It's tough not being able to travel right now.

Fred Plotkin's using the downtime to steady up on history.

I love my country as an American, but one thing we're not very good at is long-term memory and planning.

Coming up, we go beyond our closed borders to hear how our friends in Italy have been coping

with the stay-at-home orders in their cities.

And we make an effort to wave and blow kisses to one another to make sure we're both okay.

And what it's like to reopen their neighborhood streets and piazzas.

I was almost crying.

It was just so wonderful to see these parts of the city that really

have become my front room and my backyard. These places mean nothing without people.

Plus, Gary Ferguson suggests we listen to what Mother Nature is trying to tell us.

We think we end at the edge of our skin and we don't.

Let's check in with friends in New York, Italy, and the Backwoods of Montana in the hour ahead on Travel with

Rick Steeves.

Do you remember when we were feeling sorry for Italy after its sudden spike in

coronavirus infections and deaths? News about the coronavirus keeps changing so

quickly, which only underscores how much we can learn from the examples of other countries

as we all try to battle an invisible enemy.

We'll check in with friends in Rome, Venice, and Siena in just a bit to hear how they've been coping and how their communities

are bouncing back from strict lockdowns. Later in the hour, naturalist Gary Ferguson

reminds us that nature can be a good teacher when we slow down to observe what she has to tell us.

Let's start today's travel with Rick Steeves with a call to our friend Fred Plotkin in New York City.

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