Rick Steves's Blog, page 34

Christmas Traditions: Why We Decorate a Tree

What’s on your tree? Some of my favorite ornaments are some little skates with paper-clip blades my grandmother knit before her last Christmas, an ancient string of popcorn I strung with a girlfriend back in high school, and a tiny carved cross I picked up one Christmas season in Nicaragua that reads “Paz con social justicia.”

I wrote about how our tradition of decorating Christmas trees came to be in my Rick Steves’ European Christmas book. Here’s an excerpt:

The Christmas tree’s roots run d...

Highlands, Islands, and Scottish Passions: Three New Episodes from Scotland

 

I love making TV — because it means I can share my love of Europe with millions of travel partners all across America. And I’m especially excited about Season 10 of Rick Steves’ Europe, which is airing now on public television throughout the country. Over the last few months, we’ve taken you to Portugal, England, the Greek Islands, and Sicily — and now we’re wrapping things up with three full episodes about Scotland.

 

Cameraman Karel Bauer

We spent 18 days filming these episodes, and we...

Happy Little Trees: Channeling Bob Ross

 

There’s an artist inside all of us. I discovered that after I picked up a brush and some oils for literally the first time in my life and was freed by my Bob Ross teacher to paint. This “happy little trees” lake scene was an easy one (perfect for a rookie) — and it was close to my heart, as it matched my memories of boating in the San Juan Islands in Washington state as a kid.

I got snared by the Bob Ross gang in Baltimore, at a convention for public television programmers. I was there to...

Jaunty Fashion, Proud Cultures, and Fighting Hunger in Guatemala and Ethiopia

 

After a very productive scouting trip in Ethiopia and Guatemala, I’m home again — and I’m already looking forward to going back. I’ll be there again in April with our crew, to film a one-hour public television special on the hows and whys of modern development aid.
 
My trip was made possible by many wonderful non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and I’d like to credit them now for their support and commitment to making our world a better place.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation h...

My $1,000,000 End Hunger Challenge

Thank you for joining me over the past few weeks as I’ve traveled through Ethiopia and Guatemala. Together, we’ve learned about the root causes of hunger and extreme poverty — and the power of smart development to create a better, more stable world. Judging from your comments, I know many of you were inspired to ask, “How can I help make a difference?” Here’s your answer: Every Christmas, our traveling community comes together to raise money for Bread for the World, an organization that helps...

Video: Witnessing People Power, Community Energy, and Hope in Guatemala

I’m in Guatemala, scouting for an upcoming one-hour public television special — and today I had the honor of sitting in on a powerful community gathering of hardworking farmers. I was brought here by Project Concern International, an NGO with a smart approach to development that focuses on empowering women, supporting farmers, and helping communities become self-sustaining.

A much-needed community center here costs about $3,500. (Meanwhile, my hometown is currently building one for 4,000 time...

More Rabbits Means Bigger Cauliflower: Smart Development at a Guatemalan Family Farm

In the developing world, most people live and work on small family farms — and “development” means evolving from being a subsistence farmer into a small business owner, growing diverse crops that are tailored to the needs and appetites of the market.

I’m in Guatemala, scouting for an upcoming one-hour public television special about hunger, hope, and smart development. And today, I visited one of several family farms that are becoming independent with the help of Project Concern International...

Video: Simón’s Smart Stove

I spent a busy day today in the highlands of western Guatemala with Project Concern International (PCI), an NGO with a smart approach to development that focuses on empowering women, supporting farmers, and helping communities become self-sustaining.

As I learn and scout for my upcoming TV special on global poverty and smart development, I’m especially interested in the “low-hanging fruit” of development aid: simple, low-tech, inexpensive tools, ideas, or innovations that make a huge differen...

Video: An Uncertain Future in Guatemala’s Rocky High Country

I’m in Guatemala, scouting for an upcoming public television special about global poverty and hunger. This is the most indigenous country in Central America — and much of it reminds me of a sprawling Indian reservation in the USA. As is so often the case in the developing world, big corporations buy up the best farmland (here in Guatemala, that’s for palm oil, coffee, or sugar), and the poor are driven to the rocky high country. (One farmer said he was told, “If you won’t sell, we’ll negotiat...

Video: Haunted by the Ghosts of Guatemala’s Bloody Civil War

I’m in the jungles of northern Guatemala, scouting for a new public television special about world hunger — and I’m learning that extreme poverty is often rooted in conflict.

Today, Agros International brought me to a cemetery that was filled with tombs dating from 1981 and 1982 — an especially violent period of Guatemala’s civil war, when the government massacred thousands of indigenous civilians. Walking through this poignant cemetery, hearing survivors tell stories of lost loved ones who w...