487 Scandinavian Solstice; Italy 2017

Travel with Rick Steves

Rick Steves

Rick Steves, Public Radio, 721132, Europe, Society & Culture, Places & Travel, Npr, Travel

4.3 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2017

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hear how the summer solstice is celebrated in Scandinavia, where the official start of summer is a big deal. Then listen in as Italian friends discuss the effects of their country's high unemployment rate — and how Italians are meeting the challenge — before taking listener calls to share tips for a "dolce vita" vacation. And come along as we visit with some Tuscan craftsmen keeping traditions alive in their hill town home.

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	With all the political drama swirling around Europe these days, Italy has had its own set of issues to deal with.
0:06.0	Their economic growth remains disappointing and high unemployment is still a problem.
0:11.0	And it's so sad because we have great talents who are living the country because they
0:16.7	have no chance for a good job.
0:18.7	Nobody's given up yet.
0:20.4	We're down at the bottom, we're trying to climb, but nobody is completely negative about it.
0:26.0	Coming up on Travel with Rick Steve's friends from Italy let us in on the conversations
0:30.1	you'll hear at the cafes and dinner tables of their country and they'll take your
0:34.1	calls to help you plan a memorable trip to what I believe is still one of Europe's
0:38.3	most rewarding destinations and greet the summer solstice like they do in Scandinavia where they're ready to light up the barbecue and dance around the Maypole to celebrate the longest days of the year.
0:49.0	And they do some very silly dances around that pole as well, like the frog dance.
0:52.0	Let's go to Italy and Scandinavia in the hour ahead.
0:55.0	It's travel with Rick Steves.
0:57.0	Italy is for romantic.
1:02.0	Seeing the classics of Western civilization in person is a high point of many
1:06.8	travelers' lives. Italy is also a fascinating conundrum of a country today. After an economic miracle helped it recover from the Second World War,
1:15.0	lately its economic prospects inside the Eurozone are sluggish at best.
1:20.0	And Italy's political pendulum keeps swinging at a maddening pace with not much to show for all the commotion.
1:27.0	We'll hear about the issues Italians are debating.
1:30.0	Plus get professional trip planning advice from three Italy-based tour guides in just a bit.
1:35.0	We're at 877 333 7425, or you can reach us by emailing us at radio at Ricksteves.
1:42.0	The smell of summers in the air, especially in
	...

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