Rick Steves surprise this morning

[cathy63]

It is possible that Mr Steves can be in one place while someone else from his team updates his blog from a different location. It’s also possible that he can visit multiple locations in the same day. There’s even a chance he avoids party crashers and other unwanted guests by doing the tour and having someone post the blog entries a few days later from the proper route locations.

Even easier than that, as a professional digital journalist, he almost certainly uses a tool like HootSuite or one of its many competitors to queue up his writings. Once his editor, proofreader, or social media manager has had a look at them and they've made any corrections or changes, he or someone else pushes a button to schedule the postings to appear on all his social media channels at once with the proper links to each other. The Facebook post is geotagged when it's created, but it doesn't appear in his feed until the scheduled time. It's been 5 years since I worked in a digital agency and that's how our social media team did things back then, so I can only imagine it's even simpler nowadays.

 

[MichaelB]

Even easier than that, as a professional digital journalist, he almost certainly uses a tool like HootSuite or one of its many competitors to queue up his writings. Once his editor, proofreader, or social media manager has had a look at them and they've made any corrections or changes, he or someone else pushes a button to schedule the postings to appear on all his social media channels at once with the proper links to each other. The Facebook post is geotagged when it's created, but it doesn't appear in his feed until the scheduled time. It's been 5 years since I worked in a digital agency and that's how our social media team did things back then, so I can only imagine it's even simpler nowadays.

That makes a lot of sense and adds more clarity to the discussion.

 

[ERD50]

That makes a lot of sense and adds more clarity to the discussion.

+1

Makes a lot more sense than any other scenario. I guess someone here must think that audreyh1 was either:

A) Hallucinating (but still lucid enough to write a clear and detailed post).

B) Pulling our legs (why?).

C) [-]Confused about what day it is? Well, that can happen on vacation (or to any retired person). [/-] Wait, scratch that, she reported seeing him before he was supposedly there? OK, time traveler.

D) Rick Steves has a twin brother, who goes ahead of him to clear out the paparazzi?

Yeah, scheduling the posts makes more sense to me. Occam's Razor once again!

-ERD50

 

[O2Bfree]

Sounds like a new game is in order:

Where in the World is Rick Steves?

 

[Lsbcal]

View from our balcony at the Parador de Nerja at sunrise this morning:

Hi Audrey, how are you navigating around Spain? Car or trains or ... ?

When I have looked at the R.S. Spain book I wasn’t so sure it was as easy as other Europe destinations. We usually have just used trains.

 

[Mark24609]

Okay you can’t get more cool than that. I used to live in Spain.

 

[kcowan]

View from our balcony at the Parador de Nerja at sunrise this morning:

At the end of our Mediterranean cruise, we rented a car in Barcelona and headed south. Our first stop was a Parador and we were so impressed, we had them book Paradores all the way to Malaga. The only exception was in Malaga which was totally booked. This was in November and we had great weather. The one in The Alhambra was amazing.

 

[Beachgrl]

super cool!!! hope you got a selfie!

 

[audreyh1]

Hi Audrey, how are you navigating around Spain? Car or trains or ... ?

When I have looked at the R.S. Spain book I wasn’t so sure it was as easy as other Europe destinations. We usually have just used trains.

Trains and bus. Nerja is reachable by bus not train. And because of high speed rail line works part of the route to Granada is currently by bus. So we decided to add a couple of other places that are reachable by bus since Granada required it anyway. The ALSA bus system is pretty good. I was able to buy some bus tickets online (thanks to Paypal) and others I bought from the ticket window upon arrival. Bus service is a major form of longer distance travel in Spain. They don’t have medium to smallish towns linked by train like France and the Netherlands do.

These buses have luggage storage in the “basement”, and fairly nice seats.

We haven’t driven in Europe yet.

 

[audreyh1]

At the end of our Mediterranean cruise, we rented a car in Barcelona and headed south. Our first stop was a Parador and we were so impressed, we had them book Paradores all the way to Malaga. The only exception was in Malaga which was totally booked. This was in November and we had great weather. The one in The Alhambra was amazing.

We have been impressed with the Paradors so far. The breakfast at the one in Nerja was outstanding. It’s a 20th century hotel, so not in a historical building (by Spain standards). But the cliff-side grounds are massive and wide open while the areas outside have been built up much more densely.

We are trying another parador in Úbeda. That one is in a 16th century palace.

We ate lunch at the Parador in the Alhambra twice. One for their fancy “Nazrid” inspired menu which was very nice. And another more casual meal on the lovely terrace.

We booked two days with of tickets at the Alhambra. We spent a whole day with a late afternoon palaces visit and returned for a morning palaces visit and had a chance to catch up with a couple of things we missed the first day, and then just had to visit the Generalife all over again too! So we ended up 3/4 day on the second. I think most folks budget 4 hours.

 

[audreyh1]

+1

Makes a lot more sense than any other scenario. I guess someone here must think that audreyh1 was either:

A) Hallucinating (but still lucid enough to write a clear and detailed post).

B) Pulling our legs (why?).

C) [-]Confused about what day it is? Well, that can happen on vacation (or to any retired person). [/-] Wait, scratch that, she reported seeing him before he was supposedly there? OK, time traveler.

D) Rick Steves has a twin brother, who goes ahead of him to clear out the paparazzi?

Yeah, scheduling the posts makes more sense to me. Occam's Razor once again!

-ERD50

Well I have a good fix on the delay now (if anyone cares). I remember a week ago someone mentioning Rick Steves having turned 63 on May 10 and realized that DH was born in the same year and month.

The May 19 Trip Blog post about Tapas mentions them celebrating Rick Steves May 10 birthday at midnight. https://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/barcelona-tapas/ The next day FB post he checked out of Barcelona headed to Granada in Andalusia.

We are also celebrating (my co-witness) DH’s 63rd birthday on our trip.

 

[MichaelB]

Wasn't needed, but it does explain a lot. Looks like you, your DH and Rick S have so much in common. You both go to Spain to celebrate birthdays and you hang out on side streets in small Spanish towns, well off the beaten path.

 

[audreyh1]

We just made it to Córdoba, having finished an interesting 10 day bus tour of Andalucía. From Málaga to Nerja, to Granada, to Úbeda, and finally to Córdoba. Each bus was bigger than the last. The ALSA bus travel has been reliable, easy, and most comfortable in the last two large buses. The coastal scenery, down river gorges, over mountains, through tunnels, and past thousands of orchards and millions of olive trees - quite spectacular.

From Córdoba we’re back to trains.

 

[Lsbcal]

We just made it to Córdoba, having finished an interesting 10 day bus tour of Andalucía. From Málaga to Nerja, to Granada, to Úbeda, and finally to Córdoba. Each bus was bigger than the last. The ALSA bus travel has been reliable, easy, and most comfortable in the last two large buses. The coastal scenery, down river gorges, over mountains, through tunnels, and past thousands of orchards and millions of olive trees - quite spectacular.

From Córdoba we’re back to trains.

Is your main source for the route you take the RS Spain book? Or another?

 

[audreyh1]

RS Spain is where I started, but I also read a few packaged tour agendas.

And then as I flesh out our itinerary, I do a lot of online research. I sometimes find things or places of interest not covered in his book.

 

[Lsbcal]

RS Spain is where I started, but I also read a few packaged tour agendas.

And then as I flesh out our itinerary, I do a lot of online research. I sometimes find things or places of interest not covered in his book.

Thanks Audrey. When we were planning a road trip in Northern England I got some good tips from the folks on the RS Forum for that region. They knew about a few places not in the RS book.

 

[rdy2go]

Audrey, I'm curious as to how well Valley Spanish works in Spain?

 

[audreyh1]

Audrey, I'm curious as to how well Valley Spanish works in Spain?

My comprehension is excellent and I can communicate fine as needed even though many address me in English*. But I have run into a few phrases that work great in the Valley but seem to stump Spaniards - obviously Americanismos or Mexicanismos. My lack of ceceo (pronouncing c and z as “th”) occasionally requires repeating something, even though we are traveling through some parts of Southern Spain that don’t traditionally use it. Cinco: “Sinco” or “Thinco” - lol!

My Spanish, however, is Mexican Spanish, not the far more limited Valley Spanish.

*Apparently universities in Spain require a testing out of a very high level of English in order to graduate.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks Audrey. When we were planning a road trip in Northern England I got some good tips from the folks on the RS Forum for that region. They knew about a few places not in the RS book.

The RS forum comes up occasionally when I search on specific details, and usually provides excellent info.

 

[Palmtree]

Way back in 1989 we were a freshly engaged couple planning our wedding, AND our low budget honeymoon trip to Europe. A friend of a friend gave us his used book "2-22 Days in Europe". We choose the 22 day intenerary and we never looked back. Flew into Amsterdam with Euro-rail passes and out of Paris three weeks later. Had the best trip ever. Got to see Cinque Terre when it was still a collection of sleepy villages clinging to the side of cliffs. Met Mr. Walter at the hostel in the Swiss Alps. Got lost, meet locals, ate strange things and generally had a terrific time. We are now 28 years older and call ourselves and old timers like us "Rick Steve Zombies" because no matter what, we still pack our Rick Steves books with us whenever we travel. The tips, hints and recommendations have been invaluable and I cannot imagine how boring and mundane our travels would have been without them.

 

[deserat]

Another Rick Steves fan here. I met him in Sacramento once in the 1990's when he did a presentation for the local PBS channel...he seemed a bit arrogant then, but perhaps he was just shy and introverted then. Nevertheless, his guidebooks have been invaluable for all of my European and near European travels (Turkey, etc). I lived in Germany for 7 years, so had the opportunity to visit so many places using his tips as well as local ones while there. I've had my European friends tell me they wished there was a Rick Steves for America

Glad you are enjoying your Spanish trip...I loved the Alhambra and Sevilla. My then husband and I rented a car and drove down through the Spanish Sierra Madres from Alhambra to the coast-it was gorgeous. We stopped at a roadside vendor and bought a bottle of the most amazing olive oil I have ever had in my life. It was so tasty it was drinkable. They also sold the excellent Spanish Marcona almonds both roasted/salted and in a jar of honey.....such great memories.

My experiences in Madrid were in the mid-80s and then in the mid 2000s. The second trip was while I was in the military and I flew down on a C-25 with a 3 star general....basically a private lear jet trip. We had some great food at the Spanish Air Force HQ and then ate at the oldest restaurant in Madrid, the restaurant Botin. I also had a bit of free time and went to the Thyssen museum. This had some of the most amazing portraits I have ever seen. I had been to the Prado in the 1980's, so wanted to do something different.

I like Spain and have been many times to many places......lots of wonderful history, good food and because I understand Spanish fairly well, easier for me to navigate.

 

[Sunset]

How interesting and funny.

We were in Malaga on May 11th, so we missed RS.

 

[WestUniversity]

RS Spain is where I started, but I also read a few packaged tour agendas.

And then as I flesh out our itinerary, I do a lot of online research. I sometimes find things or places of interest not covered in his book.

We used RIck Steves info for a tour of France several years ago. Very good information for hotels, dining etc.

 

[RunningBum]

My son just ran into Rick Steves yesterday in Scotland! Steves was filming something at a battlefield, Culloden, I believe. He said there might even be a glimpse of him if they use that footage. I don't know how much he talked with him but he said Rick is a very nice guy.

 

[braumeister]

My son just ran into Rick Steves yesterday in Scotland! Steves was filming something at a battlefield, Culloden, I believe. He said there might even be a glimpse of him if they use that footage. I don't know how much he talked with him but he said Rick is a very nice guy.

I’m staying right now at the same hotel he was using. [emoji1]