Folium: Rick Steves – The Value of Travel via YouTube / TED

Posted by LEAF Architect on Thursday, October 4, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Folium: Rick Steves – The Value of Travel via YouTube / TED

Ideally, Folium extols the virtues of language learning, cultural awareness, and the benefits of travel. However, when confronted by godfather of all that we hold dear, I easily concede my experience to a greater power.

This is Rick Steves. He’s a rock star in the world of travel media. PBS series, books, documentaries, audio guides, he’s done it all. He’s hardly the self promoting type, but resembles a quiet professor, buried underneath stacks of books in his office, planning his next great adventure.

Steves advocates independent travel. His books and media deal with travel mainly in Europe, and are directed at an American audience. As host, writer, and producer of the popular and long running Oregon Public Broadcasting television series Rick Steves’ Europe, and through his travel books, he encourages Americans to become what he calls “temporary locals.” He encourages his readers and viewers to discover not only major cities, but also cozy villages away from popular tourist routes. Steves’ television series, guidebooks, radio shows, mobile applications, and his company’s European escorted bus tours attract fans known as “Rickniks”. – Wikipedia

Now, to introduce the venue. This is TED. TED stands for technology, education, and design. It is a nonprofit organization of academics, business moguls, inventors, and innovators. Every year, in different locations around the world, they hold super conferences where the best and the brightest gather together and present their ideas.

And, for good measure, TED, described in better terms than I can muster.

TED’s mission statement begins:

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. – Wikipedia

Check out the video via YouTube, and feel free to lose yourself in a sea of genius. Here’s “The Value of Travel”.