rick steves travel video spain

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Rick Steves' Europe

Barcelona and Catalunya

Season 5 Episode 503 | 25m 4s  |  Video has closed captioning.

The creative spirit of Spain’s Catalunya--the land of Picasso, Gaudi, and Salvador Dali--is on a roll. We’ll get caught up in the festivity of Barcelona, enjoying the vibrant street scenes, tasty tapas, and pedestrian-friendly Gothic Quarter. Then we’ll take a scenic side trip to mountaintop Montserrat, and finish with an artist’s pilgrimage along the Costa Brava to Salvador Dali country.

Aired: 10/04/08

Rating: TV-G

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BON DIA, I'M RICK STEVES,

BACK WITH MORE OF THE BEST OF EUROPE.

THIS TIME, WE'RE IN THE LAND OF PICASSO, GAUDÍ,

SALVADOR DALÍ, AND CAFE CON LECHE.

IT'S BARCELONA.

[ LAUGHING ]

BARCELONA IS SPAIN'S SECOND CITY AND THE CAPITAL

OF THE PROUD AND DISTINCT REGION OF CATALUNYA.

WITH FRANCO'S FASCISM NOW LONG GONE,

CATALUNYA'S INDEPENDENT AND CREATIVE SPIRIT

IS ON A ROLL.

MANY VISITORS FIND THIS TO BE

SPAIN'S MOST VIBRANT AND COSMOPOLITAN CORNER.

WE'LL HAVE SOME FUN ON THE RAMBLAS,

EXPERIENCE PICASSO'S EVER-CHANGING ART,

SAMPLE THE CITY'S TAPAS,

AND THEN GO ON A TOUR OF MODERNISTE ARCHITECTURE,

CULMINATING IN GAUDÍ'S UNFINISHED MASTERPIECE.

ALL THIS BEFORE VENTURING TO THE SKY-HIGH MONASTERY

OF MONTSERRAT AND FINISHING

ON THE COSTA BRAVA

WITH THE ALWAYS PROVOCATIVE SALVADOR DALÍ.

SPAIN FILLS MOST OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA.

THE NORTHEAST CORNER IS CATALUNYA.

WE'LL EXPLORE ITS LEADING CITY, BARCELONA,

BEFORE SIDE-TRIPPING TO MONTSERRAT,

FIGUERES, AND CADAQUES.

BARCELONA HAS A RICH HISTORY --

ROMAN COLONY, DARK AGE VISIGOTHIC CAPITAL,

14th-CENTURY MARITIME POWER.

AND BEYOND ALL ITS GREAT SIGHTS, BE SURE TO APPRECIATE

ITS ELEGANT SENSE OF STYLE

AND ITS MEDITERRANEAN KNACK FOR GOOD LIVING.

THE CITY'S MAIN SQUARE, PLAZA CATALUNYA,

IS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

FOR SEVEN MILLION CATALáN PEOPLE.

IT'S A LIVELY PEOPLE SCENE

THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THE SQUARE IS DECORATED WITH STATUES

HONORING IMPORTANT CATALANS.

CATALUNYA HAS ITS OWN DISTINCT

LANGUAGE, HISTORY, AND FLAG,

WHICH LOCALS FLY PROUDLY NEXT TO SPAIN'S FLAGS

ON GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

AND ALL ALONE FROM THEIR APARTMENTS.

CATALUNYA HAS OFTEN BEEN AT ODDS

WITH THE CENTRAL SPANISH GOVERNMENT IN MADRID.

DURING THE 1930s, THIS AREA

WAS ONE OF THE LAST POCKETS OF RESISTANCE

AGAINST THE FASCIST DICTATOR FRANCISCO FRANCO.

WHEN HE FINALLY TOOK POWER, HE PUNISHED THE REGION

WITH FOUR DECADES OF REPRESSION.

DURING THIS PERIOD, THE PEOPLE WERE FORBIDDEN

TO FLY THE CATALUNYAN FLAG.

INSTEAD, TO SHOW THEIR NATIONAL SPIRIT,

THEY FLEW THIS -- THE FLAG OF THE BARCELONA SOCCER TEAM.

CATALANS CONSIDER THEMSELVES NOT PART OF A REGION --

THAT'S WHAT SPAIN CALLS THEM --

BUT A NATION WITHOUT A STATE.

[ BRASS BAND PLAYING ]

VIVA CATALUNYA!

Steves: THE CATALAN LANGUAGE IS IRREVOCABLY TIED

TO THE SPIRIT AND HISTORY

OF THE CATALAN PEOPLE.

SURE, EVERYONE SPEAKS SPANISH.

BUT THESE KIDS SPEAK CATALAN FIRST.

[ SINGING IN CATALAN ]

[ FLAMENCO GUITAR PLAYING ]

Steves: BARCELONA'S EVER-POPULAR STROLLING BOULEVARD

IS THE RAMBLAS.

WHILE SOUVENIR SHOPS

AND CROWDS OF TOURISTS

HAVE DILUTED ITS FORMER ELEGANCE,

IT STILL OFFERS AN ENTERTAINING INTRODUCTION

TO THE CITY.

THE RAMBLAS BIRD MARKET IS A HIT WITH KIDS.

TRADITIONALLY, CHILDREN BRING

THEIR PARENTS HERE TO BUY PETS.

APARTMENT DWELLERS FIND BIRDS,

FISH, AND BUNNIES

EASIER TO HANDLE THAN DOGS AND CATS.

[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]

LA BOQUERIA,

JUST STEPS OFF THE BUSY BOULEVARD,

IS BARCELONA'S LIVELY FISH AND PRODUCE MARKET.

LOCALS SHOP IN THE MORNING

FOR THE BEST AND FRESHEST SELECTION.

THEY SAY IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT AT THE BOQUERIA,

IT'S NOT WORTH EATING.

WHEREVER I TRAVEL, I ENJOY

THE CAFES AND LITTLE EATERIES IN THE MARKETS.

HERE AT THE PENOCHO BAR,

EVEN WHILE HE AND HIS FAMILY

ARE BUSY FEEDING SHOPPERS,

FLAMBOYANT JUAN IS HAPPY TO FLASH

HIS TRADEMARK SMILE.

BACK ON THE RAMBLAS,

THE CARNIVAL OF BARCELONA LIFE CONTINUES.

A VARIETY OF STREET ENTERTAINERS VIE CREATIVELY

FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR COINS.

[ SQUEAKING ]

[ SQUEAKING CONTINUES ]

[ CHILDREN CALLING ]

[ SCREECHING ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

Steves: THE BOTTOM OF THE RAMBLAS IS MARKED

BY THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT.

IT WAS HERE IN BARCELONA

THAT THE SPANISH KING FERDINAND AND QUEEN ISABEL

WELCOMED COLUMBUS HOME AFTER HIS FIRST TRIP TO AMERICA.

IT'S IRONIC THAT BARCELONA WOULD HONOR THE MAN

WHOSE DISCOVERIES OPENED UP NEW TRADE ROUTES

THAT ACTUALLY SHIFTED THE FOCUS OF EUROPEAN TRADE

AWAY FROM HERE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN

AND OUT TO THE ATLANTIC,

AND IN DOING SO, ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED

TO THE DOWNFALL OF THIS CITY

AS A GREAT TRADING POWER.

BUT THRIVING BARCELONA HAS CLEARLY RECOVERED.

JUST BEYOND THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT,

A MODERN, WAVELIKE EXTENSION OF THE BOULEVARD,

CALLED THE RAMBLA DEL MAR,

STRETCHES INTO THE HARBOR.

IT LEADS TO A POPULAR MALL OF SHOPS AND EATERIES.

A GENERATION AGO,

BARCELONA'S WATERFRONT WAS AN INDUSTRIAL WASTELAND.

WITH IMPETUS PROVIDED BY THE 1992 OLYMPICS,

IT'S BEEN COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED.

THE FORMER OLYMPIC VILLAGE,

WHICH NOW HOUSES LOCALS, RATHER THAN ATHLETES,

IS MARKED BY FRANK GEHRY'S EYE-CATCHING FISH.

THE MANMADE BEACHES, A SERIES OF CRESCENTS

THAT STRETCH FOR MILES, ARE A HUGE HIT.

EACH COMES WITH LIVELY CAFES AND BARS,

AND ALL ARE LACED TOGETHER BY INVITING PROMENADES,

MUCH APPRECIATED BY STROLLERS, JOGGERS,

AND BIKERS.

SURPRISINGLY NEARBY IS BARCELONA'S GRITTY OLD CENTER,

THE GOTHIC CORNER.

IT'S A TANGLED YET INVITING GRAB BAG

OF CHARMING SQUARES,

ROWDY SCHOOL YARDS...

[ CHILDREN PLAYING ]

RICH CULTURAL TREASURES,

AND OTHER SURPRISES.

[ GUITAR AND VIOLIN PLAYING "THE AUTUMN LEAVES" ]

STREET MUSICIANS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE STONY ACOUSTICS.

AND THE OLD TOWN IS TRULY OLD.

TWO BOLD TOWERS DATE BACK TO THE ROMAN ERA.

THESE WERE PART OF THE OLD ROMAN WALL

THAT PROTECTED THE CITY IN ANCIENT TIMES.

THE BIG STONES AT THE BASE WERE LAID IN THE 4th CENTURY.

AND TUCKED AWAY IN A COURTYARD,

EMBEDDED IN A NONDESCRIPT OFFICE BUILDING,

IS A BIT OF THE TEMPLE WHICH ONCE CROWNED

ROMAN BARCELONA, STILL STANDING TALL.

AND NEARBY, FILLING FIVE GRAND OLD MANSIONS,

IS A HIGHLIGHT

FOR MANY VISITING BARCELONA --

THE PICASSO MUSEUM.

SINCE PABLO PICASSO SPENT HIS FORMATIVE TEENAGE YEARS

HERE IN BARCELONA,

THIS IS THE BEST COLLECTION

OF HIS EARLY ART ANYWHERE.

BY SEEING HIS YOUTHFUL REALISTIC ART,

IT'S EASIER TO APPRECIATE HIS ARTISTIC GENIUS

AND HIS LATER ABSTRACT ART.

THE MUSEUM LETS YOU TRACE THE EVOLUTION OF PICASSO'S WORK

RIGHT BACK TO HIS SCHOOLBOY DAYS.

PABLO'S EARLIEST ART IS REALISTIC AND SERIOUS.

EVEN AS A 14-YEAR-OLD, HIS PORTRAITS

OF GRIZZLED PEASANTS

SHOW IMPRESSIVE TECHNIQUE

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHT.

HE PAINTED HIS FIRST TEACHER, WHO HAPPENED TO BE HIS FATHER.

IN THIS PORTRAIT OF HIS MOTHER,

PICASSO WORKS ON THE EXPRESSION IN HER CAMEO-LIKE FACE.

AT ART SCHOOL, HE CAPTURED THE HUMAN ANATOMY BRILLIANTLY.

DURING THESE YEARS, PABLO LEARNED

THE RULES HE WOULD LATER

SO EXPERTLY BREAK.

HIS SELF-PORTRAITS SHOW THE SELF-AWARENESS

OF A BLOSSOMING INTELLECT, A KID WHO,

I IMAGINE, WAS A HANDFUL IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

AS A 15-YEAR-OLD, PABLO DUTIFULLY

ENTERED ART SCHOOL COMPETITIONS.

THIS WAS HIS DEBUT WORK, THE FIRST COMMUNION.

WHILE A RELIGIOUS SUBJECT, IT'S MORE AN EXCUSE

TO PAINT HIS FAMILY.

NOTICE HIS SISTER'S EXQUISITELY PAINTED VEIL.

IN SCIENCE AND CHARITY, PICASSO, STILL JUST A TEENAGER,

CONVEYS REAL FEELING.

THE DOCTOR -- PABLO'S FATHER, AGAIN --

REPRESENTS SCIENCE.

THE NUN REPRESENTS CHARITY AND RELIGION.

HER HOPELESS FACE AND THE LIFELESS HAND,

IT SEEMS PABLO WANTS TO SHOW THAT DEATH

IS INEVITABLE.

IN HIS EARLY 20s, PICASSO WENT TO

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY PARIS,

A CITY FILLED WITH LIGHT AND LIFE AND LOVE.

HE WENT BOHEMIAN, MADE FRIENDS WITH PROSTITUTES,

POETS, AND OTHER ARTISTS.

HE DABBLED IN DIFFERENT STYLES AND WAS INSPIRED

BY THE LEADING ARTISTS OF THE AGE.

HE PAINTED IMPRESSIONIST LANDSCAPES LIKE MONET,

POSTERS, LIKE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC,

STILL LIFES, LIKE CEZANNE,

AND GARISHLY COLORED FAUVIST WORKS, LIKE HENRI MATISSE.

BUT LATER THE SUICIDE OF HIS BEST FRIEND

AND HIS OWN POVERTY LED PICASSO

TO HIS "BLUE PERIOD."

HE PRODUCED LOTS OF BLUE PAINTINGS,

WHICH MATCHED HIS MOOD.

BY THIS POINT, PICASSO HAS DEVELOPED

A DISTINCT STYLE OF HIS OWN,

PAINTING NOT WHAT HE SEES,

BUT WHAT HE FEELS.

DESPAIR, A TOUCHING PORTRAIT

OF A MOTHER AND CHILD,

CAPTURES THE PERIOD WELL.

EVENTUALLY EMERGING FROM HIS BLUES,

PICASSO ENJOYED A LONG, INNOVATIVE,

AND PROLIFIC CAREER

AS A MATURE ARTIST,

FREED FROM BORING REALISM

AND THE CONSTRAINTS OF CONVENTION.

ALL HIS LIFE, PICASSO SAID,

"PAINTINGS ARE LIKE WINDOWS OPEN TO THE WORLD."

THESE CANVASES, PAINTED WHEN THE ARTIST WAS IN HIS 80s,

SHOW THE JOYS OF THE SUN-SPLASHED FRENCH RIVIERA.

TO THE END, PICASSO CONTINUED EXPLORING

AND LOVING LIFE THROUGH HIS ART.

AS A CHILD, HE WAS TAUGHT TO PAINT AS AN ADULT.

AND AS AN OLD MAN, HE DECLARED HE HAD LEARNED

TO PAINT LIKE A CHILD.

BARCELONA BOASTS AN ENTICING VARIETY

OF TAPAS BARS.

SOME ARE COLORFUL HOLES IN WALLS,

GIVING A GLIMPSE OF THE CRUSTY BARCELONA

FROM BEFORE ITS RECENT

PROSPERITY TOOK HOLD.

EACH SEEMS TO HAVE A SPECIALTY.

HERE, IT'S LITTLE PLATES OF DELICIOUS SARDINES

AND GLASSES OF RUSTIC WINE STRAIGHT FROM THE KEG --

REALLY CHEAP, YET RICH WITH MEMORIES.

SOME ARE FROM A DIFFERENT REGION OF SPAIN,

LIKE THIS BASQUE BAR

SERVING DELIGHTFUL LITTLE OPEN-FACED SANDWICHES.

HUNGRY DINERS GRAB A STOOL, MAKE A FRIEND OVER A CANYA -- THAT'S A GLASS OF LOCAL DRAFT BEER --

AND HAPPILY SUCCUMB TO THE TEMPTATION,

AS FRESH PLATTERS ARE PARADED OUT OF THE KITCHEN.

IN THESE PLACES, JUST LET THE TOOTHPICKS PILE UP.

WHEN IT'S TIME TO PAY,

SIMPLY COUNT YOUR TOOTHPICKS.

AND MOST POPULAR THESE DAYS

ARE THE MODERN AND TRENDY TAPAS BARS.

EATERS COBBLE TOGETHER A TASTY MEAL

OF LITTLE PLATES.

THE KEY HERE -- VARIETY.

THE 19th CENTURY WAS A BOOM TIME FOR BARCELONA.

BY 1850, THE CITY WAS BUSTING OUT OF ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS.

A NEW TOWN, CALLED EIXAMPLE, OR "EXPANSION,"

WAS PLANNED TO FOLLOW A GRID-LIKE LAYOUT.

WIDE SIDEWALKS, GRACEFUL SHADE TREES,

CHIC SHOPS, AND PLENTY OF ART NOUVEAU FRILLS

MAKE THE CAREFULLY PLANNED

EIXAMPLE DISTRICT A REFRESHING BREAK

FROM THE DENSE OLD CITY.

BUILDING CORNERS WERE SNIPPED OFF,

TO CREATE LIGHT AND SPACIOUS,

EIGHT-SIDED SQUARES AT EVERY INTERSECTION.

THE VISION OF THE EIXAMPLE WAS TO HAVE EVERYTHING

EQUALLY ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.

EACH DISTRICT OF ABOUT 20 SQUARE BLOCKS

WOULD HAVE ITS OWN MARKET, HOSPITAL,

SCHOOLS, PARK, AND DAY CARE.

WHILE THE ORIGINAL VISION WAS AN EGALITARIAN ONE

WHERE EACH ZONE WAS EQUAL,

THE EIXAMPLE BECAME AN ARCHITECTURAL SHOWCASE

FOR ITS WEALTHY RESIDENTS.

WHILE ADHERING TO HEIGHT AND WIDTH LIMITATIONS,

THEY BUILT AS THEY PLEASED --

OFTEN IN THE TRENDY STYLE OF THE DAY,

MODERNISME.

MODERNISME IS THE CATALAN

VERSION OF ART NOUVEAU,

WHICH FLOURISHED

ACROSS EUROPE IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY.

BARCELONA WAS THE CAPITAL

OF MODERNISME.

AND ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE EIXAMPLE, IT SHIMMERS WITH ITS CHARACTERISTIC

COLORFUL, LEAFY, FLOWING, AND BLOOMING SHAPES.

SEVERAL OF BARCELONA'S TOP MANSIONS

LINE THE BOULEVARD PASSEIG DE GRACIA.

BECAUSE THE STRUCTURES LOOK AS THOUGH

THEY'RE TRYING TO OUTDO EACH OTHER

IN CREATIVE TWISTS,

LOCALS NICKNAMED THIS STRETCH

"THE BLOCK OF DISCORD."

BARCELONA IS AN ARCHITECTURAL SCRAPBOOK

OF THE GALLOPING GABLES AND ORGANIC CURVES

OF THE MOST FAMOUS MODERNISTE ARCHITECT,

HOMETOWN BOY ANTONI GAUDÍ.

HIS CASA MILA IS BARCELONA'S

QUINTESSENTIAL BUILDING FROM THIS ERA.

CASA MILA IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

IT SHOWS HOW THE ORGANIC SENSITIVITIES

OF MODERNISTE ARCHITECTURE FLOWED INTO THE DOMESTIC WORLD.

THIS APARTMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN RENTED BY A WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN.

IT SHOWS HOW THE AFFLUENCE

OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE WAS ENJOYED

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL -- AT LEAST BY THE UPPER CLASS.

NOW AN APARTMENT COULD BE A SMALL PALACE.

GAUDÍ'S MOST FAMOUS WORK IS HIS UNFINISHED

CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY, OR SAGRADA FAMILIA.

HE WORKED ON IT FOR OVER 40 YEARS,

UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1926.

WORK CONTINUES ON THE CHURCH, WHICH IS NOT EXPECTED

TO BE COMPLETED FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS.

THE NATIVITY FACADE, THE ONLY PART OF THE CHURCH

ESSENTIALLY FINISHED IN GAUDÍ'S LIFETIME,

SHOWS THE ARCHITECT'S ORIGINAL VISION.

MIXING CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM,

IMAGES FROM NATURE,

AND THE ORGANIC FLAIR OF MODERNISME, IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE EXAMPLE

OF GAUDÍ'S UNMISTAKABLE STYLE.

THE MORE MODERN PASSION FACADE

HAS A DIFFERENT, YET COMPLEMENTARY, STYLE.

IN THE SOARING NAVE,

GAUDÍ'S COLUMNS BLOSSOM WITH LIFE.

GAUDÍ WAS A DEVOUT CATHOLIC.

PART OF HIS RELIGIOUS VISION

WAS A LOVE FOR NATURE.

HE SAID, "NOTHING IS INVENTED,

FOR IT'S WRITTEN IN NATURE FIRST."

HIS LITTLE WINDOWS LET LIGHT FILTER IN

LIKE THE CANOPY OF A RAIN FOREST,

CREATING SPACE FOR AN INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH GOD.

STEPPING INTO THIS MONUMENTAL CONSTRUCTION ZONE,

VISITORS SEE THE SLOW AND STEADY PROGRESS

AND WHAT THEIR STEEP ADMISSION FEE IS FUNDING.

LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION

OF GREAT CHURCHES THROUGH THE AGES,

THIS PROJECT TAKES MANY LIFETIMES.

GAUDÍ KNEW HE'D NEVER

SEE IT FINISHED, AS DO THE ARCHITECTS

WORKING ON IT TODAY.

YET THEY ALL CONTRIBUTE, PUSHING STEADILY

TOWARD COMPLETION.

SOMEDAY A CENTRAL 550-FOOT-TALL TOWER OF JESUS

WILL RISE ABOVE ALL THIS.

IT'LL DWARF EVERYTHING WE SEE TODAY.

THE VISION -- TO SHINE LIKE A SPIRITUAL LIGHTHOUSE,

VISIBLE EVEN FROM OUT AT SEA.

IF THERE'S ONE BUILDING ON EARTH I'D LIKE TO SEE,

IT'S SAGRADA FAMILIA, FINISHED.

FOR A MORE PLAYFUL DOSE OF GAUDÍ'S ARCHITECTURAL GENIUS,

WE'RE HEADING OUT TO HIS COLORFUL PARK GUELL.

WHILE TODAY THE GRAND STAIRWAY AND ITS WELCOMING LIZARD

ARE OVERWHELMED BY FUN-SEEKERS,

GAUDÍ INTENDED THIS 30-ACRE GARDEN

TO BE A 60-RESIDENCE HOUSING PROJECT,

A KIND OF GATED COMMUNITY.

FANCIFUL VIADUCTS COMPLEMENT THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE.

GAUDÍ ACTUALLY LIVED IN THIS MANSION.

AS A HIGH-END HOUSING DEVELOPMENT,

THE PROJECT FLOPPED.

BUT A CENTURY LATER, AS A PARK,

IT'S A HUGE SUCCESS.

AS YOU WANDER, IMAGINE THAT THE COMMUNITY SUCCEEDED

AND YOU ARE ONE OF ITS LUCKY RESIDENTS.

HERE AT THE HALL OF 100 COLUMNS --

THE INTENDED PRODUCE MARKET --

YOU'D ENJOY THE FANCIFUL COLUMNS

AND DECOR WHILE YOU DID A LITTLE SHOPPING.

HEADING HOME, YOU'D STROLL DOWN THE PLAYFUL ARCADE.

LIKE A SURFER'S PERFECT TUBE,

IT'S ANOTHER NATURE-INSPIRED GAUDÍ FANCY.

AND ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY,

YOU'D SIT A SPELL ON GAUDÍ'S ERGONOMIC BENCHES

TO ENJOY A GRAND VIEW OF THIS GRAND CITY.

AN HOUR INLAND FROM BARCELONA

TAKES US TO A MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLD

WHICH MANY CONSIDER THE HEART OF CATALUNYA.

A TELEFERIQUE ZOOMS VISITORS UP

TO THE DRAMATICALLY SITUATED MONASTERY OF MONTSERRAT.

MONTSERRAT MEANS "THE SERRATED MOUNTAIN."

AND YOU SEE WHY, AS YOU APPROACH.

HYMNS EXPLAIN HOW THE MOUNTAIN WAS CARVED BY LITTLE ANGELS

WITH GOLDEN SAWS.

GEOLOGISTS BLAME

NATURE AT WORK.

WITH ITS DRAMATIC MOUNTAINTOP MONASTERY

AND SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

WITH THE CATALAN PEOPLE AND THEIR STRUGGLES,

MONTSERRAT IS A REWARDING DAY TRIP

FROM BARCELONA.

IT'S BEEN CATALUNYA'S MOST IMPORTANT PILGRIMAGE SITE

FOR 1,000 YEARS.

THE MONASTERY WAS DESTROYED BY NAPOLEON.

THEN, IN THE 1850s, THE MONKS RETURNED

AS PART OF CATALUNYA'S AND EUROPE'S

RENEWED ROMANTIC APPRECIATION

OF THINGS RELIGIOUS, MEDIEVAL, AND NATIONALISTIC.

THEY REBUILT THE PLACE, AND MONTSERRAT BECAME

ONCE AGAIN THE SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL HEART

A HANDFUL OF BENEDICTINE MONKS

CARRY ON THE MONASTERY'S SPIRITUAL TRADITION.

SINCE 1025, THE SLOGAN

ORA ET LABORA -- "PRAYER AND WORK" --

PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP LIFE FOR A MONK UP HERE.

THE BENEDICTINES WELCOME VISITORS,

BOTH PILGRIMS AND TOURISTS,

IN HOPES THAT THEY'LL EXPERIENCE

THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF MONTSERRAT.

MONTSERRAT'S TOP ATTRACTION IS LA MORENETA, A SMALL WOOD STATUE OF THE BLACK VIRGIN,

DISCOVERED HERE IN THE 12th CENTURY.

LEGEND SAYS SHE WAS CARVED BY ST. LUKE,

BUT CARBON DATING SAYS SHE'S ONLY 800 YEARS OLD.

PILGRIMS CIRCULATE DOWN A LONG AND ORNATE PASSAGE

LEADING ALONGSIDE THE CHURCH

FOR THEIR FEW MOMENTS ALONE WITH THE VIRGIN.

PILGRIMS TOUCH THE VIRGIN'S ORB

TO SEEK MARY'S BLESSING.

FOR A RADICALLY DIFFERENT SLICE

OF CATALUNYA, WE'RE HEADING NORTH UP THE COSTA BRAVA --

THE TOWN OF FIGUERES HAS THE SALVADOR DALÍ MUSEUM,

THE ESSENTIAL DALÍ SITE.

EVER THE ENTERTAINER AND PROMOTER,

DALÍ PERSONALLY

DESIGNED, DECORATED, AND PAINTED IT

TO SHOWCASE HIS LIFE'S WORK.

HE WAS BURIED

RIGHT HERE IN THE FLOOR OF THIS ROOM

IN 1989, AND THE MUSEUM SERVES

AS A MAUSOLEUM TO THE ARTIST'S CREATIVE SPIRIT.

WHEN SALVADOR DALÍ WAS ASKED,

"ARE YOU ON DRUGS," HE REPLIED,

"I AM THE DRUG.

TAKE ME."

DALÍ PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING

AND TRAILBLAZING ART OF THE 20th CENTURY.

HIS SURREALISTIC IMAGERY CONTINUES TO DISTURB

AND INTRIGUE TO THIS DAY.

THE BEST KNOWN OF THE SURREALISTS,

DALÍ CREATED PHOTO-REALISTIC IMAGES

SET IN BIZARRE DREAMSCAPES.

HIS LIFE CHANGED FOREVER IN 1929,

WHEN HE MET AN OLDER RUSSIAN WOMAN

NAMED GALA.

SHE BECAME HIS WIFE, MUSE, MODEL,

MANAGER, AND EMOTIONAL COMPASS.

AN AUDIENCE OF GOLDEN STATUES LOOKS DOWN ON THE MUSEUM.

ABOVE DALÍ'S PERSONAL 1941 CADILLAC

HANGS THE BOAT ENJOYED BY DALÍ AND HIS SOUL MATE, GALA.

WHEN SHE DIED, HE WAS DEVASTATED.

BELOW THE BOAT DRIP BLUE TEARS.

SQUINT AT THE BIG DIGITAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

AND HE COMES INTO FOCUS.

LOOK CLOSER, AND YOU SEE ABE'S FACIAL CHEEKS

ARE GALA'S OTHER CHEEKS.

"THE HOMAGE TO MAE WEST" ROOM

IS A TRIBUTE TO THE SULTRY SEDUCTRESS.

DALÍ LOVED HER ATTITUDE.

SHE WAS TO CONVENTIONAL MORALITY

WHAT HE WAS TO CONVENTIONAL ART.

FACIAL FEATURES ARE FURNITURE,

ARRANGED SO THAT,

THE INTENDED VANTAGE POINT,

EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER.

THE CEILING OF THE LOUNGE IS A HIGHLIGHT.

IT SHOWS GALA AND DALÍ

AS THEY REACH FOR THE HEAVENS.

DALÍ'S DRAWERS ARE WIDE OPEN

AND EMPTY, INDICATING HE GAVE EVERYTHING TO HIS ART.

DALÍ ENJOYED HIS MOST CREATIVE YEARS NEARBY

IN THE FISHING VILLAGE OF CADAQUES,

WHICH HAS LONG BEEN A HAVEN

FOR INTELLECTUALS AND ARTISTS ALIKE.

[ SEAGULLS SQUAWKING ]

ITS CRAGGY COASTLINE, SUN-DRENCHED COLORS,

AND LAID-BACK LIFESTYLE INSPIRED ARTISTS

FROM MATISSE AND DUCHAMP

TO PICASSO.

FOR TODAY'S TOURISTS, MELLOW CADAQUES

OFFERS A PEACEFUL BEACH-TOWN ESCAPE NEAR BARCELONA.

IN THE 1920s, SALVADOR DALÍ AND GALA MOVED IN,

BRINGING INTERNATIONAL FAME TO THIS SLEEPY CATALAN PORT.

CASA DALÍ SHOWS HOW A HOME CAN REFLECT

THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF AN ARTISTIC GENIUS AND HIS MUSE.

HIS STUDIO WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN INNOVATIVE EASEL.

IT CRANKED UP AND DOWN TO ALLOW THE ARTIST

TO PAINT WHILE SEATED, AS HE DID EIGHT HOURS A DAY.

THE BOHEMIAN YET DIVINE LIVING ROOM

COMES COMPLETE WITH A MIRROR TO REFLECT

THE SUNRISE ONTO THEIR BED EACH MORNING.

LIKE DALÍ'S ART, HIS HOME DEFIES CONVENTION.

AND LIKE THE ARTIST HIMSELF,

IT'S PLAYFUL AND PROVOCATIVE.

DALÍ'S PLACE IS THE MOST ENJOYABLE

ARTIST'S HOME I'VE TOURED ANYWHERE IN EUROPE.

AND IT'S JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE

OF THE QUIRKY AND CREATIVE SPIRIT OF CATALUNYA --

A SPIRIT THAT GIVES BARCELONA AND THIS CORNER OF SPAIN

A DISTINCT CHARM.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I'M RICK STEVES.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, KEEP ON TRAVELING.

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Destination: Spain

Granada’s alhambra.

For me, one of the great joys of travel is having in-person encounters with great art and architecture — which I’ve collected in a book called Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces . Here’s one of my favorites:   

Nowhere else does the splendor of Moorish civilization shine so beautifully than at the Alhambra — this last and greatest Moorish palace in Europe.  

For seven centuries (711–1492), much of Spain was Muslim, ruled by the Islamic Moors from North Africa. While the rest of Europe was slumbering through the Dark Ages, Spain blossomed under Moorish rule. The culmination was the Alhambra — a sprawling complex of palaces and gardens atop a hill in Granada. And the highlight is the exquisite Palacios Nazaríes, where the sultans and their families lived, worked, and held court.   

You enter through the fragrant Court of the Myrtles, into a world of ornately decorated rooms, stucco “stalactites,” filigreed windows, and bubbling fountains. Water — so rare and precious in the Islamic world — was the purest symbol of life. The Alhambra is decorated with water, water everywhere: standing still, cascading, masking secret conversations, and drip-dropping playfully.  

As you explore the labyrinth of rooms, you can easily imagine sultans smoking hookahs, lounging on pillows and Persian carpets, with heavy curtains on the windows and incense burning from the lamps. Walls and ceilings are covered with intricate patterns carved in wood and stucco. (If the Alhambra’s interweaving patterns look Escheresque, you’ve got it backward: The artist M. C. Escher was inspired by the Alhambra.) Because Muslim artists avoided making images of living creatures, they ornamented with calligraphy — by carving swoopy letters in Arabic, quoting poetry and verses from the Quran. One phrase — “only Allah is victorious” — is repeated 9,000 times.   

The Generalife gardens — with manicured hedges, reflecting pools, playful fountains, and a breezy summer palace — is where sultans took a break from palace life. Its architect, in a way, was the Quran, which says that heaven is like a lush oasis, and that “those who believe and do good, will enter gardens through which rivers flow” (Quran 22.23).  

The Alhambra’s much-photographed Courtyard of the Lions is named for its fountain of 12 marble lions. Four channels carry water outward — figuratively to the corners of the earth and literally to the sultan’s private apartments. As a poem carved onto the Alhambra wall says, the fountain gushes “crystal-clear water” like “the full moon pouring light from an unclouded sky.”   

The palace’s largest room is the ornate throne room — the Grand Hall of the Ambassadors. Here the sultan, seated on his throne beneath a domed ceiling of stars, received visitors. The ceiling, made from 8,017 inlaid pieces of wood (like a giant jigsaw puzzle), suggests the complexity of Allah’s infinite universe.   

The throne room represents the passing of the torch in Spanish history. It was here in the year 1492 that the last Moorish king surrendered to the Christians. And it was here that the new monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, said “Sí, señor” to Christopher Columbus, launching his voyage to the New World that would make Spain rich. But the glory of the Alhambra lived on, adding an elegance and grace to Spanish art for centuries to come.   

Today, the Alhambra stands as a thought-provoking reminder of a graceful Moorish world that might have flowered throughout all of Europe — but didn’t.  

Daily Dose of Europe: El Greco’s “Burial of Count Orgaz”

As our passports gather dust, our leaders bicker over conspiracy theories, and people struggle to arrange a vaccination, I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. And for me, one of the great joys of travel is having in-person encounters with great art — which I’ve collected in my book called Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces . And “Burial of Count Orgaz” is one of my favorites.  

It just feels right to see a painting in the same church where the artist placed it 400 years ago. This 15-foot-tall masterpiece, painted at the height of El Greco’s powers, is the culmination of his unique style.   

The year is 1323. Count Don Gonzalo Ruiz of Orgaz, the mayor of Toledo, has died. You’re at his funeral, where he’s being buried right here in the chapel that he himself had ordered built. The good count was so holy, even saints Augustine and Stephen have come down from heaven to be here. Toledo’s most distinguished citizens are also in attendance. The two saints, wearing rich robes, bend over to place Count Orgaz, dressed in his knight’s armor, into the tomb. (Count Orgaz’s actual granite tombstone was just below the painting.) Meanwhile, above, the saints in heaven wait to receive his blessed soul.  

The detail work is El Greco at his best. Each nobleman’s face is a distinct portrait, capturing a different aspect of sorrow or contemplation. The saints’ robes are intricately brocaded and have portraits of saints on them. Orgaz’s body is perfectly foreshortened, sticking out toward us. The officiating priest wears a wispy, transparent white robe. Look closely. Orgaz’s armor is so shiny, you can actually see St. Stephen’s reflection on his chest.  

The serene line of noble faces divides the painting into two realms: heaven above and earth below. Above the faces, the count’s soul, symbolized by a little baby, rises up through a mystical birth canal to be reborn in heaven, where he’s greeted by Jesus, Mary, and all the saints. A spiritual wind blows through as colors change and shapes stretch. With its metallic colors, wavelike clouds, embryonic cherubs, and elongated forms, heaven is as surreal as the earth is sober. But the two realms are united by the cross at right.  

El Greco considered this to be one of his greatest works. It’s a virtual catalog of his trademark techniques: elongated bodies, elegant hand gestures, realistic faces, voluminous robes, and an ethereal mix of heaven and earth. He captures a moment of epiphany with bright, almost fluorescent colors that give these otherwise ordinary humans a heavenly aura.  

The boy in the foreground points to the two saints as if to say, “One’s from the first century, the other’s from the fourth…it’s a miracle!” The boy is El Greco’s own son. On the handkerchief in the boy’s pocket is El Greco’s signature, written in Greek. One guy (seventh from the l eft) in this whole scene doesn’t seem to be completely engaged in the burial. Looking directly out at the viewer is the painter, El Greco himself.  

This little moment from Europe — a sampling of how we share our love of art and history in our tours — is an excerpt from the full-color coffee-table book I wrote with Gene Openshaw, Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces . Please support local businesses in your community by picking up a copy from your favorite bookstore, or you can find it in my online Travel Store .

P.S. – Be sure to check out Rick Steves Classroom Europe — my free collection of 500+ teachable video clips. Search “El Greco” for a closer look at the Greek-born artist who painted for a Spanish king, adopted Toledo as his hometown, and conveyed religious themes in a memorable, mystical way.  

Daily Dose of Europe: Gaudí’s Sagrada Família

Antoni Gaudí’s most awe-inspiring work is this unfinished, super-sized basilica. With its cake-in-the-rain facade and otherworldly spires, the basilica has become the icon of Barcelona.

As America continues to suffer crisis upon crisis, it has never been more important to broaden our perspectives and learn about the people and places that shape our world. And for me, one of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. Learning the stories behind great art can shed new light on our lives today. Here’s one of my favorites.

Construction on the Sagrada Família began over a century ago (1883) and is still ongoing. The only section finished by Gaudí himself is the Nativity Facade. The four 330-foot towers soar upward, morph into round honeycomb spires, and taper to a point, tipped with colorful ceramic “stars.”

Gaudí’s Nativity Facade gives a glimpse at how grand this structure will be. The four spires are just a fraction of this mega-church. When finished, the church will have four similar towers on each side, plus five taller towers dedicated to the Evangelists and Mary. And in the very center will stand the 560-foot Jesus tower — the tallest in the world — topped with an electric cross shining like a spiritual lighthouse. The grand Nativity Facade (where tourists enter today) will become a mere side entrance. The huge church will accommodate 8,000 worshippers surrounded by a forest of sequoia-sized columns. With light filtering in, dappling the nave with stained-glass color, a thousand choristers will sing.

The Nativity Facade exemplifies Gaudí’s unmistakable style. It’s incredibly ornate, made from stone that ripples like frosting, blurring the architectural lines. The sculpted surface is crawling with life: people, animals, birds, trees, and weird bugs. Two massive columns flanking the entrance playfully rest on the backs of two cute little turtles. Gaudí’s religious vision was infused with a love of nature. “Nothing is invented,” he said, “it’s written in nature.” The church grows organically from the ground, blossoming to heaven.

As a deeply religious man, Gaudí’s architectural starting point was Gothic: spires, “flamboyant” ornamentation, pointed arches, and Christian themes.

The Nativity Facade, dedicated to Christ’s birth, features statues of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus — the “Holy Family” (or Sagrada Família) for whom the church is named.

Gaudí mixed in his trademark “Modernist” (or Art Nouveau) elements: color, curves, and a clip-art collage of fanciful symbols celebrating Barcelona’s glorious history. He pioneered many of the latest high-tech construction techniques, including parabolic arches, like those spanning the facade’s midsection. He molded concrete to ripple like waves and enlivened it with glass and tile. His vision: a church that would be both practical and beautiful.

Gaudí labored over Sagrada Família for 43 years. As with Gothic cathedrals of old, he knew it would require many generations to complete. The Nativity Facade was Gaudí’s template to guide future architects. But he also encouraged his successors to follow their own muses. After Gaudí’s death, construction continued in fits and starts, halted by war and stagnation.

Today, the project enjoys renewed life. The site — funded in part by admissions from daily hordes of visitors — bristles with cranking cranes, prickly rebar, scaffolding, and engineers from around the world, trained in the latest technology. More than a century after Gaudí began, they’re still at it. It’s a testament to the generations of architects, sculptors, stonecutters, fundraisers, and donors who became captivated by Gaudí’s astonishing vision, and are determined to incarnate it in stone.

The hoped-for date of completion? The centenary of Gaudí’s death: 2026. I’ll be there.

This art moment — a sampling of how we share our love of art in our tours — is an excerpt from the new, full-color coffee-table book Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces by Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw. Please support local businesses in your community by picking up a copy from your favorite bookstore, or you can find it at my online Travel Store . To enhance your art experience, you can find a clip related to this artwork at Rick Steves Classroom Europe ; just search for Gaudi.

Daily Dose of Europe: Velázquez’s Las Meninas

Diego Velázquez spent 30 years painting formal portraits of the Spanish king. Then, deciding to switch things up, he painted his most famous and greatest painting. Instead of showing the king, Las Meninas captures the behind-the-scenes action as the king’s portrait is being painted.

Velázquez stands at his easel, flicks his Dalí moustache, raises his brush, and looks directly out toward the people he’s painting — the king and queen. They’d be standing right where the viewer stands. In fact, you can even see the royal couple reflected in the mirror on the back wall. We’re seeing what the king and queen would have seen: their little blonde-haired daughter Margarita and her “maids,” or meninas , who’ve gathered to watch the sitting.

Velázquez (1599–1660) was a master of candid snapshots. Trained in the unflinching realism of his hometown of Seville, he’d made his name painting wrinkled old men and grimy workers in blue-collar bars.

Here, he catches the maids in an unguarded moment. Margarita is eyeing her parents, while a maid kneels to offer her a drink and another curtsies. To the right is one of the court dwarves, and a little boy playfully pokes the family dog. Just at that moment, in the background, a man pauses at a doorway to look in on the scene. The moment is frozen, but you can easily imagine what these people were doing 30 seconds before or 30 seconds later.

This seemingly simple painting was revolutionary in many ways. Velázquez enjoyed capturing light, and capturing the moment, just as the Impressionists would two centuries later. Also, if you look close, you’ll see that the girls’ seemingly detailed dresses are nothing but a few messy splotches of paint — the proto-Impressionist use of paints that Velázquez helped pioneer.

Velázquez creates a kind of 3-D dollhouse world and induces you to step inside. The figures are almost life-size, and the frame extends the viewer’s reality. The eye unconsciously follows the receding lines of the wall on the right to the far wall, and the painting’s vanishing point — the lighted doorway. The painting’s world stretches from there all the way back to the imaginary space where the king and queen (and the viewer) would be standing. And you are part of the scene, seemingly able to walk around, behind, and among the characters. Considered by many to be the greatest painting ever, this is art come to life.

This art moment — a sampling of how we share our love of art in our tours — is an excerpt from the new, full-color coffee-table book Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces by Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw. Please support local businesses in your community by picking up a copy from your favorite bookstore, or you can find it at our online Travel Store . To enhance your art experience, you can find clips related to this artwork at Rick Steves Classroom Europe ; just search for Prado.

Daily Dose of Europe: Pamplona — Feeling the Breath of the Bull on Your Pants

This summer, every big European festival is cancelled — including Pamplona’s famous Running of the Bulls, which was slated to begin today. Instead, I’m reliving my memories of the time I had a front-row view of the action.

Even though we’re not visiting Europe right now, I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. I just published a collection of my favorite stories from a lifetime of European travels. My new book is called “For the Love of Europe” — and this story is just one of its 100 travel tales.

Perched on the top timber of the inner of two fences (in the prime area reserved for press), I wait for the 8:00 rocket. I’m thinking this is early…but for the mob scene craning their necks for the view behind me, it’s late. They’ve been up all night.

Cameras are everywhere — on remote-controlled robotic arms, vice-gripped to windowsills, hovering overhead on cranes, and in the hands of nearly every spectator that makes up the wall of bodies pressed against the thick timber fence behind me.

The street fills with runners. While you can wear anything, nearly everyone is wearing the traditional white pants, white shirt, and red bandana. The scene evokes some kind of cultish clan and a ritual sacrifice. This is the Festival of San Fermín. Fermín was beheaded by the Romans 2,000 years ago, martyred for his faith. The red bandanas evoke his bloody end.

It’s three minutes to eight, and the energy surges. The street is so full that if everyone suddenly ran, you’d think they’d simply trip over each other and all stack up, waiting to be minced by angry bulls. The energy continues to build. There are frat-boy runners — courage stoked by booze and by the girls they’re determined to impress. And there are serious mozos — famous locally for their runs, who’ve made this scene annually for as long as people can remember. They’ve surveyed the photos and stats (printed in yesterday’s paper) of the six bulls about to be turned loose. They know the quirks of the bulls and have chosen their favorite stretch of the half-mile run. While others are hung over, these mozos got a good, solid night’s sleep, and are now stretching and prepping mentally.

For serious runners, this is like surfing…you hope to catch a good wave and ride it. A good run lasts only 15 or 20 seconds. You know you’re really running with the bull when you feel its breath on your pants.

Mozos respect the bull. It represents power, life, and the great wild. Hemingway, who first came to the festival in 1923, understood. He wrote that he enjoyed watching two wild animals run together — one on two legs, the other on four.

It’s 8:00 and the sound of the rocket indicates that the bulls are running. The entire scramble takes about two and a half minutes. The adrenaline surges in the crowded street. Everyone wants to run — but not too early. Suddenly, it’s as if I’m standing before hundreds of red-and-white human pogo sticks. The sea of people spontaneously begins jumping up and down — trying to see the rampaging bulls to time their flight.

We’ve chosen to be near the end of the run — 200 yards from the arena, where, later today, these bulls will meet their matador. One advantage of a spot near the end is that the bulls should be more spread out, so we can see six go by individually rather than as a herd. But today, they stay together and make the fastest run of the nine-day festival: 2 minutes and 11 seconds.

The bulls rush through, creating pandemonium — a freak wave of humanity pummels the barrier. Panicky boys — no longer macho men — press against my stretch of fence. It’s a red-and-white cauldron of desperation: big eyes, scrambling bodies, the ground quaking, someone oozing under the bottom rail.

Then, suddenly, the bulls are gone. People pick themselves up, and it’s over. Boarded-up shops reopen, and the timber fences are taken down and stacked. As is the ritual, participants drop into a bar immediately after the running, have breakfast, and together watch the rerun of the entire spectacle on TV — all 131 seconds of it.

While only 15 runners have been killed by bulls over the last century, each year, dozens of people are gored, trampled, or otherwise injured during the event. A mozo who falls knows to stay down — it’s better to be trampled by six bulls than to be gored by one.

A bull becomes most dangerous when separated from the herd. For this reason, a few steer — castrated bulls that are calmer and slower — are released with the bulls. (There’s no greater embarrassment in this machismo culture than to think you’ve run with a bull, only to realize later that you actually ran with a steer.)

After the last bulls run, the rollicking festival concludes at midnight on July 14. Pamplona’s townspeople congregate in front of City Hall, light candles, and sing their sad song, “Pobre de Mí”: “Poor me, the Fiesta de San Fermín has ended.” They tuck away their red bandanas…until next year on July 6.

(This story appears in my newest book, For the Love of Europe — collecting 100 of my favorite memories from a lifetime of European travel. Please support local businesses in your community by picking up a copy from your favorite bookstore tomorrow, July 7th. Or you can pre-order For the Love of Europe online .  You can also find clips related to this story at Rick Steves Classroom Europe ; just search for Pamplona.)

• Destinations

The Popular City In Italy Rick Steves Doesn't Recommend For Everyone

Italy has long fascinated travel expert Rick Steves. Despite the country's association with romance and beauty, Steves admires the realness of the place — the primary reason why he warns some travelers against visiting the city of Naples. Italy, especially this part, has a frankness in the air Steves wrote about on his blog in one of the many pieces dedicated to the country he has produced through the years.

"I'm struck by how Italy gets intimate with its visitors," Steves expressed. "Nowhere else in Europe does a country share its quirky secrets like here. And, even though I don't speak the language, I make more friends here per visit than in any other country. Anyone can do it." Steves explained that these connections stem from the genuine interactions he shares even as a tourist in Italy. Considering that he has over 550 blog posts about the country, including one dedicated to the best time to visit Italy for the ultimate Italian getaway, it's safe to say he adores it.

Despite his clear affection for the European nation, Steves has not hesitated to acknowledge the ways in which it might fail to connect with others. In fact, cities like Naples could turn off tourists altogether. While Steves doesn't tell visitors to turn away from the destination completely, he has provided important context so travelers don't face an unpleasant surprise on arrival.

Steves believes Naples may be too gritty for some people

No matter how you imagine Italy, you may want to set these visions aside if you plan to visit Naples. The city, though beloved by Rick Steves, stands out from many other major European destinations. On his blog , Steves identified Naples as his go-to "reality travel" for Western Europe due to its gritty nature. He has observed friends walk into the city and right back out after seeing the plucky persona of Naples firsthand.

Steves shared that he also felt put off the first time he visited Naples. He only gained an appreciation for the city after he got to know it. "It's Italy's third largest city, along with being its most polluted, crime-ridden, and densely populated, with almost no parks or open spaces," he wrote. "But this tangled mess still somehow manages to breathe, laugh, and sing with a joyful Italian accent." According to him, if you keep walking through Naples and away from the touristy part, you'll find yourself immersed "in a classic southern Italian world."

Yet, Steves suggests that only travelers who know how to handle the city venture to Naples. The ability to walk on pace with locals will keep you safer, especially since traffic lights seem more like a suggestion than a law, he noted. Steves acknowledged pickpocketing as a real concern, but asserted that travelers with "good common sense" will enjoy their time in Naples.

What to consider before visiting Naples

For all the ways Naples could (and has!) intimidated travelers, Rick Steves still encourages those prepared to handle its streets to pay it a visit. Steves himself has admitted that decades after his first visit, he remains a little overtaken by the brashness of Naples. In a Facebook post , he compared the streets and markets to those of Morocco and Cairo. He also warned travelers that gentrification has swept up even the grittiest parts of the city, like the Sanitá Quarter.

Steves stressed that anyone who wants to see the Sanitá neighborhood should do so before it changes. In a blog post dated years before the Facebook update, he identified Sanitá as the ideal way to experience Naples. "A walk like this, with joy filling the streets, is why I go to Naples," he wrote of the neighborhood. "Don't be too hung up on the broken stucco, the graffiti, and the rough edges...it's the patina of a vibrant urban life."

Steves' decision to advocate for a city like Naples should not come as a surprise. He often suggests hidden gem spots over tourist-infected ones . Yet, the travel expert also understands that not all travelers want to experience these types of destinations. Vacationers who prefer the more popularized Italian aesthetic have plenty of other options. Perhaps you could visit these beautiful Italian islands that don't get enough attention instead ?

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Monday, July 15, 2024 75° Today's Paper

Rick Steves’ Europe: Taming London’s key sights in a week

By Rick Steves

July 14, 2024

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COURTESY RICK STEVES

At London’s Natural History Museum, the Life Galleries exhibits cover everything from creepy crawlies to giant mammals.

COURTESY CAMERON HEWITT

The thatch-roofed, open-air Globe theater presents Shakespearean plays much as the writer intended: under the sky with no amplification.

With 600 square miles, 8 million people and too many must-see sights to view in one visit, London can feel formidable to travelers. On one guidebook-updating trip, I had only a week to take in the city’s key sights — but I was up for the challenge. I had no time to waste: After landing at Heathrow, I rode the Tube to my hotel, dropped off my bag and hit the ground running.

First, I dashed to the Natural History Museum. Upon entering, I quickly remembered how much I love this place. In the main hall a sculpted Charles Darwin sat on his throne below a giant slice of sequoia. A few rooms were closed not “for renovation,” but because the museum was “evolving.” The natural world was put in perspective: The elephant was big, but it looked like it could have been a dangling trinket on the sperm whale’s charm bracelet. In the mineral vault, a chunk of Mars came with an explanation of how it got here.

Next, I popped into the always thrilling Victoria and Albert Museum. It has always featured one of the world’s top collections of decorative arts — vases, stained glass, jewelry and fine furniture. And after the V&A, I ate dinner at my favorite pub — it was a super start to my visit.

Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years. Public transportation is the most efficient way to get around this huge city. For a weeklong stay, spring for the 7 Day Travelcard, which zips you to most of the top sights for one flat fee. For this visit, rather than spend 60 pounds (about $76) for a taxi from Heathrow to my South Kensington hotel, I paid about 70 pounds for a 7 Day Travelcard transport pass, which not only covered my airport-into-town Tube ride, but gave me unlimited Tube and bus rides for a week.

While the Travelcard fulfills most transportation needs, a double-­decker bus tour is still a classic London experience. I recommend saving this for a Sunday morning, when many sights are closed, making this a convenient time to get an overview of the city.

London is one of Europe’s most expensive cities, and sightseeing can add up quickly. But many of the city’s top museums are free (though donations are requested). These include the Victoria and Albert, British Library, British Museum, National Gallery and Tate Modern.

There are certainly sights that charge admission — but if you can’t save money, save time. For no extra fee, souvenir stands and the City of London tourist information office sell “Fast Track” tickets that allow you to skip the queue at certain sights. These are especially worthwhile for places that can have long ticket lines, such as the London Eye.

If you’re having trouble fitting everything in, evenings can be a great time to go sightseeing. On any night of the week, you’ll find some sights open until at least 8 or 9 p.m.

A good itinerary shouldn’t just cover the big sights. You’re on vacation, remember? Some of my favorite London experiences don’t involve art, royalty or artifacts; instead, they’re about enjoying a picnic lunch while cruising the Thames, watching Londoners at play in Hyde Park, sipping afternoon tea at the Wolseley or browsing the street markets in Notting Hill or Camden Town.

In the evenings, take advantage of London’s theater scene, which rivals Broadway in quality and usually beats it in price (try for discounted same-day tickets at the “tkts” booth in Leicester Square). Between high-energy musicals in the West End, cutting-edge plays starring A-list celebrities and Shakespearean productions at the Globe, London theater will have the perfect show for you.

In my view, London is one of the only cities in Europe (along with Rome, Paris and Istanbul) that can fill an entire week with blockbuster sights and experiences. It’s impossible to see it all in one shot, so why try? Countless visits later, I still leave here with a healthy list of reasons to return.

Rick Steves writes European guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public TV and radio. Contact him at [email protected] . His column runs on alternating weeks in the Travel section.

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