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In 2008, Rick and a small TV crew traveled to Iran to film “Rick Steves’ Iran, Yesterday and Today,” a one-hour special that appeared on public television stations across the US in 2009, aimed at helping Americans better understand the country’s culture and people.   Rick found that the people were quick to smile and very curious, including the group of university students in Tehran shown in this clip. Rick wrote in his travel journal:  “When the crew sets up a shot, I’m free to roam about on my own and have fun connecting with locals. Routinely, I’ll look up from my note-taking or memorizing my lines to see curious locals gathered, greeting me with smiles, and wanting to talk. When I explain where I’m from, the smiles get bigger. I have never traveled to a place where I had such an easy and enjoyable time connecting with people. Locals are as confused and fascinated by me as I am by them.”   Watch the full special with PBS Passport, on YouTube, and on our site — link in bio.    #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope

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In 2008, Rick and a small TV crew traveled to Iran to film “Rick Steves’ Iran, Yesterday and Today” — a one-hour special aimed at better understanding the country’s culture and people. In this clip, Rick explores Iran’s ethnic diversity and rich history. While Persia has shaped much of Iran’s cultural identity, the country is also home to Azeri, Kurdish, Arab, Lur, Baloch, and Turkmen communities. Most Iranians are not Arab and do not speak Arabic. They are Persian, and Farsi is the national language, an important distinction for many people in Iran. Watch the full special with PBS Passport, on YouTube, and on our site — link in bio.   #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope

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Fascist dictators understood the power of propaganda and big rallies, where they can manufacture the adoration of their people, bask in it, and then broadcast it to the rest of the population — as Hitler said, turning the “little man” into part of a “great dragon.” The media in Nazi Germany was controlled by the government — by the Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, headed by Joseph Goebbels. For the Nazis, the city that most embodied their sense of national unity was Nürnberg. Often called “the most German of German cities,” it was a favorite of Hitler’s to showcase his nationalistic pomp and pageantry, and it’s with grand rallies held here that he inspired Germans to get on board.   History is speaking to America right now — and we can learn from the hard lessons of Europe’s tragic flirtation with fascist dictators a century ago. Rick’s one-hour special “The Story of Fascism in Europe” is streaming free on our site, YouTube, and with PBS Passport — link in bio. #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #history #nurnberg #nürnberg

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Claude Monet was the leading light of the Impressionist movement. He spent his last (and most creative) years cultivating his garden and his art at Giverny, located 50 miles outside the hustle and bustle of Paris. In 1883, middle-aged Claude Monet, his wife Alice, and their eight children from two families settled into a farmhouse here. Monet, at that point a famous artist and happiest at home, would spend 40 years in Giverny, traveling less with each passing year. He built a pastoral paradise complete with a Japanese garden and a pond full of floating lilies. In 1890, Monet started renovating his garden, inspired by tranquil scenes from the Japanese prints he collected. He diverted a river to form a pond, planted willows and bamboo on the shores, filled the pond with water lilies, then crossed it with a wooden footbridge. As years passed, the bridge became overgrown with wisteria. He painted it at different times of day and year, exploring different color schemes. Visiting Giverny, there’s much to admire. Gardeners admire the earth-moving landscaping and layout, botanists find interesting new plants, and art lovers see paintings they’ve long admired come to life. Fans enjoy wandering around the house where Monet spent half his life and seeing the boat he puttered around in, as well as the henhouse where his family got the eggs for their morning omelets. Social media specialist Emily Burks visited Monet’s gardens while on our Paris & the Heart of France tour and discovered that timing is important: “When planning your visit to Giverny, make sure you consider the time of year. While something is always flowering, the gardens are most vibrant from mid-April through July. I visited in May when the peonies are pink pom poms and the water lilies are just starting to peak out.” The gardens are busy, so come early or late. The house gets easily overrun and claustrophobic, as hallways are tight (expect to wait in line as you work your way through). Learn more about visiting Monet’s gardens with our online resources, or join our Paris & the Heart of France tour and let us plan your visit — links in bio. #ricksteveseurope #rickstevestours #monetgarde

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Taking tea is a ritual in Britain, and for many visitors an afternoon tea is high on their list. While you can enjoy a simple cream tea (tea and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam) anywhere at any time, the big production is the afternoon tea. This is a refillable pot of tea served with a three-tiered assortment of delicate sandwiches, scones, and sweets. Some at famously fancy places (like Claridge’s) are formal, requiring a jacket and tie and a bank loan. Others, like Fortnum & Mason, are famous and touristy.  While most establishments welcome tourists in jeans and sneakers, do your best to dress up. Costs range from £30 to £100; the average is around £50 (The scaled-down cream tea option is about a third of the price.) Afternoon tea is generally served until about 16:00 (closing at 18:00) and reservations are a good idea. While places prefer each person orders their own, most will allow a couple to share one afternoon tea tray if one person orders a pot of tea themselves.    Watch the full one-hour long special, “Rick Steves Best of London” on your local public television station, stream with PBS Passport, or on our website.   #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope #london #londontiktok #londontravel

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