world of the polar bear. Harry Rutstein describes the hardships he endured while retracing the fabled route of Marco Polo from Venice across Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, and China. Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt were commissioned by the Royal Geographic Society to travel the length of the mysterious Casiquiare River in Venezuela…and they’ll tell us about their great adventure.

Also, Angela Nickerson explains some of the highlights of Michelangelo’s Rome, Keith Bowden chats about what he’s learned from spending months at a time on the Rio Grande, Barry Foy shares tips on enjoying traditional Irish music in its natural habitat, and Nikki Goth Itoi gives us good advice for enjoying Baja California from the border to Cabo San Lucas. And the brilliant Fred Plotkin joins us again to discuss Finland and Italian cuisine.

I will also have several “open mike” sessions for you to share your travel tips, discoveries, and questions with topics ranging from crazy people you’ve met on the road to recent discoveries and memorable meals.

If you’d like to be a part of our upcoming shows, you’d be doing me a favor. I’d love to work you in. Just go to the radio section at ricksteves.com and sign up.

Thanks.