City Breaks

A visit to the splendid palace just outside Paris which made Louis the Fourteenth the envy of monarchs all over Europe, yet whose very grandeur helped sow the seeds for revolution among his own people just a few generations later. A little history, some insights into the personality of a man who thought himself so deserving of pomp and extravagance and some pointers on what to look out for on a vi...

The fire which almost engulfed Notre Dame reminded Parisians and the world in general how precious the city's cathedral is and this episode will explain why, touching both on significant historical events which have taken place there and what to see when you visit. But before that, an introduction to Paris' other, slightly older, cathedral, the Basilique St Denis. It's less visited, being a little...

Surely every tour of Paris should start in the heart of the city, on the two islands which were where the very first settlers made their home, the Île St Louis and the Île de la Cité. We visit the city's oldest buildings, the Conciergerie and the beautiful Sainte Chapelle Church, linger a little on the Pont Neuf (actually the city's oldest bridge) and, finally, hear the poignant tale of Paris' bes...

So often top of the polls when people are asked what city they would most like to visit, Paris barely needs an introduction! But here is an overview of the city, geographically, historically and culturally, to whet your appetite for the remaining 21 episodes when we will tour all the main sites, telling you the stories behind them and introducing a wealth of colourful personalities who have influe...

Hear stories about some of Seville's best known fictional characters. We start with Cervantes' low-life tricksters Rinconete and Cortadillo, operating in 16th century Seville. Then there’s Carmen, the fictional character originally created by Prosper Merimee, whose dramatic story so captured the imagination of 19th century readers that they thought she was real and came to Seville to meet her. And...

First, some short quotations including one from Lord Byron, who famously praised the city for its ‘oranges and women’ and another from Jan Morris who wrote more poetically of the air which was ‘heavy with jasmine and orange blossom’. Then, time is devoted to writers of longer accounts. Enjoy hearing, for example, about Richard Ford’s ‘Handbook for Travellers in Spain’, written in the 1830s, Laurie...

A Spanish proverb says that he whom the gods favour will eat in Seville. (‘A quien Dios quiere bien, en Sevilla le da a comer’) This episode offers an overview of Andalucian food, from staples like olives and fish, to the delicious and seemingly endless array of little treats known as tapas. Hear about Arabic influences, sherry production and much more and savour the experiences of a number of tra...

Many of Seville’s art treasures date from the ‘Siglo de Oro’, the ‘golden century’ when the city grew rich on its role as the hub of New World exploration. First, we visit the Hospital de la Caridad and the Hospital de los Venerables where there are works by acclaimed painters like Murillo and Zurbaran. After short biographies of three famous painters with very Sevillian roots, it’s off to the Mus...

Flamenco originated in Andalucia and has a long tradition in Seville. Find out about its roots in gypsy culture and about all the aspects which combine to make this colourful, dramatic art-form so unique: music, song, rhythm, dance, gesture and costume. Hear about the Museo del Baile Flamenco, Seville’s flamenco museum with its informative displays and concerts and discover how various travel-writ...

Bullfighting is an integral part of Sevillian culture, whether you are for or against it. We look at the arguments on both sides, then learn a little history and some basic facts about bullfighting today. We also visit the Seville bullring – the oldest in Spain – and its museum and hear from travel writers, novelists and poets what they thought about it all. https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk

We cross the river Guadalquivir to the ‘other’ side, the former working class district of Triana, which has always been a little set apart from the rest of the the city. It wasn’t until the mid nineteenth century that a stable bridge was built to link Triana and Seville! Hear about its Moorish and gypsy roots, its links to Christopher Columbus and its critical role in Seville’s world-famous cerami...

An episode about just wandering round Seville for the pleasure of it! Hear about the art-deco charm of the Maria Luisa Park, with its delightful tree-lined avenues, fountains and statues and the splendid Plaza de Espana, built to showcase Spanish culture in 1929 and today a place to enjoy ice creams and boating. Then discover three of Seville’s palaces, the Casa de Pilates, the Palacio de las Duen...

For two weeks every spring, it seems as if the world has come to Seville and this episode explains why. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, sees sombre processions by 50 different 'brotherhoods' to re-enact the events from the last week of Christ's life, the culmination of months of preparation and weeks of rehearsals. In late April, it’s party-time at Seville's six-day long 'Feria de Abril', thought to b...

1492, the year Columbus sailed the ocean blue, marked the beginning of the golden age for Seville, which had the monopoly on trade between Spain and the New World and became Europe's 16th century boomtown. The episode re-tells the story, then highlights 3 places to visit in today's Seville which have much to tell you about the city's role in the discovery of new lands and about the sailors who fir...

Seville's cathedral was built on the site of the mosque when the Christians re-conquered the city, so parts of it – the Giralda, the Patio de los Naranjos and the arched gateway - date from the Islamic era. After choosing just a tiny proportion of the cathedral's treasures to highlight, we head off to the nearby area of Santa Cruz, home to Seville's Jewish community before they fled Spain during t...

The Alcazar is the heart of moorish Seville, perhaps the most beautiful building in the city, although there's strong competition. It captivated later Christian kings like Ferdinand of Castille who moved in and determined to 'die under its roof'. Meet other inhabitants like Pedro the Cruel, who so admired Islamic designs that he borrowed builders from his friend the Emir of Granada and Ferdinand a...

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Episode 01 of City Breaks Seville, which will give you an overview of the city, historically, geographically and culturally and an idea of the material to be covered in the remaining 12 episodes. We hope you will enjoy this series, and maybe feel inspired to plan a visit to lovely Seville. Or perhaps you have already been and will enjoy reminiscing. Either way, we hope you...

Gastronomy is a definite highlight of a visit to Toulouse and not just because it's the home of cassoulet. Of course we'll look at the legends behind that warming dish and get as far as we can on what might be in the highly secret recipe, but we mustn't neglect Toulouse sausages, the great duck versus goose debate, the many uses of violet as a flavouring or such sweet treats as the apricot-and-alm...

Two ideas for easy excursions from Toulouse. First, the medieval citadel of Carcassonne, silhouetted against the skyline on a million postcards, whose romantic exterior belies an often gruesome history. And secondly, the equally beautiful city of Albi which boasts not just a unique medieval heritage, and a gorgeous gothic cathedral, but also the Musée Toulouse Lautrec. Here you can learn about the...

What more idyllic escape from city-centre Toulouse than to potter up the Canal du Midi on foot, by bike or – best of all – in a boat? Hear how ‘Europe’s biggest public works project since the fall of the Roman Empire’ came to be opened in 1681, and find out what there is to see along its banks, just day-out distance from Toulouse. Enjoy the reminiscences of writers who describe sailing down it as...

We start with a tour of some of the 'hotels particuliers' which are such a feature of Toulouse architecture, finding out what kind of houses the city's elite built themselves once money and political power had come their way. Then we visit a variety of art galleries, large and tiny, to discover the wonderful range of goodies on offer, from Roman remains to cutting edge photography, taking in plent...

The story of Toulouse's museums tells us what has been most important in shaping the city. We visit 9 institutions, starting with Terre de Pastel, where you can discover how woad brought fabulous wealth to 15th century Toulouse and ending at La Cité de l'Espace which celebrates the city's massive contribution to space travel. Along the way you'll hear how a love-stuck Genoese soldier brought the f...

The fascinating ‘Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation is tucked away near the Jardin des Plantes. Its detailed displays of documents, photographs and memorabilia pay tribute to the bravery of the many Résistants who did all they could to work against the German occupation of the city from 1942-44. It also bears witness to the terrible fate of many of the city’s Jews, deported from Toulouse...

The elegant pink façade of the Capitol, Toulouse’s town hall, which overlooks the magnificent Place du Capitole, is the city’s best-known symbol. Hear about some of its key historical moments, including executions to prove a point and the slaughter of one religious group by another. Then find out what to look out for on a visit, including paintings recalling Toulouse’s great moments, such as a vis...

First, a tour of the main churches in Toulouse. The Basilique St Sernin was founded after the Bishop of Toulouse was martyred by being dragged through the streets tied to a bull. The Couvent des Jacobins is a one-time centre of the Inquisition against heretics and also the burial site of a saint who never visited the city. Find out too about the Cathars whose pious, very particular, take on Christ...