Rick Steves is a great proponent of travel; he loves it and relates well to people and customs, which he embraces as a first-hand learning experience. His folksy style comes across well because he is natural. I recently saw his program on Paris. Not only does the viewer see the highlights of this magnificent city but the way of life for Parisians. Steves also teaches us about the landmarks like the Hotel des Invalides with its military history. We get a synopsis of the life of Napoleon whose resting place we see within a magnificent rotunda. We tour a market with its street life as he chats with a local guide on purchasing beef, cheese and a red wine from Côtes du Rhône. We hear about the long struggle for freedom and how Bastille Day is marked on July 14 to honour the fighters who stormed the Bastille to free political prisoners. We take a walk in one of the numerous parks that Parisians and their families enjoy. The architecture of the city along its wide boulevards is viewed as the camera passes under the Arc de Triomphe. Steves tells us that his favourite church is not Notre Dame Cathedral but the Church of Saint-Sulpice, where he visits to see and hear the massive organ with its wonderful music. If you tag along with Rick on his forays into the cities of Europe and his many other destinations, you will get a great feel for the joy of travel and its power to make us better citizens of the world.
