Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

In our recent survey, we invited our audience to ask us anything, and we got 153 excellent questions in response. The queries ran the gamut from 'what's the best thing about living in Prague?' to 'how did you meet?' and 'how do you choose the books for the show?' In this mini-episode, we answer those questions and more. We give you a behind-the-scenes peek at how we decide which destinations to co...

On our show, we usually get curious about a destination somewhere in the world and take you with us on a virtual trip. In this mini-episode, we're getting curious about YOU. You're invited to participate in our audience survey to let us know what's working for (and what's not), and you can suggest a future destination or theme for the show. Plus, you could win $50 in books from your favorite indie...

Divided in two by political and religious differences, the isle of Ireland comprises two fabulously green entities: Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (a sovereign country). Lucky for us, delicious food, compelling stories, raucous pubs, and toe-tapping music know no boundaries. In this episode, we dig into the fraught history of The Troubles, introduce you to remarkable...

Every four years when presidential elections roll around, Pennsylvania is a big deal: It's a swing state with 20 electoral votes. But it's been a power player in politics since the beginning.  During the Gilded Age of the 19th century, captains of industry including Carnegie, Schwab, Rockefeller, Heinz, and Hershey inscribed their names on institutions throughout the state. (Thank you, Milton, for...

It's our Podiversary! Podcastiversary? Podcastersary? Let's just call it our 1-year Podcast Anniversary. In this mini-episode, we look back at our first two seasons, share a few interesting stats, and give you a sneak preview of what's coming in Season Three, including four of our upcoming destinations. As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Twitter  Instagram  Face...

Vietnam has mostly been defined by its tumultuous history of border scuffles, invasions, and colonialism — which does this beautiful, graceful, colorful southeast Asian country a disservice. Respect for tradition jostles up against a forward-facing attitude in Vietnam, which makes for a jumble of fascinating contrasts: the hyper-energetic urban centers of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City versus the idyl...

In this mini-episode of our show, we talk about holiday traditions from around the world that we've added to our own celebrations... Our favorite Christmas cookies! The world's friendliest nutcracker collection! The Icelandic book party called Jólabókaflóðið! Lasagna! Then we share one of our favorite poems, a celebration of the winter solstice by British poet Sarah Cooper. As always, you can foll...

In the 200 years since trains first started clattering on the rails, they dramatically changed industry and commerce — and inspired technological innovations that changed the world. But we like them because they're romantic and comfortable, allow us to interact with other travelers, and are the most fun way to get out of town. With the transcontinental railroads, far-flung destinations were connec...

Peru is South America's geographical triple-threat with beach-front desert fronting the Pacific, the Andes mountains (the second-highest range in the world), and dense Amazon rainforest. It's also astonishingly beautiful with craggy peaks, lush greenery, lakes the color of aquamarine and sapphires, and so many very (very, very) cute llamas and alpacas. It's also a mystical wonderland for travelers...

Located on the west coast of Africa, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world — and one in six Africans is Nigerian. Its megacity Lagos is the hub of commerce for the country, and it's also known for its epic nightlife, bustling street markets, influential music scene, and Nollywood, the second-largest film industry in the world (to the tune of 1500 movies per year). Most countrie...

Iran (formerly known as Persia) is the second-largest country in the Middle East, and its culture reaches back through the millennia. About 2500 years ago, the Persian Empire stretched from Greece to India, and its impact is still felt in the world today. Persia was the world's first superpower. Its leader Cyrus the Great allowed kings to continue to rule the areas he conquered, earning him the mo...

It's no surprise that most Halloween stories delve into the dark corners and shadows of life. That premise is in the very name of the holiday. Originally known as All Hallows' Eve, it's celebrated just before All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day — two holidays meant to honor the dead. For thousands of years, people all over the world have remembered the lost with candles, rituals, costumes, and reve...

Head south to Australia and take a sharp turn east to arrive in New Zealand. It's a landscape both magical and majestic, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Tasman Sea and southwestern Pacific. New Zealand is a fairly new country: the first people to arrive were ancestors of the Māori, between 1200 and 1300. It took another 300 years for European explorers to show up. Modern NZ balances its...

The library is a sacred and celebratory place, filled with objects, yes — but inside those objects are imagination and possibility, heartbreak and triumph, silliness and seriousness and the whole range of human emotion and the entire history of science and art and philosophy... so far. In this episode, we discuss some of the highlights and larger-than-life personalities of library history, then re...

Alaska is the 49th and largest state in the union. It was derided as Seward's Folly when the US Secretary of State bought the territory from Russia in 1867. But the joke was on critics: Decades later, both gold and oil were discovered in Alaska's pristine wilderness. The call of adventure was too much for pioneering Americans to resist. When they arrived, they met the original hardy inhabitants: n...

When you daydream about Paris, whatever sparkling, romantic images you conjure are probably not too far off the mark. It is, after all, know as the City of Lights and the City of Love. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from almost everywhere and is a constant reminder that you are in Paris). The streets are lined with cafés, the tables and chairs arranged so you can sit next to your companions and look...

In this mini-episode, we answer a variety of questions, including how we choose the books for our show, whether or not we really love everything we recommend, how we met, previous jobs, and other behind-the-scenes info. As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Twitter  Instagram  Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this mini-episode, we share some of the results from our end-of-Season-1 audience survey, preview some of the changes we're making to the show, and announce the first four destinations for Season 2. We also discuss a few of the books we've read lately.  Books mentioned in this episode: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - https://bit.ly/2NWWUfF 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith - http...

There is no Strong Sense of Place without you, and now we're curious about what's on your mind. Where shall we go next? What can we do better? We've put together a short survey so you can tell us just what you think. Bonus! If you provide your email address at the end of the survey, you'll be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card to the independent bookstore of your choice. Express yourself _an...

Feats of derring-do! Amazing acrobats! Clowns both ridiculous and poignant! Majestic animals from around the world! For centuries, the circus has transported audiences to an enthralling in-between place: a version of our world where gravity seems to disappear and everything sparkles with glitter. In this episode, we go behind the greasepaint and red velvet curtains to get curious about the circus....

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with sparkling beaches, lush jungles, and mountainous forests populated by animals found nowhere else on earth. It's a beautiful place with a tough history: colonization, liberation, independence, revolution, and finally, communism. But the island itself is colorful and welcoming. The capital city of Havana is a candy-colored dreamscape of pastel buildi...

We're usually all about curiosity and fun facts and armchair travel and great books on our podcast. But in this mini-episode, we take a few minutes to talk about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and give you a brief update on how things are in our home. We're both healthy, although a bit sadder than usual. We're extending all our empathy to you and yours — and hoping with our whole hearts th...

As of April 2020, Sweden is the seventh-happiest country in the world. And it's no wonder! Its residents enjoy one of the highest standards of living on the planet with low unemployment, one of the world's longest life expectancies (80.6 for men; 84.1 for women), a commitment to caring for the environment, and a strong sense of community. Ninety-one percent of Swedes agreed that they know 'someone...

Today, we armchair travel to the Windy City for a deep-dive into what makes Chicago different from every other city in America. We break the rules a little bit and discuss six books we love that explore Chicago's culture, food, and history of rabble-rousers and heroes. Chicago is a representation of everything that makes the United States the awesome and challenging country that it is. There's a t...

Russia is the largest country in the world. And its culture is dominated by larger-than-life historical figures, giants of literature, and sweeping landscapes. Both intentionally and inadvertently, Russia has had a massive impact on the rest of the world. For centuries, the capital city of Moscow and former capital of St. Petersburg (a.k.a., Leningrad) have been fodder for stories of entitled tsar...