Travel with Rick Steves

Italians have always believed in eating locally and in season. Italian food expert Fred Plotkin joins us on this week's Travel with Rick Steves to help us travel with an informed palate to savor the variety of regional Italian cuisine specialties. We'll learn where to look for great Italian food on a budget, and some of the local traditions Italians have for what and when they eat and drink. Join us for a gastronomic pilgrimage with the author of "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler" on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Lord Alderdice, one of the key political figures who helped resolve Northern Ireland's long-standing "troubles" between its Catholic and Protestant citizens, joins Rick as a special guest to discuss the tensions facing the United States and its allies. The Belfast native provides a look at the personal reasons fueling political conflict and provoking terrorist acts and shares his approach to overcoming terrorism and designing road maps for peace. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two American travelers reveal the hidden sub-cultures in the Muslim World of the Middle East and North Africa. Looking behind the veil, our guests are an American Muslim who spent a year on her own getting acquainted with the region and a gay travel writer who was surprised by what he encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you like the people and rhythm of Italy you'll love Sicily. Tour guide Alfio di Mauro offers insider tips on getting the most out of a vacation to the frenzied-yet-laid-back island. Also, German tour guide Christoph Dressler tempts Rick with ideas for visiting Germany's Black Forest region, including mineral spas and power hikes. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Filled with a proud Imperial history, friendly formality, hundreds of hot springs, and some of Europe's spicier home cooking, Hungary is a cultural goulash. Rick explores options for getting beyond the busy capital of Budapest into the heart of Hungary's countryside. Tour guide Peter Polczman takes travelers' calls highlighting the scenic Danube Bend, Lake Balaton, and the proud winemaking town of Eger, famous for its strong "bull's blood" wine. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Caught in the cultural crosshairs of Europe, Bulgaria is emerging as one of Eastern Europe's bargains. Travelers to Bulgaris can expect Ancient Byzantine and Ottoman influences and experience Mummers and midwives keeping traditions dating back to the ancient Thracians and Romans times alive. Rick also takes a house call from the travel doctor, who offers preventive advice for the long plane ride overseas and visiting the third world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Art history specialist, co-author of "Europe 101" and original "Europe Through the Gutter" travel partner Gene Openshaw joins Rick to inspire us with a close-up view of masterpieces including paintings, sculptures and architecture travelers can't afford to miss in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Home of rasta and reggae, the small island of Jamaica offers big personality, a distinctive accent, waterfall zip lines, and snorkeling with dolphins. Thanks to all this and more, Jamaica is one of the most popular getaways in the Caribbean. And, for something completely different, the Middle Eastern kingdom of Jordan delights travelers with desert excursions, modern resorts on the Red Sea, anciet cities and more. From Petra to Bedouin, tourists to Jordan are in for a treat. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Salman Rushdie joins Rick to discuss how to confront the cultural clash between East and West and explain the motivation for his latest novel, "The Enchantress of Florence," which revolves around the earliest contacts between Europeans and 16th century moghul India. Later, sailing expert Anthony Sandberg recommends how to experience the eastern Mediterranean, much like the ancients did -- by island-hopping with a boat. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Whether you make it your home base for a few days, or for good, Provence charms any traveler hoping to expeirence traditional French countryside. Two France experts join Rick to take listener calls and unveil what makes Provence such a distinctive region, and why it's so popular among American and European visitors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.