For the Love of Europe: Musings on 45 Years of Travel by Rick Steves

For the Love of Europe: Musings on 45 Years of Travel Reviews

• 
  Roy Lotz

  I admit that a large part of me wants to dislike Rick Steves. He is just so goofy, so white bread, so middlebrow. I rolled my eyes through the first fifty-odd pages of this book, often pausing for a guffaw. Yet you can only be a snob for so long before it gets old. Plus, the eyes can only take so much rolling. Thus it was that, though I picked up this book an infidel, I put it down a believer.
  
  What struck me first was the language. To put it charitably, Steves will not be winning a Pulitzer anytime soon. The description of the book epitomizes what I mean:
  

  Join Rick as he’s swept away by a fado singer in Lisbon, learns the dangers of falling in love with a gondolier in Venice, and savors a cheese course in the Loire Valley. Contemplate the mysteries of centuries-old stone circles in England, dangle from a cliff in the Swiss Alps, and hear a French farmer’s defense of foie gras.

  
  This is typical of the book itself. Notice that he loves sentences with lists of three things, and that everything is in the present tense—both features that make this book often read like an old-fashioned advertisement. And yet, while inelegant, tasteless, and sometimes grating, I must admit that Steves knows how to paint a picture with words. I found myself pulled into the scenes he was describing, falling helplessly under his thrall. Indeed, no book in recent memory gave me such a satisfying experience of being a vicarious traveler.
  
  I slowly realized that Rick’s greatest asset is that he is not a snob—not even a little. His willingness to be gullible and goofy is what allows him to enjoy the place he is visiting. And he always does seem to enjoy it. This is because, aside from his travel tips, Steves is promoting a certain mindset: the ability to have fun without being a hedonist, and a willingness to learn without taking it all too seriously. Maybe the best word would be ‘unabashed.’ Many people, I believe, would be a bit embarrassed not to speak any foreign language after 45 years of traveling around Europe. But Steve? He is unabashedly anglophone—and, in general, unabashedly an American tourist.
  
  If I am making Rick Steves sound unduly profound, it is because I am trying to put into words how such a dorky guy could create an entire empire of travel books and films. He must be doing something right. Yet perhaps I was so taken with this book because I so miss the pre-pandemic days, when travel around Europe was (relatively) cheap and easy. And even if there were no pandemic, there are many reasons why the travel industry might be unsustainable: flying contributes to global warming, for example, and tourists can make cities unlivable for locals by pushing up prices and occupying apartments. Ironically, then, over the long term tourism erodes the very thing Steves encourages people to go looking for—connection with locals, “authentic” experiences of other cultures.
  
  As in the cases of steak and alcohol, then, there seem to be many reasons to avoid travel entirely—if not for the pesky fact that it is extremely pleasurable. Steves, however, would counter that traveling the right way broadens our perspectives and makes us citizens of the world. I very much would like that to be true. But I have met so many well-traveled people with their ignorance intact that I must say I am skeptical. Still, I suppose I ought to go on a few more nice vacations just to be sure…
• 
  Lorna

  For the Love of Europe: Musings on 45 Years of Travel was a delightful look at Europe over a lot of years by one of my favorite travel writers, Rick Steves. There were so many times during our travels to Europe, a copy of his guidebook was in my bag. Great tips always, but one of our favorites was on a magical trip to Paris. Standing in a long line to get into The Louvre, we were discussing a tip Rick Steves had given about a little known entrance. While trying to determine where that would be, a family from Texas overhearing our conversation told us where to go. Our new-found friends in the queue didn't want to chance it but we were soon inside and after having viewed a lot of the museum, including The Mona Lisa, we saw that our queue was just making their way in as we were off to the rooftop cafe for a glass of Sancerre and a cheese plate to enjoy the beautiful Parisian sunshine before we toured the rest of the museum.
  
  This lovely book covers all of Europe, including Britain and Ireland, Portugal and Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, Germany, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey. The wonderful prose was also augmented by lovely photographs of all of these beautiful countries, and the next best thing to my passport remaining unused.
  
  With our trip to Spain and Portugal canceled due to COVID-19, I am visiting vicariously as captured by Rick Steves:
  
  "Fado is the folk music of Lisbon's rustic neighborhoods: so accessible to anyone willing to be out late and stroll the back streets. Since the mid-1800s, it's been the Lisbon blues--mournfully beautiful and haunting ballads about long-gone sailors, broken hearts, and bittersweet romance. Fado means "fate"--how fate deals with Portugal's adventurers. . . and the families they leave behind. The lyrics reflect the pining for a loved one across the water, hopes for a future reunion, remembrances of a rosy past, or dreams of a better future."
  
  And Rick Steves' experiences in Spain:
  
  "We'd been in Andalucia for a week, and I realized it's a hair-trigger flamenco society. I like hair-trigger cultures. Just as Austria is eager to waltz and Ireland is always ready for a a good folk song. Andalucia is just waiting for the simplest excuse to grab castanets and dance."
  
  There are so many adventures that we have taken with Rick Steves, including the Eastern European countries with Prague being a favorite. It was through Rick Steves that we knew the nuances of Cinque Terra and where to find Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper in Milan. Over the years we have experienced travel and so much more from our armchair. And it appears that we will be vicariously traveling for awhile longer. . . . Be safe and be well everyone.
• 
  Jennifer

  This was a great book for anyone who loves traveling. We were lucky enough to go to Prague and Paris in October before the pandemic hit the world. We are looking forward to when we can travel to Europe again.
• 
  Gary Anderson

  This summer's COVID-19 pandemic scuttled what would have been our third Rick Steves tour to Europe. Instead, I've been reading travel-related books, including For the Love of Europe which is full of Rick Steves's ebullient perspectives on Europe, Europeans, and travel in general. Many travelers look to Rick Steves for specific how-to and when-to information, but Steves is also a heckuva travel writer. For much of this book, he takes off his tour guide hat and replaces it with the jaunty cap of a seasoned traveler who has an eye for details and an affinity for adventurous food and drink, making new friends, and off the beaten path European destinations. There is a little bit of travel advice sprinkled throughout, but each of these one hundred essays is more focused on capturing the essence of a single experience. I've spent time with both the print and audio versions of For the Love of Europe, and each has its advantages. The print book is filled with color photographs while the audiobook is narrated by Rick Steves in his distinctively likable style. For the Love of Europe may be best savored a bit at a time, but don't be surprised if you are tempted to devour it all at once. In other words, you can approach this book as Rick Steves suggests travelling: "Regardless of your journey, you can put a little pilgrim in your travels and find your own personal jubilation."
• 
  Sharon

  One of the hardest things about shelter-in-place, for me, has been that I cannot travel. Nor, it appears, can those of us who hold US passports, go much of anywhere for an indeterminate amount of time. So, I find myself doing the next best thing: armchair travel.
  
  In this book, Rick Steves shares essays based on his travel experiences over the years (some of which we see in his exceptional PBS series). We not only get to see the sites, but also meet some of the people he's encountered along the way. The book is not only a delightful text, but is rich with photographs.
  
  The travelogues take us not only around the more familiar locations, but also to remote towns and villages that are not on most itineraries. Steves' fondness for getting off the beaten track allows us to see aspects of Europe that we might not otherwise consider.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Graeme Newell

  Wonderful musing on some Rick Steve's most memorable travel stops. I was expecting a bit more of a narrative and it turned out just to be a whole series of small articles.
• 
  J.R. Dodson

  Quite enjoyable, with a few excellent essays. More than a few of the 100 essays felt unfinished though, as if each was racing towards an Aesop’s Fables-like one-line meaning at the end.
• 
  Kelly 💜☕️

  I listened to the audio narrated in the comforting voice of Rick Steves himself.
  
  This is a good book to listen to in spurts, a chapter or a few at a time. Some countries are short and others, like Italy, go into much detail.
  
  The book is divided into chapters by countries: Portugal and Spain, France, Britain and Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and the Baltics, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey, and Across Europe which briefly covers some historical basics and quirky facts that would be interesting and helpful for travelers.
  
  Thanks to San Diego County Library for the digital audio version via Libby app.
  
  [Audio: 10 hours, 39 minutes]
  
  Time spent listening: 8 hours, 42 minutes
  
• 
  Judy

  I read this book for the 2021 Popsugar Challenge prompt "a book set in multiple countries". It is a collection of travel stories by popular travel writer Rick Steves about his various adventures throughout his traveling life in Europe. I particularly enjoyed the sections set in areas we have visited, and I always like Steves' positive attitude towards getting to know local folks in order to understand their homes. The photos were great. Overall though, I found this book a little superficial, as if he was trying to cram in too many places to the detriment of the stories. It wasn't awful, just not as good as I had hoped. 3.5 stars
• 
  Craig Barner

  3.5 stars
  
  Rick Steves has the inimitable talent to discover something new about every place he visits in Europe. In the sheep-raising Cotswolds area of England, he discovers a walking club called the Ramblers. Every year the group organizes a "Mass Trespass" to walk the 50,000 miles of public trails in the country. The idea is to prevent landlords from putting up fences and other barriers. Under the law people are entitled to use these footpaths even when they enter private land. It's a little bit of local flavor that captures the culture of the area.
  
  It's the same everywhere in For the Love of Europe. Rick is able to capture a person, a moment, an emotion that epitomizes a place. He always feels like he is in a setting like no other. When you're with Rick, you have the best guide. And he is eager to watch the parade of humanity. Rick loves to rub his nose in the quiddity of everything.
  
  Rick's passion for discovery is so intense that he doesn't spare himself for the rare moment of obtuseness. He visits an island in the Adriatic Sea off Montenegro in southeastern Europe. There in a church he discovers an embroidery on display. Some 200 years prior a woman took 20 years to make it, even using her own hair as thread, which is graying in the objet d'art. It's an intimate work of art in an private setting. As part of his visit Rick did not photograph the work of art nor did he take notes. Later he upbraids himself for forgetting his mission. "At the time I didn't realize I was experiencing the highlight of my trip."
  
  I came to For the Love of Europe with a bit of skepticism in part because I knew prior to reading the book that it reprints some of Rick's posts on his blog. And indeed I recognized some things I had read before. The work is nevertheless a treat to read and not just because it came out during a pandemic. In my mind I relived some of my own rambles.
  
  I believe Rick's Postcards from Europe, which is a memoir he published in 1999, is his best narrative work because of its grittiness. But For the Love of Europe finds him older, wiser and more passionate than ever.
• 
  Zosia

  I dislike the idea of hoards of camera wielding American tourists descending upon Europe’s most beautiful sights in search of cheap souvenirs. So i was skeptical of a travel book written but an American tour guide who brings hoards of these tourists to Europe each year. But I was pleasantly surprised. The book covered many of my favorite European spots and in reading I could almost picture the places without the crowds. It was just what my travel deprived mind needed at the moment.
• 
  Evan Hays

  I have probably seen nearly every one of the Rick Steves Europe TV episodes at least 4 or 5 times, so I know his work pretty well. I bought this book because I wanted to support him during the Pandemic. I know it has probably slammed his business, but I know he still has kept on all of his workers, continued to pay them, and continued to give a lot of money to good causes, so I wanted to support that.
  
  The book was really good in certain moments. These were mostly when he let us in on conversations he was having, often while eating some delicious food. But some parts of the book were drawn pretty much straight from a segment of one of his TV episodes, so that just felt like a re-hash.
  
  But this was still quite a good book. It was a fun way to "tour Europe" during the Pandemic. It was also great to hear his perspectives on what things have changed in Europe during the 40 years that he has been going there.
  
  If you like to travel, you will certainly want to read this book.
• 
  Jessica

  I will not go to Europe without Rick Steves and this book only confirmed it. He makes me want to go to the less popular areas in any given place to see and be around locals. I will definitely refer to this for future travel. My favorite part is the culture commentary from his Dutch friend. The guy has nailed it. Last, I was little surprised how fond Rick is of public bath houses. A hard pass for me.
• 
  Denise

  The strength of this collection of impressions, memories, and snapshots from the author's decades of travel across Europe lies in its expansive reach - from Portugal to Norway, from Finland to Turkey, Stevens covers the length and breadth of the continent. Some of these snippets are wonderfully evocative and charming, others a little too stereotypical or simply too shallow to evoke much interest. And I guess having lived and travelled in European countries all my life, a lot of what to Stevens and presumably the American visitor at large seems so fascinatingly exotic is just that regular old stuff the neighbours get up to rather than a source of extraordinary wonderment to me.
• 
  Michelle Ule

  If you enjoy Rick's guidebooks (which I do:
  https://www.michelleule.com/2018/03/2...), you've either read most of this before or you're curious about his favorites.
  
  It's a three star because while it's written in Rick's workable style, it doesn't probe as deeply into his personal stories as I had hoped.
  
  OTOH, the tale of meeting a man who saw Archduke Franz Ferdinand shot--which started the first World War--is truly astounding and exactly what I sought.
  
  There just weren't enough personal stories like it in the book.
• 
  Matthew McDonough

  What an absolute triumph! There's so, so much packed into this wonderfully charming book. I'm tempted to begin re-reading it immediately.
  
  You can clearly hear Rick Steves' kind, calming, knowledgeable voice with every word, in every essay, as he traverses the breathtaking European landscape, showcasing the importance of carrying with you the most important thing a traveler can possess: empathy.
  
  Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read.
• 
  Mike

  America's greatest living travel writer shares his favorite experiences gained after decades of travel. Rather than a travel guide, the book is made up of 100 short essays, most of which are connected to a certain place or experience. Insightful and educational, this book is a joy to read from start to finish.
• 
  Holly Hodges

  This is the audiobook for which I’ve been waiting 15 years - and I would have gladly listened for 4x as long.
  The incomparable Rick Steves talking about some of his favorite travel stories over the past 30 years is easily my favorite audiobook of the year - and maybe ever.
• 
  Tasha

  It’s not a travel guide. It’s a collection of essays about traveling in Europe.
• 
  Kate

  Lots of entertaining short essays make this a great bedside book for dipping into as the desire takes you. I love these short bites of delicious Europe by my favorite travel guru.
• 
  Jaclyn

  "we can go places like Austria, the Czech republic, Poland, northern Ireland or Norway to do some sightseeing and yet learn nothing of their people's lives and struggles. Or we can seek out opportunities to connect with people who can share stories. Travel van- and should- change our perspectives and broaden our worldviews."
  
  I love Rick Steves and when I saw he was coming out with this short story memoir, I couldn't wait. Yet again, he does not disappoint. Each page is a new journey, great for all of us who have been stuck at home for the last year. Rick's travel philosophy is rich throughout each short story; get off the beaten path and immerse yourself in a different culture, because a new worldview can change all of us for the better. I became immersed in each story, and I love when a book makes me look up places that I can't point out on a map easily. This has easily become one of my favorite books that I know I'll pick up time and time again.
• 
  Erin Austin

  I loved this book, and it was the perfect way to make me feel as though I was traveling, despite being in the midst of a pandemic. The plentiful photos really helped highlight how amazing the places in the book are, and the chapters are very short, which makes it a great choice to read before bed. My only critique is that despite ending by talking about how PEOPLE are the most important pieces of the travel experience (and I agree,) he seemed to focus more on history and facts within the chapters. When he did tell longer stories that focused on people and interactions, it was awesome!!! I just wish he would’ve done that more, but I can certainly see how someone with a history background who currently writes travel guides might be more inclined to write the way he did here.
• 
  Sarah

  I'm obviously a HUGE fan of Rick Steves (we jokingly call him Saint Rick in our house) and this book of his favorite travel stories was a balm for the stuck traveler's soul (thanks, global pandemic!). Some of the stories are familiar because I have watched most of his travel shows, but many were new to me, and I found myself jotting down the names of lesser-known places I'd want to visit (a rural part of Denmark, Mostar, and Northern Italy, to name just a few). Rick's writing style is very engaging and the book is chock-full of colorful photographs to bring the stories to life. If you need a travel pick-me-up in the time of COVID, travel to Europe with Rick in this book!
• 
  Joe Zralka

  As someone who have seen all the Rick Steves Europe, there nothing new in this book. It's just a transciption of the episodes word per word. I love Rick Steves it's just that we have different views. He often exalt the people of Europe but criticize his fellow Americans, especially those who don't travel harshly. Steves praises his perceived socialism in Nordic countries yet admits that the failed communist experiment in the Eastern bloc was cured by capitalism. This book would be great if it has new material sans Steves' hippie philosophy.
• 
  Andrea Fink

  As an audiobook, this was perfect. The voice that has been telling my family about Europe since I was a kid telling me more about his travels. As someone who grew up without a grandpa to regale us with old stores, I like to imagine it would be like this - some you've heard a thousand times, and some that take you somewhere new. Not that Rick is old enough to be my grandpa. Maybe a quirky uncle? Either way, a great mind escape while stuck at home.
• 
  Sue

  I have been on eight Rick Steves tours in the last 15 years. We were planning a trip for this summer but due to travel restrictions, we had to cancel it. Since I can't travel now and am not sure when it will be possible to travel again, reading about travel helped to lift my spirits.
  
  Rick has divided his book up by countries and in each country he gives a three to five page essay on several memories of trips that he has been on. For example the chapter on France has three essays on Paris, one on Alsace, two on food in France and one on restaurants in France. His essays are short but if you find mention of things that you'd like to know about, he has travel guides for each of these countries that will go into more details. Rick's love of travel in Europe comes through on every page.
  
  This book brought back a lot of memories for me. I've visited many of the places that he talks about and even met some of the people that he writes about. Since I can't physically travel, the books helped me take a mental vacation plus started me on plans for my next vacation in Europe.
  
• 
  Melissa M

  Not sure if this is the best or worst book to read during this period of time that we can’t travel. Rick’s insight is never far from me during my travels, whether I’m solo or with friends, and reading this made me wistful for all the places I’ve been and loved and made me long to go to all the places I haven’t yet been.