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Bulky and heavy shoes: solved
Instead of packing an extra pair of shoes (a common recommendation), just take a second pair of insoles and swap the two every day.
Cameron Wiley
Porand, OR USA 02/03/2012
Irony
I find it very ironic that Rick would interview an author concerned with the extinction of the polar bear due to global warming while advocating recreational travel, which is known to account for somewhere around 10% of our carbon output. Apparantly, saving the polar bears isn't going to stand in the way of Rick going wherever, whenever. We could entirely solve global warming if recreational travel stopped. But I don't hear any discussion of that solution.
Michaael
Portland, OR USA 01/29/2012
lost luggage
Before leaving home I take a digital pic of my luggage just in case it is lost. I always carry my camera with me, not in my luggage. There is no more accurate description than a photo, and when in foreign countries there is no language barrier either.
Olivia Stone
Onalaska, Wa. USA 01/29/2012
washing clothes with shampoo
Shampoo makes great clothes washing liquid. It is especially good at taking out grease stains.
Elaine
Galveston, TX USA 01/28/2012
Bus Tours
My wife and I had a wonderful bus tour of Scotland with about 1/3 Americans (Yankees and 1 Texan), 1/3 Australians (Aussies), and 1/3 New Zealanders (Kiwis). While the tour was great, the give and take on the bus between stops was hilarious. We all had a great time!!
Ed Adcock
Fort Worth, TX USA 01/28/2012
Polar Bears
RE Polar Bears, in August a British teen was killed in his tent by a polar bear;
so it seems they can be dangerous
W C
Tulsa, OK USA 01/27/2012
Ararat sites
On Mt Ararat: Interestingly, there is an asteroid strike site, to the southeast of Madagascar, that by tree rings matches the biblical date within 2 years. So the flood doesn't seem to match the filling of the Black Sea. However, the flooding of the Black Seawould cause the Ararat glacier to melt, and bring about the river of Eden, which was one river that split into 4 in the mountains. There is an area on Ararat that is identified by the locals as Eden, and in the local language, Eden is their word for a garden.
Michael Rudmin
Portsmouth, Va USA 01/21/2012
Art in Ireland
Re: The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife by Daniel Maclise at the National Gallery of Art of Ireland. My husband, Hugh Baskin, was contacted on Friday, January 13th for the art in Ireland segment to discuss this painting. It currently is being conserved and is not available to view at this time. There is a timeline of conservation( started in October 2011) on the websiteof the National Gallery of Ireland, and it might be mentioned to listeners when it will be available to view. Thanks Patty Baskin
Patty Baskin
Salem, Oregon USA 01/14/2012
Travel to Armenia
We 4 are going to Armenia quite soon, leaving Michigan on 31 Jan. My wife found this program about Armenia and I'm so very glad. Very informative and we are so happy we made this decision.
Hajovastoon! (I think that's how you pronounced Thank You!) Dave Abbey
David Alan Abbey
Saint Joseph,, MI USA 01/06/2012
Christmas in Europe (2005)
Christmas in Europe was such a gift! It filled my heart with joy. I felt as though I was there with every family filmed. And I found myself beaming with a broad smile as the families lit their way home in the snow with torches and a pulled tree on a sled. Lovely! I even made fondue for supper that evening. Thank you! What a wonderful way to say Merry Christmas to so many! Thank you for letting me travel along with you in the comfort of my family room and glow of my Christmas tree.
Marsha Clark
Des Peres, MO USA 12/26/2011
Instant city
Hi
Just a question, what was the music played at the end of the interview with Steve Inskepp on program 268 on Instant city. Could I get the music information? I loved the sound of it and the interview too.
thank you
Susana Donnelly
houston, tx USA 12/04/2011
Dec. 3 interview with Simon re Passenger Ship Travel
Just caught a bit of your program this am, Dec. 3 - you were interviewing Simon who travelled from Liverpool to Montreal in the 1960's [INVALID] it brought back a flood of memories [INVALID] I travelled from Montreal to Portsmouth on the Cunard Liner Carmania about the same time (in the spring of 1967) [INVALID] in a "lower" level cabin in a bunk with the washrooms down the hall (I was 18). We passed the Queen Mary at night in a storm [INVALID] she was lite up like a Xmas tree [INVALID] and turned her lights on and off as we sailed past. Spectacular. An incredible voyage and adventure for an 18 year old young woman. I travelled for 3years [INVALID] through Europe, then by passenger ship to Australia(Italian passenger ship, Gugliamo Marconi) and finally by passenger ship(P&O Canberra) back to Canada. It changed my life. Passenger ship travel was incredible - I miss it. And, you never ever had jet lag! Thanks you so much for this segment. I will find it on line and listen to the whole thing. Thank you Simon for writing about it. I'll look for your book. Patricia
Patricia
Bakersfield, ca USA 12/03/2011
Airline Travel
Please talk a few minutes about why it seems that airplanes are always loaded backwards. People seated in the rear should be allowed to get on first - much less tangle.
Thanks.
Bill Polskoy
Opelika, AL USA 11/27/2011
Road food
I wanted to be sure Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, Maine, got its due- Jane started to mention it, but conversation turned- Moody's is a Maine staple, with (in my opinion) the best pie- their blueberry, and their strawberry rhubarb, are not to be missed.
Julia Hefner
Bayfield,, CO USA 11/27/2011
Food Adventures... going casual.
Just returned from a month in east Africa and wanted to mention the evening local food frenzy at the Forodhani Gardens in Stonetown Zanzabar. Just about any sort of freshly caught seafood from spicy lobster to octopus, great samosas, Zanaibar pizza (Roller chapati, bananas and Nutella) all washed down with an Ice cold glass of fresh squeezed sugar cane juice with ginger and lime,. The Best!
Jimmy Hickey
Los Angeles, CA USA 11/26/2011
Thanking attendants
I enjoyed your conversation with the pilot and his comment that flight attendants are under-appreciated. I am frequently annoyed when passengers are grumpy and rude with gate and flight attendants for conditions - like weather- that are totally beyond their control. For the most part staff do the best they can under circumstances that are no picnic for them either. Do the passengers every think that the attendants will be getting home late too? I will definitely send notes of thanks as suggested.
Gina S
Eagle, ID USA 11/26/2011
Depression food
One kind of food during the depression was horse meat. My grandparents always talked about this as it was not only less expensive, but evidently, beef meat was hard to come by during this time and into the war years
Lance
Seattle, Wa USA 11/26/2011
Yeats;s Epitaph
Actually, for those familiar with the range of Yeats's work and thought, the epitaph poses no real riddle. He viewed the creative imagination as a tension between the objective and subjective faculties of mind (which he referred to as Will and Mask). The idea is that the artist must experience reality as objectively as possible (ie, with a cold eye), but creates art while assuming a persona, a mask. The first two lines of the lines of the epitaph enjoins the reader to appraise the world with the cold, objective eye of the artist. As for the final line, it was customary in epitaphs to ask the passerby to pause to read the testament of the deceased (ie, the epitaph; cf Lord Byron's parody of the convention on the death of Lord Castlereagh). With consummate self-deprecation, as well as supreme self-confidence, Yeats's epitaph tells the passerby, imagined as a horseman, not to bother stopping to lament the death of the poet, but to get on with the hard work of living and creating art.
Sean Taylor
Seattle, WA USA 11/05/2011
Question about "The Wind that Shakes the Barley"
On the most recent program, a brief segment of the ballad "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" was played. Who performs that particular version? It was quite lovely.
Katie
Tulsa, OK USA 11/04/2011
Malta
After listening to your show about Malta, I a psyched about going. I had heard briefly about Malta several years ago and it intrigued me. Now, after hearing your show, I plan on going to Malta and Sicily. Thanks Rick! PS Was so glad to run into you a few years back in Positano. Have a picture of us on my desk at work and those who do not know me well think this is a picture of me and my husband!
Patty Bono
East Hanover, nj USA 11/03/2011
Ghosts -- bah humbug!
Rick,
I truly enjoy your show, and enthusiatically support your insistence that travel makes us better people. But did you HAVE to include the segment on "Haunted Europe" (aired Oct. 30 where I am)? Why do you have to give the woo-artists some legitimacy? Ley lines, ghost fields -- bunk, all of it. You could have at least included a disclaimer that there is not a shred of scientific evidence for any of this. Otherwise, very good show; i especially enjoyed the piece about Malta, a place I've never been.
Chris Bolles
Columbus, Ohio USA 10/30/2011
Malta
I am a recent college grad and had the opportunity to visit Malta last September. Tying to stay alive while driving a stick shift car on the 'wrong side' of the narrow roads was almost as exhilarating as standing on the edge of some of the most beautiful cliffs I have ever seen. We did some cliff jumping, scuba diving, and exploring around the islands. The people were very warm and friendly as well.
Thanks for helping me remember such a wonderful place, I would recommend everyone to visit at least once!
Katie
Dallas, TX USA 10/29/2011
Roots in Ireland
I really enjoy the show and I especially loved the segment about looking up roots in Ireland. I have 3 greatx2 grandparents who came over from Ireland but the one whose story I know is a Fallon, Lawrence Fallon and he came over with his family in 1840 (I found the ship's log on Ancestry.com). His father (my greatx3) was also a Lawrence Fallon and his occupation on the log is described as "gentleman" and the family also brought a servent with them. They were from Roscommon. I also think there is a connection with the city of Athlone. Anyway, the greatx2 ended up in New Orleans importing coffee and bananas and had a summer home in MS.
Caitlin
Covington, LA USA 10/25/2011
Discussing Malta
Rick,
I was very disappointed to hear your talk on travelling to Malta today. I am Maltese, living in the U.S. and found it very disrespectful that you interviewed an Italian tour guide. We have a population of around 400,000 and the majority of our country speaks English fluently. If I wanted to be informed about the history of the United States, I would not call a Canadian tour guide and ask his opinion on the matter. Not only did the Italian tour guide make inaccurate statements about Malta, but his pronunciation of our language was also incorrect. I ask that next time you give travel tips on a country that you go straight to the source for the correct information.
Melissa Jonsson
Oklahoma City, OK USA 10/22/2011
The Best Travel Podcasts Ever
Thank you for hours of listening pleasure and arm chair travel. Please keep up the good work.
Dr Rodney Aguiar
Sohar, Oman 10/17/2011
Traffic deaths in public transit systems
In a recent show you interviewed Carl Hoffman. During the show you guys were saying how horrendously dangerous public transit in the poor countries was. The statistics you gave were in how many thousands were killed. But what that is missing is how many folks were traveling and how far they traveled.
There are three times as many folks in India as in USA, and the Indian road deaths are around three times as high. That makes them very equivalent. Similar with trains.
Here's some web searches I did, ones you guys should have done before saying "danger, danger". http://www.car-accidents.com/country-car-accidents/india-car-accidents-crash.html
Road Traffic Crash Statistics: The India Department of Road Transport and Highway, reports that there are about
406,730 accidents each year with 86,000 people killed! But remember India has the world's second largest
population in the world with 1,169,016,000 people!
http://www.automobileindia.com/automobile-industry/auto-accident.html PERSONS KILLED (IN THOUSANDS) 2004 (Provisional) 92.5
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-17/india/28181973_1_road-accidents-road-fatalities-global-
road-safety National Crime Records Bureau reveals. In 2007, 1.14 lakh (114,000) people in India lost their lives in road
mishaps
Wiki (and others http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1931229.stms) While accident rates are low – 0.55 accidents per million train kilometre,[45] the absolute number of people
killed is high because of the large number of people making use of the network.
http://indiafacts.in/death/accident-deaths-in-india/ 26,111 railway deaths (extrapolated from comma fixing in: "'Un-Natural Accidents' caused 3,34,766 deaths" and
"Railway Accidents and Rail-Road Accidents (7.8%)".
Steve Stone
Seattle, WA USA 10/17/2011
Misunderstanding Egalitarianism in France
On the stereotype that French are rude to Americans: My sister and her family live in France, so I have visited there repeatedly with time to wander away from the tourist track. Seems to me that egalitarianism may account for part of what may be misunderstood by Americans as rudeness.
Contrary to the corporate falseness that is forced upon U.S. service workers, French culture emphasizes the completeness of individual personhood. Thus, a waiter expects to be treated with the same amount of respect as a banker. One behaves as a guest in a boutique because it is the shopkeeper's domain. Similarly, one must say Bonjour! and Merci! as the external acknowledgment of respect for egalite.
Ironic that we Yanks have such pride in unalienable rights, but don't recognize an alternate social implementation of those ideals.
John K
Springfield, IL USA 10/01/2011
American nobleman in Prague
What a wonderful program you did with William Lobkowicz! As a graduate student, I feel rather futile in wanting to help him. But Rick, do you have friends that can help spread the Lobkowicz story more and to potential donors? I imagine this would be an inspirational story for the New York Times Travel section, or its Sunday Magazine, for example.
Jackie
Pasadena, CA USA 09/30/2011
Conversation with Ferenc Máté
Rick,
I found your conversation with Ferenc Máté to be disingenuous. You and Ferenc, both multi-millionaires, babbling on about the "simple life" and getting back to basics. I'd suggest it's easy to live "simple" when you can afford it. Living simple and living poor have a lot in common except that Ferenc lives "simple" on his Tuscan wine estate by choice, while poor people here in Seattle can't afford to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Thanks for listening.
Jim Franklin
Seattle, WA USA 09/27/2011
Paul Theroux and Dervla Murphy
I listened to Rick's interview with Paul Theroux via podcast this morning. A great conversation.
I especially appreciated the mention of Dervla Murphy, an amazing traveler and travel writer. I discovered her before a trip to Laos some years ago, and was totally inspired by her travel accounts, both to Laos and elsewhere. I'm currently reading her account of visiting Madagascar (some years ago). She's helped me be a much (braver) traveler than I would have been otherwise.
Lisa Wagner
Clemson, SC USA 09/18/2011
9/11
To Rick Steves - Rick I experienced the same thing as you - I was in Rome, Italy at the time of 9/ll - and I will be on your tour this Monday 12 Sept. - the l4 day Village tour in Italy!! I fly out of Seattle on [INVALID]"9/ll" to Newark, then to Milan on the 12th. I was so sad l0 years ago to see newspapers open everywhere - Italians reading about "us". How could that be? Many more comments I will forward. I look forward to your tour and pray everybody - everywhere will be safe at this vulnerable time. Lana Galbraith
Lana Galbraith
Seattle, WA USA 09/09/2011
Czech Republic.
Today's show with the Czech/American prince was fascinating. He was incredibly articulate and the show ended altogether too quickly. I hope you'll invite him back for his tips on visiting his country. I want to go there!
Joy Overstreet
Vancouver, WA USA 09/04/2011
cheaper eating
Your podcast for the week of Sept. 1st under cheap eats didn't mention that the servings in many restaurants can be huge and sharing even an expensive dinner can make for cheap eating. Just tell the waiter you plan to share and they will bring an extra plate or even divide it between 2 plates. Leave a little extra tip. If you are still hungry you can always order dessert. Maybe this will appeal mainly to seniors but maybe not. Look to see how much is on other diners' plates or note if the menu actually states the size of the steak, etc. Sometimes after we've ordered two dinners and are sorry, we return later and share. I have noticed huge servings recently in British pubs and Greek restaurants. I'm sure this must happen elsewhere.
Sue Gillmor
Ottawa, ON USA 09/01/2011
Budget Eats
I worked in the UK for many years and know that salary and cost of living never seem to be on par so you have to be creative with your budgeting to survive and find funds to travel, Here are some of my tips:
1. UK shops like Sainsbury's, Tesco and Co-Op usually mark down their short dated goods from 6 p.m. onwards and they tend to keep them in one are of the store. Scout out the location for shelf stable and chilled reductions and you are set!
2. Stay in hostels where you have access to cooking space and utensils. I like the private rooms in the hostels - great value since I meet so many people that I get great tips from.
3. Go to the University areas of a town/city and watch where the students seem to be eating. Usually budget friendly and vegetarian options.
4. In the UK look for a Weatherspoon pub (they usually have long weird names). This is a chain of pubs in restored, unique locations (like old Opera halls) where the beer and food are decent (not great mind you) but budget friendly. Do not go too late at night (after 9 p.m.) because the locals use this as a watering hole to get ready for the expensive clubs later in the evening.
5. Check out street food stands where you see a lot of locals and near an area to sit down and enjoy your food (like a park or quai). The good vendors tend to get the choice spots because of public support! Tip - eating street food is economical until your company will not reimburse you because you have no receipt!
6. Little cafes linked to the local trade/produce normally have good food for a decent price. Have found some of the best fish dishes at little cafes within the fish market at the docks.
7. Long bench/family seating is usually a good sign because tourists don't frequent these places and they tend to be more local.
8. Ask questions about the food, how it is prepared, where it comes from, etc. I once scored a meal at someone's home because I stood under the kitchen window sniffing and swooning. The lady was so touched that she invited me in to join her.
9. Check for local beer festivals (CaMRA site for UK is best) or Salon de Vin in France because they highlight small producers with products you would not normally get a chance to try and the prices are good. For a nominal fee (less than $10 normally) you get to see locals and try local fare.While at these festivals I ask around for a good place to eat and have never been let down yet. Warning - do the Salon de Vin at the begining of your trip so you can drink the bottles of wine before you leave and avoid having over weight luggage!
Barbara Schranz
University Heights, OH USA 08/29/2011
English in Madrid
About the program aired on Saturday Aug 20th... about the English Conversation trip near Madrid... a clarification:
It is NOT true that it was forbidden to learn a foreign language under Franco: I am 51, grew up under his dictatorship and learnt French and English; we could not use our own languages (i.e., Catalan), but a 'foreign' language, sure.
Second point, Franco died in 75... there has been time since (36 years) to 'catch up', so we are not 'delayed' (or whatever expression you used in the air).
Being on vacation doesn't justify blatant ignorance. Traveling to another country is always best served by learning some of its history.
Elena Benedicto
Lafayette, IN USA 08/20/2011
fav cities
Inverness Scotland was a favorite stop on the way to the Orkneys.
Turns out my family has ties to a manor on the coast of Moray Firth
Jane Bowerman
Norman, OK USA 08/20/2011
SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IN MADRID
What was the name of the Spanish/English program your last caller named in Madrid? Thanks and love your show.
Kenyon Taylor
Kenyon Taylor
Ojai,, Ca USA 08/20/2011
Hotel rates
I listened to a great piece on Italy on 8/14. As a hotel owner I was thrilled to hear the owner of one of Rick's favorite hotels in Rome ask visitors to call the hotel direct and not use internet booking engines. The Roman was right to say that the commissions are detrimental to business but he was wrong to say that you can get better deals at big hotels using the net but not small ones. ANY hotel will do better for guests who contact them directly. We will all gladly give the commission back to the costumer rather than the middlemen! Rick should discuss how the internet travel scheme is hurting ALL travel related businesses and dispel the myth that they have the best deals. It just can't be!
Red Mountain Inn
AR
Glenwood Springs, Colora USA 08/19/2011
Interstate 75 road trip
I was just listening to a program with Rick and the author David Hunter, a Canadian who wrote a book called Along Interstate 75. As the author was recounting his favorite places to stop along the interstate, he told of locations in the deep south where locals still believe they are fighting "the war between the states" aka The Civil War. I was disturbed to hear him describe with some affection an unmarked restaurant in one of the southern states that doesn't allow "Yankee's". As Hunter is a Canadian, and Canada supported the Civil War way back when, he and his wife were welcome. As an African American woman there are still places in the south, in 2011, that I would not drive through after dark and heaven forbid I should get a flat tire there. It would seem that David Hunter described just one of these towns. What disturbed me was that neither Rick nor the author acknowledged the sinister flip-side of these backwater locations, that they are racist and potentially dangerous to all those who are not "welcome".
Dara
Houston, TX USA 08/06/2011
Polar bear hibernation
Re. Polar Witness: The Last Polar Bear; Penguins on the Brink, Airdate: March 19, 2011, Program 239. Steven Kazlowski talks about waiting for the polar bears to come out of their dens in spring when they wake up from hibernation. Everything else I've read about polar bears says they do not hibernate, per se. Considering his intimate involvement with them, perhaps he should be a little more specific. His photos are stunning, though.
Diane Fisher
Duarte, CA USA 08/02/2011
Walking Israel
It nice to hear a media program on Israel that didn't dwell solely on the conflict with the Palestinians. Yes, there is a difficult and controversial conflict with the Palestinians. But for once, it's nice to hear something about the ordinary lives and views of regular Israelis without over-politicizing things.
J.
Cleveland, OH USA 08/01/2011
"Walking Israel"
Your affectionate review of Israel was very distasteful. Israel was far from "a land without a people" but rather destroyed or dispossessed 542 Arab communities in 1948, establishing itself through ethnic cleansing (Known to the Palestinians as the Nakba - the "catastrophe"). You should be discussing not the Holocaust, which is long past, but the Nakba which remains ongoing.
And the indigenous Palestinians are NOT comparable with "immigrants" since most were expelled by Zionist terrorism and those left continue to live under an oppressive apartheid system denying then basic rights in almost every area of life. About half of historic Palestine live under brutal, suffocating Israeli occupation and inhumane blockade.
The international boycott campaign is strongly opposed to any treatment of Israel as a "normal' country - which your program violated in the eyes of our human rights community.
Jack Dresser
Springfield, OR USA 07/24/2011
Fish eating customs in Japan
I enjoy the program but today I heard a description of a fish being eaten whilst it was still alive that I found beyond disgusting. The theme was 'when in Rome' and entering into local customs but surely this behaviour is cruel beyond belief and to decline to partake is the only civilized reaction.
Pamela
Carrollton, GA USA 07/17/2011
Eating a LIVE FISH
I was totally horrified to hear the casual mention yesterday of eating a LIVE FISH. You don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to recognize the brutality of eating a fellow creature WHILE IT IS STILL ALIVE!
Where's the compassion? Where was the outrage?
There's more to travel than just "when in Rome..." We shouldn't leave our moral values behind when we board the plane.
Andrea
Vashon Island, WA USA 07/17/2011
I absolutely agree. This was the most insensitive and disturbing program on radio I have every listened to. I fully understand that there are differences in cultures, but there are still limits. What's next, a program on how much you enjoy dining with cannibals?
USA 07/17/2011
Japan eat and meet
I just wanted to thank you for talking about travel and eating in Japan. I love the show but it seems stuck in Europe so I was so happy to hear you've also traveled in Japan. I took my son to Japan last June for three weeks where we basically bummed around spending three days at each stop. In most places we were the only westerners to be seen and had a wonderful time eating and meeting. I have never met friendlier people in my life and we learned to communicate even though we didn't speak the language. We just dived in and had a ball. My 14 year old son tells me he wants to live there. I have to agree. We loved how the mom and pop restaurants displayed there dishes in the window making selection easier even if we had to take mom outside to point out our selection. We experience wonderful exchanges with the school children at temples and shrines and pensioners on the train rides. Next year it's Ireland with my other boy. Thank you for the radio show.
Patrick
Dayton, Oh USA 07/16/2011
travelling feast
Your program July 16 2011 on NPR about travelling feasts came after a program about Portugal. We have spent 1 winter in Spain and 2 in Portugal so our preference is obvious.
We would go to Malaga for Sunday afternoon free bass band concerts and met a group of "expats" from England and other mostly European countries. After the concert we walked with them at their very kind invitation for what seemed miles. They felt a good walk was healthy and a good meal followed. We walked along the ocean front for an hour or more and came to a wonderful place out on a patio. The waiters burst through the kitchen doors hollering the dish on their huge trays and you had to catch them as they wisked by for servings for your table. Mostly fish/crustations/squid sardines roasted on sticks. What an afternoon! Simply spontanious! Simply wonderful.
I lost my only child a number of years ago in his 20th year. Few things wake true pation in me now, but that day I was 100% alive. Travel can take us totally out of ourselves. Thanks for the time Luella
Luella Iseppon
Niagara Falls, Ont Can 07/16/2011
Mexico
Rick,
I have trouble supporting your idea that there are good places among the quite dangerous areas of Mexico. Your assertion that the border are to be avoided, though true, is not all inclusive. Until Mexico looses ALL of its tourist dollars, I doubt the government will take the steps necessary to end the carnage that is taking place ALL OVER the country.
20 Dead in Monterrey Mexico:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-violence-20110710,0,1835138.story?track=rss
Mark
Santa Barbara, 93101 USA 07/10/2011
Women travelling--or not
I am listening to the interview with a traveller in Africa (a male, 60-something). It is interesting--but the pressing question for me is: "Could a woman travel in Africa the way did this man did?
Could you try to ask the people you talk to--men typically (not your fault--men travel and write more)--what they think about the safety/practicality/customs aspects of a woman traveller in the same situation?
Thank you.
Janina
Janina
Houston, TX USA 07/09/2011
Riga Latvia
Re: travel to the Baltic. Several years ago I travelled with my mother in law, who is Latvian, back to Riga. She and her family fled Latvia when the Russians re-occuppied Lativa. We took the train from Moscow to Riga (yes she was able to visit the former USSR and I was very impressed) and saw the apartment where she grew up with her family. We also visited her former house in the country which had been taken over by the Russians and divided up into tiny apartments. Biruta had not been back to her country since she fled and her first visit was soon after the Russians granted latvia it's independence. When she returned to her house in the country it was dilapidated and torn up. but lo and behold - she found the gold and diamonds and cigarette cases that her father had buried in the back yard (to hide from the Russians) and on my visit we dug up the basement and found bottles of champagne bureid in the 1940s. it was heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. I love Riga and plan to revisit - we took our children (10 years old at the time) and they helped dig in the basement. your wonderful broadcast brought back memories of a wonderful trip.
Susan Wood
Carlsbad, CA USA 07/09/2011
More about exploring DC
Rick, I really enjoyed the recent podcast about DC, which was a bit surreal to listen to as I sat at work in my DC office! Hearing an outsider's questions and perspective made me realize how skewed our local view might be.
A few other quick tips for DC tourists:
- When it comes to the Metro, there are 3 things you can do to save yourself a headache. First, try to avoid traveling during rush hours. That time is full of locals at their grumpiest. Second, when on a system escalator, the unwritten rule is "stand on the right, walk on the left." Lastly, many downtown stops are very close together, so don't bother trying to transfer trains if you only have one more stop to go.
- To save a little on dining, check out places that serve "small plates" which are based on the tapas craze. Share a few with your friends and you'll fill up fast. Also be willing to dig into foreign food - the large international population in the area means we have a world of cuisine at your fingertips. One of the most prevalent in town is Ethiopian - and it's fantastic!
- Your guest mentioned the museums, but there are several nature sites that are also free. Try the Botanical Gardens, the National Zoo, and (my favorite) the National Arboretum.
- If you have a car, explore the greater DC area. Your guest mentioned Arlington, and there are a host of other great places to see just outside the DC border.
Jason L.
Cheverly, MD USA 07/08/2011
Rick and Andy Steves/Father and Son
Enjoyed the program with Andy Steves. PS Thanks, Rick, for signing my books when you came to Denver!
Judy
CO USA 06/20/2011
Hostels in America
Enjoyed the program with Andy Ricks and hostels. Glad to hear that they don't make you clean any more. But, about American hostels not welcoming Americans, I had a great time sitting in the hot tub watching pelicans at the lighthouse hostel in Santa Cruz, CA and two visits to one at Drake's Bay. Don't forget to ask for the "family rooms" to get more privacy. PS Thanks, Steve, for signing my luggage when you came to Fresno! Come back!
Patricia Brown
Fresno, CA USA 06/19/2011
Zoos / butterflies
In the segment about zoos, Rick asked Allen Nyhuis about butterfly houses in the U.S. I can recommend the Butterfly Pavilion in the Denver area. See their website: http://www.butterflies.org/
Heather
Salem, OR USA 06/11/2011
Mexico City
I lived there first as a student and moved back to work for two years. I did it for the experience; it was intense and charming as your guests say. I also had a couple of close calls with crime. I even heard an assassination take place, as I lived near the Federal police chief who was gunned down in his residence. On the other hand, I walked it end to end, even with two broken arms, and later got a bicycle and rode all over it. I will always remember the amazing weather and bright lavender Jacaranda blooming in the springtime.
Brock M
Stephenville, TX USA 05/31/2011
Navigating Mexico City
I first visited Mexico City as a lone traveler after spending time on a beach at Zihuatenejo, a village near the concrete tourist trap of Ixtapa. Although I had taken a year of Spanish in high school, I hardly remembered a word before the trip, but it started to come back to me during the trip. By the time I got to Mexico City I got along just fine with help from an English-Spanish dictionary. I stayed at a hotel in La Zona Rosa, the international embassy district. The hotel was later made structurally uninhabitable by a major earthquake, but I stayed there in two separate years. Although I was warned to take only licensed taxis, which could be identified by working rate meters, when I got to the airport I was approached by one of the many unofficial drivers who make their living with tourists. They steer fares to hotels and tourist-oriented where they receive bonuses for bringing a tourist with a pocketbook. One of the tactics you learn is that the taxi driver will always tell you that "there's a convention in town, so (whatever hotel you want to stay in) is full." Be insistent if you have a specific place you want to stay.
My taxi driver was a young man, hardly more than a boy, who attached himself firmly to me for the week I was at the hotel he recommended to me. Whenever I left the front door, he was right there ready to take me wherever I wanted to go, and we developed a good relationship over the course of the week for two people who communicated with the help of a well-thumbed dictionary. He took care of me, didn't try to rip me off, and was intensely protective and loyal. At the end of the trip, I gave him my dictionary, and it was only by his puzzled inspection of its pages that I realized that he probably was illiterate.
I never felt unsafe in the parts of the city I visited, although I sometimes found that even some taxi drivers wouldn't take a fare to some of the places I wanted to go. A case in point was the San Angel Inn, an excellent and famous restaurant in a centuries-old hacienda. The San Angel at the time was known for taxi drivers and tourists being ripped off by local hoods.
On public transit one is advised to keep close hold of any backpacks, and to keep wallets, money and other important papers away from outside pockets - good advice you've heard from Rick many times already, and true in many places around the world from Boston to Bombay.
NEVER accept an offer of a shoeshine or any other service without settling on a price first. You may not get the opportunity to say no. This was a learning experience for me. One Sunday, out on a solitary afternoon walk, I was offered a shoeshine, which I accepted nonchalantly, even though I HAD been warned. There was very little human traffic on the Sunday afternoon street. I followed the shiner into an alcove and he went to work with a "very special" (read "expensive") material. A tall man entered the alcove, letting the shiner know he also wanted a shine [INVALID] and incidentally, letting me know that he was around. I started to realize how isolated I really was. When my shoes were finished, the shiner smiled at me and gave me a figure in pesos. Even though I had no other reason to believe I was in trouble, I peeled off the bills for the amount requested. I later calculated that, in dollar exchange, that shine had cost me $50 American. At the time, all I knew is that I had violated the cardinal rule of agreeing on a price beforehand, because after the fact, you're at a distinct disadvantage. The important thing was that I didn't know who the tall guy was, and whether he was waiting outside in event I disputed the value of the work done. I paid and left, and the street was literally vacant. But the sun was shining, and I continued my walk, a bit wiser than before. Never did see the tall guy; must have changed his mind about the shine.
Rojaspak
Port Orchard, WA USA 05/28/2011
Lisa Andersen in Italy Interview, May 21
I was just listening to Rick's interview with Lisa Andersen about her cross-cultural marriage to an Italian. Her story sounded so familiar and I realized that she was our guide for the Venice city tour back in 2003. She was relatively newly married, then, and told us a lot of stories about life in Italy.
One of my favorites was a story about a custom-made matress and bedroom furniture that they had to get for their new home. I am so glad to hear that things have worked out for her. I still have the little Venetian glass candy that she gave each of us as a parting gift! Lovely trip!
Janet Fox
Houston, TX USA 05/21/2011
Following Martin Luther--No Sidewalks!!
We need to think more about pedestrian access. Philadelphia, when I worked there: no walking many places. Also San Francisco. But here on the farm I mow trails in the woods. Walk more. Good health! Beauty everywhere! I love the radio show best of all the things I love about Rick Steves.
Joan Crowe
Donnellson, Iowa USA 05/09/2011
Relics & Sri Lanka
As I heard it, Peter Manseau described the Buddha's tooth in Candy as the "center of Sri Lankan society" and of "what it means to be Sri Lankan." That denies the existence, or at least the legitimacy, of the 30 percent of Lankans who are Hindu, Christian, or Muslim--something the nation's Buddhist versions of Mullah Omar and Terry Jones are all too glad to do, and to see obliging Westerners do.
Eric Scigliano
Seattle, USA 04/30/2011
Relics & Sri Lanka, corrected
Whoops, that is of course Kandy, not "Candy," in Sri Lanka.
What Manseau said pertains to Sinhalese Buddhism.
Eric Scigliano
Seattle, USA 04/30/2011
Simon Winchester program
I did enjoy the show today on the author's experiences of the Atlantic Ocean, but unfortunately in his discussion of cod and atlantic fish resources, he describes the chilean sea bass (Dissostichus eleginoides) fishery as well-managed. This is not the case. This is a long-lived, slow to mature and reproduce fish, which is being fished too heavily with gear which damages deep water habitats. More information can be found on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=6.
Eric Buck
Miami, FL USA 04/17/2011
First in the Americas
Hi there,
Your first guest from today (April 16th) was speaking about the first people to reach the Americas. It was undeniably people from the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) civilization. This was from 70,000 years ago. Thor Hyderal (sp) wrote about it and even went on a voyage to the Americas using a reed/papyrus boat.
This continent (the Americas) was named Maanu in the heiroglyphic language called Medu. Maanu means "land of the setting sun."
http://www.theearthcenter.com/templates/firefly/archives/ffarchivescocaine.html
Tamerri
San Diego, Ca USA 04/16/2011
Your interview with Ken Burns on the Civil War
Your interview with Ken Burns was an excellent addition to the considerable scholarship being generated by the Sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War starting this week with events throughout the country.
Watching Ken Burns' Civil War series the first time it aired opened my eyes and mind to researching and setting up university-based programs on human aspects of the Civil War that were ancillary (yet of equally paramount importance) to the military battles and personalities. Rick, your own emphasis on finding the history of places while planning trips made me dig a little harder to find Civil War related sites in our own Pacific NW backyard.
Even though I live in Oregon, our newly minted state (1859) prospered due to the legacy of the Lincoln Administration and to the huge influx of Civil War Veterans who chose our state to raise their families, make their fortunes and last resting place. We have cities, counties and landmarks with Civil War connections.
Thanks to the inspiration I received from you, Rick and from Ken ; I am part of a group of volunteers who are putting on several special events and free lectures during the 150th Anniversary.
We have a "Fort Sumter Memorial" in downtown Portland which will be the scene of commemoration on April 12, and will hold a candlelight vigil under a famous Lincoln statue on April 14 to honor the 146th Anniversary of the death of Lincoln by the assassin John Wilkes Booth.
Almost 20.000 veterans are buried in Oregon, and during the summer months, special cemetery tours are taking residents and tourists to the gravesites of escaped slaves, Gettysburg veterans and more. Our active Sons of Union Veteran camps put on several battle reenactments at Ft Stevens and other sites in Oregon.
Over the next 4 years we will definitely make the pilgrimage to the actual scenes of battle in the East, but we're also proud and will continue to promote Oregon's close connections and heritage sites to the Civil War that still exist . Keep up the good work!
K.C. Piccard
Portland, Oregon USA 04/11/2011
West and the Civil War
I enjoyed the interview with Ken Burns about the Civil War. Being a westerner, we have had a larger impact on the Civil War than normally perceived, it was was the gold mines of California and the Comstock in Nevada that bankrolled the war. In Oregon, you need to look at the counties Grant, Sherman,Union and Lincoln. The newspaper in my home town in the Northern Mines of the Sierra Nevada, Grass Valley was The Union and so quoted founded for the preservation of the Union
Ned Wilson
Talent, Oregon USA 04/10/2011
a book for armchair travelers
I'd like to recommend to armchair travelers interested in Mexico City a book (Palace of the Blue Butterfly) being read (podcast) by the author, Jane Rosenthal, at her web site allaboutjanesranch.com. Jane's prose is beautiful, and it's hard to wait a week to hear the next 30-45 minute reading.
Dotty Woolum
Miramonte, CA USA 04/09/2011
Civil War
We stopped at Gettysburg on the way home to Ohio from the Atlantic coast. The re-enactors were wonderful, particularly a woman playing a resident who described the unspeakable carnage they had to deal with in their own homes. Also, we saw a private display I recommend, a diorama depicting I think Pickett's charge. Standing in the middle of a 360 degree view of the battle with a docent leading us through the various moves, charges...you felt you were there and the hair stands up on your neck. And it's this visit I remember, not the beach.
francine suda
cleveland hts., oh USA 04/09/2011
Ken Burns and the Civil War
Your interview with Ken Burns was very perceptive. As I listened I was filling a photo album with pictures I took on a visit to the battlefield of Shiloh in Tennessee. My younger daughter and I have visited Shiloh twice. It made a deep impression on her. Near the end of our first visit as we stood by the Bloody Pond she looked very thoughtfully at the still water and the green woods and very quietly said "I can see it, I can really see how it was." I was thrilled. Now a young woman, she has taken the long look back that I know has made clear to her many things about who we are now. I think every child in the United States should have at least one chance to visit Shiloh, Gettysburg, Antietam or one of the other Civil War sites. I think it would do a lot to dispel the unthinking ignorance I see so often.
Don Balduf
Dayton, OH USA 04/09/2011
Civil War
Hi Rick, I recommend a visit to Fort Pulaski near Savannah GA. They do a great tour with musket and cannon demonstations. The earliest known photograph of a baseball game was taken at the fort. In 2010, "The Conspirator" was filming at the fort and in Savannah. The film is just about to be in theatres. Tybee Island would be a wonderful place to stay while you visit the area.
Jeanette Bird
Fort Worth, TX USA 04/09/2011
The traveler Ibn Battuta
On your April 9 show your guest mentioned the 14th century Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta, the greatest traveler of premodern times in terms of the length of his travels and the richness of his narrative. Tim Macintosh-Smith, a wonderful writer, has now published all three volumes of his excellent work on his years following in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta. See also my book: Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth century.
Ross Dunn
La Mesa, CA USA 04/09/2011
Pickpockets in Geneva
I'm an American expat, been living and working in Amsterdam for the last 6 months. This Friday evening, March 25th, I was in Geneva, Switzerland on a minivacation (going to see CERN, Mont Blanc and a few watch museums,) and had a very entertaining experience with a pickpocket. Not a particularly *good* pickpocket, as I still have everything I went to Geneva with, but it could've turned out otherwise.
One of the tips you mention in is that if it *does* happen, to turn it into a "fun" experience. In this case we turned it into a dance. People say the Lambada is a coded dance, each move having a certain meaning. In this case, after your partner approaches, it starts with a regular handshake. Then, trying to convince you that it's some "cultural" thing, "Hey, we're friends now, let me show you how Brazilians greet you." Which immediately set off alarm bells.
The real dance now begins with a left-handed handshake in a tight grip, which is likely your weak hand. Not his. In this interpretive dance, this means "Wereyou wearing a watch?" which is likely in Geneva. You won't be afterwards, and luckily I wasn't anyway.
You now find how strong this hood's grip is, and we move into the more aggressive part of the dance. You're now standing hip-to-hip, and the next move is to wedge his left leg in between your legs, both to make sure you can't wedge your right hand in, and hook you so he can trip you as he runs with your wallet. I managed to wedge my right hand in beforehand (I do have a wallet in that pocket, but it doesn't have much) and foil that.
Moving on to the left side he'll try the same thing, but my pockets are deep, and that just jammed my cell phone deep down where he couldn't reach it. The final step in this dance is to get into the bulge in your top pocket, which in my case is where my passport is, secured by two zippers and a velcro flap. He tried to get in, I noticed and with my free hand politely zipped back the outside zipper. He realized I was *completely* the wrong mark, and waved goodbye as he walked away into the dark.
Lessons learned? Money belts still work in 2011, but they can't protect everything.
Jeff
Amsterdam, - USA 03/28/2011
Dog sledding cruel sport
Please look into the cruelty of dog sledding. I'm sure you would not want to support this sport after you find out the facts.
Lori Woods
Vacaville, CA USA 03/28/2011
Ethiopia
Ethiopia - It is a truly marvelous place. My wife, her father, and I just visited there. Most people (including the US Customs officer upon our return) simply said "Why" when they learned of our travel destination. For us this was a somewhat random choice of destination, but it was informed and encouraged by friends who had traveled there and by what we read.
But we were unprepared for how taken we would be with the country, the landscape, and the beauty, warmth, and generosity of the Ethiopian people. When not overcome by the diesel smoke, the air often seemed filled with a wonderful blend of aromas - frankincense, eucalyptus fires, coffee, goats? The food was delicious - I have to learn how to make cabbage, carrots, and potatoes so delectable.
We traveled to the North - Addis of course; Lalibela; trekking with TESFA on the Meket escarpment (an absolutely amazing experience, and very healthy example of sustainable "eco-tourism". It is run by a non-profit with proceeds benefiting the communities involved. Worth a show in itself! - http://www.community-tourism-ethiopia.com/ ); Gonder; hiking in the Simien Mountains. A much too short two weeks. We need to return, and we need to explore the many Ethiopian restaurants in Portland.
While there I quipped "We have to tell Rick Steves to get over here, if he hasn't already". How apt that our first weekend back in the States my wife should hear the program about the Blue Nile! I will have to listen to the podcast.
Peter S
Portland, OR USA 03/27/2011
Switzerland
I just watched your video in my German class about Switzerland. It was amazing you do a lovely job!
Kayla K
Novi, MI USA 03/16/2011
Audio tours
I did a solo London trip last year but I was never really alone with my Rick Steve's walking tours! I learned so much and had such a great time! I will be downloading the new App! Thanks, Rick!
Violet Bassett-Mathy
San Diego, CA USA 03/09/2011
Traveling as a Single Mother
I don't often get a chance to hear your show, but was thrilled to hear the recent episode with the single mom traveling with her kids. We are a rare breed! I took my kids to Vietnam for seven months when they were just 9 and 14--after another extended visit and three years later, I can say it was definitely the best thing that could have happened to them in regards to helping them see the world differently. Thanks for bringing her on to talk about her travels and how it IS possible. Not always easy, but amazing.
Teresa Coates
Portland, Oregon USA 03/08/2011
Paul Theroux's Peace Corps
Paul Theroux is exactly correct! Fifty years in and out of Haiti forced me to understand the truth. Congratulations Paul!
brokenreef
coteaux-Haiti / Ft. Lauderdale,, FL USA-Haiti 03/06/2011
Paul Theroux
Your interview with Paul Theroux was excellent! He is a very intelligent and experienced commentator on the world situation and a wonderful guest for your show, with very good information for travellers. Who is responsible for censoring his comment on trade with China? Was that NPR?
Christina Sever
Corvallis, or USA 03/06/2011
Coming back home from far away places
I listened with great interest to your interview of the man Frank? Who was once a Peace corps man in Africa. I related to his conversation so much! He was a Peace corps man in Africa while I was a soldier in the Middle east for a long time courtesy of Her Majesty UK. His comment about peace corps people being unable to talk about their experiences with others who had not been anywhere really hit a chord. It becomes a lonely life that way. You speak the language and know the country. Most of us who really know what is going, Oman,Iran Afghanistan etc on had to learn it the hard way as he said...by being there.In my case I don't even have a forum to go to as most of my Mates are either dead or vanished into the old age gloom.
I really like your work. If you get the chance give him my best. Good man.
James Boschert
Tucson, AZ USA 03/04/2011
THE SCENT TRAIL
Your guest needs. unless she already has, read the EMPEROR OF SCENT by Chandler Burr. Excellent book on the science and the politics of scent.
RAOUL A. ORNELAS
BEND, OREGON USA 02/13/2011
Devil's Interval
Rick,
IMHO you should learn a bit about music theory and the physics of sound before making absurd statements like a "C" is two "G"'s or some such. In fact when you double the frequency it raises the pitch an octave which by definition has the same letter name. The frequency of G' is twice that of G. You are correct that G appears soon in the harmonic (overtone) series of C but C is quite a bit further up in G. The tritone also appears in the harmonic series.
As for the tritone (Devil's interval), C and F# sound just fine in a D7 chord featured in any blues in D, G or A. The naked tritone is an acquired taste but in chords it's beautiful and just the ticket if you want to create tension requireing resolution.
Please don't just flap your gums if you don't know your facts.
JW Hanberry, Bachelor of Music
JW Hanberry
Seattle, wa USA 02/12/2011
Travel In Ireland
I enjoyed your show on Travel in Ireland, which I heard broadcast on 02/05/11. But I found one part of the program of particular interest. One of Rick's guests, when explaining the usual topics covered by Irish Traditional Music, used as an example a song titled "I Wish I Was Back Home in Derry."
The song was presented without attribution, but the song "I Wish I Was Back Home in Derry" was written by Robert Gerard, "Bobby," Sands. Bobby Sands was a member of the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland. He was ultimately imprisoned in HM Maze Prison, and carried out a hunger strike demanding to be treated as a prisoner of war, a political prisoner, rather than as a criminal. He died May 5, 1981, after 66 days of his involvement in the hunger strike. Near the end of his hunger strike, Bobby Sands was elected a Member of Parliament, where he planned to sit with the opposition to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Thirty years is a long time, but the name Bobby Sands still means something to me, and to many others as well. Some of it is good, and some not so good. But it is hard to think of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland without thinking of him, and of how the world has changed since those days. And it is nice to know there is a place called Public Radio where the politics of those days can be set aside for a while, and where the poetry of a song can be enjoyed and admired.
Peter Jones
Seattle, WA USA 02/12/2011
How Travel Changed My Life
Seven days later Nine Eleven was etched in my mind while traveling through France. What a surprise to see French flags at half-mast and wreaths scattered in respect. "You were with us in World War II. We are with you now" they said. They had not forgotten the pain. War's cost indelibly etched in their minds, their soil drenched in blood of a thousand years. German soldiers visiting their cemetery near Normandy, parted with the words "never again." They too knew well the devastation of war. We said they didn't get it.
They would not join us in our folly. We were like petulant children, stomping our feet because we could not get our way. We showed them what we thought. We renamed our French fries - Freedom. Unaware, that they did understand our pain - the decision to go to war. We said they didn't get it. But they did.
Sharon Laabs
La Jolla, CA
Sharon Laabs
La Jolla, CA USA 02/10/2011
next program
a long and accurate discussion on trip insurance would be well worthwhile with everything that is happening in the Middle East.
Mike
Seattle, WA USA 02/08/2011
Dog Masacare
I do think that you forgot about the cruelty. Why not tell it how it is so people actually have an informed decision and then they can make it? Just like sea world, zoos etc. Some people are stupid and they need to have it spelled out for them. Yeah it maybe fun to dog sled and the dogs seem to love it....well they do for a while then until they can't perform anymore then there they go.....get slaughtered. So they trust the people, like what they are doing then get disposed of. Let people know the truth and specially on the radio.....people may listen.
Amy
Burlington, ON Canada 02/02/2011
Zadar, Croatia
Rick,
I'm sure your program about Croatia is over. We are 9 hours ahead of you
here in Macedonia, so I'm listening, I think, to a rebroadcast. But I'm
fascinated by hearing about a country we just traveled to over our Spring
break from teaching here in Skopje. So far you haven't mentioned Zadar.
This is an amazing town with a perfectly preserved and re-animated old city
on a peninsula in the Adriatic. The city walls have been demolished and
replaced with a series of green parks so you can walk all the way around the
old city on marble pavers right on the edge of the Sea.
At the southwest corner there are two magical works of art. The Sea Organ is a set of organ pipes set up so the waves of the sea provide the bellows. The music is eerie, but never unattractive. And then just a little farther along (but within hearing distance of the music) is the Sun Salutation. In the daytime, it is just a large black circle of solar panels. But at night it is a swirl of ever-changing colors. It was cold when we were there, but there was a girl about 5 years old dancing over and around the colors. That was clearly the proper reaction--but at my age all I could do was walk over it amazed at the motion.
Zadar also has a Roman Forum and lots of old buildings, many of which now have boutiques on the ground floor. I don't know whether it would be as attractive in the summer if it were filled with tourists, but we are planning to take our visiting family there in May, so we may find out. We visited Split and Dubrovnik on our circuit, but Zadar was the most impressive, friendly, and delightful place we stopped. Oh, and the food was extremely good too. We ate one night at the Kornat Restaurant. The food was Mediterranean and world class. And of course Croatian wine is rich, red and wonderful.
If you don't know this place, you should definitely look for it. We stayed
three days and could easily have spent a couple more.
Elizabeth McGaffey
Alameda, CA USA 02/01/2011
Your Show
Are you aware of the suffering of dogs during the Iditarod? Please respond.
Ryan Wofford
Charleston, SC USA 02/01/2011
Thanks
Traveling to Rome two years ago and this past summer has made me yearn for an abundance of life so much more in my life. Traveling, when first introduced, is a great love that one might never come to know again. Thanks keeping my great love of Italy and traveling inspired for future trips.
Emma
Canton, Ohio USA 01/23/2011
Life-changing aspects of travel
Stumbled on your show recently thru Buffalo station. Subject: the life-changing potential that travel offers. As a retired high school language teacher who has led many student trips to Europe & elsewhere, I can attest to the marvelous positive effects that travel holds for kids. They begin to glory in differences, rather than being suspicious of others. They come back citizens of the world, and are more tolerant of others. It's the best education they can get-companionship, learning about other cultures, sampling food that is not like ours.
Peter Lee
Toronto, Ontario Canada 01/22/2011
Istanbul
Rick, I was just listening to your show on Istanbul. How in the HECK did you swallow the date pit and not choke on it????? That reminds me of the episode when you ate RAW saffron in Iran!! The guy who was holding the saffron (for you to appreciate NOT eat) threads just looked at you with a totally bewildered stare. Gosh!
Also, that date which was given to you by (?), required A LOT of appreciation. Whether it was actually from the tree that Prophet Mohammad planted or not, that woman was bestowing a HUGE honor on you, as a guest and/or a friend, by offering you THAT fruit. A simple "oh, that tasted good.." doesn't do the job. It's not like you can go to your local Grand Union, Publix, Cubs Food, or Safeway and buy a box of it. She tried to emphasize the significance of the fruit by citing an example non-Moslems may relate to (imagine if you were eating the fruit from a tree Jesus planted), but that just went completely over your head.
Still GREAT shows though.
Arash Kamangir
Terra Firma, IA USA 01/15/2011
Foi gras
I think it is absolutely disgusting for you to say that foi gras "is a beautiful thing". Take a look at some videos showing the confinement and force feeding of these animals. Would you want to be treated that way? There is nothing beautiful about foi gras. I have enjoyed listening to your show aevery week on FPL Louisville, but I will never tune in again due to your insensitive and inaccurate statement regarding goose liver. Have a "beautiful" day.
Tiffany Bonkofsky
Shelbyville, KY USA 01/09/2011
Foie Gras
There is nothing beautiful about ramming a pipe down a duck or goose's mouth and force feeding it three times daily until it's liver is engorged up to 10 times its normal size. The birds have difficulty standing and often die before reaching the slaughter house when their organs rupture.
Aside from this outrageous feeding practice, the birds are kept their entire lives in tiny wire cages or crammed into dark sheds, and suffer the same maladies as factory farm chickens, with infection, broken limbs and stress related behaviors rampant.
There is nothing beautiful about foie gras and talking about it in a positive light is a disservice to public radio.
Lisa Fenstermacher
Dallas, TX USA 01/08/2011
Travel in Vietnam
I was utterly disgusted to hear, in the segment about travel to Vietnam, about the horrific abuse of live animals in restaurants, from cutting them up alive to stripping off their skin before serving them. Offering the still-beating heart of a creature -- I think a snake? -- to a diner is unnecessarily cruel, and to hear the host remarking with approval and interest was repulsive. I listen to the travel show to enjoy information about adventures in other lands, and while unfortunately animal abuse and torture exists in many places in the world, to discuss it with admiration and approval was greatly offensive to me. What's next -- describing violence against women or children in other cultures with relish? Go ahead and do it if you want -- I certainly won't be listening again.
Mariah Wesson
Buffalo, NY USA 01/08/2011
World Biking
A year and a half ago, we bicycled from Oregon to KY. It was a great trip! While in Farmington, MO, we met Eric and Amaya, from France who were in their 3rd year of biking the world. They are now in Patagonia, having completed year four! See: http://www.worldbiking.info/wordpress/ They'd be great guests! We met other interesting people, including a group of 4 young musicians who were biking cross country, raising $ for Alzheimers while performing at nursing homes. We also met a paraplegic in KY who was biking from the east coast to the west coast pedaling only with his arms.
Paul Buelterman
Florence,, KY USA 01/01/2011
Christmas in Italy
Dear Rick, I truly enjoy the programs about the different ways of celebrating Christmas in various countries of Europe.
I grew up in Italy, in a small town 40 mile north west of Rome, and I would like to share a beatiful tradition I remember from when I was little, about 45 years ago.
From the nearby hills a few days before Christmas the shepherds would come into the town late at night and they would walk all over town playing Christmas carols with the "zampogne", an instrument very similar to the bag-pipes. Stores and cafes would stay open late into the night, and the shepherds would be fed and they would receive gifts of food and money. I remember the beautiful feeling the soulful music would give me while I laid in the warmth of my bed in the middle of the night.
Thank you for your wonderful program.
Evi Profili
Pompano Beach, FL USA 12/19/2010
Jane Austen shhow
Dear Rick, and Sarah,Thank you for taking my call for your show about Jane Austen. I would liked to have talked to your listeners about Winchester and how easy it is to get from there to Chawton and Jane,s home there. I was going to talk about the "Spirit of Place" In Winchester Cathedral... However was not able to get a word in, as I was cut off by your other guest... I do hope you were able to talk about Chawton and the surrounding villages? We are unable to receive the show here in Vermont but will download the podcast. All the best, Tom Clifford.
Tom Clifford
Northfield, VT USA 12/16/2010
Pictures
Rick,
I listen weekly to your show and feel I have come to know you and your guest. I would love to view pictures of your guests on your website so that I can put a face to the familiar voices I hear and the wonderful insights they provide.
Sincerely,
Carter Mogren
Carter Mogren
Scottsdale, AZ USA 12/15/2010
Ways to travel as an artist
This past fall I was awarded an Artist in Residency at Acadia National Park in Maine. It is a program through the National Park Service. Artists of various kinds can submit their work and applications to many different national parks and historic sites. The individual parks normally provide you with housing, sometimes in historic cabins. I was able to meet many wonderful NPS people, and spend two weeks creating art in Acadia NP.
I also wanted to travel to Ireland, a country I have wanted to go for years. I found a plein air (painting outdoors) painting in Ireland site online, and have made virtual friends with various people in Ireland. I will be traveling there in the summer of 2011 for Art in The Open, a plein air festival. I will already know a bit about the area, the people, and what will be going on. I am looking forward to meeting the painters I have talked with online. Their wonderful site is: Plein Eire
Elaine
Port Republic, VA USA 12/02/2010
radio travel
a radio-travel haiku:
List'ning 2 radio*,
I marvel how my 2 e@rs
can travel so deftly!
{*KDFC-FM, S.F. CA}
bill
Santa Clara, CA USA 11/21/2010
Prohibition Tours
In reference to your questions on todays Whiskey show, there certainly are Prohibition Tours (just not specifically whiskey focused). My top 2 favorite Prohibition Tours are located in #1 Washington DC and #2 in San Francisco. Highly recommend both.
Also, in DC, there is a major celebration every year on December 5th to celebrate REPEAL DAY. Thousands of Bartenders and Spirit Lovers gather together in DC to celebrate the end to that rediculous failed experiement.
Janet
Miami, FL USA 11/21/2010
Sassenach
Hello Rick! I was surprised that your Scottish guest wasn't aware of the meaning of "sassenach". It originally meant "Saxon" and now refers to someone who is English or an outsider.
A book series was written that mentions it, The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. They are great, I highly reccomend!
As always, thanks Rick for your show!
Jessica
Kingsport, TN USA 11/19/2010
travel foods
best food ever...Brittany France...mussels in white wine, garlic, crusty french bread and hot apple cider....makes my mouth water.
Suzanne Wilson
Panhandle, FL USA 11/14/2010
The best thing I ever tasted
I was listening to the program about travel food and I just had to share this experience: It was two years ago, in (of all places) the campus cafeteria in Wake Forrest University in Winston Salem North Carolina. First of all, these cafeteria ladies can cook almost anything, and its all good (with the notable exception of a horrendous attempt at Mexican food). But nothing could possibly top their Peaches and Cream Pie- a wonderfully crumbly crust with a cool filling the consistancy of yogurt, but lacking all the things that make yogurt good for you. The peaches were ripe and fresh, not that stuff you get from a can and the cream was thick and rich, yet it still felt refreshing in your mouth, so it was perfect for that warm summer. I would lie under one of the campus' huge magnolia trees with a book and a slice of that pie- my own piece of heaven.
Naomi
Dallas, TX USA 11/13/2010
travel food
A memorable meal was forelle blau, or blue trout in Mayrhofen, Austria. I think it was blue because of its freshness plus the cooking technique. I wish I could find it in the US.
Sally Rawlings
Seattle, wA USA 11/13/2010
Biking in Berlin
I listened to today's program about getting around Europe via bike, motor coach, etc and had to share my biking experience. A couple of weeks ago I was in Berlin and took the All-In-One city tour with the Fat Tire folks. It was one of the best days I've ever had. The biking was easy, the group most enjoyable and our guide entertaining and extremely knowledgable. I haven't riden a bike in probably 20 years but it made this old man (63) feel like a kid again.
Michael Dick
Owings Mills, MD USA 11/06/2010
Dangerous (not really) Travel & The Geography of Bliss
"Motoring" Britain & Ireland
Back in 1993 (was it really that long ago?) I (all by myself) spent 1 week in western Ireland & 3 weeks in England west & southwest of London – with rental cars. It was the best travel experience of my life. I wanted to see all sorts of places in England that practically required having a car. For 5 days I stayed just down the road from Stonehenge (what a pleasant surprise that place was), & every evening on my way back from my roaming, I stopped to gaze at the full moon over the stones. I wandered through Glastonbury, Salisbury, and Somerset all the way down to Tintagel & eventually back to London (that was a driving mistake!) Take my advice & don't drive within 50 miles of London. If I ever get to go again, I'll drop my car in Reading – and by then, that might not be far enough out. I had arranged to drop my car in Edgeware. 13 years prior to this trip (my last time there before this one), Edgeware was well out of London. Not that day! It was a nightmare of evening traffic, & I could not get there before the office closed even though I was only coming from Hampstead Heath. I suppose if I drove that traffic every day, I'd be rude, too.
In spite of London traffic, Irish roads barely one car wide and the low wall on Dartmoor that scraped my rental, I would hire a car in those countries again in a heartbeat. It was a wonderful ramble! I tracked King Arthur & the Tudors all over the place. I could not have done that by rail or bus.
And back to The Geography of Bliss:
Eric said "Happiness is other people." Well, maybe. But I'm afraid I've more often felt like Sartre – "Hell is other people."
Susan
Tulsa, OK USA 11/05/2010
Andalucia, Spain
Rick's program about Andalucia, Spain, specifically Toledo and Granada,was filled with historical omissions and inaccuracies. Although he mentioned the Moorish influence, he totally ignored the Jewish presence in what has been described as the "Golden Age" of Spain. Both cultures contributed greatly to medicine, trade,philosophy, mathematics and science, - the list could go on and on. The three religions lived peacefully for hundreds of years. Rick paid homage to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, to the point of showing their glorification in the churches. However, he ignored the Spanish Inquisition and the thousands of murders and forced conversions that took place as the King and Queen rid the country of the very people and cultures that had made their society great.
Shari
Plantation, FL USA 11/05/2010
dangerous travel
An experience that today's (10/30) program reminded me of:
Traveling with a tour group Spain to Morocco and back:
After returning to Spain, our bus was searched underneath and in the passenger area for persons trying to escape to Spain. We boarding our tour bus and headed to Portugal, when our bus had engine trouble. It was discovered that a stow-a-way from Morocco was hiding in the engine compartment. We thought how hot and dangerous it was for a person to travel in the engine compartment of a bus when it was already 98 degrees that day.
Elaine Semper
Brunswick, OH
Elaine Semper
Brunswick, OH USA 10/30/2010
Riding the Dog (Greyhound)
Your guest today, the author of the "lunatic travel" book, had a dismal Greyhound experience but I went from Cleveland OH to Portland OR (2 days, 17+ hours) and found it interesting if not always comfortable. People shared much more than on an airline. They were quite diverse - passengers and drivers both - and the route fairly scenic. My "rules of the road" -1) sit in the forward section (the screwballs head straight for the rear), 2) as the bus fills, invite the first slender, normal-looking rider to share your seat (or you may wind up with the large, sketchy type who hasn't bathed), and 3) bring earbuds you can put on, even if they don't work (it's a signal you want some privacy).
Mike Quinn
Cleveland, OH USA 10/30/2010
bus ride in Sri Lanka
In a recent "voluntourism" trip in Sri Lanka, because the more "luxurious" A/C bus was no longer available, I took a "regular" bus to from Negombo to Kandy. I really didn't know what to expect and was a bit worried. Besides being terribly squished at various stages during the three hour ride, it was an amazing way to get intimate with the locals. We shared lots of smiles and laughter and we jostled around to make everyone fit. What a fond memory. I will never hesitate to take "regular" transportation again.
Yvonne
Seattle, WA USA 10/30/2010
Geography of Bliss
You said that people in places like Demark where happiness is higher tend to have "lower expectations" than we do in the USA. I don't think their expectations are LOWER; they are DIFFERENT, in a way they are HIGHER. The Danes expect to get a full measure of satisfaction from a small cup of drink. That is a greater expectation than feeling one needs a "Big Gulp" for complete satisfaction -- and then being discontented anyway.
Tina Stanton
Rutledge, PA USA 10/28/2010
geography of bliss
I didn't tune in right at the beginning tonight (Geography of Bliss), but one of the characteristics I've heard/read about the happiest countries is that they have UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE!
As a Senior who ended up within the poverty level because of uncovered medical expenses, who has other professional friends who are in similar situations, I can tell you that there are a lot of people - including all the people who have lost their health insurance along with their jobs - who are moving down the ladder because of health expenses they can't afford to pay. The kind of anxiety that this causes is not compatible with having a "happy" life.
lynne
akron, oh USA 10/25/2010
Pickpockets in Barcelona
On today's radio show, you mentioned pickpockets on La Rambla in Barcelona. In Dec., 2009, my husband and I were in Barcelona on a street (Escudellers) just off of La Rambla. At 8:30 on a Sat. evening we stopped to read a menu in a restaurant window when we were pickpocketed. We'd been warned that it could be dangerous there after 10 p.m., but it was dinnertime and lots of people were around.
The pickpocket was behind my husband but put his leg in front of him to distract him. I yelled at the pickpocket, but it was too late. He had taken my husband's camera from his front pants pocket. It could have been worse--he could have taken my his wallet and/or passport; instead, he took his memories.
Karen & Ray
Bath, Ohio USA 10/24/2010
truffles, the aroma
Your Italian cuisine guest yesterday in explaining the appeal of truffles commented that their smell is "gonadal." That if you like that, you'll be fine; that that's why dogs are used to locate them. What a funny bomb to drop on your show! Somehow I have my doubts that this comment did much for the truffle industry, which, given the Slow Cooking angle of the rest of his comments may have been his intention!
Dana Cox
Seattle, WA USA 10/10/2010
buffalo soldiers
While listening to the oct 8 radio broadcast about the little village in italy ( tuscany) it brought my attention to a movie i had seen called miracle at st anna directed by spike lee. I highly recommend the movie.It was a beautiful, moving story of what the 92 buffalo soldier division and the brave soldiers endured during the battle that took place in 1944 in that little 800 year old village in italy. I hope you take the opportunity to view this film and that the caller who spoke of his families" experience with Rick and his listeners will read this and take the opportunity to view Miracle at St. Anna
cindy schubert
fairview park, oh USA 10/09/2010
Mamertine Prison
We were shocked that the Mamertine Prison in Rome now cost 10 Euros when Rick Steeves 2010 Italy book said it was donations only! The neatest part was seeing the small prison space. There was a small part on the walls which was very confusing to follow. The entire rest of the "tour" was all about the Catholic church and Peter. They called it an "audio visual experience". You couldn't exit and were forced to go to 3 LONG and boring presentations. Felt trapped and ripped off!
J K
Calgary, AB Canada 10/07/2010
America before the Pilgrims
History is, indeed, written by the victors. I have just read a fascinating book: "The Island at the Center of the World" which details the importance to modern America of the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. In today's Rick Steeves' program (September 25th) there was no mention of the Dutch settlement that became New York.
Jon Lambert
Ojai, CA USA 09/25/2010
Tony Horwitz: Rediscovering the New World; Sailing to Antarctica
I was rather surprised when, on today's "Travel with Rick Steves", both Rick and his guest Tony Horowitz painted Christopher Columbus as some kind of romanticized hero who was awestruck and filled with wonder at the natives he found, as though Columbus was strictly an explorer/anthropologist and not a slave trading, immoral murderer who delighted in the fact that though weak, the natives were plentiful. You could literally work them to death and there was always more where that came from. And he did work them to death. The entire native population of Haiti was decimated and replaced with African slaves. All of this even before Europeans get to North America! These events are documented in Columbus' own journals. Explorers indeed. They were little more than gold miners with government funding and no empathy for cultures different than their own. I know that people will buy into this long standing but completely fictional account of European "explorers" and you should be ashamed of yourselves for perpetuating it. Am I the only one who is wondering what the hell is wrong with you?
Leslie Jones
Cincinnati, Oh USA 09/25/2010
the american suburbs
I'm listening to the show on Tuscany. I recently moved from the city of Portland to the suburbs of Portland. The hardest part of being in the suburbs is the sheer isolation. People out here exist through their cars and TV's. Everything's far apart and it's very difficult to meet up with friends. It's a brutal way to live, and it's too bad that so much of the US is built this way.
Steve
Portland, OR USA 09/19/2010
how to interest students in travel
I heard a caller ask the question how to get his 6th grade students interested in travel. As a third grade teacher, I bring in my laptop and show pictures from my travels that relate to what we are learning. For example if we are learning the vocabulary word "rapids", I'll bring in pictures I took of me on a river with rapids. Or if we are studying about the pyramids, I show them show of my trip to Egypt. They love it.
pat
Vallejo, CA USA 09/05/2010
Güell's Colony Crypt, outside Barcelona
Hello! Another wonderful side trip from Barcelona is going to Santa Coloma de Cervelló which is a small town outside of the city, reachable by metro. This town is unique because it was the site of Mr. Guell's factories and he requested Antoni Gaudi to build him a church for the town. Gaudi started the project, but never finished it. He only completed the crypt, "La cripta de la Colonia Guell", is one of the most beautiful of Gaudi's designs, with some furniture designed by himself. The site is scarcely visited, so most likely, you'll have the place all to yourself. I highly recommend it!
Pepa Gutierrez
Bogota, Colombia 09/01/2010
A Brilliant Teacher
I want to comment on this morning's program about the two families who took months-long trips around the world with their children. In particular, I want to comment on the remark made by the young lady (Clara - ?) who is now in college. She said she doesn't share her experiences with her friends because they are "too immature." It is too bad that, along with everything else her parents taught her on their trip, they didn't also teach her some humility, and to not let the trip make her feel superior to her friends back home who may not ever have the opportunity for such an experience. Why doesn't she try to share what she learned with her friends in a way that would help them to understand? At the very least, she could have responded to Rick's question in a more polite and gracious way. There is nothing worse than intellectual snobbery, and I found myself tuning out anything else this young lady had to say.
Michele
Clovis, CA USA 08/28/2010
A Brilliant Teacher
The Rhine Family, from the glimpse I can extract from the show, is the very definition of Ugly Americans. From the father lamenting that people he was renting a room from didn't have an interest in being a tour guide to the daughter complaining that her (soon to be ex) friends are too immature to understand her. This is the kind of intellectual arrogance that grates across cultures, a lesson that the Rhine's seemed to have missed.
Kevin Stevens
Williamsville, 14221 USA 08/28/2010
Barcelona and Catalan
I live in Barcelona and this program was particularly painful. You do not CHOOSE to study in a school "whose native language is Catalan". It is the default; you have to pay for a Spanish school. Secondly, the "Spaniard/Catalan" speaker mistakenly referred to "our empire" in South America while claiming that Catalonia is a sepaprate nation. You can't have your cake... Thirdly, the rise of "nationalist" movements in Europe, as usual, corresponds to a rise in rightist sentiment, as it always has; it has nothing to do with the EU. You really do need a fact checker. Or a historian.
Bill Dee
Barcelona, SPAIN 08/25/2010
Gaudi not origin of gaudy
I would like to say that Antoni Gaudi was *not* the origin of the English word "gaudy." This word has been in use in English since the 16th century according to the Oxford English Dictionary, with the meaning "Brilliantly fine or gay, highly ornate, showy."
Heidi Senior
Portland, OR USA 08/22/2010
Spain / Gaudi
Rick, It is an urban legend that the adjective gaudy stems from Antoni Gaudi. The word comes from the latin "gaudium" meaning enjoyment or merry-making. For example, Mark Twain used the work "gaudy" often in his early works, before Gaudi became known for his particular style of architecture. FWIW.
Brent Baker
Corvallis, OR USA 08/22/2010
Most recent podcast
I enjoy your podcasts, but please do not pass on the lie that Luther was the first to translate the Bible into the vernacular, and that that was somehow a 'threat' to the Catholic Church. Luther was excommunicated for quite different reasons. There were, in fact, something like 10-20 translations of the Bible made only in the short space of time after the invention of the printing press, but before Luther [INVALID] and that's in German alone!
A
Sweden 08/21/2010
Travel insurance
My first day in Rome on a recent trip happened to be May 1st, a public holiday, with near everything closed. Hopping off to visit a friend, I tripped on the sidewalk injuring my foot and was immediately assisted by two couples strolling past, who called the "pronto soccorso" (ER) which arrived promptly in a mini-ambulance. In no time I was X-rayed, treated, and offered emergency surgery (which I refused, as my trip revolved around a class reunion in the next days) - all at no cost to me. Although I was in crutches for the event, I was happy to be there, as I was lucky enough to have my own health insurance in the U.S. take care of the surgery on my return. Other incidents got me through the Tropical Disease Hospital in London on my way back from India and Bhutan, a false alarm attack of diverticulitis in Costa Rica (where I was air-lifted out of a campsite on the wild Pacific coast), and a severe bronchial condition in Nanjing, China 30 years ago - where I thought, when it failed to turn off, that the ancient chest X-ray apparatus might have disabled me for years. Obama's biggest mistake was giving up the single payer public option, the only way this country will ever take care of its citizens - and possibly repay some of the countries with "socialized" medicine for their care of traveling Americans.
Susan Pierres
Miami, FL USA 08/08/2010
Travel insurance
Thinking about travel insurance, seniors on medicare should be aware that medicare doesn't work in Europe. A couple years ago, I fell down a flight of stairs in Bacharach without greater injury than bruises, but I was ignorant that my medicare would not cover me outside the US. I now get travel insurance "just in case."
Ken Moran
Dale, IN USA 08/07/2010
Medican care in Istanbul
In 2001, I fell quite ill in Istanbul. I went to the American Hospital, and got treated. The doctor even gave me his cell phone number, saying "Call me at any time if there is any problem." My bill was over 70 million lire at that time (only a bit over $40).
Lucile Cheng
San Diego, CA USA 08/07/2010
Istanbul
I was with a tour group in Turkey on 9/11, just finishing a tour of Ephesus, when news of the planes hitting the Twin Towers reached us. The next day we flew to Istanbul where we were scheduled to fly back to the US, which of course, didn’t happen as planned. We were “stuck” there until that next Saturday. While a number of the elderly folks on our tour were nervous and rather scared being in a foreign country during that uncertain time, I found it to be a very fascinating not just being in a foreign country but also a Muslim country (albeit a liberal one). Having traveled and lived overseas in the Peace Corps and in the military, I actually enjoy being in unique situations that allow me to see a different side of other cultures as long as it doesn’t put me or others in unnecessary danger, and I felt perfectly safe being in Istanbul. When the tour guide arranged an extra trip to the Grand Bazaar to get us out of the hotel for awhile and away from the never-ending reports on CNN, it was like a breath of fresh air (not to mention a breath of wonderful spices). What struck me the most was when people came up to us and asked us if we were Americans, and when we said yes, they told us how sorry they were that this thing had happened to us and our country. I will never forget that day on 9/13 in the Grand Bazaar—stranded thousands of miles away from home where the unspeakable had just happened—when our broken hearts began to heal. Istanbul, and Turkey in general, was a great place to visit, before and after 9/11.
Linnea
Seattle, WA USA 08/07/2010
Road Trips
Great show! I want to share my road trip experience. I live in Boca Raton, FL, and at least once a year for the past 12 years I've traveled north each summer up the east coast of the US for up to 8 weeks. Last summer heading south, I needed a break from I-95. So once I hit Jacksonville, I jumped onto Alternate A1A. I elected to stop off at every national park between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. What would have been a 4-hour trip down I-95 turned into a 3-day trip down A1A. I even got to raise the flag on Ft. Matanzas. So much fun trying alternate routes home.
Clarence Brooks
Boca Raton, FL USA 07/25/2010
A great road trip
My sister and I just had a great road trip from Pinehurst, NC, to Pinetop, AZ. We realized after we arrived in Arizona that we had no fast food on the entire trip. We saw crazy amusement parks in Pidgeon Forge, TN, beautiful woods in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, stayed in the historic Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. We saw Red Rock Canyon State Park in Oklahoma along with the Route 66 museum in Elk City, OK, and talked with a young woman waitress in a tiny OK town and got an idea of small town life along Route 66. We had dinner at the Lizard Lounge in Tucumcari, NM. We followed along beside Route 66 a good part of the way including driving on the actual highway on our lovely side trip to Santa Fe (the Route had a side little side trip up to Santa Fe). Food at the historic St. Francis Hotel was delicious and the Palace of the Governors (built 1610) fascinating. We hadn't planned a Route 66 trip but ended up fascinated with the history and the different versions of the song (Nat King Cole's of 1946 and Perry Como's of 1959).
Kathy Hoyt
Imperial Beach, CA USA 07/24/2010
Road Trip Food
I'm listening to Jane and Michael Stern discuss Texas BBQ and pecan (not P-can, but pa-caan or pu-caan) pie. I'm a Texan living in Oklahoma. My husband & I love Oklahoma except for two things. We can't locate TexMex food or good BBQ. I'm drooling on my keyboard listening to Rick's guests talking about BBQ from Cooper's in Llano.
Jennifer Gardner
Sand Springs, OK USA 07/23/2010
Touching the Food in Italy
Following up on today's first caller about "touching the food in the supermarket," I had the same experience at a street market in Venice. While the proprietor spent endless minutes going between the back of the stand and the front choosing fruit for the woman ahead of me, I only wanted one banana. So I picked up a bunch and pulled the one off I wanted. The conversations hushed and I knew I'd messed up.
While I couldn't understand the words of the woman customer who was being helped ahead of me, I understood I was being chastised. I acted out my humbleness. My wife later told me that the woman went on to explain that the proprietor had the habit of picking the fruit that he needed to move quickly, so we needed to tell him precisely which fruit items we wanted. So I was first chastised and then further advised by the same customer. The proprietor never said a word. A humbling but also helpful experience.
Dick C.
Seattle, USA 07/19/2010
Tuscany
Your show today Italy Faux Pas; Tuscany versus Umbria Airdate: July 17, 2010 Program 213 was wonderful and brought back great memories. I met Cecilia first in a tour of Oriveto city hall and later at a wine tasting at her winery. And, Volterra is just one of my favorite places. The views are spectacular and just the feel of the town really made me fall in love with it.
kristin whitaker
dublin, OH USA 07/18/2010
London
I have been a frequent visitor to London for the past 40 years, on business and personally. Two suggestions that might be useful:
1. For those who want to plan their London Walks (highly recommended) look online at http://www.walks.com/Homepage/Friday/default.aspx#299 . These walks, in my personal experience, include some of best short tours of museums, the National Gallery etc.
2. An inexpensive (ensuite double with full breakfast £80+), but friendly, clean and orderly B&B at an outstanding location is St. David´s Hotels, http://www.stdavidshotels.com/ . This is a group of connected houses facing a park and just a few hundred yards from the Paddington Station where the trains from Heathrow drop you off and very good tube connections. I have stayed there on numerous occasions when not on an expense account and never been disappointed. The value of a convenient location both in terms of time and money is not to be underestimated!
Thanks for your great shows, there is always something interesting even to someone who has lived in various parts of Europe for over 15 years.
Ilmar R.
Everett, WA USA 07/10/2010
Stonehenge
I listened to your story regarding Stonehenge and the barriers around it. I lived in England for approximately 10 years, three years as a kid and almost seven years as an adult. Now, my wife and I return every two years or so to sightsee. In 2004 I noticed they have a low rope barrier around Stonehenge that I manage to keep out of the photos. The only stones that could be touched were the heel stones that are outside the barrier.
When I was a kid in the '50s my father was stationed in England. At the time there was an American "summer camp" not far from Stonehenge and I spent a week there. One of our "field trips" was a hike across part of the Salisbury plain with a stop at Stonehenge. In those days, there were no barriers and I think I have a photo of me standing on top of one of the stones.
But, highlighting the need for a barrier, our landlord in England, the Right Reverend Earp (we lived in an apartment in the old Rectory outside of Finchingfield, Essex) had a piece of Stonehenge his grandfather had hacked off the monument in the 1890's. It seemed that in those days you could rent a hammer and chisel nearby to get your own souvenirs! Thank God for digital cameras today!!
Tourism and vandalism have gone together for a very long time. When we hiked to Castle Rock on the North Coastal Path we found carved graffiti going back to "1831 Geo C."
p.s. I've never seen Castle Rigg at sunset but I saw it at sunrise last summer, quite a sight!
Jim H
Plano, TX USA 07/10/2010
London
My first trip to Europe was to London and by chance I had a mystery lover's perfect day. I went to the Old Bailey because I am a Rumpole fan. It turned out that I witnessed the conclusion of a spy trial (one of the other viewers remarked that I must be a spy on account of my highly noticable maroon coat) where I was sitting near the parents of the accused and heard them exclaim when the verdict was read. All the defendants were declared innocent. The crowd rushed down the stairs to the street. There photographers jockyed for position to catch photos of the newly freed prisoners as they were wisked into taxis from the courtroom. The Old Bailey regulars gathered as we waited and caught each other up on what was happening in the other courtrooms. After this excitement, I went in search of one of the old guild halls in the neighborhood. I was soon apprehended by a London bobby who took me off to the stocks. Luckily I had heard a news story that morning about a benefit for the children of London, so I was not too frightened. But I got to visit a cell and have my picture taken with the bobby holding his club over my head (for charity). What an entirely free dream day in London!
Laura McLane
Seattle, WA USA 07/10/2010
Boston
I recently returned from spending 96 hours in Boston with my wife. We parked our car at our bed and breakfast, in Cambridge, halfway between Harvard and MIT. We didn't touch it until we were ready to leave.
We thoroughly enjoyed this pedestrian and transit-friendly city, the Freedom Trail, whale watching, North End food, and all the usual attractions.
Our favorite aspect, however, was stumbling upon things that we didn't know existed. The first was the beautiful James Kelleher rose garden, circa 1930. Boston Fens Park. Part of emerald necklace. It was in full bloom.
The second was the Holocust Memorial, It was one of the most moving experiences in my life. I tear up just thinking about it.
The third thing was how friendly some of the townies were, such as the woman who told us about a great little Italian lunch place that the locals love...and the woman at one museum that recommended that we spend our little time left at another one.
Isn't being on vacation supposed to be a time when we enjoy meeting other people and places, and forgetting a little bit about our often mundane existence?
We absolutely felt a warm welcome by everyone we met. Thanks Boston.
Rick H
Kent, OH USA 07/05/2010
Traveling by plane and scanning the lay of the land
Great show today 7/03/10. Especially the part "seeing lay of the land by plane". I too learned and took a greater interest of geology and geography of America and other countries. March of 1980 I was flying from Sacramento to Seattle. A massive storm front was blocking the view from my seat on the right side going up.But just when we were coming up on Mt. St. Helens the clouds parted and there the clouds parted and the sun shoned down a golden light the was specular. I it was so beautiful the the pilot swung around to let everyone see the perfect cone it all its glory. The plane was full of tourist, all who wanted a picture. Just when I went to take my snapshot a very large German man stepped on and over me. The pilot came on to tell every to sit down because of the upset in balancing the plane. Well, to say the least, I was upset not to get my picture. I said well I would get it on the way back down someday. While in Alaska, working on a fishing processer May of 1980,I go in to breakroom for coffee and there on the big TV screen is Mt. St. Helens blowing up. Never got my perfect snapshot. But, I will never forget that snapshop of beauty. Don't assume things last forever!
peggy vale
Chugiak, ak USA 07/03/2010
Costa Rica & Haiku
15 years ago, my wife and I traveled to Costa Rica with her best friend and husband, whose family are from San José. We stayed in Costa Rica in the house of her tío, un doctor, while they stayed with her abuela across the street because Abuela spoke almost no English. I made the mistake of laughing at a joke someone told in Spanish our first night there, and the family only spoke Spanish to me the rest of the trip! It stretched my high school Spanish, and was quite fun.
El doctor owned a fruit farm, una finca, where the family would picnic after church on Sundays. On the finca he had a fruit I've never found anywhere else: limón dulce, sweet lemon. It looks and smells like lemon, but it tastes very sweet and not tart, like sweet lemonade. We were pulling them right off the tree, peeling, and eating them. They'd also squeeze them to make fresh lemonade, no added sugar required. Very delicious, and I've never found them anywhere else. I think they were available in the markets, though we had a ready supply and never really looked. I highly recommend any visitor to Costa Rica seek them out.
I wrote a little haiku about it:
¡Limones dulces!
Los comí en la finca
con mis amigos.
Brad H
Woodinville , WA USA 06/20/2010
Costa Rica
I have been to Costa Rica many times both for pleasure and work. Along the Osa Peninsula one can see humpback whales in the winter and other species of marine mammals year-round. Two remarkable places to stay that provide access to birding, snorkeling, dolphin viewing as well as bring money into their communities are Drake Bay Wilderness Resort (you can walk into Corcovado NP) and La Cusinga Lodge.
Annie Douglas
Olympia, WA USA 06/19/2010
guests on radio show
We listen to your radio show every Sunday and love all the guests you have on. I do have one complaint -sometimes you don't let the guests finish a thought or answer your questions entirely because you jump in with your comments. It is very distracting! Thanks
Susan
Joplin, MO USA 06/14/2010
Organizing photos
I always take a picture of the sign of a place I'm visiting, especially if I have a big sightseeing day with lots of stops. That way I can remember where all of the following pictures were taken and often some of the basic information about that place.
Lesley Woodruff
Newberg, OR USA 06/13/2010
Rick's suggestion about scrapbooking travel journals and photos
Heard caller ask Rick about journaling/scrapbooking travels. Rick suggested scrapbooking after returning home. It can be done on-the-road, with just internet connection and camera memory card, through this link. It creates Real scrapbook pages that get shipped directly to your address of choice. The album covers can be ordered on the same site. There are affordable leather ones, too:
https://acrylicstamps.myctmh.com/Retail/StudioJLanding.aspx?PageId=185
Joanne Repman
Stanwood, WA USA 06/12/2010
France
I was disappointed at Rick's disparaging comments on Alsace. He was saying that Normandy and its beaches are a much better place to visit compared to Alsace. I can see how these beaches are of interest to those who are war buffs or who don't live near any beaches. But if I were visiting France, I would go to Alsace as a top priority and Normandy as a low priority.
Strasboug is a wonderful city with its bateaux mouches, a cathedral older and larger than Notre Dame, and some of the best food and wine in France. Of great historical interest are the near by famous medieval walled-in (still preserved) wine villages.
Roger
San Clemente, CA USA 05/30/2010
Bhutan, fantasy land
Horrible and frightening, I've been listening to all the radio shows, reading Rick's books and even bought a bag, but listening to the radio program about Bhutan was unbelievable. I was born and raised in a communist country and I can see the propaganda easier then an American. It should be a right for any human being to travel freely in and out of any country and the fact that someone is forced to buy a ticket on their airline, they are forced to pay a set amount, "slightly more then the neighboring countries". The tourists are then moved from a better to a worse hotel in the same price without explanations. The tour is designed and controlled by them. I would have to pay 1050 dollars for my family per day. This is 3 times more then what I spent in London this summer. The guest says on his program clearly that the tourism is an important source of income, they rely on it. The only country that is more expensive to visit is North Korea.
I cannot believe what I listened to and what I saw on their website. I think Rick should apologize to his audience for his misplaced enthusiasm and for being a vehicle for propaganda (hopefully innocent).
Mihai Dascalu
Watkins Glen, NY USA 05/22/2010
Bhutanese Refugees
I agree with the post by Diane Quammen. Bhutan is not a "fantasy land," as Rick Steves said. As a nurse, I served refugees from Bhutan in Nashville, TN last year. Though the community in Nashville was born in Bhutan and their families lived in Bhutan for two generations, they were forced out and some were resettled in America. I don't view ethnic cleansing in order to enforce cultural purity as something to strive for. I wonder how thousands of refugees living in squalid conditions in camps for generations increases the Gross National happiness for the Bhutanese. Before holding up Bhutan as a shining example of probable perfection, please research more into the history of the country. The old saying certainly holds true here, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Nashville, TN USA 05/17/2010
Bhutan
Today's program did not mention a tragic and "unhappy" piece of Bhutanese history-the expulsion of thousands of Southern Bhutanese in the 1990s. The US has agreed to resettle 60,000 of these people who have spent years in refugee camps in Eastern Nepal. Please check here for further background. http://www.bhutaneserefugees.com/
Diane Quammen
Mukilteo, WA USA 05/15/2010
Books on Radio
I have been listening to a lot of the podcasts while traveling to and from work. I often hear books being talked about. It would be so helpful if there were a list of all the books (and websites) talked about on the shows somewhere on this website. I am currently reading Three Cups of Tea which has moved me to tears and goosebumps more than once. What an amazing story!!!
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Producers Note: Shannon: Thanks for listening to the show. We provide links each week to our guests' websites (when they have one), and to the book for each of the authors that Rick interviews. It's in the radio section of www.ricksteves.com. Click on the "more" link for details about the current week's show, or, in the radio archives, scroll down past the index to find details about each weeks show.
tt
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Shannon
Bremerton, WA USA 05/14/2010
Munich/Bavaria show and spa faux pas
I just listened to the podcast of the show on Munich and on Germany travel faux pas. I was taken aback by the listener’s story of going to the German spa and being shocked by the “snarling” spa attendant’s enforcement of nudity and of showering before entering the sauna. I've heard this same complaint from family members of mine. I am an American living in Germany with my German boyfriend, and perhaps I can provide some cultural insight. I think when one travels it can be helpful to try not taking things at face value and form judgments (hard to do, I know!), but to think about what’s beneath the surface of puzzling or “offensive” cultural behavior. The reasons behind something may be quite good.
Yes, it’s true that Germans can be quite fastidious about enforcing rules and letting you know it in what can seem like an unfriendly, brusque manner. But in their culture they correct you because it’s a sign of respect for you that they be honest and direct and help you to improve. They want to educate you on how it works.
Germans believe that nudity in the spa is healthy in order to not block the skin and to sweat out the toxins. The reason they enforce the nudity is out of fairness for all: to discourage people from just coming to have a peep. After all, if there is going to be nudity, then EVERYONE should be nude.
The enforcement of showering is again out of respect for everyone at the spa and for hygienic reasons. Would you want to sit nude (albeit on a towel) on a wooden bench right after someone who had not showered?
Jen
Frankfurt, Germany 05/12/2010
Winter in Tuscany
Some travel shows have been "off season." Since Tuscany is roughly as far north as New York (defying our subliminal expectations of "Mediterranean" geography), I am particularly entranced with the winters. The length of the winter day must be similar to that in northern US, but the weather must be similar to that in central/southern California (with a little extra snow). Plus, I take it, that's sort of the rainy season there also.
I'd have enjoyed having some comments on this in today's show on life under the Tuscan sun.
David Bockoven
Fresno, CA USA 05/08/2010
Time in Italy
Rick, love your program today on Italy. During many occasions to travel the backroads of Piemondt, Tuscany (Chianti), I experienced the tyranny of the clock. I found myself many times under pressure to find that restaurant before 2:00 PM, the hr when the kitchen closes. ken huck
ken huck
snohomish, wa USA 05/08/2010
Volksmarches
When I lived in Germany working as a teacher for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools, we would often go on Volksmarches on the weekends. These wonderful hikes were a great way to explore beautiful Bavarian villages and interact with some of the locals. There is usually some kind of souvenir mug or medal that can be earned by completing the 5 or 10 K hike as well as some great beer and wurst at the end.
I believe that the walks were originally started as a way for the American military to get some interaction with the local culture. Volksmarches provided my family with some terrific mugs and some great memories.
One nice part of living in south Texas is that there are many volksmarches right here around San Antonio. It is a nice way to explore the surrounding Hill Country.
Donna F.
San Antonio, TX USA 04/27/2010
Bavaria
As an Austrian living now in San Antonio, Texas, I just enjoyed listening to your radio show about Bavaria. Many towns in the Hill Country north of San Antonio are founded by German immigrants and traditions are kept alive (names like Hauptstrasse, Oktoberfest, beer,sausages..).
When traveling to Germany or Austria I would also recommend to see the countryside and the mountains. Go hiking, biking, skiing, rafting or just relax and enjoy nature.
Johanna
San Antonio, TX USA 04/27/2010
Bavaria
I returned to Ulm/Neu Ulm, Bavaria (via a eurail pass from Rick) 2 years ago after being stationed their from 1971-73.
Things that hit me: 1- How much Ulm and other small cities have been renovated and brought up to snuff.
2- I didn't think small towns like this would ever change. Much I couldn't recogize.
3- Beer now is SO darned expensive relative to the cost of meals.
4- The train stations were far less desirable than I remembered (Burger King, McDonalds, and a LOT of street kids).
5- Neu Schawnstein experience. For the worse. Way too commercialized now and crowded. Reminded of a Universal City tour... not worth the long wait and short tour.
P.S. Rick stayed an extra 3 days in Riomagoier, an extra 3 days in Lauterbrunnen with Stefan, Frederic and family's hoste. Had lunch in Salzburg at a super resturant. When finished, I look on the wall and say your picture with the proprietor, an awfully nice fellow I believe from India or Pakistan. Small World. I anyone is interested they can email and I will link them to my Picasa web album.
John C
Beaverton, OR USA 04/25/2010
Mailing luggage
The first week pf my 2-month Europe stay was an upscale tour which required nicer/more clothes than I usually pack. I planned to send my larger suitcase home and travel with just my rolling backpack. But the Florence hotel said it would cost 'hundreds' of dollars to ship a suitcase home, or even to family in England; and the local post gave me only the option of shipping a small box at a price which precluded sending more. I ended up leaving a trail of clothing, etc. all over Europe! If there's a better way - tell me how!
Rebecca
Vidalia, GA USA 04/25/2010
Coincidence
How coincidental, that I've planned a trip to Munich and Bavaria with my wife and her parents this summer, I hear a commercial for your program this afternoon regarding the exact topic! I cut my outdoors work short to come inside and listen to the show, and a birthday package arrived from my mother-in-law containing, what else, but your Snapshot book on Munich, Bavaria & Salzburg (as I was listening). Thanks for the helpful information and anecdotes, I look forward to reading the book as well.
P.R.
Baltimore, MD USA 04/24/2010
Turkey - Istanbul may be hazardous to religious minorities
Istanbul and Turkey:
I always wanted to visit Turkey and finally had opportunity to see Istanbul and Cappadocia a couple of years ago. My daughter and I had a wonderful time but none of the literature we read or reports we heard on "Travel with Rick Steves" prepared us for the difficulty and even danger we encountered as observant Jews. Instanbul is a sophisticated, polyglot city that has a history of embracing its Jewish and other non-Muslim or marginally Muslim populations. However, in recent decades, synagogues and Jewish businesses have been bombed (yes! with fatalities!) and the entire observant community is now found only in locked and guarded premises. You have be cleared at the offices of the Chief Rabbi to make an appointment to attend services or to purchase kosher food - which is not available in any restaurant. Hotels in neighborhoods suitable for women travellers are fitted with electronic entry systems that make it impossible to secure your room or to pass freely through lobby doors on the Sabbath. We requested a simple mechanical door key - but none was available.
Turks who deal with visitors were courteous and helpful and multi-lingual. But there is an Islamist fringe in Turkey that presents real hazards to minority visitors.
DB
Portland, OR USA 04/11/2010
Belgian Beer
When Michael Jackson write "…the greatest variety of styles, the most gastronomically interesting specialties, and the most unusual beers in the world are produced in Belgium." it was probably true. I have the 2000 edition of Jackson's Great Beer Guide. Missing are a decade of new
craft breweries and their great new beers. Most are in the US and perhaps the greatest concentration is in the Denver, Colorado area. By comparison Bud/Mil/Coors beverages aren't even real beer. I know your radio shows are primarily about international travel, and beer is just a side show, but when I think of travel and trying local beer, I think of Denver. American craft breweries are giving Belgium a run for the money, with beers that rival Belgium's best.
David Salonimer
Carrollton, TX USA 04/11/2010
Music Sessions
Music Sessions in the West of Ireland.
We've been to Ireland 3 times and have found the best authentic music sessions at O'Connor's Pub in Doolin in County Clare.
We were fortunate to have seen Micho Russell twice in separate sessions at O'Connor's Pub before his tragic accident.
Patty Lehner
Portland, OR USA 03/14/2010
Touring Guide Radio Hits the Spot!
Dear Rick and Staff,
I continue to appreciate more and more you continued push for delivering broader insights into smart traveling and getting the most from locales. Being a devotee of Rick's Europe Through The Back Door podcasts I thought it couldn't get any better. Boy was I pleasantly wrong.
Thankfully, always looking to bring more value to the traveler's side of the trade-route, the newly crafted "Tour Guide Radio" spots - well, hit the spot. Now armed with both audio, guidebook and podcasts I can enjoy learning and being prepared to travel smarter. Thank you for continuing to deliver a better experience!
Paul Bailey
Farwell, MI USA 03/13/2010
Feedback fromt the
I listened to the great segment on "100 Places to Eat Before It's Too Late" but was surprised when the book's authors shared what the title means to them: "before the food police eliminate all good food." From your examples (like fresh veggies in schools rather than cupcakes) I'm one of those people. I support policies and laws that get the junk food out of our schools and our communities. I do this because of the obesity epidemic and because I want good food! We're not at odds -- in fact we're on the same side. Do you really want your kids to have a crappy, store bought (which is required) cupcake every week? No! You want yummy, local, fresh foods -- and so do I!
Sabrina
Portland, OR USA 03/11/2010
places to eat before they disappear
I use the cheeseburger to evaluate raodside cafes. One of the best in Alaska is at the Monderosa roadhouse, just a couple miles north of Nenana or 50 minutes drive out of Fairbanks
helen
palmer, ak USA 03/06/2010
Places to Eat Before They Disappear
I wanted to add my favorite ice cream palace to Jane and Michael Stern's list: Mallard Ice Cream in downtown Bellingham, WA...seasonal, unique flavors of ice cream and ices, including cardammom ice cream, lemon-mint ice, wild cherry-chocolate ice, cayenne-chocolate ice cream, and multiple varieties of peach, apricot and berry ices. Plus, where else do ice cream businesses provide theater workshops and hire university instructors to lead philosophy seminars for its employees?
Greg Stern
Bellingham, WA USA 03/06/2010
Polar Bears
Just listened to the program on Polar Bears and I would like to add that the term eskimo is not the proper name to use. They are called the Inuit and the term eskimo is offensive to many people.
Kate
Winnipeg, Canada 03/04/2010
polar bear protection
What can I do to protect polar bears and minimize global warming? Choose to travel with companies which minimize my 'travel' footprint. If you are considering Alaska, I recommend Alaska Wildland Adventures, based in Girdwood, AK. This organization offers backcountry lodges with electricity generated by turbines in the nearby creek. Travelers are encouraged to leave their hair driers in their luggage. One of the first things we were told about during our introduction to Kenai Backcountry Lodge was the location for leaving recyclables. At the gourmet lunch riverside we were introduced to "micro" waste prevention: ensuring that crumbs were not left behind to attract and harm wildlife. Lunches were packed in paper or cloth bags instead of plastic. AWA's approach to travel in pristine areas allowed me to enjoy even more deeply the unique wonders of the Kenai and Denali. My travel there in June 2007 was - and still is - an inspiration. And I learned about the loss of the northern ice in winter from a man born & raised there.
Carole
Champaign, IL USA 02/27/2010
homelidays
homelidays mentioned by a caller on 2/21/10 has some negative comments on line.
Terry Cox
Oregon City, OR USA 02/21/2010
Road Trip Pilgimmage
I couldn't help but be intrigued about today's guest talking about road trip pilgrimmages.. I made a similar pilgrimmage to Kathmandu, Nepal in 1972-1973, and could relate with many of the comments that came out in today's show. An unforgettable experience that has molded my entire life since! I did it with a companion and began with only $2,500 for both of us, and it lasted for more than nine months. Visiting places that we might never experience today: Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Especially memorable was seeing the giant buddhas in Bamiyan, Afghanistan (before they were destroyed by the Taliban in this century). Once we reached Kathmandu, we were enjoying ourselves so much that we couldn't stop and continued on to Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, until we finally ran out of money and had to head home! What an enriching and edifying experience.. I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone of any age!
Steve Bobbitt
Lakewood, Ohio USA 02/20/2010
Pilgrimage
Hi, Rick,
Just loving and much moved(!) by your radio feature on road trip pilgrimage. Conversations with your guest and the callers have been inspiring and illuminating. I've just designed and built a Roma-style gypsy wagon for SingPeace! An Earth Pilgrimage for Peace and Global Harmony. This is a singing earth pilgrimage that has attracted singer/songweavers sharing "Songs for a Culture of Peace," a barefoot bard, permaculture folks, etc. While I've been a world traveler for many decades, this one is on "native soil," starting off, locally, on Whidbey Island, tracing a figure 8 (infinity) around the Olympic Peninsula bringing attention to Rainforest and Old Growth, monitoring the planting of deforested and clearcut areas. Events include 4 days at the Seattle Center Peace Garden during NW Regional Folklife Festival. One feature of our journey is the Earth Gym bringing in exuberant play. Mick Dodge, the barefoot sensei, is training a group of ElderWise (or Wild) women, myself included, who will raise their voices in chorus for "Peace in Our Lifetime." Peace Pilgrim who walked thousands of miles on foot during her lifetime is quoted saying: "Sometimes the goal of pilgrimage is a place. Sometimes for a thing." SingPeace! is for both and more: body, mind, spirit, ancestors, land and tribe. With our "Songs for a Culture of Peace," we hope to inspire singing villages that will engage, restore rapport, challenge and release back into the land the love and abundance the earth continues to provide to her guests - Us!
Thanks again, for drawing deeply from the well. Travelers may look differently on their journeys with this program. Certainly, those who go with the intent of pilgrimage and transformation are rewarded in untold ways. They never forget, do they?
Pushkara Sally Ashford
Clinton, WA USA 02/20/2010
THANKS!!!
Thanks Rick for having your radio show on Podcast !!!!!! i love your program keep up the good WORK!!!!
KAt
Ral, nc USA 02/19/2010
Quality of the interviews
Rick, your level of preparedness and the pertinence and cogency of your questions surpassed what I have heard on other shows (whether NPR, main stream media, etc.) by a fair margin. Thank you for your your highly relevant and informative exploration of these topics!
Ezra Steinberg
Kirkland, WA USA 02/16/2010
Bread for the World
Rick - Thanks for that excellent report on Bread for the World - a great organization that has made a tremendous difference in our world. I was active as a member of BFTW in the 80's, and need to get re-involved. You did an outstanding job of capturing the organization, its methods, and its impact. Enjoy your radio and TV shows. Thanks!
Rick Dyke
Robstown, Texas USA 02/14/2010
Program 193 Baltics vs Balkans
I could hardly believe my ears when listening to program 193 "End of the Orient Express"; as Rick twice referred to "The Baltics" instead of "The Balkans", lying between Vienna and Istanbul. I wondered if no one proofs the scripts. Otherwise, thanks for a very good show!
Randy Johnson
Portland, OR USA 02/07/2010
More info
I love this program, even learning more about places I've been. But, for venues I might wish to visit in the future, I have no way to make notes or search for more info online since I cannot spell the place names. I know it would be a nuisance; but, if places have spellings that might not be obvious, it would help to have a clue.
Toni
Madison, OH USA 01/31/2010
Tijuana - not Tia Juana
Dear Rick - I'm a big fan of your show but I have to admit that I was truly annoyed with your recent show on Baja. You and your guest "expert" repeatedly mis-pronouced Tijuana - it is not Ti-a-juana - there is no A between the I and the J. You and your guest should know better. That's a real pet peeve for those of us who live in the area.
Tonie
San Diego, CA USA 01/31/2010
Rome
My favorite neighborhoods in Rome are the Aventine (Aventino) and Testaccio neither of which I hear you and your guides talking about today. Maybe that's a good thing since neither area is inundated with tourists.
Mark Summa
Ventura, CA USA 01/30/2010
Food in Rome?
I have always dreamed about going to Italy, and definitely consider food to be a first love. Can you talk about Roman food vs other kinds of italian food?
Brighella
San Diego, CA USA 01/30/2010
mispronounciation
I was listening to your program on KPBS today and was stunned to hear both you and your guest keep refering to "Tee-uh-juana." It is not named for someone's Aunt Jane. The city is Tijuana and there are only two "a"s and neither follows the "i."
Ann Calvert
San Diego, CA USA 01/23/2010
Travel tips
My tip for almost any travel is to carry both gallon and quart size
plastic freezer bags. It's amazing how many things you can use them for:
leftover foods, wet things, or a quick ice bag.
Another tip (for business travelers): Use underwear, socks, t-shirts, PJs, and/or other "knockabout" clothes to keep dress shirts, suits, or dressy outfits from developing "hard" folds in place of (space and resource-wasting) wadded-up tissue paper or shirt boards. When you get to your destination, separate the clothing. Hang up your business attire.
Coming home, put the soiled clothing in the plastic bags (first tip), if necessary, and repeat the packing process if you need the outfits to remain wrinkle-free.
Linda
Bellevue, WA USA 01/06/2010
Misunderstanding in Germany
I'm from Germany. As a student, I gave visiting friends from the US a tour of our town. After a while, their feet hurt, and they asked cautiously, "Why don't we visit the castle?" I took that literally as a question and was irritated: How could they think I would withold the castle from them - the culmination of the tour?! Only after I started defending myself did we become aware of the misunderstanding. Now that I live here, I'm glad I learned this lesson with friends: requests are commonly phrased as questions here.
Sebastian
Redmond, WA USA 01/06/2010
Traveling
If a person MUST have a complex wardrobe/gear, send a bag ahead to your
destination by UPS. NO hassles at airports and you have what you 'need' when you get there...
Make 'arrangements' weeks in advance and be assured your 'tings' will be
there when you get there and do the same when you head back home...shipping your
'survival ket' back home via an ASSURED mode of transit...
Buck
Portland, OR USA 01/06/2010
Packing
The first few trips I took, I packed everything but the kitchen sink. This meant 3 or 4 large bags and a backpack too. Not so great for budget travelling in 3rd world countries. I'll never forget one morning on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria, travelling along very broken "roads" hoping to find a cheap way into the city. My luggage was bungeed onto a sort of wheeled platform. Wearing a long black dress, black hat and a big silver cross, I was gamely negotiating this tower of luggage through giant fissures and potholes in the road, as there were no sidewalks. A horse-cart full of gypsies pulled up alongside, eyes wide as if they'd encountered a space alien. Finally they all burst into hearty guffaws and one hollered out probably the only English he knew: "What's your sign?!" I laughed gamely and waved, as the gypsies rode onward, still nearly falling off their wagon laughing. I still travel pretty heavy, by the way.
Cindy
Seattle, WA USA 01/06/2010
Travel faux pas
My husband and I, both photographers, bought a small basket of currants
at the weekend market, intending to make a still-life photograph in the
restaurant of our casual small hotel in St. Jean Cap Ferrat on the coast
of France. We set the basket on the bar and planned the shot with beautiful window light. We briefly went to our room to get some camera
equipment and when we returned, the currants were gone! We tried to inquire about where the currants were and the owner's wife just smiled
and said "Merci! merci!" The next morning at breakfast she presented us with freshly baked bread and homemade currant jam.
Victoria
Dallas, TX USA 01/06/2010
Travel faux pas
While travleing in Yorkshire, England, where language is not a problem, we experieced our cultural mixup. We stayed at a B&B and enjoyed breakfast with the other guests at a large round table. In the center was a lazy susan full of condiments. Cereal was the first course and my husband took a small spoonful of what he thought was sugar. A few moments later he nearly choked trying to swallow flakes covered in SALT.
The proprietor noticed the mistake right away (it had happened many times before), and then apologized for not warning us. We got a good chuckle from this and even had the fortune of seeing another couple make this mistake at another B&B later in the trip!
Joanne
Baltimore, MD USA 01/06/2010
Packing small
On my first trip to Europe, I packed light for sunny days and took very few clothes, figuring that nobody would see me two days in a row, then
bought a bulky, gorgeous lace tablecloth in Venice. Then the weather
turned cold and rainy. I used the tablecloth successfully throughout
the rest of the trip for warmth, especially when sleeping on the train.
With its weaving, it acted insulated and warm. Also, I always take a
long cord and a few clothespins for hanging my wash in the shower.
Pat
Santa Barbara, CA USA 01/06/2010
No shorts!
Many Americans don't understand that unless they are in a resort location shorts are not acceptable in some European destinations and most Asian destinations.
Claire
Coupeville, WA USA 01/06/2010
wrinkles
For wrinkles, I take a washcloth and get it wet then I just wipe it over the wrinkles. They come right out and the fabric dries quickly. This is of course if hanging the clothes in the bathroom while taking a steamy shower doesn't work.
Alice
Bend, OR USA 01/03/2010
Travel faux pas
Enjoying your show and, especially, the travel cultural faux pas segment. One of my most memorable ones occured in the States with foreign students at college years ago. A Jordanian student invited me home to have dinner & coffe with his family. Lovely experience. After dinner, as coffee was being served, I tried to listen carefully to pick up how the family was thanking the hos't aunt serving the coffee. I though I had it and when the lady served the coffee, I smiled and said, "Sakran." My host was shocked and nudge me in the ribs, saying, "Why did call my aunt a 'drunkard'!" I quickly explained that I intended to say "thank you." Things settled down and I learned to say "SHukran" (?????) for thanks. (My memonic for this is "'Shukran' to sound like 'sugar' to keep things sweet.")
Since that goof, I have progressed with my Arabic studies.
(Another thing I learned from my experiences with foreign students is the matter in the differences in the sense of humour. What's funny to some can be shameful to another. But that's for another time.)
Jonathan D. Abolins
Ewing, NJ USA 01/03/2010
i carry a dropper bottle of bleach,...
I carry a dropper bottla of bleach,...
dilute a few drops in the basin, wet a white face cloth, wash underarm (kills odor bacteria) keep facecloth in sandwich bag, wash underwear in basin, with a couple of drops of soap added. Don't carry bleach on plane! Do nest the dropper bottle in a second, outer bottle....
bob hewitt
seattle, wa USA 01/02/2010