Program 331: Backroad Scotland; European Politics in Germany; Ghost Dance in Berlin

Release Date: 07-06-2013

Description

Rick examines today's political scene in Germany and takes a deeper look at the historical ghosts you can stumble on in Berlin. A political organizer and tour guide from the Rhine region tells us what the average German thinks of their role in the economic bail-out of other countries in the European Union. Also, playwright Peter Wortsman explains how his Jewish heritage has drawn him to make Berlin his second home. In addition, get tips for meeting the locals in the small towns of Scotland.

Guests

  • Anne Doig, tour guide based in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Thomas Gundlach, tour guide and local political activist based in Bacharach, Germany
  • Playwright Peter Wortsman, author of "Ghost Dance in Berlin" (Travelers Tales)

Related Links

  • Dufftown is a small town in the heart of Scotland's whisky brewing region, northwest of Aberdeen. 
  • Caller Mark visited the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to find Harris tweed.
  • Anne Doig recommends visiting the Scottish island of Iona in the early morning or evening when the crowds thin out, to experience its spiritual atmosphere, and the area around Glencoe in the Highlands.
  • Anne and Rick also discuss the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northern England. 
  • The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union.
  • Peter Wortsman's book about Berlin is called "Ghost Dance In Berlin: A Rhapsody in Gray."
  • Eisbein is the German name for pickled ham hocks, or pig knuckles, a traditional delicacy in Berlin.
  • Advance registration is required to visit the dome of the Reichstag Building in Berlin.
  • The stolpersteine are stumbling stones that commemorate past residents of Berlin.

Program Extras

Pgm 331 Extra - Rick and Thomas Gundlach discuss income tax rates, including a proposed German "wealth tax" that might be re-introduced when their government is scheduled to change in the Fall (2013). (runs 2:36)