I spent the afternoon with Rick Steves, of PBS fame.  Not literally, of course, but I spent nearly three hours reading his Venice 2007 guide book, then watched his television program as he roamed around Istanbul while I made dinner.  I have found his brand of travel guides; book, television show and website, to be most helpful, because they echo my sentiments about traveling as well.

Rick’s theory of travel seems to be: See the sights that the tourists come to see, then get as far away from them as possible. Especially in Europe, it is possible to travel there for weeks and never leave the “Intercontinental” hotels and Americanized restaurants.  Then, when you leave, you will have only experienced a transplanted version of home, for a much steeper price then if you had just stayed home.

I am happy that Lindsay is on board for the “Europe through the back door” approach to this trip.  I am hoping to linger in Italian piazzas with a gelato, sip coffee in small French cafes, wander through local markets, eat in tiny, family owned restaurants and pubs and experience all that Europe has to offer, off of the beaten path.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Venice 2007 guide book.  Aside from where the sites are located, how to find them, what time they are open and how much they cost, Rick has an entire section on the history of the region and why certain things are important to see.  All of this background information, from how Venice achieved world power after smuggling the remains of St. Mark into their city to why the gondolas are painted black (six coats of paint- the result of a 17th century law a doge enacted to eliminate competition between nobles for the fanciest rig) fascinates me and I am sure will deepen my appreciation of the city’s beauty and declining wealth.  I have yet to find another guide book who treats the history of the city with such interest and insists on tying it to every explanation of how to best travel the grand canal or what parts of the city to avoid.  I will be picking up more of Rick’s books as I go along!