Ep 05 — Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty

Ep 05 — Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty: A rebellious national spirit, a predilection for ghost stories, an affinity for smart plaids, and an appreciation of a wee dram o' whisky — Scotland is all this and so much more. In this episode, we discuss books that swept us away to Scotland: an Edinbu... by Strong Sense of Place

73 min listen

Ep 06 — The Sea: Tales of Poets and Pirates: The sea is a metaphor for everything that's important to us: for adventure and creativity and love. It's fascinated humans since the beginning of time, inspiring poets, historians, and novelists, as well as adventurers, conquerors, and pirates. In this e... by Strong Sense of Place

78 min listen

Ep 11 — Cuba: Castro, Conga, Cars, and Cigars: Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with sparkling beaches, lush jungles, and mountainous forests populated by animals found nowhere else on earth. It's a beautiful place with a tough history: colonization, liberation, independence, revolution, ... by Strong Sense of Place

57 min listen

ep 0: Introducing Strong Sense of Place!: In this mini-episode, we introduce ourselves and talk about what the phrase 'strong sense of place' means to us. We'll also discuss why we started this show, our no-spoiler guarantee, and why we think you'll like this podcast. Starting January 20th, 2020... by Strong Sense of Place

2 min listen

Ep 01 — Prague: Castles and Cobblestones: Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, home of the world's best beer, stunning architecture, and oh, yeah: ancient secrets. In this episode, we've got two books that transported us directly into communist territory during the Cold War, crime storie... by Strong Sense of Place

57 min listen

Ep 08 — Russia: Revolution, Hope, and Vodka: Russia is the largest country in the world. And its culture is dominated by larger-than-life historical figures, giants of literature, and sweeping landscapes. Both intentionally and inadvertently, Russia has had a massive impact on the rest of the world... by Strong Sense of Place

47 min listen

Ep 19 — Nigeria: Jollof Rice, Nigerian Pidgin, and So Much Hustle: Located on the west coast of Africa, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world — and one in six Africans is Nigerian. Its megacity Lagos is the hub of commerce for the country, and it's also known for its epic nightlife, bustling street m... by Strong Sense of Place

59 min listen

Ep 13 — Paris: It's Always a Good Idea: When you daydream about Paris, whatever sparkling, romantic images you conjure are probably not too far off the mark. It is, after all, know as the City of Lights and the City of Love. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from almost everywhere and is a constant... by Strong Sense of Place

52 min listen

Ep 07 — Morocco: Couscous, Camels, and the Kasbah: Morocco can seem like something conjured from a dream. The twisty alleys of its old-town medinas hold secrets around every corner. Its markets are infused with the aroma of spices and the lilting melodies of musicians, with jewel-colored leather and scar... by Strong Sense of Place

72 min listen

Our 2021 'Ask Us Anything' Episode: In our recent survey, we invited our audience to ask us anything, and we got 153 excellent questions in response. The queries ran the gamut from 'what's the best thing about living in Prague?' to 'how did you meet?' and 'how do you choose the books for t... by Strong Sense of Place

48 min listen

Ep 12 — The Circus: Found Family and Daring Feats: Feats of derring-do! Amazing acrobats! Clowns both ridiculous and poignant! Majestic animals from around the world! For centuries, the circus has transported audiences to an enthralling in-between place: a version of our world where gravity seems to disa... by Strong Sense of Place

65 min listen

Ep 02 — Restaurants: Hot Stoves and Steamy Relationships: In a restaurant kitchen, the chef is the ultimate authority, a figure that can inspire fear, rebelliousness, and a cult of personality. But it's not only the kitchen boss that makes restaurants a hotbed for excellent stories. In this episode, the books w... by Strong Sense of Place

46 min listen

Ep 29 — Afghanistan: Poppies, Tribalism, and the Taliban: Located in Central Asia with Iran to the west and Pakistan to the east, Afghanistan sits at the crossroads of Asia and the Middle East. That's made it a hot spot for invaders from all directions for millennia. Afghanistan's terrain is rugged — and in so... by Strong Sense of Place

59 min listen

Ep 04 — Mexico: Folklore and Beachy Paradise: Mexico is an inspired background for stories that explore the joy (and challenges) of family and the magic of everyday experiences. In this episode, we discuss two wildly different family sagas. One is set during the Mexican Revolution and infused with m... by Strong Sense of Place

40 min listen

A Special Mini-Episode: Survey Results and What We’re Reading Right Now: In this mini-episode, we share some of the results from our end-of-Season-1 audience survey, preview some of the changes we're making to the show, and announce the first four destinations for Season 2. We also discuss a few of the books we've read lately... by Strong Sense of Place

21 min listen

Ep 14 — Alaska: Fresh-Caught Salmon, Cake Mix, and So Many Bears: Alaska is the 49th and largest state in the union. It was derided as Seward's Folly when the US Secretary of State bought the territory from Russia in 1867. But the joke was on critics: Decades later, both gold and oil were discovered in Alaska's pristin... by Strong Sense of Place

60 min listen

A Message from Self-Isolation in Prague: We're usually all about curiosity and fun facts and armchair travel and great books on our podcast. But in this mini-episode, we take a few minutes to talk about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and give you a brief update on how things are in our ... by Strong Sense of Place

14 min listen

One year anniversary mini-episode!: It's our Podiversary! Podcastiversary? Podcastersary? Let's just call it our 1-year Podcast Anniversary. In this mini-episode, we look back at our first two seasons, share a few interesting stats, and give you a sneak preview of what's coming in Season T... by Strong Sense of Place

13 min listen

Ep 16 — New Zealand: Kiwis, Majestic Scenery, and Māori Mythology: Head south to Australia and take a sharp turn east to arrive in New Zealand. It's a landscape both magical and majestic, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Tasman Sea and southwestern Pacific. New Zealand is a fairly new country: the first people ... by Strong Sense of Place

53 min listen

Ep 20 — Peru: Andes Adventures, Fusion Food, and Piles of Gold: Peru is South America's geographical triple-threat with beach-front desert fronting the Pacific, the Andes mountains (the second-highest range in the world), and dense Amazon rainforest. It's also astonishingly beautiful with craggy peaks, lush greenery,... by Strong Sense of Place

57 min listen

Ep 03 — Japan: Family Honor and Super-Cute Stuff: Rooted in tradition and family, the culture of Japan provides rich fodder for stories that grab hold of you and won’t let go. In this episode, we take a deep dive into WWII-era Japan with a family saga and a nonfiction manga comic — both populated by unf... by Strong Sense of Place

64 min listen

Ep 26 — Costa Rica: Cloud Forests, Coffee, and Capuchin Monkeys: Located in Central America — and with coasts on both the Pacific and the Caribbean — Costa Rica just might be the quintessential tropical country. It packs a lot of awesome inside its borders with white-sand beaches, verdant rain forests, active volcanoe... by Strong Sense of Place

57 min listen

Ep 09 — Chicago: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Industry, and Infamy: Today, we armchair travel to the Windy City for a deep-dive into what makes Chicago different from every other city in America. We break the rules a little bit and discuss six books we love that explore Chicago's culture, food, and history of rabble-rous... by Strong Sense of Place

67 min listen

Ep 31 — The Forest: Meet a Witch, Climb a Tree: For longer than memory, those deep, dark forests have been a symbolic, powerful setting for stories. The wildwoods of fairy tales are where we meet Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin. The Hundred Acre Wood is where... by Strong Sense of Place

55 min listen

Ep 15 — The Library: Endless Books, Reading Nooks, and Lots of Possibility: The library is a sacred and celebratory place, filled with objects, yes — but inside those objects are imagination and possibility, heartbreak and triumph, silliness and seriousness and the whole range of human emotion and the entire history of science a... by Strong Sense of Place

71 min listen

Ep 17 — Halloween: Costumed Revelry, Voices From Beyond, and YAY, Candy!: It's no surprise that most Halloween stories delve into the dark corners and shadows of life. That premise is in the very name of the holiday. Originally known as All Hallows' Eve, it's celebrated just before All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day — two holi... by Strong Sense of Place

65 min listen

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — What happened to Season 3?: In this mini-episode, we explain why our podcasts have been MIA and when you can expect new episodes. Spoiler: It shouldn't be too long now! The best way to stay informed about an updated schedule and other news is our free weekly newsletter — sign up ri... by Strong Sense of Place

4 min listen

A Special Mini-Episode About Our Audience Survey: There is no Strong Sense of Place without you, and now we're curious about what's on your mind. Where shall we go next? What can we do better? We've put together a short survey so you can tell us just what you think. Bonus! If you provide your email addr... by Strong Sense of Place

3 min listen

Ep 10 — Sweden: So Happy, So Murdery: As of April 2020, Sweden is the seventh-happiest country in the world. And it's no wonder! Its residents enjoy one of the highest standards of living on the planet with low unemployment, one of the world's longest life expectancies (80.6 for men; 84.1 fo... by Strong Sense of Place

60 min listen

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Dave's Emergency Surgery: Astute listeners will by now have noticed that our podcast cast has been MIA since May. In this special episode, we tell you why. Trigger warning: illness, cancer, hospital, emotional anguish. If this were a novel, this story would be a terrifying thrill... by Strong Sense of Place

37 min listen

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Ep 05 — Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty

Ep 05 — Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty

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