Nestled on a bend of the Vltava River, the beautiful town of Český Krumlov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. It's also the site of a horrific true crime! (Oo, let's get those true crime junkies in on this!) Rudolf II had troubles, and the mental illness of his son Julius only adds to the load. But the decline and fall of Rudolf II and the murder of Markéta Pichlerová is only part of the story.  We're also going to talk about the Defenestration of Prague, one of the defining moments in European history and the event that kicked off the first Great War of the early modern era. Melissa Joulwan of the Strong Sense of Place podcast - a podcast dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings - returns to talk about visiting Český Krumlov and eating so many delicious Czech foods, including wild bluebery dumplings! Photograph by Jorge Valenzuela  CC: 4.0

<description>&lt;p&gt;Nestled on a bend of the Vltava River, the beautiful town of Český Krumlov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. It's also the site of a horrific true crime! (Oo, let's get those true crime junkies in on this!) Rudolf II had troubles, and the mental illness of his son Julius only adds to the load.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; But the decline and fall of Rudolf II and the murder of Markéta Pichlerová is only part of the story.  We're also going to talk about the Defenestration of Prague, one of the defining moments in European history and the event that kicked off the first Great War of the early modern era.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Melissa Joulwan of the Strong Sense of Place podcast - a podcast dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings - returns to talk about visiting Český Krumlov and eating so many delicious Czech foods, including wild bluebery dumplings!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Photograph by Jorge Valenzuela  CC: 4.0&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Nestled on a bend of the Vltava River, the beautiful town of Český Krumlov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. It's also the site of a horrific true crime! (Oo, let's get those true crime junkies in on this!) Rudolf II had...

105 - Český Krumlov and the Defenestration of Prague

They say a giant man of clay sits in the attic, waiting for centuries for his instructions.  The story of the Golem in Prague is one of the classics of western storytelling, yet did you know that the temple where the Golem is rumored to be is a real place? The Old New Synagogue, one of the oldest active synagogues in the world, sits in the heart of Josefov, Prague's Jewish district. In this episode, we'll talk about Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who ruled from Prague, and his fascination with astronomy, alchemy, and mystiticism. We'll discuss the fascinating people he surrounded himself with, including Chief Rabbi, Kabbalah Expert, and supposed Golem-maker Judah Loew. Joining me for this episode is Melissa Joulwan, one of the hosts of Strong Sense of Place — a podcast and website dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings. Melissa has lived in Prague for seven years and shares her favorite spots and treats, including větrníky, glorious caramel cream puffs.

<description>&lt;p&gt;They say a giant man of clay sits in the attic, waiting for centuries for his instructions.  The story of the Golem in Prague is one of the classics of western storytelling, yet did you know that the temple where the Golem is rumored to be is a real place? The Old New Synagogue, one of the oldest active synagogues in the world, sits in the heart of Josefov, Prague's Jewish district.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this episode, we'll talk about Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who ruled from Prague, and his fascination with astronomy, alchemy, and mystiticism. We'll discuss the fascinating people he surrounded himself with, including Chief Rabbi, Kabbalah Expert, and supposed Golem-maker Judah Loew.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Joining me for this episode is Melissa Joulwan, one of the hosts of Strong Sense of Place — a podcast and website dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings. Melissa has lived in Prague for seven years and shares her favorite spots and treats, including větrníky, glorious caramel cream puffs.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

They say a giant man of clay sits in the attic, waiting for centuries for his instructions.  The story of the Golem in Prague is one of the classics of western storytelling, yet did you know that the temple where the Golem is rumored to be is a...

104 - The Old New Synagogue of Prague and the Golem

You've seen it on a million pizza boxes, in a thousand Italian restaurants, and in photos of your Dad pretending to hold it up.  It's the Leaning Tower! Why does it lean?  And why is it so gracefully elegant in its leaning? Most of this episode, however, is about the most famous person to be associated with the tower: the astronomer Galileo.  Did he really drop weights from the tower? Probably not. But he did change our entire perception of the universe, and his story involves an astronomical arms race. And of course the Inquisition.  You never expect the Inquisition... We'll also talk about ragú bolognese, the classic sauce from the nearby region of Emilia-Romagna.  Why pick bolognese instead of another Tuscan dish? Reasons.

<description>&lt;p&gt;You've seen it on a million pizza boxes, in a thousand Italian restaurants, and in photos of your Dad pretending to hold it up.  It's the Leaning Tower! Why does it lean?  And why is it so gracefully elegant in its leaning?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Most of this episode, however, is about the most famous person to be associated with the tower: the astronomer Galileo.  Did he really drop weights from the tower? Probably not. But he did change our entire perception of the universe, and his story involves an astronomical arms race. And of course the Inquisition.  You never expect the Inquisition...&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;We'll also talk about ragú bolognese, the classic sauce from the nearby region of Emilia-Romagna.  Why pick bolognese instead of another Tuscan dish? Reasons.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

You've seen it on a million pizza boxes, in a thousand Italian restaurants, and in photos of your Dad pretending to hold it up.  It's the Leaning Tower! Why does it lean?  And why is it so gracefully elegant in its leaning? Most of this...

103 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Galileo Galilei

The youngest of the world's seven largest religions is Sikhism, founded in Punjab in the 16th century. Nanak, a guru, or teacher, from outside Lahore, spent three days lost along a river and returned with an undestanding of one God: the Ultimate Reality. Nanak created a religion founded on equality, service, and openness, yet his successors would soon find themselves under attack from vested interests, particularly the Mughal Empire. In this episide, we visit the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, their holiest shrine. It is a brilliantly gorgeous golden temple surrounded by a tranquil pool, visited by a steady stream of devoted Sikhs. We'll recount some of the challenges the Sikhs have faced, challenges which have made them fiercely willing to defend their people and their faith. And of course, we'll include that most famous Punjabi dish: tandoori chicken, or at least as close as we can come without an actual tandoor!

<description>&lt;p&gt;The youngest of the world's seven largest religions is Sikhism, founded in Punjab in the 16th century. Nanak, a guru, or teacher, from outside Lahore, spent three days lost along a river and returned with an undestanding of one God: the Ultimate Reality. Nanak created a religion founded on equality, service, and openness, yet his successors would soon find themselves under attack from vested interests, particularly the Mughal Empire.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this episide, we visit the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, their holiest shrine. It is a brilliantly gorgeous golden temple surrounded by a tranquil pool, visited by a steady stream of devoted Sikhs. We'll recount some of the challenges the Sikhs have faced, challenges which have made them fiercely willing to defend their people and their faith.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;And of course, we'll include that most famous Punjabi dish: tandoori chicken, or at least as close as we can come without an actual tandoor!&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The youngest of the world's seven largest religions is Sikhism, founded in Punjab in the 16th century. Nanak, a guru, or teacher, from outside Lahore, spent three days lost along a river and returned with an undestanding of one God: the Ultimate...

102 - The Harmandir Sahib of Amritsar and the Beginning of Sikhism

One of the world's great museums of Renaissance art: the Uffizi.  Meaning "the offices," the Uffizi were quite literally built as an office buidling for the growing administration of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, the leader who brought authoritarian rule, if also stablity, to Florence. Bry Rayburn from the Pontifacts podcast, joins me once again to talk about Cosimo, her historic bae, the great museum, and the rest of his legacy. We also talk about our old friend Giorgio Vasari, author, artist and architect, a true Renaissance man. And of course, ribollita, that classic Tuscan white bean stew!

<description>&lt;p&gt;One of the world's great museums of Renaissance art: the Uffizi.  Meaning "the offices," the Uffizi were quite literally built as an office buidling for the growing administration of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, the leader who brought authoritarian rule, if also stablity, to Florence.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Bry Rayburn from the Pontifacts podcast, joins me once again to talk about Cosimo, her historic bae, the great museum, and the rest of his legacy. We also talk about our old friend Giorgio Vasari, author, artist and architect, a true Renaissance man.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;And of course, ribollita, that classic Tuscan white bean stew! &lt;/p&gt;</description>

One of the world's great museums of Renaissance art: the Uffizi.  Meaning "the offices," the Uffizi were quite literally built as an office buidling for the growing administration of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, the...

101 - The Uffizi Gallery of Florence and Cosimo I de' Medici

In this podcast, we'll visit 200 Wonders of the World, from the Pyramids to the Great Barrier Reef, to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet.  My name is Caroline Vahrenkamp, and I'm a travel junkie.  The world is filled with amazing places that reflect the greatest achievements of human accomplishment.  In these uncertain times, understanding our great shared history may help to bridge the divides between us.  And if not, it will be a fun ride anyway!  We'll discuss the history of each place and the story of the men and women who lived there.  We'll cover travel notes, examine what else to see while you're in the area, and dig into the local cuisine.  Expect a new episode every two weeks.  And thanks for listening!

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