Program 706: Budapest Riverwalk; Megalithic Orkney; Travel Kindness

Would you prefer to stroll the riverfront of an elegant Old World capital? Or does hearing your voice echo off prehistoric standing stones, on a remote North Sea island, sound more to your liking?

On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we'll explore the Danube waterfront in Budapest, and the stark beauty of the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland.

And listeners share how they'll always remember when the kindness of strangers made a big difference in their foreign travels.

• George Farkas and Péter Pölczman, tour guides from Budapest, Hungary
• Kinlay Francis, tour guide from Orkney, Scotland

• A list, with photos, of the many scenic bridges that span the Danube in Budapest.
• Mupa Budapest hosts many of the city's major concerts and events.  
• Péter Pölczman provides private tours of Budapest.
• George Farkas offers tours in Budapest.
• The Rick Steves online guide to Budapest, Hungary.
• Kinlay Francis and his wife operate Orkney Uncovered to provide custom tours in the Orkney archipelago. 
• Rick writes about visiting Orkney.
• Orkney's Standing Stones of Stenness may be the oldest henge site in the British Isles.

• "Recently visited Budapest and enjoyed walking along the Danube. The shoes memorial is very moving, especially seeing the tiny childrens' shoes. I also enjoyed watching the landscape change from dawn to dusk. I think it's the most beautiful city in the world." (Olga in Vancouver, Washington)
• While cat-sitting on Lefkada Island in Greece, caller describes being rescued from probable drowning by two men, and being given a free contact lens by the local pharmacist to replace her lost glasses. (Sally in Lavelle, Pennsylvania)
• "Once, on a drive back to the US through the Baja Mexican desert, at 3:00 a.m., I pulled off the Pan-American highway onto a dirt path to sleep in my pickup truck. In the morning, there was a knock on his window. Fearing I'd be attacked, I panicked. But it was an old Mexican woman with a basket filled with food for breakfast." (J-Bruce, on a sailboat in the Florida Keys)
• Caller has a story she tells her French classes about an incident when traveling in Alsace, to dispel American stereotypes that all French people are rude. "My husband and I were staying in Strasbourg. Setting out from our hotel in search of the city center, we got lost and separated from each other. I spotted him a distance away, speaking with a gentleman. By the time I joined them, the gentleman had summoned his wife, since he spoke mostly German. She said to get in her car, and led us to the spot where we should have turned, and bid us bon voyage." (Marilyn in Uhrichsville, Ohio)
• Describes the outcome from being assaulted while a 23-year old Peace Corps teacher in Malaysia, and how kind acts by neighbors helped her to heal, and are fondly recalled to this day. (Nancy in Baltimore, Maryland)

• Jordi Savall, Andrew Lawrence-King, "Scotch Mary," The Celtic Viol / Alia Vox
• Oficina De Cordas, "Sertao," Pernambuco's Music-Brazil (collection) / Nimbus
• Hungarian Hurdy-Gurdy Orchestra, "Mikor Kend Es Pista Batya," Rough Guide to the Music of Hungary, disc 1 (collection) / Rough Guides
• Tarkany-Muvek, "Ugy Szeretlek (So Much I Love You)," Rough Guide to the Music of Hungary, disc 2 / Rough Guides
• Muzsikas, "Dunantuli Ugrosok (Transdanubian 'Urgos')," Bartok Album / Hannibal
• Thomas Dolby, "Budapest By Blimp," The Best of Thomas Dolby: Retrospectacle / Parlophone
• * Anton Paulik and his Orchestra, "Blue Danube Waltz," Night Life in Vienna / Crownstar Records
• Franck Barcellini, "Musique Strand (from the Jacques Tati film "Play Time')," Music from the Films of Jacques Tati / Phillips-PolyGram (France)
• René Saorgin, "Toccata no. 9 en mi mineur (Georg Moffat)," Orgues de Provence (collection) / harmonia mundi
• Edmonton Symphony, Uri Mayer, cond., "'Tordion' from 'Capriol Suite' (Peter Warlock)," Orchestral Suites of the British Isles / CBC Records
• Edward Flower and Joel Brown, "The Death of Queen Jane," CBC Stereo Morning Sampler (collection) / Dorian
• Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny, Richard Burmer, "The Breathing Stone," Western Spaces / Chameleon
• Runrig, "Abhainn an t-sluaigh" (sung in Scottish Gaelic) Celtic Heart (collection) / BMG Records (UK)
• * Asonance, "Hymna ostravu Orkney," Dva Havrani / Records DK
• Christopher Parkening, "Les Barricades Mysterieuses," The Great Recordings / EMI Classics
• Cincinnati Pops, Erich Kunzel, cond., "Theme from 'The Dove,'" Sailing / Telarc
• Lucha Villa, "Baja California Sur," El Relampago / Musart-Balboa
• Ryuichi Sakamato, with David Sylvian, vocal, "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)," Heartbeat / Virgin

• At 10:12, George notes that the city of Budapest is starting on projects to improve pedestrian-friendly locales on city's riverfront.
• At 52:26, Rick adds that he understands there are now laws that require tour companies to hold tour members' funds in escrow until the tour happens, to discourage fraud.