Two English tour guides explain what Brits mean by a "rough and ready" pub and how to find some of the UK's best pub grub. Then a father-and-son tour-guiding duo invite us to fall in love with their favorite corner of France. And BBC journalist Eliot Stein shares insights from his travels in search of the world's oldest disappearing traditions, giving us a peek into what it's like to be the last to carry a cultural torch.

• British tour guides Liz Boardman and Deborah Heyburn
• French tour guides Patrick Vidal and Richard Vidal
• Journalist Eliot Stein, author of "Custodians of Wonder" (St. Martin's Press)

• Tour guide Elizabeth Boardman offers cultural immersion tours in England from her home base in Bath.
• Deborah Heyburn specializes in custom tours of southwest England from her home base in London and can be e-mailed at [email protected].
• Rick recommends several pub crawl stops in London.
• The Brittany Tourism website has photos and trip planning advice.
• The Inter-Celtic Festival is held at L'Orient in August.
• Patrick Vidal leads a variety of tours across France.
• Eliot Stein describes the people he has met who are preserving fading global traditions, in his columns for BBC Travel, and in his book "Custodians of Wonder."

Pgm #783 Haiku awards

Crepes and hard cider,
Ancient stones and wild coasts,
Charming Brittany
— Jessica Graber, Hamilton, Ontario

On Omaha Beach,
families play volleyball.
Sacrifice brought peace.
— Jennifer Peers, Boulder, Colorado

Ignoring advice
I took the road less traveled
And became quite lost
— Ben Bagby, Springfield, Illinois