Rome's Jewish community, numbering 16,000 today, can trace its roots back to the time of Christ. Roman tour guide Micaela Pavoncello talks with Rick about her community's traditions, dialect, and history. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome III: Jewish Ghetto - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Ruins of ancient port town.  
     For an exciting day trip, pop down to the Roman port of Ostia Antica. Founded in the fourth century B.C., Ostia served as a naval base and key administrative and warehousing center for Rome. Eventually abandoned and buried in mud, Ostia is similar to Pompeii but in some ways more interesting. Because Ostia was a working port town, it shows a more complete and gritty look at Roman life than wealthier Pompeii. On this two-hour tour, you'll see the warehouses, apartment flats, mansions, shopping arcades, and baths that served a once-thriving port of 60,000 people. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map. 
     Sightseeing nitty gritty: Cost: €6.50 for the site and museum. Hours: Tue–Sun April–Oct 8:30–19:00, Nov–Feb 8:30–16:00, March 8:30–18:00, last entry one hour before closing, closed Mon. The museum closes from 13:30 to 14:15 for lunch. 
     Updated in 2023. Excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

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

‘PAMS GUILTY PLEASURES’ – PART ONE

This project has been my happy place for the past three years, inspired by PAMS’ 70th anniversary! What you’ll find here is a carefully crafted montage of some of my absolute favorite PAMS jingles — and yes, the full thing runs an indulgent three hours. (I personally love blasting it on a long car journey!)

Don’t worry, though — I’ve broken it down into three parts so it’s more digestible. Parts 2 and 3 still need some polishing, but Part 1 is ready for you to enjoy. And thankfully, unlike in the old days, I didn’t have to piece this together on a reel-to-reel machine!

This version has been remastered with Apple’s AI Mastering, and I’m absolutely thrilled with the results — the clarity and punch really make these jingles shine.

I’m far from the first to put together a PAMS montage. I was inspired by many others, including Ken R. Deutsch, Jon Wolfert, Tracy Carmen (on REELRADIO), the late Michael Neff — whose collection I would absolutely love to have! — and Norman Barrington, whose archive is incredible and who has been a huge help. Norman even created a special 10-minute “curated edit” — perfect for those who can’t handle more than ten minutes of continuous jingles in one sitting.

And of course, Storm King and Jon Wolfert are still guarding some of the holy grails of PAMS jingles — the rare treasures that keep collectors like me dreaming, digging, and listening. Part of the fun is knowing there’s always more out there to discover!

A very special thanks goes to Ken R., who rescued so many of these PAMS tapes from being thrown away.

What I love most about PAMS — especially the pre-Series 40 material — is how irresistibly sing-along-able and catchy it all is.

I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed putting it together — and stay tuned, because Part 2 is on the way!

— Henry

Daily Mass Reading Podcast For May 13, 2024

USCCB Daily Readings