Travel Tip: Top 3 Long Form Podcasts to Pass the Time

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Call me weird, but I look at entertainment as an emotional investment.  If something is going to be holding my mind, ears and/or eyeballs captive for any significant period of time, I need to feel like I can commit.  This is probably the reason why I spend more time flipping through the movie options on an airplane than actually watching a movie.

As someone with a busy travel schedule, I spend hours in waiting rooms, on trains and on planes. All the while my mind is thirsty for entertainment and I’ve come to depend on podcasts to help me whittle down the hours until I reach my next destination.  While there’s a part of me that loves short, low emotional investment podcasts (e.g. Stuff You Should Know), I still find myself checking the time on my phone every 15 minutes when I switch shows and this kind of defeats the purpose of trying to make life tick by faster.

That’s why I love the longform (1+ hour) podcast. When you find a good one, you’re engrossed, captivated and entertained while you blissfully sit unaware in a crowded room full of strangers on an uncomfortable metal chair. Having listened diligently to a variety of podcast over the past 4 years, I’ve come up with my top 3 list of long form podcasts to help you pass the time -

3. Alison Rosen in Your New Best Friend (ARYNBF)

I caught on to ARYNBF by way of the Adam Carolla Show, where she’s the resident news girl and the ying to Adam’s yang. Podcasting is an arena that is flooded with a sea of amateurs, many of which have hit it big. Alison, however, is a professional journalist with the credentials to back it up.  In her show she interviews comedians, actors and other members of the media in a format that beckons her guests to open up and reveal personal stories, views and opinions.  Her patience and willingness to share her own personal anecdotes draws out the best in her guests and her congenial nature makes her instantly likeable to the listener.

Some of my favorite ARYNBF episodes of late have featured Dr. Drew, Jim Jefferies and Harlan Williams.

2. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Dan Carlin calls himself an amateur historian, but his in depth multi-part podcasts on major historical events are more intriguing and informative than any lecture I got from my history professors in college.  Even if you’re not a history buff, Dan’s story telling abilities will immediately rope you into his nonfiction tale. His podcasts detailing WWII’s eastern front single handedly altered my view of the Second World War and his “Wrath of the Khans” series is equally captivating.

1. This American Life

You can’t go wrong with This American Life.  Ira Glass is a staple of public broadcasting and as an American expat, I appreciate how he brings stories from all around the nation to life.  Some shows are funny (try listening to the episode on investigating whether pig bung holes are being masqueraded as calamari), while others are incredibly thought provoking and address some of the biggest societal issues America is facing today (try listening to Harper Valley High School, which tackles the issue of gun violence in schools or Trends with Benefits, which investigates issues with the nation’s disability benefits system).

A Photo Tour of Lower Normandy

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The moment I first arrived in Lower Normandy following a lengthy ferry ride across the English Channel, my first instinct was to exhale. After spending months cooped up in the choking density of central London I felt a sense of relief from being in the presence of open fields and grazing land. My moment of zen didn’t last long as I was on a tight schedule. Lower Normandy, as it turns out, is a bit of a logistics nightmare if you are traveling without a car. Depending heavily on public transport, I set out to explore three items from my travel “bucket list” – Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day Landing Sites and the Bayeux Tapestry.

Mont-Saint-Michel

I caught my first glimpse of Mont-Saint-Michel on the 2-hour train ride from Caen to Pontorson. It exposed itself for a brief moment behind a cluster of drab storage warehouses, giving me and a sprinkling of other tourists on the train a preview of what was to come. Following a short bus ride from Pontorson, Mont-Saint-Michel revealed itself in full view. The result of over 1000 years of construction, this fairytale abbey is perhaps the most photogenic spot in all of France.

View from within Mont-Saint-Michel

The abbey was built at the top of a small island just off the coast from the mainland in a shallow sandy bay. During high tide, water fills the bay and transforms the landscape, making Mont-Saint-Michel appear as a castle floating in the sea. Unfortunately I missed high tide during my visit, but that didn’t take anything away from Michel’s beauty.

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey

Mont-Saint-Michel is still an active abbey and a small group of nuns reside here year round.

Nun climbing the Abbey steps

Even at low tide on a cold and gray morning, the views from the top of Mont-Saint-Michel are stunning. The photo below shows the elevated road from the mainland to Michel as well as the surrounding bay.

View from Mont-Saint-Michel

Below the abbey is a maze of densely packed streets covered in cobblestones, cafes, souvenir shops and a few small museums.  The photo below is from a cafe located at the foot of the island with a cafe au lait in the foreground.

Cafe au Lait

Head east along the coastline from Mont-Saint-Michel and you’ll reach the D-Day landing sites.  Because I was without a rental vehicle, I took a D-Day tour departing from Bayeux.  The photo below is of Pointe du Hoc, just east of Omaha Beach.  It was here that US Army Rangers scaled the cliffs to destroy a cluster of German casemates on June 6th, 1944.

Pointe du Hoc

Facing the early morning sun, Pointe du Hoc makes for an eerily serene setting.

Pointe du Hoc Battlefield

Looking towards the English Channel, pockmarks on the ground left by bombs nearly 70 years ago are still clearly evident.

Pointe du Hoc Battlefield

Pointe du Hoc’s proximity to Omaha Beach (shown in the distance below) is part of why it was such a heavily contested area.

Pointe du Hoc Battlefield

Some of the original German bunkers are still in tact and are open to visitors.

German Bunker

Omaha Beach is located a short drive from Pointe du Hoc and is now frequented by dog walkers and joggers.  Nearly 70 years ago, 15,000 soldiers stormed this beach to help liberate Northern France from the Nazis.

Omaha Beach

The Normandy American Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the soldiers who fought on D-Day.  The cemetery is set on a cliff overlooking the English Channel.

Normandy American Cemetery

Most of the graves in the cemetery are named, but there are numerous unnamed markers inscribed with “Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God”.

Unnamed Grave

Inland from the D-Day landing sites is the ancient town of Bayeux.  Like most European towns, it is anchored by a formidable cathedral.  The Bayeux Cathedral (below) is striking, but is best known for once being home to the Bayeux Tapestry – a 1000 year old embroidery than runs 230 feet long.

Bayeux Cathedral

Today, the Bayeux Tapestry is held and protected in its own museum just a few steps away from the cathedral.  Across the length of the delicate cloth are numerous panels detailing the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and the subsequent Battle of Hastings.

Bayeux Tapestry

It’s estimated that the embroidery was created sometime around 1066 and the illustrations created from the stitching range from amazing to even comical (see the generously sized horse penis above).  The battle sequences and horses are of particularly high quality, while some of the portraits and faces are reminiscent of Quentin Blake illustrations.

Bayeux Tapestry

Cafe Cats, Belgian Beers and Dutch Masters – This is why I moved to Europe

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Mention Amsterdam to those unfamiliar with the city and chances are you’ll hear them mention “pot” and “prostitution” in their opening breath. It’s sad really, when there’s so much more to Amsterdam and indeed the Netherlands than its unwholesome reputation suggests. I’ve just wrapped up my second trip to the Dutch capital and to date have not stepped foot into a “coffeehouse” or taken a gander at the Red Light District. The truth is that outside heavily trodden tourists zones “coffeehouses” are much more discreet and pretty unremarkable from the exterior, so unless you’re actually seeking these places out, chances are you won’t notice them.

Amsterdam

“Eccentricities” aside, Amsterdam is one of those cities that leaves you Googling your way through pages of apartment listings and real estate ads. It’s just so gosh darn livable and it has reminded of why I moved across the pond to begin with. Just as I did on my first trip, I chose to stay just outside Amsterdam’s center to enjoy the city for what it really is, not what it’s advertised to be. Our hotel was a few blocks west of Leidseplein and within walking distance to the Rijksmuseum. While I enjoyed seeing all the remarkable masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age of painting and reveled in the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the real pleasure came from visiting local restaurants, cafes and simply walking around town.

Painting in the Rijksmuseum

Thanks to a little internet research, I stumbled across a few great bars and restaurants that really summed up Amsterdam for me. The first was called Gollem Proeflokaal, which was just a few minutes from our hotel. Offering 20+ beers on tap and dozens more in bottled form, this tiny bar with dimmed lighting and generous wooden benches made me feel right at home. Gollem’s patrons were all Dutch, though the bar staff seemed to speak with more English fluency than I can claim. As we sat at a table sipping our beers and discussing our weekend options, we were greeted by the only member of the staff who couldn’t speak English, or Dutch for that matter. One of Gollem’s cats (yes, CATS) parked its caboose right next to mine and kept me company while I dined on Flemish stew and french fries.

Belgian Beers

Our special dinner guest.

The next night we visited a small street corner cafe called Toussaint on a quiet block of residential homes just outside of the Jordaan district.  It consisted of an impossibly small kitchen, a small grouping of candlelit tables and a chalkboard menu filled with the day’s specials in Dutch.  Our patient waiter was kind enough to go through and translate each dish on the list for use.  For the same price as dinner and drinks at the awful Zizzis (UK-based Italian chain restaurant . . . think Olive Garden), we enjoyed duck, seafood ravioli, desserts, wine and a beer all under twinkling candlelight.

image courtesy of http://www.bosboom-toussaint.nl

If I had to describe Amsterdam in one word I think it would be “calm”. The people seem calm and the cafes and bars are cozy. Walking down the city streets I encountered numerous mouthwatering independent shops selling everything from the little wooden toys I once had as a kid to quirky home furnishings and handmade odds and ends. Next to the sidewalks an endless stream of bicycles outfitted with wicker baskets whizz past and it all seemed so comfortable. I think I’d like to live here one day, but until then I am content with the fact that I’m just an hour’s flight away.