City Breaks

This episode covers everything it's good to know before you visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam: a brief biography of Vincent himself, followed by tips on what to look out for in the museum dedicated to his work.  To finish, there are ideas for 3 more arty venues to visit in Amsterdam if you want to investigate the city's modern art and street art offerings.     Reading Suggestions  Van Gogh The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh Van Gogh The Complete Paintings by Ingo F. Walther and Rainer Metzger    Links for this post Van Gogh Museum   Stedelijk Museum  NDSM Loods  Straat Museum  City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

This episode revolves around Amsterdam's top art gallery, the Rijksmuseum.  It starts with a little history,  explaining how art came to be of such importance in Amsterdam's  Golden Age in the 17th century, then continues with some biographical details on the two top artists from the era, Rembrandt and Vermeer.  It finishes with pointers to some of their best-known works, plus ideas for other highlights to look out for when visiting the gallery.   Reading Suggestions Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach   Vermeer by Christopher Wright  Rijksmuseum guidebook      Links for this post The Rijksmuseum   Rembrandt House Museum    Old World Voyages blog    Essential Vermeer  Simon Schama, Great Gallery Tours, the Rijksmuseum  City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!     

This episode on World War II in Amsterdam looks at how 5 years of German occupation affected everyone living there and suggests places to visit to find out more.  We start with the population in general and the Dutch Resistance Museum, then look at the plight of the city’s Jewish population before finishing with a section on Anne Frank: her story and the museum now operating in the building where she and her family lived in hiding for 25 months.   Reading Suggestions  The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank    The Dutch Resistance 1940-1945 by Klaas Kastlein and Michael Wenting Links for this post The Dutch Resistance Museum The Hollandsche Schouwburg Memorial Site The National Holocaust Museum Anne Frank House   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

This episode introduces Amsterdam's Jewish culture. There's a little historical context, beginning with the arrival of Jews fleeing from other parts of Europe in the 16th century and ending in today’s city where Jewish culture is centred around the Jewish Quarter. Then there's a description of some of the most significant places to visit, focussing especially on the Portugese Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. The holocaust will be dealt with in the next episode. Links for this post National Holocaust Museum   Hollandsche Schouwburg   Portuguese Synagogue   Jewish Museum      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

This episode takes you to Amsterdam's Golden Age, the era when, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica puts it, ‘the little nation on the North Sea was one of the most powerful countries in the world, dominating the seas and flourishing in trade, science and – especially – the arts.'  First there's a little history to explain how this phenomenon came about and what it meant for Amsterdammers and for the rest of the world, then we visit three different places in the city where you can find out more.     Reading Suggestions  The Embarrassment of Riches The Dutch Golden Age by Simon Schama Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto Links for this post Rembrandt House   Amsterdam Museum   Rijksmuseum    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

The churches of Amsterdam are not always what they seem.  One is more of a national memorial, another is an art gallery and concert venue.  A third is a museum where you can learn the story of the hidden churches which opened in the 17th century and where worshippers gathered for over 200 years.  They key factor is a date – 1578 – when an event occurred which changed everything: the Alteration.  This episode explains what happened and then tours half a dozen of the city’s churches and explains what you can expect to find if you visit them today.   Reading Suggestions  Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates Links for this post The Begijnhof The Oude Kerk The Nieuwe Kerk The Westerkerk The Noorderkerk    St Nicholas Our Lord in the Attic

The canals ARE Amsterdam and Amsterdam IS its canals.  This episode is all about them, covering both the engineering genius which gave them their UNESCO World Heritage Site status and their beauty, charmingly different in each season.  We bring you a little history, a little atmosphere and 4 suggestions for places to visit to find out more.   READING SUGGESTIONS Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates LINKS FOR THIS POST   The Canal Museum    The Van Loon Museum   The Willet-Holthuysen Museum  The Houseboat Museum   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!     

Here are 5 suggestions for walks around Amsterdam.  They include possible stopping places and between them they offer a way to see something of all of the main parts of the city.  We give enough detail to follow the route if you take a map with you and a little info on the main places you’ll be passing, although we’ll be coming back to most of them in later episodes.  None will take longer than an hour if you don’t stop anywhere.  . Links for this post Grand Café Restaurant 1e Klas Anne Frank House    Royal Palace  Nieuw Kerk   The Houseboat Museum    Albert Cuyp Market   The Reijksmuseum   The Van Gogh Museum     The Stedelik Museum    MOCO    Hop on Hop off bus tours   Boat trips    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

Welkom in Amsterdam! This introduction to our Amsterdam series brings you the basic facts - geographical, historical, cultural - which underpin everything. To capture the spirit of Amsterdam, here’s Russell Shorto’s description of the view from his Amsterdam window: ‘the little boats moored by the quay, the row of tilting, gabled buildings on the opposite bank and, on any given day, a couple of bicycles chained to the railing of a hump-backed bridge.’ So, let's go, or as the Dutch say ‘laten we gaan’. City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk     We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This last episode on the Valletta series brings you lots of different stories from Malta. We start with a little descriptive writing, factual and fictional, followed by mini-biographies of 4 people who’ve featured in previous episodes but not really had the time they deserve: St Paul, St Publius, Caravaggio and Daphne Caruana Galizia, the high-profile journalist murdered for her stand against corruption in Malta.  And to finish, some literary extracts, namely a mystery story set in Malta and 2 World War II love stories. In short, a whole range of new perspectives on Valletta and its surroundings. Reading Suggestions The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monserrat Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench  A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia A Sunny Place for Shady People by Ryan Murdock Links for this Post Short Lets Malta blog      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Here are our ideas for easy days out from Valletta if you want to explore some of the rest of Malta.  We start with the two most popular day trips, to the 3 Cities and to Mdina and Rabat, both very easy to do on public transport.  Then we have a look at hop-on, hop-off bus tours and boat trips.  You could spend a week in Valletta, you could just as easily spend a week doing day trips with Valletta as a base!  Most likely, you’ll do a little of each and this episode will help you plan your excursions to other parts of the island. The Inquisitor’s Palace    Malta at War Museum    St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina    Carmelite Priory, Mdina   The Roman House, Rabat    St Paul’s Grotto, Rabat    St Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat    Hop-on Hop-off bus tours   Malta Boat Tours    Luzzu Cruises   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This episode is dedicated to two topics which are very important in Malta - food and festivities.  Malta has more public holidays – 14 – than most other European countries, plus a whole range of other feasts and festivals.  Of course, food is key to most of them and so this episode introduces you to both.  We cover the varied culinary offerings, influenced by so many centuries of foreign cultures coming to the island and then look at the equally expansive range of celebration days, religious, national and cultural. In short, plenty of fun! Reading Suggestion  Taste of Malta by Anton B Dougall   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This is a pot-pourri episode, beginning with a look at Valletta’s art scene: the National Art Gallery, 3 artists linked to the island and the oratory where the 2 most famous paintings are hidden away.  Next, some pointers on the city’s architecture: typical design features and the three main periods, all of which are represented by buildings to look out for in Valletta today.  Lastly, a trip to the National Museum of Archaeology, where you can learn lots about the island’s very distant past and pick up some tips to inform visits to the rest of the island. Reading Suggestion Seven Temples on Malta by Betsy Ross-Edison Links for this post The National Art Museum       The Grand Master’s Palace     St John’s Cathedral    The National Museum of Archaeology  

There are traces of World War II everywhere in Valletta.  This episode begins with a little history from the period and explains why the island of Malta was awarded the prestigious George Cross.  Then we look at 3 museums which all take a different approach, covering the military action here on ‘Fortress Malta’ and also explaining what the war did to the daily lives of its people.  We end with a look at some of Valletta’s memorials to this turbulent period, which are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other at the Floriana end of the city. Reading Suggestions Fortress Island Malta by Peter Jacobs Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald Churchill and Malta’s War by Douglas Austin Links for this post National War Museum    Malta at War Museum    Lascaris War Rooms    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This episode gives a little history on the Knights of Malta and explains where to 'find' them in Valletta today.    In fact they’re everywhere, not least in the Maltese Cross you'll keep seeing, on information panels everywhere and in the beautiful buildings they left behind. In fact, they founded the city of Valletta and built it from scratch - Europe's very first planned city. Reading Suggestions The Knights of Malta by Joseph Attard The Shield and the Sword by Ernie Bradford Links for this Episode The Malta Experience and the Holy Infirmary  The Grand Master’s Palace    The Armoury   St John’s Cathedral      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!    

Valletta is a very walkable city and this episode offers three walking routes for exploring it.  They could be done in a day if you want to see all the main sights quickly, or you could spread them out over a few days, linger a little, go into some of the places we pass by and build up an in-depth knowledge of Malta's capital city.  Take a street map with you and you should be able to follow the routes easily.  Reading Suggestions  The History of Malta by Nuria Rehn Fortress Island Malta by Peter Jacobs Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia Links for this post Our Lady of Victories Church   The Grand Master’s Palace   The Armoury    St John’s Co-Cathedral    Fort St Elmo National War Museum    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Merħba il-Valletta: welcome to Valletta, the capital of Malta.  Valletta is a World Heritage Site, small in scale, easy to explore and known for its stunning coastal views and gorgeous architecture.  Here you can 'meet' such varied characters from history as St Paul, Caravaggio and the Knights of St John and learn some of the island's most inspiring stories: how Malta triumphed during the Great Siege of 1565 and why the island was awarded the George Cross during World War II.     This is the introduction to our Valletta series and the remaining 7 episodes will bring you all the background history and culture you need to really understand the city.  In short, here is all the research you’d do yourself if only you had the time!  See below for reading ideas and useful links. Two useful websites for tourists Visit Malta    Malta Uncovered    3 Guide Books Pocket Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo   Lonely Planet Malta and Gozo Eyewitness Top 10 Malta and Gozo 4 History Books The History of Malta by Nuria Rehn Fortress Island Malta by Peter Jacobs Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia Maltese Cooking Taste of Malta by Anton B Dougall 2 Novels set in Malta The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monserrat Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Valletta series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated

Our Marseille Anthology includes some travel writing, plus a range of fiction pieces set in the city.  Extracts include Simone de Beauvoir hiking in the surrounding countryside and Jean-Claude Izzo's description of the Italian immigrant community in Le Panier in the 1930s.  The Count of Monte Cristo's daring escape from the Château d'If is here, as are a meal of boullabaisse in a waterside restaurant and a visit to the underwater caves where prehistoric man left artwork behind.  There are even two passages which help explain why Marseille has sometimes been called 'the wicked city'.   Reading Suggestions Wicked City by Nicholas Hewitt Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo Chourmo by Jean-Claude Izzo Solea by Jean-Claude Izzo Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas First Fingerprint, by Xavier-Marie Bonnot The Marseille Caper by Peter Mayl City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Marseille series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!           

The author and film-maker Marcel Pagnol is inextricably linked with Marseille – where he lived, set some of his early works and is buried – and with the Provencal countryside around the city.  The area's garrigue landscape provides the backdrop to his popular autobiographical works, La Gloire de Mon Père (My Father's Glory) and Le Château de Ma Mère (My Mother's Castle) and is also the setting for his gripping novels, Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources.  This episode gives a little biographical information, an idea of where to ‘find’ him in the area today and some appetite-whetting snippets of his work. Reading Suggestions Autobiographical works My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle (double volume) 3 Plays set in Marseille (in French) Marius Fanny César   Two novels set in Provence Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources (double volume)   Links for this post Information on walks in Marcel Pagnol territory      Marcel Pagnol’s Birthplace    Aubagne Tourist Office    Le Petit Monde de Marcel Pagnol    Village des Santons in Marseille      Guide to La Treille    Château de la Buzine      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Marseille series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!     

This post introduces you to two great pleasures in this Provencal city: Marseille food and Marseille shopping, beginning with the signature dishes and key ingredients of the city's cuisine, plus a few ideas on where to look for restaurants. Then, we outline key items to buy as souvenirs of Marseille, followed by a rundown of the city's main shopping areas and what you can expect to find in each one.   Reading Suggestions Garlic, Mint and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude Izzo The Marseille Caper by Peter Mayle   Links for this post More Information  Foodie Guide to Marseille     Shopping in the Le Panier district    Eating out in the Le Panier district  Information on Cours Julien    Santons of Provence    Shops and places to visit Bar de la Marine  Musee du Savon de Marseille de la Licorne    La Cure Gourmande   Olympique de Marseille Souvenir Shop  Torrefaction Noailles   Maison de la Boule  Maison Yellow   Santons Village in Aubagne   3 Santons shops in Marseille  Escoffier   Arterra   Marcel Carbonel     City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Marseille series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!