Rick Steves' Travel as a Political Act Blog - Travel like a Medieval Jester

Travel like a Medieval Jester

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I'm a travel writer. According to conventional wisdom, injecting politics into your travel writing is not good for business. Isn't travel, after all, a form of recreational escapism? Yes…but it can be much more.

For me, since about 9/12, the role of a travel writer has changed. I see the travel writer of the 21st century like the court jester of the Middle Ages. While thought of as a jokester, the jester was in a unique position to tell truth to power without being punished. Back then, kings were absolute rulers — detached from the lives of their subjects. The court jester would mix it up with people that the king would never meet. That was his job. The jester would play in the gutter with the riffraff. Then, having fingered the gritty pulse of society, he'd come back into the court and tell the king the truth. “Your Highness, the people are angered by the cost of mead. They are offended by the queen's parties. The pope has more influence than you. Everybody is reading the heretics' pamphlets. Your stutter is the butt of many rude jokes.” The king didn't kill the jester. In order to rule smarter, the king needed the jester's insights.

Many of today's elected leaders have no better connection with real people (especially outside their borders) than those “divinely ordained” kings did centuries ago. And while I'm fortunate to have a built-in platform, I believe that any traveler can play jester to their own communities. Whether visiting El Salvador (where people don't dream of having two cars in every garage), Denmark (where they pay high taxes with high expectations and are satisfied), or Iran (where many willingly compromised their freedom to be ruled by clerics out of fear that, as they explained to me, “their little girls would be raised to be like Britney Spears”), any traveler can bring back valuable insights. And, just like those truths were needed in the Middle Ages, this understanding is needed in our age.

About This Entry

You are reading "Travel like a Medieval Jester", an entry posted on 08 May 2009 by Rick Steves.

5 replies to this entry. Add your comment below.

Previous Entry, Keep an Open Mind, posted May 06 2009

Next Entry, Choose to Travel on Purpose , posted May 11 2009

Comments [ top ]

For an enlightenment on your 'progressive politics' may I suggest you and your followers read "Atlas Shrugged". The 52 year-old-book is absolutely astonishing in where these exact politics will take us in the coming years.

Posted by: Connie - May 08, 2009 4:50 PM

I would not want to live in Ayn Rand's world. It was a fascinating book for a teenager exploring new ideas, but then I learned that there is a place in the world for altruism and compassion along with self-reliance and independence. Pam

Posted by: Pam - May 09, 2009 9:15 AM

I think RS makes some good points although no one with an opinion would like to think of himself as a jester who tweaks the king - but more like a Kester who tweaks the jester. It takes years of immersion in a society to form a balanced and objective opinion of that culture. While I value RS's feelings that he has gained insight, I wonder if it is an inch deep and an inch wide and deeply colored by the travel industry merchants and those who earn from them? You do a good job Rick. You probably don't want to gild the lily. Best wishes, Bill Kester

Posted by: Bill Kester - May 11, 2009 3:21 PM

Rick, While I confess that I have not (yet) purchased any of your travel guides, I've recently begun catching episodes of your TV show on PBS. Your approach to travel resonates very strongly with me. You seem to embody everything that is good about it: a sense of adventure, open-mindedness, intellectual curiosity, and perhaps most importantly, fun. My wife and I recently went on our honeymoon to Spain. A friend of ours who had been there before told us of his experience with a British ex-pat tour guide in Madrid named Stephen Drake-Jones, aka the Chairman of the Wellington Society. Of course, our friend heard of the Chairman through your travel guide. My wife and I wound up having not one, but two delightfully fun evenings with the Chairman and his lovely wife. So, indirectly, you added greatly to our Spanish experience. I share your progressive outlook on life, and believe as Pam previously commented that compassion and a helping hand to those in need can live comfortably side-by-side with self-reliance and that old American "can do" spirit. I have a half-baked and (I suspect) rather unoriginal theory that the more one travels and exposes one's self to other cultures and perspectives, the more likely one is to adopt or at least understand progressive viewpoints. I'm curious if you've ever seen any evidence of this yourself. Eric

Posted by: Eric - May 11, 2009 5:33 PM

Interestingly, I just found the travel as a political act blog and am slowly reading through it. I read Rick's travel blog all the time and just realized this one was created. I think I have said this before but compassion and altruism are good things but it won't happen in govt. Those things are personal and have to come from within. It's a great thing for religion and that is the only way these things will truly make a difference. But you can't force people to love and take care of one another. Jesus emphasized a movement of people to love and take care of each other. He NEVER left this to the govt and didn't hold them in high regard as far as his mission. I think to mix the message of faith and love with politics is a bad idea. Not that the ideals are bad but that they won't work and were never meant for govt to implement. I think Rick's motivation is right on. His method is far off as govt can't implement ideals of compassion successfully. People see the good of taking care of others by the govt but don't see the bad - laziness, irresponsibility, enabling, a sense of entitlement. I think there is a completely different affect on the down and out when a person or group of people come together to help others vs getting a handout from the govt. In this case, I don't think you can mix the ideals of faith and govt successfully. It's just the wrong path to go down. Not that these aren't good ideas but that they don't work. The problem with this is that govt wants to address the human circumstances without touching the human condition or person. These ideals only work when both the person and the circumstances are touched. This is what people who favor socialized govt or help just don't understand. I just think the answers and solutions to real world issues are NEVER going to be fixed by govt and many people just don't get this, even as great as their ideals are.

Posted by: Jeremy B - Jun 16, 2009 9:39 AM