Program 748: Quirky Oslo; Last Empty Places; Herbal

An American expat in Oslo shares some of the quirks and customs of life in his adopted home. Then, a wilderness and history author recounts what he found exploring four blank spots on the US map. And an ethnobotanist describes the healing properties of different kinds of herbs around the world — some of which might be growing in your own backyard.

• Curtis Rojak, proprietor of Viking Biking in Oslo, Norway
• Peter Stark, author of "The Last Empty Places" (Mountaineer Books)
• Ethnobotanist Mimi Prunella Hernandez, author of "Herbal" (National Geographic)

• Curtis Rojak founded the Viking Biking tour company, which offers cycling and hiking tours in Oslo.
• The Rick Steves guide to Oslo.
• Peter Stark wrote "The Last Empty Places" to highlight what he found visiting the rural expanses of northern Maine, western Pennsylvania, central New Mexico, and southeast Oregon. Peter also writes frequently for Outside magazine on wilderness survival topics.
• Peter described the legacy of Shawnee chief Tecumseh in the years leading up to the War of 1812 on Travel with Rick Steves program 733 in November 2023.
• Mimi Prunella Hernandez is the author of the National Geographic "Herbal: 100 Herbs from the World's Leading Herbal Traditions." Mimi recently was head of the American Herbalists Guild.