Why We Travel

RICK: Hey, I'm Rick Steves.

After four decades of travel, and with lots more to come, I've been reading my old journals.

These go back to the 1970s.

I've been reflecting on why I love to travel.

Traveling is leaving home.

Leaving the familiar behind.

Why do we do this?

Well, to experience new things.

To simply have fun and be amazed.

To learn.

To become students of the world.

And for some, like pilgrims, to search for meaning.

Join me now, as we explore why we travel.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The joys of travel are wherever your journey takes you.

Peaceful parks.

Great cities.

Across the sea.

Or just across town.

Even when we can't travel physically, we can venture out in spirit.

Travel is a mindset.

Travelers follow their dreams.

And mine, generally take me to Europe.

We travel as tourists.

To have experiences.

To have fun.

Going to new places invigorates us.

It's exciting.

On the road, we get more out of our lives.

Seeing our first Michelangelo.

Exploring our first castle.

Savoring something straight from the sea.

Reaching for high- altitude thrills.

Being enthralled.

Of course, travel is fun.

Relaxing with abandon.

Not acting our age.

Going for broke.

Joining the party.

Travel is also sensual.

We see like an artist.

We listen like a poet.

We taste the unfamiliar.

We celebrate with all our senses.

(crowd cheering) MAN: Fantástico.

RICK: Travel heightens our emotions.

It makes us really feel.

(man chuckling) Deeply, the beauty.

(crowd rooting) Vividly, the power.

(crowd rooting) And thoughtfully, the humanity.

(children cheering) (Rick laughing) This enhanced experience changes us.

It stokes our appetite for life.

Travel is also about people.

Relationships.

(man laughing) We savor conviviality.

(men chuckling) With old friends.

(woman speaks foreign language) (man speaks foreign language) And with new friends.

(man singing in foreign language) (men chattering) (Rick laughing) We laugh with abandon.

(woman laughing) Shared experiences become lifelong memories.

My earliest travel experiences, captured on the road decades ago in journals and postcards, remain some of my most treasured memories.

The writing kept telling the story of how travel makes the world your friend.

June 3rd, 1980, Dingle Peninsula.

I really didn't know where I was going.

I just stuck out my thumb in whichever direction... ...1981, July 7th, York.

The evening was spent enchanted in the church listening to a Bach mass in B minor... ...the landlady looked out the window and cheered to me saying, ah, another day of soft weather... ...each day is precarious.

But I have a strange, almost cocky optimism.

A feeling that things will somehow work out for the best... ♪ Travel can change our perspective.

We discover there's more to life than increasing its speed.

As we experience new things, we pause.

We reflect.

We let the experience breathe.

With less hurry, we're able to appreciate nature.

♪ To be overwhelmed by it.

To notice its power.

(water splashing) Its richness.

(thunder) The sweep of the weather.

(water splashing) The roar of the river.

The freshness of springtime.

(birds chirping) We notice the light.

We savor it.

We marvel at the beauty it creates.

Every sunset is a devotional.

Reminding us that life is good.

Travel engages us in every sense.

This is why we travel.

We travel for the experience.

(fireworks bursting) MAN: And the wine it falls down.

(men chuckling) (woman singing) (crowd cheering) (man chuckling) RICK: As travelers, we learn.

Deepening our understanding of history, art, and culture.

We better appreciate those who came before us.

And it helps us to better prepare for and contribute to what's next.

Gaining context and perspective, we become wiser.

♪ Wherever we travel, we see reminders of our collective past.

History speaks.

Travelers listen.

And we learn.

We appreciate the long march of human progress.

Great civilizations arc.

They rise.

They peak.

And they fall.

We're inspired by their achievements.

The ancient foundations of our own society.

Prehistoric pagans.

Mysteries still held in their megalithic wonders.

The Egyptians with the extravagance of their art, and the immensity of their architecture.

The Greeks whose magnificent temples and passion for bringing gods to Earth, established what became a standard for beauty.

And the Romans, whose empire taught the West how to organize society, to engineer.

Inspiring those who followed to build big and dream bigger.

Travelers trace the progress out of ancient times through the ages as if enjoying an epic play.

♪ Fear and feudalism.

Pillage and plagues.

Sacred monarchs.

Profane Popes.

We witnessed the birth of our modern age.

The age of enlightenment.

That spark that lit the age of revolution.

Then with the rise of the masses, the fall of kings.

History teaches us that evil also plays a role in the human story.

That the struggle for justice, for liberty, for democracy, has always been expensive.

Horrific wars.

So many dead.

We mourn the losses.

We celebrate the victories.

We honor the cost of freedom.

♪ Travelers learn to appreciate the past as if they actually lived it.

We marvel at glitter and gilding.

Dazzled as if duped by a king's propaganda.

We gape through a dome as if it actually does connect mortals with the gods.

And we gaze at the divine, like an illiterate peasant filled with fear and faith.

♪ My journals capture how travel was becoming my teacher, and the road was my school.

August 7, 1983, Hexham.

We spent an exciting hour climbing along Hadrian's wall, built by the Romans 2000 years ago, as the northernmost border... August 14th, Santorini.

It was a small boat.

I felt quite safe but said several prayers...

...I was invited by a 74 year old man on the Piazza.

He had more enthusiasm for life and respect for the world...

...I thought idealism matures into realism as you wander through your 20s.

But I find I've made a surprising turn.

♪ Each chapter of the human story has been interpreted by the genius of artists, illustrating our story.

Expressing it more deeply than mere words.

From the primitive beauty of pigment on rock to the canvas of a master.

Familiar stories told and retold.

One age speaking to the next.

Medieval.

Renaissance.

Modern.

Art heralds our progress.

The leap from medieval to modern.

Humanism.

Showing the human body as beautiful.

The human spirit as powerful, confident, a worthy child of God.

And humankind.

You and me, rather than the divine, as the shaper of destinies.

Art captures sorrow.

The heartbreak of tragedy.

The true cost of war.

It gives voice to tears.

Art captures triumph.

The statue that faced the darkness and declared: I can do this.

We can do this.

The people who demanded freedom for all.

It speaks truth to power.

Art proclaims faith.

Frescoes painted as a form of prayer.

A crucifix painted as the artist wept.

And art proclaims joy.

Timeless joys.

The love of life.

The love of love.

(choir singing) Music is art.

It speaks to our soul.

(choir singing) When we sing, we pray double.

(choir singing) (men singing in foreign language) And from the street.

♪ To the pubs.

♪ To concert halls.

♪ To cathedrals.

♪ Music pulls out all the stops.

♪ (shoes tapping) Dance is art.

♪ (shoes tapping) Art in motion.

♪ (shoes tapping) ♪ It speaks to the heart.

♪ It keeps tradition alive.

(shoes tapping) (men clapping) (men cheering) It ignites our passions.

(shoes tapping) (men clapping) (man singing in foreign language) And architecture is art as well.

Ornate palaces stoking Royal egos.

Grand entries, and gardens fit for a King.

♪ Fortresses of faith built by people knowing they'd never see them finished.

Arches holding sacred stories carved in stone.

Spires reaching for the heavens.

♪ (drums rolling) Travelers learned that art and history mix and meld into culture.

We learned to value the importance of culture.

Like cultural chameleons, we blend in.

We join in.

(men cheering) MAN: What you say?

RICK: Olé.

(men cheering) Relishing the differences.

(chisel scraping) Enjoying the similarities.

Okay.

(dice knocking) Nice, ah?

(man speaks foreign language) And everyone celebrates the town square.

Der Platz.

La Plaza.

La Piazza.

It's on the road that we learned that every culture has a soul.

It's the combination of the art, the history, and the people, that creates that soul.

(wheels crunching) (crowd chattering) Meraba?

(crowd chuckling) This is why we travel.

We travel to learn.

(group laughing) to touch that soul.

Yes.

MAN: Yeah.

There you are.

RICK: Nice.

LAUREN: Hi, I'm Lauren Smith, here with public television's most trusted travel companion, Rick Steves.

We're celebrating both the value of travel and the value of public television.

We'll have lots more of this program in just a moment, but I wanted to say, "Wow!

This is the most delightful love note to travel."

Rick, what inspired you to produce this?

RICK: Thanks, Lauren, you know, like everybody else, I was locked down during the pandemic and while unable to actually travel, I was thinking about how I appreciate travel and how I need travel to connect me with our amazing world.

So, I wrote "A Poem To Travel," and then we illustrated it with some of our very best footage with my favorite travel experiences.

And, you know, in producing this, I was also creating a love note to public broadcasting.

I'm so thankful that we have this one oasis in our media landscape, a station that sees us not as shoppers or numbers on some ratings chart, but as neighbors, as fellow citizens.

It's a station that brings us the world so vividly, with programming that inspires us to get out and embrace our world, embrace it in all its wonderful diversity.

LAUREN: And we hope that you will get onboard and support public television right now.

And Rick, you've produced a very special book, it's your own journal from a very special trip.

RICK: I had the greatest trip.

During the pandemic, I had a chance to read through all my old journals, and I've got eight books like this that are filled with handwritten accounts of my very first trips, back when I was just a scruffy backpacker.

And my best trip ever was in 1978.

I was "On the Hippie Trail," riding the bus from Turkey to Nepal, through Iran, Afghanistan, and India.

While the show we're watching right now sums up my love of travel, this journal explains where that love came from, and I've published it.

I've published it expressly as a thank you for people supporting us today, and anyone calling in at either gift level will receive this special gift, this special book, 180 candid and vivid pages, from the last days of the Shah in Iran to floating luxury on a houseboat in Kashmir, from leech bites up in the Himalayas to pie and chai in Kathmandu.

LAUREN: Oh, pie and chai, that sounds like a special treat!

And here's a special treat for you when you call in right now to support your public television station.

RICK: Become a sustaining member with an ongoing donation of $10 a month or contribute $120 all at once if you like and we'll thank you with two great books.

"For the Love of Europe" is a 400-page collection of essays sharing my favorite moments gleaned from a lifetime of exploring Europe.

And my personal journal from 1978, when I was just 23 and venturing down the hippie trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

Straight from my handwritten journal documenting intimately my coming-of-age trip, this 180-page book explains why I travel and is produced as a thank you for this "Why We Travel" membership special.

Or for $20 a month or an annual gift of $240 if you prefer, we'll thank you with the grand package: the two books I just described, plus my new coffee table book, "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces."

This book features my favorite works of European art.

It's packed with beautiful color photos, and ideal for anyone dreaming of European travels.

You'll also receive my big 17-disc DVD anthology, with over 100 episodes and specials.

Imagine, every TV show we've ever produced, more than 60 hours of vicarious travel fun.

And at each level, you'll also get my travel newsletter and a DVD with eight hours of my practical money-saving travel lectures.

Plus, there's a special video offering an intimate look at life on a Rick Steves bus tour.

Together, we're supporting public broadcasting.

Go online or give us a call and make your choice.

$10 a month for my book "For the Love of Europe" and my 1978 journal, letting you stow away with me on the hippie trail through Afghanistan and India, or $20 a month for all the gifts: those books, the masterpieces book, and my complete library of TV episodes on DVD.

And at each level, you'll also get our travel newsletter and my travel lectures.

Thanks for supporting public television.

♪ RICK: Okay, let's get back to our show.

As you watch this next segment, consider the value of public broadcasting in our world.

Consider how media has a bigger impact than ever on our society these days and how this station inspires us to be thoughtful, to be positive, to reach out and embrace our world in all its wonder.

My shows would never see the light of day anywhere else on the dial, they belong right here.

As we get back into our show, I hope you can see how the answer to the question "Why We Travel" is the same as the answer to why we support public television.

It helps us connect, it makes our world a better place, and it makes us happy, thanks.

RICK: On the road like pilgrims, we can become seekers.

Even in this age of unprecedented abundance, many of us hunger for something more.

For meaning.

By leaving home, we learn more about home.

More about ourselves.

We pause, reflect, and hope to grow.

♪ Throughout the ages, people have looked beyond the physical world to get close to God or some heavenly creator.

To ask the eternal questions.

Where did we come from?

Why are we here?

Where will we go?

It's always been a mystery.

Fertility.

Abundance.

The cycle of life.

The promise of something after we die.

(mass singing) We sing.

We perform rituals.

We celebrate.

We sit with someone of a different faith, and accept their love.

MAN: I, I love you.

I love him, I love everybody.

RICK: We go to war.

Often mixing up love and fear.

Pawns of the powerful.

Killing, often in the name of God.

We struggle to understand.

We trust, or at least hope, someone up there is listening.

Whether religious or not, travelers can learn from the holy books of the great monotheistic faiths.

Each the story of refugees and nomads.

Of pilgrims and travelers.

In the Torah, the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness.

In the Bible, Jesus' disciples left home and set out to share their good news.

In the Quran, Mohammed said, don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you've traveled.

These holy scriptures are the stories of travelers.

Lessons from those for whom the road was church, synagogue, or mosque.

People who traveled to find something bigger.

Pilgrims trek today.

Some to get close to God.

Others to better understand themselves.

My journals have helped me reflect on how being small is actually being big.

How being alone is actually being connected.

June 30, 1980, the Schilthorn.

I hiked out, only a little afraid, past the top of a snow field and onto the tip of a nearby peak where I felt very close to God...

Needing some alone time, I snuck out to a remote spot beyond the temple and among broken Roman columns, just got windblown in lovely salt... ...and then sat on a stone throne, a bit cold, loving the silence.

I thought, nobody knows where I am.

Here's to good wine and good family.

Traveling makes us appreciate.

Appreciate what we have rather than what we don't have.

Savoring the luxury of a simple meal.

Embracing solitude.

Valuing each summit earned.

Religious or not, we count our blessings.

Blessings of plenty, of stability and community, of family bonds, and deep friendships.

Why do I see humanity as one?

Because I've traveled.

Why am I curious?

In spite of my privilege, why do I care?

Because I've traveled.

Why am I grateful and why do I want to contribute?

Because I've traveled.

This is why we travel and why we keep traveling.

Through traveling, we find meaning.

By traveling thoughtfully, we connect.

Even for those of us who can only travel as a state of mind, travel can result in a deeper connection.

♪ Travel connects us face to face with reality.

It's not virtual.

It's not through a viewfinder.

Travel is candid.

Honest.

Being in the moment.

Okay?

(people laughing) Thank you.

In a world hungry for authenticity, we yearn for connection.

But now she's quite big.

She's like you, about like that, yeah.

Travelers connect with different cultures.

Different people.

On the road, strangers are just friends we've yet to meet.

Travel frees us from routine.

It creates room for serendipity.

Okay, so now I'm ready to be a shepherd.

Serendipity leads to connections.

Travel forces us to bend and to flex.

It makes us more tolerant, and inspires us to celebrate diversity.

The lessons I've gained from exploring Europe, the land of my heritage, are universal.

For me, these lessons are affirmed and then stretched when traveling further afield.

As a child ventures beyond his backyard, I ventured beyond Europe.

Year after year, I pushed my boundaries.

The world opened wide with a montage of wonders and lessons learned.

Traveling beyond my comfort zone, culture shock became constructive.

The growing pains of a broadening perspective, my ethnocentrism challenged.

The celebration of difference and oneness at the same time.

The recognition that love is love, in their home just as in mine.

I think this is a beautiful- WOMAN: Salut.

RICK: Beautiful, welcome here.

Through travel, we see a world filled with joy, with compassion, and with good people.

We learned the more we reach out, the more we receive.

We learned that we all share the same world.

Nice.

And we all share the same window of time.

(man speaking foreign language) Travelers seek bridges rather than walls.

Every wall has two sides and two narratives.

For one to be truly understood, both must be heard.

Traveling, we realized that challenges of our future will be blind to borders, and best overcome not by conflict and walls, but by community and bridges.

There's so much fear these days.

The flip side of fear?

It's understanding.

And we gain understanding when we travel.

What is this, now?

MAN: The celebration of a woman- Travel is more than a holiday.

It gives us new experiences, acts as our greatest teacher, makes our lives more meaningful, and connects us with a global family.

We can't all travel physically, but anyone can live with a traveler's mindset.

It's a choice.

Travel makes us more comfortable with the world, our hearts bigger, and our lives richer, and it makes us happier.

And that is why we travel.

LAUREN: And we're back with Rick Steves.

And Rick, I just love what you said there, "Travelers seek bridges not walls."

RICK: Not walls.

LAUREN: So, amazing.

You know, travel really can be so much more than a holiday.

Hi, I'm Lauren Smith and together with Rick Steves and we are celebrating this sonnet to travel and now we're celebrating the value of public TV and it's programming like this, sharing the passion and talents of people like Rick Steves and that's what you make possible with your support!

RICK: To me a pledge break like this is a blessing because it makes a non-commercial alternative on television possible.

Programming, like you enjoy here, is unique to this station.

It inspires us to be smarter, less fearful, more engaged, to be better people.

This station is your oasis of thoughtfulness, where you can enjoy programming that assumes an attention span, that respects your intellect and that's driven not by a passion for keeping advertisers happy but by a passion for embracing life and celebrating our world in all its diversity.

Considering the challenges facing our nation today and the impact of media on our society, I believe this station is more important than ever for the fabric of our society, in fact, for the fabric of our democracy.

If you agree with that, then you understand that supporting public broadcasting is flat out good citizenship.

Your help is critical right now and we've got some great thank you gifts to help entice you to get on board.

And that includes this book, I made it just for you and it's available only here.

LAUREN: Back in 1978, the ultimate trip for any backpacker was the "Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

Rick Steves made the trek and, like a travel writer in training, he penned a journal.

It was forgotten, never read for 42 years.

Then in 2020, Rick dug it out, and, as if on an anthropological dig into his own past, he entered the world of a 23-year-old version of himself and relived his coming-of-age trip.

Now, with this 180-page book, you can read Rick's journal, and stow away with him on what was truly the trip of a lifetime.

♪ RICK: To encourage your support of this station, we're offering two exciting thank you packages.

The gift levels are $10 or $20 a month.

Become a sustaining member with an ongoing donation of $10 a month or contribute $120 all at once if you like, and we'll thank you with two great books: "For the Love of Europe" is a 400-page collection of essays sharing my favorite moments gleaned from a lifetime of exploring Europe.

And my personal journal from 1978, when I was just 23 and venturing down "The Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

Straight from my hand-written journal documenting intimately my coming-of-age trip, this 180-page book explains why I travel and is produced as a thank you for this "Why We Travel" membership special.

Or, for $20 a month or an annual gift of $240 if you prefer, we'll thank you with the grand package: the two books I just described plus my new coffee table book, "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces."

This book features my favorite works of European art.

It's packed with beautiful color photos and ideal for anyone dreaming of European travels.

You'll also receive my big 17-disc DVD anthology with over a hundred episodes and specials.

Imagine, every TV show we've ever produced more than 60 hours of vicarious travel fun.

And, at each level you'll also get my travel newsletter and a DVD with eight hours of my practical, money-saving travel lectures.

Plus, there's a special video offering an intimate look at life on a Rick Steves bus tour.

Together, we're supporting public broadcasting.

Go online or give us a call and make your choice: $10 a month for my book "For the Love of Europe" and my 1978 journal, letting you stow away with me "On the Hippie Trail" through Afghanistan and India.

Or, $20 a month for all the gifts: those books, the masterpieces book, and my complete library of TV episodes on DVD.

And at each level you'll also get our travel newsletter and my travel lectures.

Thanks for supporting public television!

♪ LAUREN: And, of course, as a supporting member, you'll receive Passport, public television's greatest member benefit which gives you all that wonderful access to all the great programming you love on your PBS station.

Available for you to stream anytime!

RICK: This station is a positive influence.

It brings the world to you and to your family.

There's a lot of division, a lot of separation in our society these days and I believe that much of that division is driven by fear, and I've found that the flip side of fear is understanding.

We gain understanding when we travel and when we consume quality media.

This station, it's a lot like travel.

It gets us out, it makes us less fearful, and it makes us smarter.

I believe education is a matter of our security and in that regard, public broadcasting makes our nation stronger.

And Lauren, that's why I'm such an avid supporter of public broadcasting.

LAUREN: Well, your passion for public TV is inspiring.

And if you are inspired right now, when you call, you can get two of Rick's newest books perfect for the travelers in your life.

RICK: "For the Love of Europe" shares my favorite memories from decades of travel in 100 essays.

This book filled with vivid photos is both intimate and fun to read.

My greatest hits collection of Europe's most exciting experiences.

You'll enjoy an all-day walk along an Alpine ridge soak up the French countryside on a canal barge and take a friendly swing with a bell ringer in a medieval church spire.

And we'll party from Oktoberfest in Munich to the April Fair in Seville.

And, go to the races from Siena to Pamplona, and we'll feast from the street of Istanbul to the tapas bars of San Sebastian.

Rather than a guide book, "For the Love of Europe" shares tales of a lifetime love affair with Europe.

It's 400 pages of travel fun, frolic, and inspiration.

My favorite places, people, and stories guaranteed to stoke vivid dreams of happy travels.

RICK: "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces" is a tour guide's dream come true.

This book shares my favorite art, and makes it accessible, meaningful and fun.

It's my greatest hits collection of Europe's most exciting masterpieces, each with a glorious photo and a finely crafted description.

Understanding art carbonates your travels.

It enlivens your history, it gets you intimate with genius and high on beauty, that's why I wrote this book.

With this book, it's my joy to share "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces."

♪ RICK: Three books are part of our thank you packages today: There's my greatest hits book, "For The Love of Europe" and my art book featuring Europe's 100 greatest masterpieces.

And there's my "Hippie Trail" journal as a 23-year-old smoking ganja for my first time in Afghanistan, crashing with a maharaja in India, dodging leaches in Nepal, and pondering eternity with the pilgrims on the Ganges.

I wrote it all up in 180 pages, from this handwritten journal, to this book, to you.

There's no other way to get this book.

It's my personal account of my best trip ever, my why we travel testimonial published as a gift for you when you support this station.

RICK: Let me quickly review today's exciting top thank you package.

Support your public television station with an ongoing gift of $20 a month or a one-time contribution of $240 and you'll receive all the gifts we're talking about today.

The newsletter, the DVD set with my travel lectures, the big box set of DVDs with the entire Rick Steves' Europe library of more than 100 shows, and my three newest books, "For the Love of Europe," "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces," and "On the Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu published especially for this broadcast, that's quite a package.

We're celebrating public broadcasting and the choice is yours.

For $10 a month, you'll receive "For the Love of Europe" and my 1978 journal on the crazy trip across Asia.

Or, for $20 a month absolutely everything, the three books, the newsletter, the travel talks, and the big collection of DVDs with all the shows.

Thank you.

♪ RICK: I'm thankful for public broadcasting.

I'm even thankful for this pledge break because this puts the public in public TV.

Your financial contribution is what makes it all possible.

We've finished my "Why We Travel" special but we've cooked up a tasty bonus: We travel for the cuisine and now, it's time to eat, so bon appetite!

RICK: The most memorable meals I've enjoyed in Europe are made special by people and place.

Food that's unique to where you are, combined with dining that's immersed in the right location, enhances your travel experience.

I suppose you could eat virtually anything in Rome, but I recommend penne arrabbiata outdoors on Piazza Farnese.

And how could seafood taste any better than on the deck of a Gulet in Western Turkey?

And while sometimes you might end up having to eat alone, the people you spend time with at a meal can make it memorable and even more enjoyable.

I had a meal that connected me beautifully with both people and place in Tuscany when I stayed in an agriturismo.

It's owned by the Gori family, and after a tour of their beautiful ancestral home, Signora Gori, happy to share the local bounty, invited us to lunch.

Three generations gather on this Sunday afternoon with no hurry at all.

The prosciutto and pecorino cheese provide a fine starting course, beautifully matched with the family's wine.

Pasta comes next.

And the children prefer theirs bianco, with only olive oil.

And the little one?

She's still mastering the fine art of eating spaghetti.

Food is particularly tasty when eaten in the community that produced it, with a family that's lived right here for six centuries.

It's memories like these that you take home, that really are the very best souvenir.

They call this a zero kilometer meal.

Everything was produced locally.

It's a classic Tuscan table.

Simplicity, a sense of harmony, and no rush.

Enjoyed with an elegant and welcoming noble family.

(family chattering) Another unforgettable meal I enjoyed recently, was in Bulgaria.

A land of both dramatic beauty and sacred sites.

It's also a land where traditions are strong.

(dancers hollering) Here, our guide, Stephan demonstrates to me how a good meal is more than experiencing a country's cuisine.

It's also a way to learn some of its cultural quirks.

So what is this drink then?

STEPHAN: This is a traditional Bulgarian drink and it is called rakia.

RICK: So it's unusual for me to have the firewater with the salad.

Is that typical in Bulgaria?

STEPHAN: This is very traditional in Bulgaria, and we say nazdrave.

RICK: Nazdrave.

STEPHAN: To your health.

RICK: To your health, nazdrave.

Do you like it?

STEPHAN: Yes, yes of course.

RICK: Now this is funny in Bulgaria.

You went yes.

STEPHAN: Yes, of course.

RICK: It's confusing for a tourist because we go yes.

And what is no?

STEPHAN: Ne, ne.

RICK: Ne.

So no, yes.

STEPHAN: Yes.

RICK: Da, ne, okay.

Stephan, can I have another sip of my rakia, please?

STEPHAN: Ne.

RICK: No?

(men laughing) As the second course arrives, it's clear that Bulgarian cuisine has a tasty mix of the many cultures that have influenced this country.

You know this is frankly more interesting than I would expect.

When you go to Eastern Europe, you think of potatoes, and trout, and heavy meat.

But this, it feels more Mediterranean.

STEPHAN: Yes, actually you are right.

Bulgaria is a crossroad of civilizations between the North and South, East and West.

RICK: You've got Mediterranean.

So it's a little bit of Greece, a little bit of Turkey, and a lot of Bulgaria.

STEPHAN: And a lot on Bulgaria.

♪ (waves crashing) RICK: Travel can be more than just a vacation in a beautiful location.

It's a way to learn about other cultures.

And a culture is defined by many things like a unique language.

(women speaking in foreign language) Religion.

Clothing.

Architecture.

Music.

Art.

And food.

The food of a culture reflects centuries of culinary evolution.

I love how people take whatever they have available and create cuisine that's inventive, nutritious, and tasty.

A culture's cuisine celebrates things people have in common.

That's why food is a window into a culture, and eating well is an essential part of good travel.

Actually experiencing a culture is the measure of a good trip.

And with the help of your eyes, nose, and an adventurous appetite, travel can and should be sensuous.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ RICK: Yes.

MAN: Yeah.

RICK: No, no, yes, yes, yes, yes.

America, buon appetito.

MAN: America, buon appetito.

RICK: Ciao.

MAN: Ciao.

(Rick chuckling) LAUREN: Mmm, that looks so delicious!

RICK: Wasn't that good?

I love it, yeah.

LAUREN: Oh my gosh, and Rick you're right.

Food is such an amazing and wonderful way to bring people together.

You can go to museums and see the sights, but sitting down and eating a meal together changes you from a tourist to a traveler!

Now, this is our last break and we're hoping that you're ready to make that journey from a viewer to a member!

Your support assures that Rick's enthusiasm and special brand of global citizenship will be right here to inspire us for a long time to come.

RICK: You're right, Lauren.

You know in America's media landscape there's one channel that's definitively ours, and that's this one.

This is the channel that engages us, it empowers us.

Rather than making us fearful, it makes us bold.

Rather than dumbing us down, it makes us smart.

And considering the unprecedented challenges confronting our democracy today, public broadcasting has never been more important.

Please, celebrate the public in public television.

Do that by making that call and becoming a supporting member today.

It's important for our families, it's important for our neighborhoods, and it's important for our nation.

RICK: To encourage your support of this station, we're offering two exciting thank you packages.

The gift levels are $10 or $20 a month.

Become a sustaining member with an ongoing donation of $10 a month or contribute $120 all at once if you like, and we'll thank you with two great books: "For the Love of Europe" is a 400-page collection of essays sharing my favorite moments gleaned from a lifetime of exploring Europe.

And my personal journal from 1978, when I was just 23 and venturing down "The Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

Straight from my hand-written journal documenting intimately my coming-of-age trip, this 180-page book explains why I travel and is produced as a thank you for this "Why We Travel" membership special.

Or, for $20 a month or an annual gift of $240 if you prefer, we'll thank you with the grand package: the two books I just described plus my new coffee table book, "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces."

This book features my favorite works of European art.

It's packed with beautiful color photos and ideal for anyone dreaming of European travels.

You'll also receive my big 17-disc DVD anthology with over a hundred episodes and specials.

Imagine, every TV show we've ever produced more than 60 hours of vicarious travel fun.

And, at each level you'll also get my travel newsletter and a DVD with eight hours of my practical, money-saving travel lectures.

Plus, there's a special video offering an intimate look at life on a Rick Steves bus tour.

Together, we're supporting public broadcasting.

Go online or give us a call and make your choice: $10 a month for my book "For the Love of Europe" and my 1978 journal letting you stow away with me "On the Hippie Trail" through Afghanistan and India.

Or, $20 a month for all the gifts: those books, the masterpieces book, and my complete library of TV episodes on DVD.

And at each level you'll also get our travel newsletter and my travel lectures.

Thanks for supporting public television!

♪ RICK: Our world is a beautiful place.

It's filled with good people and with joy.

It's filled with families just like yours and mine and with love.

How do I know?

Because I've been there.

I've spent a hundred days a year traveling ever since I was a kid, and I get to bring home and share my lessons from the road with all of you, thanks to public television.

RICK: Anyone calling in at any gift level will receive two extra gifts, our latest newsletter highlighting my favorite experiences, travel tools and itineraries in Europe, and a special two-disc Travel Skills DVD with eight hours of practical money saving lectures, and this includes an additional program giving you a virtual front row seat on one of our bus tours.

It couldn't be a better time to visit Europe, whether on an organized tour or independently with a good guide book.

Europe has never been better at sharing its wonders the art and history, the great cities and relaxing countryside, the food and wine, and the people with their always warm welcome.

It's my hope that this special gifts can help turn your travel dreams into smooth and affordable reality, and that you'll come back with the best gift of all, the experiences and memories of a lifetime.

Thanks for helping make public television strong with your financial support.

LAUREN: I am so excited to read Rick's "On the Hippie Trail" journal He published this book just for this membership special and it's his candid story packed with intimate insights from his 1978 trip from Istanbul to Kathmandu.

The only way to get a copy of this amazing story is right here on public television.

Again, today's most exciting gift level is the top one.

For $20 a month you'll receive Rick's journal plus all of the gifts we're talking about today.

Including this big box set of all of Rick's TV shows, the entire Rick Steves library, check this out.

RICK: The Rick Steves' Europe anthology is the definitive video library of European travel.

100 episodes take you from the fjords of Norway to the canals of France, from the wild coast of Ireland to enchanting Estonia.

♪ You'll discover hidden Alpine villages explore modern cities layered with history.

Feel the thrill of Europe's festivals and relax on the Mediterranean.

And there are bonuses you'll never see on TV.

There's the practical "Europe through the Back Door" lecture I've been giving for three decades.

...more of the best of Europe, thanks for listening... And, outtakes.

Proof that things don't always go as smoothly as it seems.

I don't understand a word he said.

MAN: Okay?

RICK: For any traveler or Europhile, this collection with everything we've ever produced, that's 55 hours of video, offers a lifetime of travel learning, lessons, and fun.

♪ RICK: Let me quickly review today's exciting top thank you package.

Support your public television station with an ongoing gift of $20 a month or a one-time contribution of $240 and you'll receive all the gifts we're talking about today: the newsletter, the DVD set with my travel lectures, the big box set of DVDs with the entire Rick Steves' Europe library of more than 100 shows, and my three newest books: "For The Love of Europe," "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces," and "On the Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu published especially for this broadcast.

That's quite a package!

We're celebrating public broadcasting and the choice is yours: for $10 a month, you'll receive "For the Love of Europe" and my 1978 journal on the crazy trip across Asia; or $20 a month, absolutely everything: the 3 books, the newsletter, the travel talks, and the big collection of DVDs with all the shows.

Thank you!

♪ LAUREN: And Rick Steves, thanks so much for joining us today and reminding us not only why we travel, but also why it's so important to support public TV.

RICK: Thanks Lauren, and thanks to everybody who's been calling in and help making this station strong.

If you pledged at any level, you're doing your share, in fact, you're doing more than your share and that's a great thing.

LAUREN: Thanks so much again for joining us today, and thanks so much for supporting public broadcasting.

RICK: Happy travels!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (tiles clattering) (hinge squeaking) ♪