Travels In Europe With Rick Steves

Intrepid traveler Rick Steves returns for a second season's journey (the first series of the same name was raved about in our July-August 1991 issue) along the back roads of Europe. We watched two tapes, each of which contains two episodes, Ireland: Dublin & Belfast/The West Coast and Spain: Madrid & Toledo/Seville & Andalusia. In Ireland, Steves visits charming spots on the Dingle peninsula ("which has no promotional budget, and ages gracefully"), listening to Gaelic and hefting a Guinness (ale) with the locals (hard to avoid since there are 50 pubs for the 1500 souls in the Dingle area). After pointing out some good B & B tips, Steves is off the following morning for an exciting day trip to the Aran Islands. In the second half, he roams Joyce's beloved Dublin, catching both high culture (a look at the beautifully illustrated Book of Kells) and low culture (betting on the dog races). In war-torn Belfast, Steves learns more about the tragic Catholic-Protestant conflict from Dr. Ursula Barry. And in Spain, Steves is off to Quixote Country, land of windmills and the bullfights. In Madrid, he advises following the local custom of eating from one bar to the next, where tables are laid with various hors d'oeuvres ("grab a toothpick and stab something strange"). In Andalusia, he travels the Route of the Pueblos Blancos ("white villages"), while in Seville, viewers see flamenco dancing and the incredible horses at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. As always, Steves is both an enjoyable and knowledgeable traveling companion, and the suggestions included in these programs are sure to brighten any prospective traveler's journey through Europe. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. The other titles in the series are: Edinburgh/North Wales/The Cotswolds & Bath; France: Provence & The Loire/Burgundy; Normandy, Belgium & Luxembourg; and Portugal: Lisbon/The Algarve Coast. The last two named programs received 1993 Telly Awards. (Available from: Small World Productions, 120 Lakeside Ave., Suite 210, Seattle, WA 98122; (800) 866-7425.)