Program 628: Amtrakistan; Astronaut's View; Renaissance Florence

Find out what taking high-definition photos of Earth, through the windows of the International Space Station, revealed to astronaut Chris Hadfield. Hear why writer Eric Weiner [ WHY-ner ] prefers spending four days on Amtrak over a cross-country flight. And get inspired to view the Renaissance treasures of Florence, on the next Travel with Rick Steves.

• Eric Weiner, author of "The Socrates Express" (Avid Reader Press-Simon & Schuster)
• Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Commander of International Space Station Expedition 35, and author of "You Are Here" and "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" (Little, Brown and Co.)
• Tuscany-based tour guide and art historian Anna Piperato

• Eric Weiner describes for Afar magazine how an Amtrak train trip across America can give you that extra time you're always complaining you don't have.
• Eric's book "The Socrates Express" is already in its third printing, and is being translated into more than a dozen languages, from Bulgarian to Vietnamese. He talks to Rick about it on Travel with Rick Steves program #611 from August 2020.
• Chris Hadfield has published a photo book of earth scenes he took from the International Space Station, called "You Are Here." It is available from the ChrisHadfield.ca website. His latest title is a children's picture book about encountering the unknown, called "The Darkest Dark."
• NASA provides live high-definition photos of earth from the arm of the International Space Station.
• Rick's online guide to the sights of Florence.
• Art history scholar Anna Piperato is based in Siena, and leads tours of Tuscany, including Florence.
• You can hear more conversations with Rick on the artists and treasures of Florence in the Travel with Rick Steves program archives. William E. Wallace talks about "Michelangelo's Florence" on Travel with Rick Steves program #265A from March, 2013. So does Miles J. Unger on program #481A from April 2020, and on program #438 from March, 2016.
• You can also search for Rick's earlier interview with Salman Rushdie about his book, "The Empress of Florence" on Travel with Rick Steves program #142A from July 2010 on Soundcloud.

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Sir Georg Solti, "'The Shrovetide Fair' from 'Petrushka' (Stravinsky)," Stravinsky: Petrushka & Jeu de Cartes / London Records
• Jay Ungar, et al, "Bonaparte's Retreat  (Fourth of July 1805)," Lewis and Clark:  The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (soundtrack) / RCA
• Campbell Brothers, "Morning Train," None But the Righteous:  Masters of Sacred Steel (collection) / Rope A Dope Records
• Johnny Darrell, "Train That Carried My Girl," Oxford American Southern Sampler 2000 (collection) / Oxford American
• Mamou Prairie Band, "Blue Runner," Catch My Hat / Swallow
• * Pat Metheny Group, "Last Train Home," Still Life (Talking) / Geffen
• Michel Donato and James Gelfand, "Timeless," Beyond Rubicon (collection) / Disques Rubicon
• Chris Hadfield, "Space Oddity," (You Tube audio, performed with permission of composer David Bowie)
• Mauro Franceschi, "Mill Valley," Quinte / Arx Collana
• Ry Cooder, Buena Vista Social Club, "Buena Vista Social Club," Buena Vista Social Club (collection) / Nonesuch-World Circuit   
• Tomita, "‘The Engulfed Cathedral' from ‘Preludes Book No. 10' (Debussy)," Snowflakes are Dancing / RCA
• Paul Winter Consort, featuring vocalist Susan Osborn, "The Blue Green Hills of Earth," Missa Gaia - Earth Mass / Living Music
• * Anton Paulik and Orchestra, "Blue Danube Waltz (Strauss)," Night Life in Vienna / Crownstar Records
• Ensemble de'Medici, "Fantasia #27," The Renaissance Album (collection) / Windham Hill
• Michael Hedges, "Fantasia," The Renaissance Album (collection) / Windham Hill
• Sevarino Gazzelloni, "Amarcord," Sevarino Gazzelloni Plays Nino Rota / CAM OST
• Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Marco Boni, cond., "Souvenir de Florence in D minor, Op. 70-IV - Allegro vivace (Tchaikovsky)," Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings; Souvenir de Florence /  PentaTone
• London Sinfonietta, John McGlinn, cond., with Justin Lavender, vocal, "‘Come to Florence (Civic Story)' from ‘The Firebrand of Florence' (Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin)," Kurt Weill on Broadway / EMI Classics

• Rick notes that the segment A and C interviews were recorded just before the covid shutdowns, in the opening to those segments.
• Around ten minutes in, Eric explains how Amtrak passenger trains must wait for freight trains to clear the tracks, since Amtrak does not own most of its rail lines.
• Rick notes at the end of segment A that the upcoming Chris Hadfield interview is from the show archives, in celebration of our 15th anniversary year. At times, Rick refers to Hadfield's book "You Are Here" as his "new book."
• At 23:36, Chris Hadfield says hundreds of millions of people have viewed his "Space Oddity" video.
• Rick notes the 500th anniversary of Magellan's first round-the-world sail (in 1519-1522) at 28:16.