Program 349: Sochi 2014; Pauline Frommer's New York City; European New Year's Traditions

The warmest city in Russia is about to play host to the world for the Winter Olympics.  On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we'll find out more about the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, and how the games are affecting local attitudes.

Pauline Frommer offers enthusiastic tips for making a visit to New York City fun and affordable. 

And friends from Europe share their local traditions for welcoming in the New Year in Spain, Croatia, Wales, Scotland, Belgium and Portugal.

Explore the world from the comfort of your radio, each week on Travel with Rick Steves.

Notes to Stations:

Rick Steves New Years Greeting: Rick has recorded a 29-second greeting for the new year, with holiday wishes in several European languages from his friends. You can use it on the air as you like around the New Year's holiday, apart from the Travel with Rick Steves weekly promos.

The greeting is available in the .wav format at ftp://downloads.ricksteves.com/radio  where files are listed alphabetically. It runs exactly 29-seconds, and is mixed with a variation of the Travel with Rick Steves theme music.  Look for it in the Program 349 folder on the FTP page, or listed alphabetically as: TRS_NewYearsGreeting_mixed_29sec.wav .   There is also a vox-only version posted in the program 349 folder that you can use;  it runs just over 26-seconds long. 

Or you can get the New Years Greeting promo here: mp3 | mp2

(Right-click and select "Save Target As" to download and save audio files.)

• Journalist Julia Barton
• Call-out to Sochi native Alex Kossovsky
• Pauline Frommer, author of Frommer's  2014 Easy Guide to New York

• Official website for the Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
• Wikipedia's entry about Sochi includes photos of the city. 
• Pauline Frommer writes the Frommers 2014 Easy Guide to New York about visiting her hometown.  
• The revised Frommers.com website also has a detailed destination guide to New York City. 
• Three of the iconic things that Pauline Frommer recommends that a visitor to New York must see are the 9/11 Memorial, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island. 
• Pauline cites Broadway Box, Playbill, and TheaterMania as outlets for discounted tickets for Broadway plays.   
• Three publications that Pauline recommends for event listings in New York City are New York magazine, The New Yorker, and Time Out.  She also suggests the talks, readings, and performances at the 92nd Street Y.
• Other sites Pauline mentions in New York City are the Tenement Museum and the Broadway Dance Center.

• "What is your favorite  'hidden gem' in New York City?"  (e-mail from John in Jersey City, New Jersey)
• "My teenage daughter and I just completed our second trip to New York City! In addition to Broadway, can you suggest options to experience the performing arts in NYC?  She is a dancer and we are looking for affordable experiences for our next trip." (e-mail from Patricia in Coral Springs, Florida)

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Sir Georg Solti, “‘Tableau 1: The Shrovetide Fair’ from ‘Petrushka:  Burlesque in four scenes’ (Stravinsky),” Stravinsky:  Petrushka & Jeu de Cartes / London Records
• Magyar Nephadsereg Muveszegyuttes Enekes Zenekara, “Polyushka,” The Best of Communism:  Revolutionary Songs (collection) / Gong (recorded in 1968 in Hungary)
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Fritz Reiner, “' Pas de Deux' from ‘The Nutcracker’ (Tchaikovsky),” Out Classics (collection) /  BMG
• Meteor, “Jingle Bells,” Petersburger Schlittenfahrt / Bella Musica Editions
• * Andre Rieu, “Waltz No. 2  (Rachmaninoff),”  Masterpieces / Philips
• Paul Brooks, "This Wheel's on Fire (theme from 'Absolutely Fabulous')," As Seen on TV:  40 Television Themes / K-Tel
• Bob James and Earl Klugh, "New York Samba," Cool / Warner Bros.
• Dolly Parton and The Opry Gang, et al., closing sequence from "Those Were The Days," Dolly Parton: Those Were the Days /  Sugarhill
• James DeMars, "An American Requiem, part 4:  Memorial Prayer (James DeMars)," An American Requiem for Soloists, Chorus, and Orchestra / Arts Renaissance Foundation
• Christopher Parkening, "Gymnopedie No. 1 (Satie)," The Great Recordings / EMI Classics
• Caroline Goulding, violin, Christopher O’Riley, piano, “Souvenir d’Amérique - Variations on ‘Yankee Doodle,’ Op. 17  (composed by Henri Vieuxtemps),” Caroline Goulding / Telarc
• Boswell Sisters, "Forty-Second Street," That’s How Rhythm Was Born / Legacy-Columbia  (first released in 1931)
• Henry Mancini, "'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Theme," Greatest Hits / RCA
• Winfred Shaw, Dirk Powell & Chorus, Busby Berkeley, from "Golddigggers of 1935,"  "Lullaby of Broadway,"  The 30s:  Hollywood’s Best (collection) / Rhino
• Josh Groban, "The Bells of New York City," Illuminations / 143 Records-Reprise 
• * Erhard Bauschke, "At the Codfish Ball," Berliner Orchester (Der Deutschen Grammophon) (collection) / HDN
• María José Santiago, “El reloj,” Villancicos de Jerez a Belén / Vesan Music (Spain)
• Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, "Cassation in G, K63 (Mozart)," The Key to the Classics:  Mozart (collection) / Angel
• The Luton Girls Choir, “Blue Danube Waltz,” Count Your Blessings (re-mastered from original 78 rpm recording) / Memoir Records (UK)
• The Tannahill Weavers, "Auld Lang Syne," A Thistle and Shamrock Christmas Ceilidh (collection) / Green Linnet
• Tingstad and Rumbel, "Auld Lang Syne," The Gift / Sonia Gaia Records
• Jim Malcolm, "Auld Lang Syne," Acquaintance / Beltane Records (Scotland)
• The Philadelphia Orchestra, "'March of the Toys' from 'Babes in Toyland'," Greatest Hits: Marches / Sony Classical
• The Glasgow Tiki Shakers, "Auld Lang Syne," Beyond the Sea / Cordelia Records

• Program #349 is designed to air in the week before New Year's Day.  New Year's Eve references are made in the billboard, promo, segment A open, end of segment B, and it is the topic of segment C.
• References to preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia are made in the billboard and promo, and is the topic in segment A.
• Discussion of Russian President Vladimir Putin's "investment" in the 2014 Games starts at 17:13. 
• Pauline Frommer estimates, at 23:28, that Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood has been a center of Russian immigrants for "at least 25 or 30 years."  
• At 24:08, Pauline says that "in 2014" the 9-11 Memorial Museum will open.
• Pauline notes at 27:03 that New York City "is the most expensive city in this hemisphere" when recommending a tactic to find discounted hotel rooms.  She adds that September-October and Spring are high season, and that low season tends to be early December, January and February. 
• At 28:34, Pauline says that "about two years ago" it was made illegal to rent out an apartment in New York to short term guests.  Rick adds that AirBnB "has had a hard time in New York City."