LONDON — Rick Steves was not walking like a tour guide.

He powered down the sidewalk, mechanical pencil in hand, script tucked under the arm. He was not paying attention to the bustling British cityscape around him. He did not look both ways before crossing the road, either, but managed to avoid disaster with oncoming traffic. Barely.

“If I die young, it’ll be under the wheels of a car in Europe,” said Steves, 70.

In his signature look — glasses, dark jeans, button-down shirt — Steves was in London to film new episodes of his show. A few will debut in the fall, and a one-hour special on the city — the final installation of a four-part miniseries that also features Paris, Rome and Istanbul — will air next year.

On television, Steves plays an earnest history buff, one fans call the Miste

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