Travel with Rick Steves

Celebrate Earth Day by considering the ways you can address climate change at home, with practical advice from a scientist who's seen its effects around the world. Then hear from a culinary historian about the crops, farm animals, and agricultural traditions that we risk losing in America. And mark Shakespeare's birthday by learning how his works have played a key role in shaping Africa's newest nation and by getting tips for enjoying a visit to his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We admire the seafaring prowess of the Polynesians and hear how a cultural faux pas led to Captain James Cook's fateful encounter with 18th-century Hawaiians. Then tour guides from Athens and Thessaloniki recommend attractions to visit in northern Greece, and The New Yorker’s "Comma Queen," Mary Norris, explains what an appreciation for Greek language and mythology can add to your own Greek odyssey. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We learn some surprisingly useful Italian phrases from one of Italy's most popular newspaper columnists, then consider why certain places have fostered more than their share of world-changing innovations, and hear about Timbuktu's history as an important center for scholarship. Plus, we find out about the thrill of dropping in on a choir practice in small-town Wales. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A nature filmmaker and self-proclaimed "umbraphile" shares tips for viewing the next total solar eclipse, when the moon will cast its otherworldly shadow on a narrow band across North America on April 8 — and explains why he thinks it’s worth a trek to the totality zone. Then the "Paddle Pilgrim" returns to tell us about the unexpected challenges along his month-long Southeast Asian adventure kayaking down the Mekong River, where he was forced to learn to "linger with the lotus." And Cecily Wong from Atlas Obscura describes some of the strangest potions and fermented foods concocted before the era of refrigeration. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Explore quirky Oslo customs, remote US spots, and healing herbs worldwide. Learn about Norwegian greetings, uninhabited American landscapes, and the allure of herbal medicine. Discover the benefits of forest bathing, community bonding through herbs, and the herbal traditions of Peru and Greece.

In this all-Irish hour, tour guides describe some of the intriguing sights you'd encounter on a walking tour of Dublin and explain why the rugged Aran Islands, off Ireland's west coast, are such an exciting place to explore Irish traditions. And author Timothy Egan delves into the legacy of 19th-century America's most famous Irish immigrant. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Discover the historical treasures of Ireland, Michelangelo's midlife struggles, and New York City's endangered languages. From ancient artifacts in Dublin to the sculptor's art journey, and efforts to preserve diverse linguistic heritage in urban environments, this podcast covers a wide range of captivating topics.

A historian describes how eastern European countries have modernized since the Cold War and examines the kinds of challenges they face today. And an American-born artist and creative writing teacher shares the joy she feels in being "Welsh by choice." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get ideas and tips from TV host Samantha Brown for finding little corners of Europe in the New World, then hear an author's dramatic firsthand account of a near catastrophe on a cruise ship caught powerless in a freak winter storm off the coast of Norway. And a tour guide takes us to the wild, windy, and wonder-inspiring backcountry of Iceland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear what it's like to live on one of the windswept Orkney Islands off the northern tip of Scotland, where people have lived since before recorded history. Then learn how redesigned traffic patterns in Europe have had a positive impact on quality of life — and get ideas for making your own city a more enjoyable place to be outdoors. Plus, a historian examines the underappreciated role of nomadic societies and their struggles in the modern world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.