As we鈥檝e had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here鈥檚 a reminder of the fun that awaits us in Europe at the other end of this crisis.
Europe is a continent of long-lived cultures, with countless treasured traditions that have survived into modern times. While some of Europe鈥檚 customs live on only as clich茅s or tacky stage shows for tourists, others 鈥� like the four of my favourites described here 鈥� are worth going out of your way to take part in.
One of the most well-known European traditions 鈥� and something that I absolutely love doing 鈥� is gliding through Venice in a gondola.
In the early Middle Ages, hundreds of horses traversed Venice鈥檚 narrow bridges and alleyways. You can imagine the downside. In the 14th century the beasts were banned, and the noble class embraced watercraft as a more respectable form of transportation. The realities of navigating over the lagoon鈥檚 shifting sandbars led to the use of uniquely designed flat-bottom gondolas, with captains who stood up in order to see better. By the 1800s, there were 10,000 boats floating through the city鈥檚 canals.
Today, hopping aboard one of the city鈥檚 gondolas is a great way to escape the crowds and enter a parallel world of dreamy tranquility, as your vessel slices through your own private Venice, one filled with lonely bridges, canals without sidewalks, and reflections of once-upon-a-time grandeur. Wait until early evening, when the crowds have lessened and the light is right, and you鈥檒l experience the full force of Venice鈥檚 charm from your boat.
In Spain, you can feel the pulse of the Andaluc铆a region through its fast-paced flamenco performances. With flamenco, the intricate rhythms are set by castanets and hand clapping. The men do most of the machine-gun footwork, while the women concentrate on graceful turns and a smooth, dramatic step. The accompanying guitarists, with their lightning-fast strumming, are considered some of the best in the world.
Flamenco is a visual reminder of Andaluc铆a鈥檚 vibrant mix of cultures. In the singers鈥� raspy voices, you鈥檒l hear echoes of the Muslim call to prayer 鈥� evocative of the centuries of Moorish rule. And the colourful costumes and sultry, swirling dance moves are courtesy of the Roma people who settled in Spain.
Sevilla is considered by Spaniards to be the art form鈥檚 epicentre. While it鈥檚 easy to find tourist-friendly performances on Sevilla鈥檚 main drags, I find that experiencing flamenco culture celebrated by and for the locals beats any tourist show. Wander the city鈥檚 backstreets, looking for a neighbourhood bar where locals break out into impromptu performances.
Just across the border from Spain is another late-night musical tradition: Portugal鈥檚 fado music. Fado, which means 鈥渇ate,鈥� is a uniquely Portuguese style of music, with soulful songs that reflect the country鈥檚 bittersweet relationship with the sea. Many of these bluesy ballads tell of sailors who never returned to port, told (or, more accurately, wailed) by their black-clad widows.
Lisbon鈥檚 Bairro Alto and Mouraria districts are two great areas where you can catch some informal singing. Coimbra, north of Lisbon, is another great city for fado. While most fado is sung by women, in Coimbra, it鈥檚 mainly performed by men. Their songs are serenades of love 鈥� usually sad, unanswered love. In both cities, you can pay lots of money for a fancy fado show in an upscale neighbourhood, but I prefer the free shows you can find in the characteristic and rough-edged neighbourhoods. I鈥檝e stumbled across some of the best fado performances in local bars, where residents line up down the block for their turn to sing.
When I鈥檓 in London, I find that enjoying the view from the upper level of a double-decker bus is one of the treats of the city. Along with Big Ben, the bearskin-hatted Queen鈥檚 Guard and the similarly red (but now mostly defunct) phone booths, the buses are widely recognized as symbols of London.
This iconic mode of transportation started out in the late 19th century as two-storey horse-drawn buggies. Two hundred years later, the buses are still a fun and efficient way to get around London, especially if you鈥檙e visiting many of the city鈥檚 top sights. On the popular route 15 鈥� which goes from Trafalgar Square to St. Paul鈥檚 Cathedral to the Tower of London 鈥� you even have a chance of getting picked up by a heritage 鈥淩outemaster鈥� old-style double-decker. (Keeping with the times, a few buses in the fleet are electric, too.)
On Sundays, when most sights in London are closed, climbing the stairs and grabbing a seat in a bus鈥檚 upper deck is a good way to get an overview of the city and spend an otherwise unoccupied afternoon. The buses are also great for families on holiday, providing an exciting ride for kids 鈥� and some stress-free downtime for parents.
Even if you鈥檙e more of an off-the-beaten-track traveller, consider taking part in some of these cultural mainstays 鈥� after all, they鈥檝e survived this long for a reason.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
