Get tips for experiencing what remains of Aztec culture in modern-day Mexico City. Then hear about what recent excavations in Pompeii are revealing about first-century life in the Roman Empire. And join a historian in considering how the cultures of France's many neighboring countries have long shaped and enriched its identity.

• Tour guide and author David Lida, based in Mexico City
• Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archeological Park, author of "The Buried City" (University of Chicago Press)
• Historian Colin Jones, author of "The Shortest History of France" (The Experiment Publishing)

• David Lida wrote "First Stop in the New World," to describe how Mexico City is poised to be the Western Hemisphere's most important city in the 21st century.  David updated us on living in Mexico City on Travel with Rick Steves program #805 in September, 2025.
• Gabriel Zuchtriegel has been director of the Pompeii Archeological Park since 2021, and highlights what recent excavations at Pompeii reveal in his just-released book, "The Buried City: Unearthing the Real Pompeii." 
• Gabriel Zuchtriegel described the findings about the lives of women at Pompeii on Travel with Rick Steves program #809 in October, 2025.
• Rick has an audio tour of Pompeii which includes a map of the site and a 39-minute narration.
• Colin Jones, C. B. E. specializes in writing about the history of France.  He offers a condensed overview in his latest book, "The Shortest History of France."
• Colin Jones' Wikipedia page.
• Colin spoke with Rick about sites to view 20th century history in France on Travel with Rick Steves program #813 in November, 2025.