Places I Remember with Lea Lane

Send us Fan Mail On this episode you'll find out about dozens of surprising things to enjoy on a trip to The Netherlands (and why it's often called "Holland").  Renske Green-Lute is a self-described "Dutch fanatic" who lives near Amsterdam. She shares inside info all about this mostly flat little European country: a fun mix of historic past, delightful present, and su...

Send us Fan Mail Bruce McAlpine and his sister Rhona Paterson grew up near Edinburgh. They share their love of Scotland with Lea, and they cover cities, countryside, islands and all things Scottish. After describing Scotland geographically,  we start by talking of the Scottish character, and go on to the delights of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scottish foods, Scotch whiskey, the Highlands (is there really...

Send us Fan Mail At Places I Remember we love stories of memorable people and places, and this episode certainly offers that. After a life  of international travel; work including opera performer, chef and arts director; raising a family; divorcing and recovering from alcoholism, Sandra Smith was a ready for a sea change. Literally. At 43, Sandra moved from Philadelphia to the California coast, bo...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrating the First Anniversary of Places I Remember with Lea Lane calls for something special, and so the tables are turned as Lea's sons, Randall Lane and Cary Lane, interview her. They first all share fun and funny tales of family travels together in London, Iceland, Italy and Scandinavia, skiing,  and more. And then the guys ask Lea cool questions about travel, the podc...

Send us Fan Mail Travel writer/musician authors J osephine Matyas and Craig Jones share stories and experiences from their book about music, travel and the black experience in the heart of the South. Major Delta destinations include Clarksdale, Tunica, Greenville, Dockery Farm, Greenwood and Tupelo, in Mississippi; and Memphis, Tennessee. Museums, homesteads, gravesites, juke joints, frolicking ho...

Send us Fan Mail Jayme Simoes, a renowned travel consultant for Portugal,  knows all about this tremendously popular country, and gives us loads of inside info. We go over what makes Portugal so special, starting in Lisbon,   and going on to the Portuguese Riviera on the Atlantic just outside the city.  We also discuss the special regions such as the Aletejo, the Algarve, and Portugal's great...

Send us Fan Mail In a truly special 50th episode of Places I Remember, Holocaust survivor Allan Hall tells his frightening, harrowing story as a child caught up in horror. We follow Allan and his parents from their comfortable life in Krakow, Poland, out-manuevering the Nazis in Lvov and Warsaw, and hiding in plain sight throughout the war.  Lea  prefaces his story with a few sites, memorials, and...

Send us Fan Mail What a fabulous 2021 it's been for Places I Remember!  We've talked with fascinating travelers. We've won awards, and are now heard in 2,000 cities and 101 countries. To celebrate,  we're gifting you with a sampling of our favorite tales, stories and memories , so generously offered this past year.  Here goes: Heidi Sarna , author of Secret Singapore , tells of...

Send us Fan Mail Pattie Ehsaei (TikTok: “duchessofdecorum” ) , l eads a delightful and informative discussion about unusual and entertaining customs around the world, with lots of giggles along with fascinating facts. After an intro about customs of the world by Lea, she and Pattie alternate in discussing customs in France, Italy, Nicaragua, Malaysia, Kuwait, Scotland, Greece, Germany, Indonesia,...

Send us Fan Mail We start with memories of vineyards and wineries around the world , including in Europe, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. And then Lea and guest Karen Misuraca talk i n more detail about Napa and Sonoma counties , wine regions in Northern California, outside San Francisco.  We first discuss some differences, and then focus on what to see and do in N...

Send us Fan Mail Iran is one of the great destinations of the world , but many travelers are hesitant to go. After listening to Pattie Ehsaei, born and raised in Iran , you'll want to, soon. She describes her birth-country's beauty, history and culture in cities including Tehran, Esfahan, Persepolis and Shiraz. She tells of castles, mosques, ziggurats, lagoons, islands, beaches, scenic m...

Send us Fan Mail Paul Melhus CEO of Tours By Locals , started his  company to make a difference to both tourists and guides. We start by talking of regenerative travel , and what it is. Paul tells us about how his company, follows this new trend for responsible, sustainable travel, and how it started at the Great Wall of China.  We then talk of over-traveled areas, under-traveled areas, slow trave...

Send us Fan Mail Heidi Sarna is co-founder with Ted Scull of quirkycruise.com . She focuses on small ship cruises of under 300 people -- on lakes, rivers, and oceans around the world. We discuss all aspects of small vessels, and by the end of the episode you'll get an idea if this special, more intimate kind of cruising is for you. Heidi tells why she started quirkycruise.com. She defines &qu...

Send us Fan Mail Winter can be cold, and Lea prefers warmth, but the lights, markets, and festivals of the winter months create warm, beautiful (sometimes weird) experiences, terrific travel opportunities to understand the variety of customs and cultures around the world. Lea reflects on pleasures of winter. She talks of lights and fireworks and remembers festivities in places she has lived, inclu...

Send us Fan Mail Deeanne Burch is a deceptively gentle woman, but super strong when she needs to be. In her travel memoir, Journey Through Fire and Ice: Shattered Dreams Above the Arctic Circle she recounts life in a remote Inuit village. She tells it like it is -- and it gets scary. But she prevails. We begin with her comfortable early life in Canada centering on Toronto and the lake nearby, and...

Send us Fan Mail What's it like to live in Beverly Hills ? Julie Wagner, CEO of The Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau gives us the inside scoop -- not just the stars' homes and Rodeo Drive, but  the arts, green space, and surprises of this glam Southern California destination. We start with what makes Beverly Hills, so magical, including a discussion of its history and geograp...

Send us Fan Mail Donna Sandstrom is passionate about whales. She is founder of The Whale Trail, and author of Orca Rescue! The True Story of an Orphaned Orca Named Springer.  She and Lea share a fascinating discussion of whales, and other cetaceans, including orcas and porpoises. And also, best places to see them around the world. After talking about The Whale Trail, we talk of what makes whales s...

Send us Fan Mail Heidi Sarna, author of Secret Singapore , is an expat living with her family on that island-nation for 15 years. Lea introduces facts about Singapore, and then Heid i tells its secrets, including seawalls, shophouses,  rail lines, mansions and shrines. We talk cruising and of exceptional Changi airport with its offerings, and 'Gardens By The Bay.' We discuss if safety in...

Send us Fan Mail Jean Chatzky knows how to save you money. A frequent guest on Oprah's show, a columnist for AARP, and 'Today'  financial expert at NBC for 25 years, she's helped millions make the most of their budget. And that applies to traveling, as well. Jean offers us tips and then gets personal about some of her favorite travels, from childhood to now. We start the episod...

Send us Fan Mail David Downie lives on the Italian Riviera -- the Ligurian Coast -- the area of Genoa, Cinque Terre, Rapallo, Portofino and other appealing towns. And lucky for us, he writes about them, both non-fiction and fiction. His latest thriller, Red Riviera, is set in and around Rapallo, and offers excitement and thrills as well as a gorgeous setting. We talk of why David moved to this are...

Send us Fan Mail Patrice Henry , with The Korea Tourism Organization, shares her travel experiences and memories of Korea with Lea. They talk a bit about the geography and history of the Korean peninsula, and then go on to the wonders of Seoul and of the areas outside the capital, including Busan and several of the islands, including national parks. We go on to discuss the Demilitarized Zone   bet...

Send us Fan Mail Canadian expat Geraint Isitt has lived in the Middle East for 14 years, most of them in Dubai , the modern metropolis in the United Arab Emirates. We talk of the history of Dubai, and Lea remembers when she first visited in the 1980s, when it was a small desert town. Safety, expenses, heat, geography, outdoor activities, and lodgings from the opulent seven-star Burj Al Arab, to mo...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Demo , a former U.S. Marine helicopter mechanic and now a Master RV Technician, has taken to the RV life -- full time -- along with his wife and daughter. They have spent years traveling from one coast of America to the other in their recreational vehicle. He tells us what to consider before buying or renting, types of vehicles, expenses,  health and safety, which vehicles a...

Send us Fan Mail Jason Flesher,  Expedition Team Leader on the discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse, shares all about Antarctica, from the elements to the explorers to experiencing the wonders of the icy continent. -- Jason tells  how he became an expedition leader, and choosing the best ships to go to Antarctica. He gives us overviews of land and underwater, and talks about camping and budgeting. -- Le...

Send us Fan Mail CEO Larry Korman, a frequent California Highway One traveler, and Lea, who drove it on her honeymoon and many times since, take us along the Pacific Coastal Highway from Mendocino to Malibu , with stops along the way:  realities like washouts, and the frequent pleasures of this spectacular drive, going north to south. -- We cover Mendocino with its glass beach; Bodega Bay where Hi...