Program 700: Pleasures of Mexico City; Why We Travel; Classical Music in Europe

The oldest capital in the Americas is full of pleasant surprises. A local guide shares some of his favorite parts of Mexico City on the next Travel with Rick Steves.

Also, the author of the "Thousand Places to See Before You Die" series, looks at why culture shock can be the highlight of your next overseas vacation.

And a young orchestra conductor shares his favorite venues for a classical music concert in Europe.

• Author and tour guide David Lida
• Patricia Schultz, author of "Why We Travel: One Hundred Reasons to See the World" (Workman)
• Orchestra conductor Lee Mills

• 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.  David is also the author of "One Life," loosely based on his mitigation work on behalf of undocumented Mexicans, charged with capital offenses in the United States.    
• Patricia Schultz is the author of the books in the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" series.  Her latest title is "Why We Travel: 100 Reasons to See the World."
• Conductor Lee Mills includes his conducting schedule of upcoming concerts with the Seattle Symphony, the Elgin Symphony, and the Spartanburg Philharmonic on his website. 
• European classical music festivals that Rick and Lee recommend include the Aldeburg Festival  (founded by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears), held in June at Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk, England; the Aix-en-Provence summer opera festival in the South of France; opera season with the Vienna Philharmonic; the Salzburg Festival; and visiting the Mozart House, Haus der Musik, and the instruments room at Hofburg Palace in Vienna.
• Rick provides a video sample from his "A Symphonic Journey" presentation with the Boston Pops in 2019.

• Orquesta Don Ramon (Don Tosti's Pachuco Boogie Boys), "Pachuco Boogie (2nd recording)," Pachuco Boogie featuring Don Tosti: The Original Historic Recordings / Arhoolie
• Banda Filharmonica del Centro de Capacitation y Desarollo de la Cultura Mixe, "Huapango," Sones de Terra y Nube, vol. 2 / Asociación Cultural Xquenda     
• Grupo Siembra, "La Cecilia," Geografía Musical de México, vol. 2 / Agave Music
• Tin Tan, "Tiru-Liru-Lin," El Immortal Tin Tan - Germán Valdés Tin Tán a 40 años , disc 1 / Sony Music (Mexico)
• Orquesta de las Americas, "La Bamba," México Sinfónico, disc 3 (collection) / PMD
• * National Philharmonic Orchestra (Mexico), "Vals Lírico (Shostakovich)," México Sinfónico (collection) / PMD
• Ballistic Brothers, "Uschel's Groove," Café del Mar, vol 5 (collection) / Fontana-MCA
• Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban, "Patricia," Mambo Sinuendo / Nonesuch
• U2, "City of Blinding Lights," How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb / Universal-Island
• Nass El Ghiwane, Saif Albattar, "Alkassam," Couscous Beat (collection) / Nascente
• Evergreen Ensemble, "Seduk Maru 3," O Bali / CBC Records
• Henri Salvador, "Bon appétit mademoiselle," Saint-Germaine-des-Pres, disc 1 / Rym Musique (France)
• * Andre Rieu, "Waltz No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)," Masterpieces / Philips
• Music from Aston Magna," Andanta and variations," A Decade of Excellence (sampler) / Harmonia Mundi
• London Festival Orchestra, "Hungarian Dances, No. 5-G Minor, Allegro, Vivace" (Brahms), Hungarian Dances 1-21 / EMP
• Orchestra del Teatro la Fenice, Ion Marin, conductor, "'Serena i vaghi rai,' from 'Semiramide' (Rossini)," Cecilia Bartoli: Rossini Heroines / London
• Orchestra da Camera di Padova e del Veneto, Bruno Schneider cond, "Horn Concerto K-495-Rondo-allegro vivace (Mozart),"
• Cecilia Bartoli, Weiner Kammerorchester, Gyorgy Fischer cond, 'La nozze di Figaro K492-Voi che sapete (Mozart)," The #1 Opera Album, disc 2 (collection) / Decca
• Colin Tilney, "Rondeau-La Puce," / Fanfarinette: Music for the French Harpsichord / CBC Records
• Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jocham, "Symphony No. 6 in A-Major, WAB 106 - I-Maestoso (Bruckner)," Bruckner Hits / Warner - X5
• Thierry Escaich, "Naiades (from 'Pieces de fantasie') (Vierne)," Concerts de Grand Orgue du Saint-Etienne-du-Mont / Intrada (France)
• Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, cond., "Thus Spake Zarathustra, part 1, op. 30 (R. Strauss)," The Great Works Collection: Strauss / Musically Speaking
• Klapa Nostalgija, "Mila Mi Je Govorila Majka," Dalmatinske Pjesma Dinka Fia / Best Music  (Croatia)
• Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik, conductor, "Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K-467,  I: molto allegro (Mozart)," The Key to the Classics: Mozart (collection) / Angel

* indicates filler music used during breaks

• Near the end of the billboard, Rick says "as we get you ready for great adventures in the year ahead" for this first program of 2023.
• Rick also notes at 7:00 in the open to segment A that "we're celebrating program #700 of Travel with Rick Steves" today.
• At 8:04, David Lida says the New York Times travel section placed Mexico City as the top destination to see in the world that year, and that the city's bad reputation in the U.S. has improved since then. 
• At 22:42, and 24:06, Rick refers to the "time off" during the pandemic, for when Patricia was able to reflect on the content in her newest book.
• At 30:50, Patricia says her Moroccan taxi driver's mother still sends her Christmas cards.
• Rick and Patricia, at 31:18, discuss how they were delighted by the hospitality and openness of the Iranian people when they each visited Iran.
• In the reset at 54:15 Rick says that Lee Mills is an associate conductor with the Seattle Symphony, and notes that his upcoming concert dates in Seattle, Elgin and Spartanburg are listed on his website. 
• At 56:05, Ricks says that tourists are welcome to sit in on choral practice, Wednesday evenings in Wales.