Totally Obsessed with Christmas

Chestnut Roasted Christmas

Historian Colin Jones has managed to distill centuries of French history into just 250 pages, and he leads us through significant sights from the mighty nation's recent past. Then a veteran BBC correspondent recalls turbulent times in 1980s Afghanistan and the hotel that still stands as a symbol of the country's resilient people. And a photographer from Scotland's Hebrides describes his ongoing quest to capture the moods, light, and breathtaking beauty of his homeland.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves — including episode descriptions, program archives and related details — visit www.ricksteves.com.

813 20th-Century France; Finest Hotel in Kabul; Photogenic Scotland

Author Terry Tempest Williams describes the various "personalities" of a dozen US national parks and examines each one's contributions to the American character. Then historian Flannery Burke tells us how Arizona and New Mexico came to embody what we now think of as the Great Southwest. And travel writer Christopher Solomon enjoys getting dusty on a mountain-bike tour across southern Utah.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves — including episode descriptions, program archives and related details — visit www.ricksteves.com.

495b National Parks Dinner Party; The Great Southwest; Utah's Craziest Bike Ride

A Paris-based journalist lets us in on what happens behind closed doors at the city's grandest museum when it shuts to the public each Tuesday. And the last apprentice to be trained in the medieval techniques of masonry in Tuscany reveals how ancient secrets help to turn stone into masterpieces of art and architecture.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves — including episode descriptions, program archives and related details — visit www.ricksteves.com.

814 Tuesdays at the Louvre; Stone

Hear a Francophile's recommendations for some of the most magnificent religious architecture to explore in Paris. Then vicariously experience a winter solstice ritual from inside an ancient tomb in Ireland, and warm up to the custom that's central to life in Finland: the sauna. Plus, kick off the Christmas season with local holiday traditions from Tallinn, Rome, and Venice.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves — including episode descriptions, program archives and related details — visit www.ricksteves.com.

815 Sacred Paris; Newgrange Solstice; Finnish Sauna; Christmas in Estonia, Rome, Venice

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman shares excerpts from interviews with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer, Jessica Hische, Tobias Frere-Jones, Matthew Carter, and Kris Holmes, reflecting on legibility and expression, how letters behave, the discipline of refinement, and how type has evolved from hand-crafted processes to the digital tools we use today.

20th Anniversary celebration with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer, Jessica Hische, Tobias Frere-Jones, Matthew Carter, and Kris Holmes

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits previous episodes with activists and advocates Gloria Steinem, Anita Hill, Cindy Gallop, Sonya Passi, and Dr. Joy Buolamwini. These excerpts highlight conversations about power, accountability, and the urgent work of dismantling inequality across culture, institutions, and technology.

20th Anniversary celebration with activists and advocates Gloria Steinem, Anita Hill, Cindy Gallop, Sonya Passi, and Dr. Joy Buolamwini

Celebrate Norwegian roots in America as we mark the 200th anniversary of a major wave of immigration to the US from the Scandinavian nation. Then join an expert of the offbeat as he delves into some of the more curious places and things held dear by people around the world. And listen in as callers share their favorite travel memories of the year behind us. Plus, learn from Scottish tour guides about Edinburgh's lively New Year's Eve traditions of Hogmanay. 

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

816 Vesterheim; Atlas Obscura Curiosities; Lessons Learned

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân Heder. These excerpts explore the director’s role as the central collaborator, guiding creative teams and shaping a project from vision to execution. Together, they reflect on the choices, pressures, and responsibilities of bringing a story to life.

20th Anniversary Celebration with acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân Heder

Published on January 3, 2026 — A budget-minded travel blogger shares timely tips for keeping costs down — so that you can keep your travel dreams alive. Then a British journalist with a passion for rail travel enthuses about the special magic of the sleeper train. And an American writer based in Chile tells us what he loves about living in South America.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves — including episode descriptions, program archives and related details — visit www.ricksteves.com.

817 Budget Travel Tips; Moonlight Express; Hola South America

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