"What's another word for Thesaurus? Steven Wright"
Posted
OK, I'm probably going to start a ruckus, but here goes...
Three words I tire of hearing, when talking to people who are planning to go/ are traveling around Europe:
"Rick Steves says....." :z:
as in:
"Rick Steves says Parc G�ell is a disappointment." (just because he didn't like it doesn't mean you won't)
"Rick Steves says this is a restaurant filled with locals." (and everyone who has bought the same book as you)
"Rick Steves says this is a great hotel." (which explains why it is impossible to get a reservation there, it wasn't like this before he put it in his book) "Rick Steves says this is an unspoiled village. (well, it WAS...)
ad nauseum...
You're probably wondering why I am posting this. After putting in a 12 hour day, and getting my "badly needs a radiator" car home just before engine meltdown, I get a call from a friend who is traveling to Europe within a month. Every other sentence started with "Rick Steves says..." He is planning on visiting Barcelona, and asked me about some of the places I liked, so among other places, I mentioned Parc G�ell. He replied, "Oh, Rick Steves says Parc G�ell is a disappointment."
I told him that it's worthwhile looking at a few guidebooks, not only those written by Rick Steves. I find that Rick's reviews on sights are often slanted. I'd rather have him put in a paragraph describing Parc G�ell (and let me make up my own mind) instead of copping out and saying it's a "disappointment". Editorializing in laziness at its best.
And, I'd wish that Rick would be honest and admit that the success of his books has caused his recommended hotels and restaurants to be filled with people who have purchased his books. I guess that's just the "price of success".
Nothing personal against the guy, I first bought one of his books 16 years ago, and met him 10 years ago. I especially like his philosophy of traveling simply and interacting with the locals, and his helping people to gain the confidence to just go and do it on their own. Yes, his books and videos are incredibly popular. Oh well, at least most of the people who travel using his books are friendly and well mannered, not the "ugly tourists" we all dread.
However, he isn't God and not every word out of his mouth should be accepted without question.
I told my friend that on each phone call before he leaves, he will be allowed only two sentences that start with anything like "Rick Steves says..." On the third instance, I hang up. :jeje:
Note: If you don' t know who Rick Steves is, see my note below posted on posted 21. august 2003 19:12
"An honest man is always a child" - Socrates ...no wonder I'm so immature!
never heard of Rick Steves and frankly he has never heard of me...... (and I have 'been about' as they say ) Nige PS-And my worst 3 words could be "Last orders please"
Posts: 236 | Location: Cadiz Province and Sussex England | Registered: 07 October 2002
Have met him several times...last was when he was filming a sequence in front of the Reina Victoria in May....seems OK, but have also heard him referred to as "a legend in his own mind".
Thyglow
In Madrid All Things Are Possible...Except Skiiing Through The Revolving Door At The Ritz
I have heard of Rick, and I agree with the original assessment: why should some travel guru prevent you from making up your own mind? As for places being spoiled by his recommendations(i.e. crowded with his fans and no longer remote and pristine) who are these SHEEP?! Half the fun of my own travel is doing heaps of research, preferably using as many images as possible and feeling free to deviate from my itinerary when affordable. As for Parc Guell, I'm sure it was a disappointment to Gaudi, who would have liked a bunch of investors to complete his plan. Nobody can badmouth Antoni to me!! Crazy or genius, it matters not...
Pack light, sleep cheap, eat well.
Posts: 479 | Location: ROCKFORD,MI, USA | Registered: 23 May 2001
Considering that indeed we have an international audience here, I failed to tell you who Rick Steves is. Please pardon me, and now that I've had some sleep, I'll start making some sense.
Rick Steves is an American writer of European travel books that are tremendously popular in the US. http://www.ricksteves.com/ (Mike, you probably have never heard of him because he is in Washington, on the Left Coast :jeje: )
His books are as popular here as Lonely Planet books are in Britain or Australia. He has travel specials on PBS, the public television network here in the US. While I think they do have real value, like anything they should not be blindly followed without question (I could make political parallels here). Also, just because they are the most popular, it does not mean they are the best (I could make a parallel to another Washington enterprise...a software company based in Redmond)
I agree with Sue Yurick. Gaudi was surely disappointed that Parc G�ell was a commercial failure, but I like it and all the other Gaudi landmarks.
And Nige...."Last orders please" are MY least favorite words also. :cheers: :jeje:
"An honest man is always a child" - Socrates ...no wonder I'm so immature!
I know that face! He had some travel show on A&E or The Discovery channel or something. It was like follow Rick Steves around the world. What an annoyance. I know who he is now but didn't know he had such a following.
Washington eh? The home of the Mariners? <giggle> :ks:
"He who hath not a dram of folly in his mixture, hath pounds of much worse matter in his composition".
Posts: 334 | Location: New York, USA | Registered: 06 June 2003
'The Accidental Tourist' is a rather neat little book I think about a travel writer write by Anne Tyler. The topic of a travel writer made me think about the book.
"He who hath not a dram of folly in his mixture, hath pounds of much worse matter in his composition".
Posts: 334 | Location: New York, USA | Registered: 06 June 2003
He is always on the Travel channel, strutting his stuff. I've got a travel series for our mature library users and they love it when we bring in Rick Steves! He has a boyish look to him, disheveled, and comes across as quite nice. As Paul said, Steves has done wonders in portraying the image of the gentle American travel.
However, he is opinionated. While one may disagree with him on many issues, his theories of traveling light are worth looking into.
His tour books are not very complete. He only includes those cities that his private travel company visits. :cheers:
Posts: 697 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 August 2001
Ok. Just one thing in defense of Rick Steves. Yeah he is a big time travel salesman now. However, he wasn't always. And he does give good advice about striking out on your own. Of couse, when you publish and sell a zillion books then a zillion people know about your 'secret places'. But what I have gotten from him is to not be afraid to look at the local accomodations, cafes, and visit with the people. To get off the tours and on your own. then you can write a book!!
Posts: 232 | Location: Seattle, WA, USA | Registered: 03 June 2001
whoever he is 
