italy

A cruise down "main street."  
     Venice — a city built on an island and laced with canals — is best seen by boat. So take a nautical joyride, down the Grand Canal as it snakes through the heart of Venice, and see what makes this city so unique. On this 45-minute trip by public vaporetto — from the train station to St. Mark's Square — we'll pass by once-grand, now fading palaces from Venice's glory days. We'll sail under bridges, including the famous arch of the Rialto Bridge, and see churches with soaring domes and markets with stinky squid. We'll share the road with the everyday working boats that keep this island city going. Most of all, we'll get a first-hand, sea-level view of the greatest sight in all of Venice — the city itself. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.
     Sightseeing nitty gritty: "Admission" to the Grand Canal costs €6.50 for a 60-minute vaporetto ticket. Before buying that ticket, consider whether a boat pass might be more economical. Some enjoy taking this tour twice, once in either direction, to get the most out of it. You'll enjoy the best light and the fewest crowds by riding late in the day. Sunset bathes the buildings in gold. After dark, chandeliers light up building interiors. "Rush hour" in the direction of this tour (heading toward San Marco) is morning, when local workers and tourists staying on the mainland commute into town. In the evening, the crowds head home and you'll find boats going toward San Marco relatively empty. Boats run every 10 minutes. When catching your boat, confirm that you're on a "San Marco via Rialto" boat (some boats finish at the Rialto Bridge). The front of the boat (in the open air) gives the best views for this tour.
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. Updated in 2023. Originally excerpted from Rick Steves' Venice 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Venice: Grand Canal Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Two tour guides to Rome join Rick to discuss the history and artistry of the greatest church in Christendom. For more info on traveling in Europe, see www.ricksteves.com.

Visiting St. Peter's Basilica - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Ancient domed temple.
     If your imagination is fried from trying to reconstruct ancient buildings out of today's rubble, visit the Pantheon, Rome's best-preserved monument. This domed temple, more than any other building, gives us a feel for the magnificence and grandeur of Rome at its peak. Engineers still admire how the Romans built such a mathematically precise structure without computers, fossil fuel-run machinery, or electricity. On this half-hour visit, we'll marvel at the magnificent dome, learn how it was built, see where Romans paid homage to their pagan gods, and visit the tombs of some famous people buried here. Finally, we'll stand under the Pantheon's solemn dome and gain a new appreciation for the enlightenment of these ancient people. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: Admission is free. The Pantheon is open Mon–Sat 8:30–19:30, Sun 9:00–18:00, holidays 9:00–13:00, closed for Mass Sat at 17:00 and Sun at 10:30. To reach the Pantheon neighborhood, you can walk (20 minutes from Capitol Hill or 5 minutes from Piazza Navona), or take a taxi or bus (e.g. #64 and #40) to the square called Largo Argentina located a few blocks south of the Pantheon. Photos allowed, even with flash. The nearest WCs are at neighborhood cafes, including downstairs in the McDonald's on the Pantheon's square.
     The Pantheon neighborhood is well worth exploring, with historic churches, restaurants, Piazza Navona, and not far from the Trevi Fountain. The area is especially atmospheric at night.
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Pantheon Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Michelangelo's frescoes.
     The Sistine Chapel is the personal chapel of the pope and the place where new popes are elected. But its claim to fame is its paint job: colorful frescoes by Michelangelo, depicting the entire Christian history from the Creation to the Last Judgment. We'll start with Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling, painted in his younger days. We'll end with the work he completed nearly three decades later on the altar wall — the Last Judgment. These works are huge, and we'll talk about the monumental task of plastering and painting they entailed. On this 30-minute visit, we'll stand under dramatic episodes from the Bible, including one of the most iconic images of Western art — the touching fingers of the Creation of Man. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: The Sistine Chapel is part of a visit to the sprawling Vatican Museum, which has erratic hours (observing Christian holidays), a dress code (basically no shorts or bare shoulders), and can have very long lines to get in. Get my guidebook and plan ahead, and check the latest information at www.vatican.va or tel. 06-6988-3860 or 06-6988-1662.
     Normal hours are Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00, last entry at 16:00. The cost is €14, except on the last Sun of each month when it's free. Avoid lines with an online reservation at http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va, €4 booking fee. The always-crowded museum is most crowded mornings, Sat-Mon, rainy days, and any day before or after a holiday closure. The nearest Metro stops are Cipro and Ottaviano. Taxis are reasonable (hop in and say, "moo-ZAY-ee vah-tee-KAH-nee"). No photos are allowed in the Sistine Chapel. Elsewhere in the museum, photos without a flash are permitted.
     The Sistine Chapel is located at the far end of the museum. Signs everywhere direct you to it. Either sightsee your way to the Sistine, or go directly there while you're still fresh. The rest of the Vatican Museum is a virtual catalog of world history, featuring Egyptian mummies, Greek statues, Roman sarcophagi, Raphael frescoes, and the magnificent palace they're housed in.
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Sistine Chapel Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Colossal gladiator arena.
     When we think of ancient Rome, we think of Caesars, gladiators, lions and Christians, thumbs-up, thumbs-down....and of the Colosseum, Rome's most enduring monument. As we tour the Colosseum inside and out, we'll stand where the emperors did, and catch the view from the nose-bleed seats. We'll talk about how this massive structure was built, and explore some of the Colosseum's surrounding. We'll also get a peek backstage at the gladiator games, where trained warriors squared off "mano y mano" in a battle to the death. Allow about an hour to see the Colosseum and experience the grandeur that was Rome. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: There are often long lines to buy tickets to the Colosseum, so consult my guidebook about how to maximize your sightseeing time. The Colosseum's cost of €12 is part of a combo-ticket that also includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. It's also covered by the Roma Pass. Hours: The Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill are all open daily 8:30 until one hour before sunset: April–Sept until 19:15, Oct until 18:30, off-season closes as early as 16:30; last entry one hour before closing. Tel. 06-3996-7700. The Colosseo Metro stop on line B is just across the street from the monument. 
     Avoid ticket-buying lines by buying your combo-ticket at the less-crowded Palatine Hill entrance on Via di San Gregorio (facing the Forum, with Colosseum at your back, go left down the street). Or buy and print your combo-ticket online (€1.50 booking fee, www.ticketclic.it, same-day only). Or buy a Roma Sightseeing Pass (€23) at the "tabacchi" shop in the Colosseo Metro station, at the entrance to Palatine Hill, or at the entrance to the Roman Forum. Around the Colosseum, be on guard for pickpockets and the goofy gladiators who pose for pictures, then aggressively demand money. Tiny, crowded WCs are inside; the better, bigger, and cleaner WC is behind the Colosseum (facing ticket entrance, go right; WC is under stairway).
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Colosseum Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Art history expert William Wallace joins Rick to discuss the early influences Michelangelo had in his hometown of Florence, and what you can still see of it today. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Michelangelo in Florence - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

World-class ancient art.  
     Trace the evolution of Greek statues, vases and paintings, from their roots to the flowering of the Golden Age and beyond. It's all beautifully displayed and in air-conditioned comfort.
    Starring: Prehistoric Barbie dolls, the golden Mask of Agamemnon, and the perfectly posed Artemision Bronze.
    Practicalities: €7. Open May–Sept Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, Mon 13:30–20:00; Oct–April Tue–Sun 8:30–15:00, Mon 13:30–19:30. Photos okay without flash. Located at 44 Patission Street. Tel. 210-821-7717, www.namuseum.gr.
    More info: Excerpted from the book "Rick Steves' Greece," www. ricksteves.com

Athens: National Archaeological Museum Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Greece

Daniel Kahneman is the world’s most influential psychologist because he has, based on empirical research, figured out how we can notice when we are not thinking rationally.  That knowledge gives us the choice to think “slow”---ignore brisk intuition and notional risks---when we decide we really need to get something right.

His book, "Thinking, Fast and Slow", is an international best-seller in part because the reader (or listener of his lecture) is invited to make cognitive experiments while reading (or listening).  You catch your mind in the act of opting for illusion.  To engage Kahneman’s work is to experience a delightful carnival ride of one “Busted!” after another.  Your own brain becomes a co-instructor in how to use it better.

Kahneman received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 02002 for his work (with Amos Tversky) in “prospect theory” that founded the new discipline of behavioral economics.

"Thinking Fast and Slow" was given on August 13, 02013 as part of Long Now's Seminar series. The series was started in 02003 to build a compelling body of ideas about long-term thinking from some of the world's leading thinkers. The Seminars take place in San Francisco and are curated and hosted by Stewart Brand. To follow the talks, you can:

Subscribe to our podcasts: http://longnow.org/seminars/podcast
Explore the full series: http://longnow.org/seminars
More ideas on long-term thinking: http://blog.longnow.org

The Long Now Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to fostering long-term thinking and responsibility. Our projects include a 10,000 Year Clock, endangered language preservation, thousand year+ data storage, and Long Bets, an arena for accountable predictions. 

Become a Long Now member to support this series, join our community, and connect with our ongoing work to explore and deepen long-term thinking: http://longnow.org/membership

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Seminars About Long-term Thinking

Support this Series

Daniel Kahneman - Thinking Fast and Slow

Italy tour guide and art historian, Anna Piperato, describes the Renaissance treasures from 15th-century Florence.

Renaissance Florence

Amphibian love songs and soundscapes (RIAFC090)
1. Night Sounds/Frogs from Myanmar (Burma) Ambient – Jesse Paul Miller
https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/album/myanmar-burma-ambient
2. Frogs Calling for Rain (Mae Hong Son, Thailand)  – Fred Gales (Sound Reporters)
https://soundreporters.bandcamp.com/
https://www.concertzender.nl/programma/de_klankbron_656300/
3. Frog Tannoy - Roi Et, Thailand - April 2008 – Jesse Paul Miller
https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/music
4. Kodok Solok - Frogs and bugs in Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia (Aural Archipelago)
https://www.auralarchipelago.com/
5. Kiromboi from Sawaku: Music Of Sarawak (PAN Records – PAN 2067CD) and Night Lotus Pool from Night Recordings From Bali (Sublime Frequencies)
http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/products/576931-night-recordings-from-bali
6. Night Paddy Orchestra -  Kutuh, Bali from Bali - Night Nature  – Jesse Paul Miller
https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/album/bali-night-nature
7. Nyamwezy drummers (Intoxicating rhythms for the Monster of the Lake) and looped excerpt from Samia Bugwe. Musical Gems From Lake Victoria. Rec’d by David Fanshawe (Sapra Ltd. – CMIL 102). 
https://music-republic-world-traditional.blogspot.com/2020/07/kenya-tanzania-uganda-musical-gems-from.html
8. Palenque - Frogs 4 - Recd by Felix Hess (Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico)
https://basicfunction-releases.bandcamp.com/
9. Túngara frog synthesizer at night (Gamboa, Panama) - Phillip Hermans
https://www.dinacon.org/2019/09/11/laser-tungara-frog-synth/
10. Le Chaco (Paraguay) - Indiens et Animaux Sauvages d'Amérique du Sud. Rec’d by Richard Chapelle (Unidisc – UD 30 1293, 1977)
https://music-republic-world-traditional.blogspot.com/2017/12/brazil-paraguay-indiens-et-animaux.html
11. Night frogs from Villa Giardino Córdoba – Pablo Picco
https://bardotodolmonofonia.bandcamp.com/album/ambiente-w-rks-2012-2021
12. Kaw Mountain, Post-explosive Breeding (French Guiana) – Marc Namblard
https://www.gruenrekorder.de/?page_id=16085
13. Night frogs, La Sabana, Venezuela - David Toop (1978)
https://room40.bandcamp.com/track/night-frogs-la-sabana-venezuela-1978
14. Morning Chorus Above and Below a Creek in the Kroombit Mountains - Jeremy Hegge (Queensland, Australia, 2016)
https://soundcloud.com/jeremyhegge
15. 5.10 AM Banjo Frog (Pobble Bonk), BG Frogs (Crinnia Sp.), Raven (Australia) – Dawn Chorus: Early Morning Music of the Bush – John N. Hutchinson 
https://www.discogs.com/release/6288767-John-N-Hutchinson-Dawn-Chorus
16. Unknown didgeridoo performance recorded off the radio and an excerpt from the Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. 
17. 蛙蛙哇！Songs Of The Frogs Of Taiwan. Rec’d by Yannick Dauby (2009)
https://kalerne.bandcamp.com/
18. Frogs (Bachotek, Poland) - Gerrit Kalsbeek (Lola Radio)
https://lolaradio.blogspot.com/
19. Frog – Ear Explorer 
https://www.facebook.com/EarExplorer

Cover is a “Zen Picture” (Zenga) by Matsumoto Hoji, c. 1785

Amphibian Love Songs And Soundscapes (RIAFC090)

A Florence-based tour guide shares her favorite food and wine shops for showing off her city's culinary delights.

Flavors of Florence

WATCH the video of this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/D0LaSJqnI-I

Abby Martin speaks with Abubaker Abed in Gaza City, a Palestinian journalist who reported through the 15 months of Israeli genocide, about Trump's threats and the status of the ceasefire.

FOLLOW Abubaker on Twitter: https://x.com/abubakerabedw 
READ his work on Substack: https://substack.com/@abubakerabedw

EMPIRE FILES VIDEOS + MERCH + SOCIALS + PATREON + EXCLUSIVE CONTENT :: https://linktr.ee/empirefiles

Gaza Journalist Abubaker Abed on Trump's Ethnic Cleansing Threat

WATCH the video of this interview here: https://youtu.be/dpZu11yE0XQ?si=ax3wTJ7BGNyceZgr

Abby Martin interviews Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Kurd, author of the new book Perfect Victims. 

Buy PERFECT VICTIMS at https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Victims-Politics-Mohammed-El-Kurd/dp/B0D4PGSZ2V

FOLLOW Mohammed at https://x.com/m7mdkurd

EMPIRE FILES VIDEOS + MERCH + SOCIALS + PATREON + EXCLUSIVE CONTENT :: https://linktr.ee/empirefiles

Abby Martin & Mohammed El-Kurd on the Politics of Appeal

Cúpla Focal 1 - Raidió Fáilte's New Learning series for beginners - features the first two lessons from Buntús Cainte read clearly and slowly by male and female speakers of Ulster Irish. 

Perfect for those who wish to learn the Irish langauge from the comfort of their own home 

Cúpla Focal 1 Podchraoladh

Set in an immense and lavish papal palace decorated by the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael, the Vatican Museums are a treasure chest of the ancient world, holding some of the greatest art anywhere. This tour leads you right up to the Sistine Chapel, covered in a separate audio tour. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.

Rome: Vatican Museums Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Track 3 of a new Joe Frank: Best of Monologues compilation CD. 

This is from Lost Soul (1996) 5:38 run time
What happens when there is an overflow of meaning? Joe’s desire to be life-affirming. “If we have lost our health, it only means we will regain it.”

Rome: Sistine Chapel Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Rick Steves Audio Europe

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