BEST OF EUROPE - Blu-ray review

I'm not going to mince words.

If you like travel shows . . .

If you're thinking of going to Greece . . .

If you're fascinated by the ancient worlds of classical Greece and Rome . . .

If you love seeing the world in High Definition . . .

Order a copy of "Best of Europe: Beautiful Greece"--available from Questar Entertainment in a handy combo pack featuring a Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy. This is one of the most informative, entertaining, and gorgeous-to-look-at travel discs that I've had the pleasure of reviewing.

Questar had some good material to work with, to be sure. "Beautiful Greece" features four episodes from the 65-show PBS series, "Smart Travels: Europe [and the Pacific Rim] with Rudy Maxa," which was filmed in High Definition. Maxa, who worked as a journalist for the Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine, is a frequent lecturer on travel who broke into electronic media some 15 years ago as "The Savvy Traveler" on Minnesota Public Radio. He's a seasoned pro who knows how to write copy, how to cover a country so that he hits all the highlights a traveler would care about, and how to include helpful tips and insider information for those who want something a little different.

That's certainly the case with these four episodes, which are beautifully filmed and show Maxa on-camera just enough so we feel comfortable with him. He's never intrusive or overly assertive, knowing full well that the real stars of his TV series are the locations themselves and the locals who live and work there. When people hear "PBS" they often think of shows with leisurely narration and a voiceover so sedate that it can put you to sleep. Meanwhile, the Travel Channel and Food Channel shows have reputations for being a little out there, a little noisier, a little edgier. But Maxa strikes a nice balance between the decorum of the PBS catalog titles and those shows with more flamboyant hosts. He doesn't flap his arms or speak in a voice that's ramped up a few notches for the sake of conveying excitement. The places do that quite nicely, thank you, and what Maxa does is to play roving journalist. He's the guide who leads you here and there and tells you about what you're seeing and how important the ground is upon which you're standing. He gives you the history of a place without the dryness of a history lesson, because it's done in brief and with the familiarity of a friend who's taking you around his part of the world . . . a part that he just happens to know far better than you. His camera crew is also unobtrusive, and judging from the natural reactions of locals you'd suspect that they didn't just pass through an area once. That they lingered there in order to allow the people to get used to them before finally getting a take that would preserve the natural feel of a place.

These shows also have pop-up tips built into the narratives that travelers and would-be travelers will find useful: Ferry information is notoriously unreliable, one tip informs. The best place to check for current times is the Port Authority. Don't wear shorts or bare shoulders while visiting this monastery. Avoid these islands in July and August to miss the tourist crush. Wear good walking shoes at these ruins, which can be slippery even when dry. Maxa is full of small tips that pop up at infrequent intervals--that is, not often enough to be annoying, but enough to where we welcome the information. Again, that's in keeping with Maxa's laid-back style.

Included on this release are four episodes:

"Athens and Delphi"
The footage of daily life in Athens is even more appealing than the shots of the Acropolis, and in Hi-Def the scenes look so marvelous that you'll be tempted to start saving up for that elusive Mediterranean cruise. Maxa walks us through the Parthenon and explains the various pedestals, altars, temples, and entrances that remain, giving us a sense of what life was like when the city was thriving in 432, just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars. After Athens, Maxa takes us to Delphi to see the famed Oracle, and we see as well a monastery from the Middle Ages built of different color bricks. Then it's on to the Peloponnesian Peninsula to see the port of Nafplion, then to the ancient city of Mycenae to see the ruins of King Agamemnon's massive house.

"Greek Islands"
In this installment, Maxa takes us island hopping, starting with Santorini, unique insomuch as the city is built high above volcanic features. You can walk to the top of the city from the boats, or take the tram. Maxa also shows us the Akrotiri ruins, one of the best-preserved archaeological sites due to the fact that, like Pompeii, the entire city was covered following a volcanic eruption--preserving the city in the rhythm of daily life. We also see the town of Dia, and at Naxos we visit a woman who shows us why the place is famous for weaving. At Apiranthus there are more sites to see, at this place so beautiful that Maxa tells us Lord Byron said it was where he wanted to die. Then it's on to Mykanos, playground of jet-setters and a regular stop for cruise ships. There are plenty of panoramic shots to match the intelligent narration, so that this episode, like the previous one, conveys a nice sense of place and also gives travelers a firm sense of where to go and what to expect.

"Out of Rome"
This one surprised me, given the title of the disc was "Beautiful Greece," but those who find ancient Rome and Greece fascinating will be glad for these episodes as well. It's instructive to be able to see examples of Greek art and architecture virtually juxtaposed against images of Roman art and architecture. In Rome, we see the Coliseum, the Pantheon (which we learn is the best preserved of all ancient structures because it was repurposed very early by Christians, who adapted it as a place of worship), and then a walk with Maxa down the Appian Way--where bicyclists roll down the same ancient paved streets that caesars once trod. Another highlight is Hadrian's Villa and the Alban Hills lakes. Finally, Maxa heads to the ancient seaport of Ostia and stops at a medieval hilltop town along the way.

"Classical Europe"
This episode combines the two great ancient civilizations, with Maxa relating story after story about the ruins he guides us through at places like Athens, Delphi, Delos, Paestum, Syracuse, Pompeii, Rome, and Provence. Again, the cinematography is stunning, and the combination of images and information--all compatible with Maxa's easy-going style--make for an enjoyable tour. This turned out to be one of my favorite episodes because, as I said, it allows us to see ancient Greece and Rome in direct comparison and contrast.

Video:
Because the shows were shot in HD, they look great in HD. The AVC/MPEG-4 transfer to a 25GB disc is a good one, with no artifacts and no artificial enhancements. Just vivid, bold colors, a great sense of 3-dimensionality, and very nice detail. Even in long shots the detail is amazing. It's just a gorgeous Blu-ray to watch. The episodes are presented in 16x9 aspect ratio (which measures out to 1.78:1), and each episode runs about 25 minutes.

Audio:
The audio isn't quite as impressive, but the Dolby Digital 2.0 is clean and crisp and clear. The dialogue sounds natural, but of course it would have been nice to have ambient sounds coming from those rear speakers.

Extras:
The only bonus features are still nice ones: a DVD version and a Digital Copy, so that you can watch this show when you aren't near a Blu-ray player.

Bottom Line:
For those who are planning on a trip to Greece or Rome, this release is a good starting point. But there's also enough here for vicarious travelers to enjoy the natural beauty of Greece and Rome and to see in High Definition sites that are so important to the history of western civilization. This is a great travel Blu-ray!